Spanky__99

Good for the Jays honouring his request, I wish him well, Stay Classy Toronto.

Yeah, that's up in Vlad territory, love this Org.

I wouldn't hate it, don't like the age difference but Marte on cheaper money gives the Jays more payroll flex for other needs while filling a spot with another allstar. And I love Bo. The price will be steep either way..

Yeah, pretty thin, some promising guys though.

I'd take Willy Adames outcome in a minute.

Lots of movement in the FV grades, this is fantastic news, although, I knew it was coming. Looking sweet ATM.

Hot Damn 6 - 60's 2 - 55's a 50 and a 45 in the top 10, not too damn shabby at all, man. Good news, baby!

Just dropped... Toronto Blue Jays top 10... 1. Trey Yesavage RHP Ht: 6'4" | Wt: 225 | B-T: R-R Age: 22 BA Grade/Risk: 60/Mild Adjusted Grade: 55 Track Record: Over three seasons at East Carolina, Yesavage went from a reliever to a key piece of the Pirates’ rotation. As a junior in 2024, he went 11-1 with a 2.03 ERA and struck out 145 in 93.1 innings. Late in that season, Yesavage suffered a partially collapsed lung due to an off-the-field medical procedure. He returned during regionals and outpitched Wake Forest ace Chase Burns. After Yesavage ranked as the No. 11 player in the 2024 class, questions around his medicals dropped him to the Blue Jays at pick No. 20. He signed for a little over $4.75 million and would debut the following spring with Low-A Dunedin. Toronto was deliberate with Yesavage’s workload and slowly moved him across each level of the full-season minors before he made his major league debut on Sept. 15. Not only did Yesavage make the Blue Jays’ postseason roster, he made five starts during Toronto’s run to the World Series. His biggest moment came in Game 5 of the World Series when Yesavage threw seven innings of one-run ball, striking out 12 Dodgers batters to set a World Series rookie record. Scouting Report: A physical 6-foot-4 righthander with a prototype starter’s build, Yesavage employs an unusual operation with a nearly perfectly over the top arm slot. Pitching exclusively from the stretch, he gets deep into his back leg as his arm plunges back before he catapults the ball over the top. His vertical arm angle and ability to hide the ball create a deceptive look that keeps opposing hitters off-balance. Yesavage employs a three-pitch mix of four-seam fastball, slider and splitter. The movement on his pitch mix is highly unusual. None of his pitches break glove side. Yesavage’s four-seam fastball is his primary pitch, thrown just under 50% of the time. Due to his over-the-top arm slot, he generates outlier ride on his fastball, averaging nearly 20 inches of induced vertical break in his brief MLB sample. His ride-cut shape and mid-90s velocity create a fearsome combination of traits that drove above-average whiff rates at every level. His slider is used nearly one-for-one to his splitter, and is the harder of his two secondaries. His slider sits in the upper 80s and touches the low 90s with cutter-like shape, generating an unusual three inches of armside run. Yesavage’s slider is an above-average pitch due to its velocity and unique break, but his splitter is his signature pitch. It sits 83-84 mph with excellent velocity and vertical separation off his fastball. His splitter generates whiffs at elite rates and is a true plus-plus offering. Yesavage shows average control and relies on a heavy dose of chase swings to boost his strike rates. The Future: Yesavage enters 2026 as an American League Rookie of the Year frontrunner and key part of the Blue Jays’ rotation. He could develop into a No. 2 starter at peak. Scouting Grades Fastball: 60 | Slider: 55 | Split: 70 | Control: 60. 2. Arjun Nimmala SS Ht: 6'1" | Wt: 170 | B-T: R-R Age: 20 BA Grade/Risk: 60/High Adjusted Grade: 45 Track Record: At 17 years old, Nimmala was the youngest player selected in the 2023 draft and debuted in the Florida Complex League months before his 18th birthday. His production was heavily disjointed in his first two full seasons. A rough start in 2024 for Low-A Dunedin led to a stint on the development list after 29 games. Upon his return, Nimmala showed improved posture in his swing and hit .265/.331/.564 over the final 53 games. The 2025 season was the reverse, as Nimmala started hot with High-A Vancouver, hitting .289/.372/.538 over the first 45 games. From June 1 onward, things took a gnarly turn and he hit .184 over the final 75 games. Scouting Report: A young shortstop with exciting skills on both sides of the ball, Nimmala still has remaining projection in his broad-shouldered frame. At the plate, he sets up slightly open, deploying a toe-tap timing mechanism. He looks to meet the ball out in front, which at times is to the detriment of his contact quality when he catches the ball off the end of the bat. Nimmala showed improvements to his contact in 2025 which resulted in a drop in strikeout rate. His bat-to-ball skills are fringe, which he couples with above-average swing decisions. Nimmala produced improved underlying power in 2025 with a jump in exit velocity data. He struggled to pull the ball in the air, however. Due to his plus bat speed, current power and remaining projection, Nimmala should be an above-average power hitter. He is an above-average runner who will show plus run times on jailbreaks to first base. He’s an above-average defender at shortstop with a plus arm who looks likely to stick at the position. The Future: Nimmala will look to find more consistency at the plate in 2026, and if he does he’ll develop into an above-average everyday shortstop. Double-A is next. Scouting Grades Hit: 45 | Power: 55 | Run: 55 | Field: 55 | Arm: 60. 3. JoJo Parker SS Ht: 6'2" | Wt: 200 | B-T: L-R Age: 19 BA Grade/Risk: 60/High Adjusted Grade: 45 Track Record: In the months leading up to the 2025 draft, no player had more helium than Parker. A four-year varsity starter for Purvis High in Mississippi, his impressive performance at East Coast Pro in 2024 got the hype train to leave the station. The Blue Jays drafted Parker with the eighth overall pick in 2025 and signed him for just under $6.2 million. He didn’t debut following the draft but did participate in unofficial bridge league games. Parker’s birth name is Joseph, but he goes by JoJo. His twin brother Jacob is an outfielder who played for Purvis and will attend Mississippi State. Scouting Report: Parker is a physical shortstop who stands 6-foot-2 with a strong muscular build and room to add more strength. He was one of the older players in the 2025 high school class but shows arguably the best balance of hitting and power among his prep peers. Parker sets up with an open stance with a narrow base. He rests the bat on his shoulder and then engages his load with a leg kick that feeds into an aggressive stride. Parker shows plus bat-to-ball skills and a patient approach. He can get overly passive at times, taking too many hittable pitches in the zone. He does a good job of pulling pitches located on the inner half of the plate and shows plus raw power. His swing is more geared toward hard line drives than lofted fly balls, but he should grow into above-average power at peak. Parker is an average runner, who gets out of the box well, but he’s unlikely to impact the game much with his speed. Parker is a shortstop at present but is likely to move to third base. He lacks the quick-twitch mechanisms and range needed to play shortstop. He does have a strong internal clock and an above-average arm. The Future: Parker projects as an above-average regular at third base who could one day grow into an all-star. Scouting Grades Hit: 55 | Power: 55 | Run: 50 | Field: 50 | Arm: 55. 4. Johnny King LHP Ht: 6'3" | Wt: 210 | B-T: L-L Age: 19 BA Grade/Risk: 60/High Adjusted Grade: 45 Track Record: King was just 17 years old on draft day when the Blue Jays selected him in the third round in 2024. A projectable 6-foot-4 lefthander from Naples, Fla., he was one of the brightest performers in Toronto’s farm system in 2025. King began in the Florida Complex League, making six appearances and striking out 41 batters to seven walks across 24 innings. He was promoted to Low-A Dunedin on June 29 and made 11 appearances and 10 starts. Over 37.2 innings with Dunedin, King struck out 64 batters to 30 walks, pitching to a 3.35 ERA. Scouting Report: King has all the ingredients of a midrotation stalwart. His operation gets deep into his glutes, allowing him to drop and drive with a strong lead leg block. His low three-quarters arm slot creates a deceptive angle for both lefthanded and righthanded batters, though he saw more success in opposite-handed matchups in 2025. King is still learning to repeat his mechanics, something that should help him find more consistency with his release point. King mixes three pitches in a four-seam fastball, curveball and changeup. King’s fastball is plus and sits 93-95 mph with above-average ride and heavy armside run. King had some of the highest total movement on his fastball of any lefthander in professional baseball in 2025. His primary secondary pitch is a two-plane curveball that sits 80-82 mph with good depth. His curveball boasted a whiff rate north of 50% in 2025. King’s changeup is a clear third pitch and was used sparingly in 2025. King shows fringe-average control and struggled with strike-throwing with Dunedin. The Future: King is poised to build on his breakout 2025 on his way to his final destination of midrotation starter. Scouting Grades Fastball: 60 | Curveball: 60 | Changeup: 40 | Control: 45. 5. Gage Stanifer RHP Ht: 6'3" | Wt: 201 | B-T: R-R Age: 22 BA Grade/Risk: 55/High Adjusted Grade: 40 Track Record: Stanifer signed for $125,000 as an Indiana prep pick in the 19th round of the 2022 draft. After spending 2023 in the Florida Complex League before making 19 appearances for Low-A Dunedin in 2024, Stanifer broke out in a big way in 2025. He spent the first seven weeks of the season working as a piggyback starter in tandem with top prospect Trey Yesavage. Stanifer was promoted to High-A Vancouver alongside Yesavage on May 19. Stanifer moved into the rotation at High-A and was promoted to Double-A on Sept. 5 and made two starts. Scouting Report: Stanifer stands 6-foot-3 with a board-shouldered, muscular build and little in the way of remaining projection. He works exclusively from the stretch with a high leg lift that contracts into his body before he drives toward the plate. He’s a short-strider with a short arm action and releases the ball from a three-quarters arm slot. Stanifer mixes a trio of pitches in his four-seam fastball, slider and changeup. His four-seam fastball sits 93-96 mph with plus ride and heavy armside run. Despite a lack of extension, Stanifer creates a deceptively flat plane of approach to the plate, leading to impressive whiff rates against the pitch. His primary secondary pitch against righthanders is a low-to-mid-80s slider that looks like a harder curveball with heavy vertical drop. His slider is a plus bat-missing pitch that generated elite whiffs rates in 2025. His changeup is his go-to secondary in off-handed matchups. Stanifer shows average feel for his changeup, but it’s primary function is driving weak ground balls, not generating whiffs. Stanifer shows fringe-average control across his arsenal. The Future: Stanifer carries a fair amount of relief risk but showed the ability to start over the final three months of the 2025 season and has No. 4 starter upside. Scouting Grades Fastball: 55 | Slider: 60 | Changeup: 45 | Control: 45. 6. Ricky Tiedemann LHP Ht: 6'4" | Wt: 220 | B-T: L-L Age: 23 BA Grade/Risk: 60/Extreme Adjusted Grade: 40 Track Record: The Blue Jays drafted Tiedemann out of junior college in the third round in 2021 and signed him for $644,800. He dominated in his 2022 debut, starting in Low-A and reaching Double-A in his age-19 season. Tiedemann was limited to just 61.1 innings in 2023 and 2024 because of persistent elbow pain. He had Tommy John surgery in late July 2024 and missed all of 2025. The Blue Jays added Tiedemann to the 40-man roster following the 2025 season and they plan to slowly ease him back into game action in 2026. Scouting Report: Despite a physical, 6-foot-4 build, Tiedemann has struggled to maintain health for most of his career. When Tiedemann is healthy and locked in, his arsenal plays up due to his low three-quarters arm slot. His arm swing is long, but it helps him hide the ball, creating deceptive traits. Since his initial elbow injury in 2023, Tiedemann has struggled to consistently repeat his mechanics and release point. He mixes three pitches in a four-seam fastball, slider and changeup. His fastball sits 94-96 mph with heavy armside run that plays up due to his arm slot. In 2024, Tiedemann generated less armside run on his fastball compared to previous seasons, possibly a product of his lingering elbow injury. Tiedemann’s slider is his primary secondary weapon. It has had varied shapes over the seasons, showing traditional break in 2023 and more sweeper action in 2022 and 2024. When at his best, Tiedemann shows the ability to use his slider against batters of both hands, wearing out the armside half of the plate. His changeup was viewed as his best secondary as an amateur, but it has become less effective in pro ball. The Future: Tiedemann will likely see a heavy dose of relief work in 2026 as he builds up his workload, but his midrotation upside remains. Scouting Grades Fastball: 60 | Slider: 60 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 50. 7. Juan Sanchez SS Ht: 6'3" | Wt: 180 | B-T: R-R Age: 18 BA Grade/Risk: 60/Extreme Adjusted Grade: 40 Track Record: Sanchez signed with the Blue Jays out of the Dominican Republic for $997,500, the second-highest bonus in their 2025 class. He made his debut in the Dominican Summer League a few months later and was one of the standout performers on the circuit. Sanchez hit .341/.439/.565 with eight home runs and ranked as the No. 5 prospect in the league. Scouting Report: A large, physical slugger standing 6-foot-3 with plenty of space to add muscle and strength to his frame, Sanchez already shows in-game power with plus bat-to-ball skills. In 2025 he missed at pitches in the strike zone just 10.8% of the time and ran solid underlying swing-decision metrics. Sanchez is prone to expanding the zone at times, which leads to whiffs. When he stays inside the zone and looks to do damage on pitches over the plate, he produces hard barrels all over the yard. Sanchez shows plus raw power, having hit a ball 115.8 mph in 2025. Sanchez already shows the ability to pull the ball hard and in the air and produces a high rate of barrel contact. He projects to grow into a plus power hitter at peak with elite high-end exit velocities and the ability to get to it in games. Sanchez is a fringe-average runner who will likely slow down as he matures. His lack of range and questionable actions likely mean a permanent move to third base lingers in the future. He’s a natural fit for third base with an above-average arm capable of making all the necessary throws. The Future: Sanchez has the tools and requisite bat-to-ball ability and power to grow into an above-average third baseman with peak seasons featuring 30 home runs. He’s viewed as one of the top players coming stateside in 2026 and should play in the Florida Complex League. Scouting Grades Hit: 55 | Power: 60 | Run: 40 | Field: 45 | Arm: 55. 8. RJ Schreck OF Ht: 6'1" | Wt: 210 | B-T: L-R Age: 25 BA Grade/Risk: 45/Mild Adjusted Grade: 40 Track Record: After hitting 18 home runs with Duke in 2021, Schreck struggled in his followup and transferred to Vanderbilt for his graduate student season. The Mariners drafted Schreck in the ninth round in 2023 and signed him for $75,000. He spent 25 games with Low-A Modesto following the draft. Schreck began the 2024 season with High-A Everett and earned a promotion to Double-A weeks before the 2024 trade deadline. He was traded to the Blue Jays for veteran third baseman Justin Turner. Schreck split his 2025 season between Double-A and Triple-A, hitting a combined .249/.395/.459 with 18 homers across both levels. Schreck missed a month in the middle of the season with a hand injury. Scouting Report: A well-rounded player with strong plate skills and the ability to fill-in at all three outfield positions, Schreck proved that his contact skills and approach were no flukes in 2024. He replicated his plus zone-contact rate and swing decisions at Double-A and Triple-A in 2025. Schreck rarely expands the zone and uses an aggressive approach on strikes, leading to lots of contact. His ability to discern balls from strikes is his greatest asset, leading to clear plus plate skills. Schreck saw a jump in his exit velocity data in 2025 and hit a career-high max exit velocity of 111.9 mph. He shows the ability to hit the ball hard in the air to his pull side, optimizing his average underlying power. Schreck is likely to hit 15-18 home runs annually while providing solid batting averages and high on-base percentages. Schreck is an average runner who saw time in all three outfield spots in 2025. He is below-average in center field but is fringe-average in a corner spot with an average arm. The Future: Schreck looks like a second-division regular with a bat-driven profile. Scouting Grades Hit: 60 | Power: 50 | Run: 50 | Field: 45 | Arm: 50. 9. Jake Bloss RHP Ht: 6'3" | Wt: 205 | B-T: R-R Age: 24 BA Grade/Risk: 55/High Adjusted Grade: 40 Track Record: After three seasons at Lafayette College, Bloss transferred to Georgetown in 2023 and won Big East Conference pitcher of the year honors. He was drafted by the Astros in the third round in 2023 and began his first full season in 2024 at High-A Asheville. Bloss dominated, earning a promotion to Double-A Corpus Christi by May. After four starts, Houston called Bloss up directly from Double-A on June 21. Bloss exited his MLB debut with shoulder discomfort but returned in early July to make two starts. The Astros traded him to the Blue Jays as a part of the Yusei Kikuchi deal at the 2024 trade deadline. Bloss made six starts for Triple-A Buffalo in 2025 but struggled with his control before requiring season-ending UCL surgery in May. Scouting Report: Bloss has a prototype pitcher’s build with the size expected of a starter. He begins from a semi-windup with a high leg lift before driving down the mound with plus extension. His extension improves the plane on his fastball, allowing him to create more ride than expected from his high three-quarters arm slot. Bloss mixes five different pitches, throwing four-seam and two-seam fastball variants, a slider, curveball and splitter. Bloss’ four-seam fastball sits 93-95 mph and touches 97 with true ride-cut shape. It’s an above-average offering and his most heavily used pitch. Bloss reworked his slider in 2025 by showing a baby sweeper shape with around seven to eight inches of sweep. He ditched his sweeper for a curveball with heavy two-plane break. It sits in the upper 70s. He altered his changeup to use a splitter grip in 2025 as he added more armside run to the pitch. Bloss struggled with the Triple-A zone but projects for average command. The Future: Bloss should return to action in the second half of 2026 and looks like a No. 4 starter. Scouting Grades Fastball: 55 | Curveball: 50 | Slider: 45 | Split: 50 | Control: 50. 10. Jake Cook OF Ht: 6'3" | Wt: 185 | B-T: L-L Age: 22 BA Grade/Risk: 50/High Adjusted Grade: 35 Track Record: Cook redshirted as a freshman at Southern Mississippi and then played sparingly as a two-way player as a sophomore. A lefthanded thrower, he dropped pitching heading into 2025 and put together a strong season as an outfielder, hitting .350/.436/.468 with 19 extra-base hits as one of the toughest players to strike out in college baseball. The Blue Jays drafted Cook in the third round and signed him for $922,500. Scouting Report: One of the best athletes in the 2025 draft class, Cook is an excellent mover who made rapid improvements as a hitter in his platform season. He is a lefthanded hitter with an inside-out swing who looks to hit inside the baseball and spray line drives to the opposite field. This approach means Cook rarely swings and misses, and he ran a 4% swinging-strike rate with Southern Miss in 2025. Despite his contact-centric profile, Cook shows above-average on-base skills with a good balance of patience and aggression. His power is well below-average and isn’t a major part of his game. He hit three home runs with Southern Miss but has good size and enough bat speed to grow into 8-12 home run power. He’ll likely collect a majority of his extra bases hitting the ball to the gaps and using his top-of-the-scale speed. Cook is an 80-grade runner who consistently will show home-to-first run times of 3.8 seconds. However, he is a poor basestealer and was caught on five of eight attempts with Southern Miss. His speed translates to the field, where he’s a plus center fielder capable of covering large swaths of ground in the outfield. The former pitcher has a plus arm . The Future: Cook has many tools but is more raw than other college draftees. He has the attributes to develop into an everyday center fielder. Scouting Grades Hit: 55 | Power: 30 | Run: 80 | Field: 60 | Arm: 60.

I was going to do the whole MLB but it seemed to fall on deaf ears. I just click on unread content to not miss anything, seems easier. But it's my pleasure. I'll post the chat as does get deeper on hints of movement in the system.

I love this type of media coverage and overlay... 22K views · 255 reactions | Addison Barger shows off two types of... WWW.FACEBOOK.COM Addison Barger shows off two types of baseball swings, a breakdown #mlb #baseball #sports #bluejays #homerun #torontobluejays

🤔... really?

Jays top 10 drops today. ⚾💥 Tampa Bay Rays... 1. Brody Hopkins RHP Ht: 6'4" | Wt: 200 | B-T: R-R Age: 23 BA Grade/Risk: 60/Average Adjusted Grade: 50 Track Record: Growing up, Hopkins was always known as TJ’s little brother. TJ Hopkins was a star athlete at Summerville (S.C.) High and went on to be a four-year outfield starter at South Carolina. Eventually, he became a major leaguer by spending 25 games with the 2023 Reds. Brody, who is five years younger, quickly made a name for himself as well. He was a baseball and football star (as a big-play wide receiver) in high school before heading to the College of Charleston as an outfielder who also pitched sporadically. After 50 games in the outfield and two on the mound for the Cougars, Hopkins transferred to Winthrop for the 2023 season, focused on pitching and saw his career take off. He was wild as a college pitcher, but his athleticism and stuff enticed the Mariners to draft him in the sixth round in that same year. In July 2024, Seattle sent him to the Rays as part of the return for outfielder Randy Arozarena. Hopkins took a step forward with his control in 2025, and was especially effective over the final two months at Double-A Montgomery. He struck out 32% of batters while allowing just four runs in his final six starts. Scouting Report: Hopkins has the best stuff of any Rays minor league starter, with an all-out, all-power, all-the-time approach that is quite unusual for a starting pitcher. There is nothing subtle about Hopkins’ stuff, as even his curveball and changeup will flirt with 90 mph. He’ll have outings where he doesn’t throw a pitch under 88-89 mph. It’s an approach seen from very few MLB starters. Jacob Misiorowski and Max Meyer were the only MLB starters in 2025 who averaged 87 mph or harder with every pitch. Hopkins doesn’t change speeds much, but he does force hitters to protect the entire strike zone. He’s able to work up and down to lefthanded hitters thanks to a 96-97 mph four-seam fastball that touches 100. He throws it from a flat approach angle of less than four feet, with enough life to get above bats at the top of the zone. His hard 89-91 mph changeup gets below hitters’ bats with just enough movement to pair with that extreme power, and his hard 92-93 mph cutter can get in under their hands. He can take that same up-and-down approach with righthanded hitters, but he can also mix in a bigger 87-88 mph power curve. He has also toyed with a 87-88 mph sweeper that runs away from them. Hopkins has a long arm action, which can lead to control issues, but he is athletic enough to repeat his delivery well. His 12% walk rate is high, but his ability to limit hard contact helps make his fringe-average control work. The Future: Hopkins carries a bit more reliever risk than some other Rays starters thanks to his still-developing control, but he’s made massive strides in just three years. He could develop into a front-of-the-rotation starter if everything clicks, with the kind of arsenal that gives hitters nightmares on a regular basis. Scouting Grades Fastball: 65 | Curveball: 70 | Changeup: 45 | Sweeper: 55 | Cutter: 65 | Control: 45. 2. Theo Gillen OF Ht: 6'2" | Wt: 195 | B-T: L-R Age: 20 BA Grade/Risk: 60/High Adjusted Grade: 45 Track Record: Gillen was long viewed as one of the best pure hitters in the 2024 prep draft class, but he was tougher to evaluate because he missed extended time with shoulder and wrist injuries. A strong senior season at Westlake High in Texas helped Gillen rise up draft rankings, and the Rays selected him with the 18th overall pick. Tampa Bay immediately moved him from shortstop to center field as a pro. A calf injury delayed the start of Gillen’s 2025 season at Low-A Charleston by a month, but he would have led the Carolina League with a .433 on-base percentage if he had qualified. He missed the final three weeks after injuring his hand sliding into second base. Scouting Report: Gillen is an exceptionally polished hitter for a teenager. He crowds the plate, with a compact stance, very little pre-pitch movement and a modest load. His stance helps give him excellent plate coverage. His short swing, bat speed and ability to clear his hips allows him to turn on inside pitches, but he’s just as comfortable serving the ball to left field when pitchers work him away. Gillen’s power is modest, but he should develop into a hitter who hits bushels of line-drive doubles. He’s a plus runner with the ability to steal 30-plus bases at a high success rate. Defensively, made a speedy conversion to the outfield. He has no hesitation to leave his feet, but he does so in a calculated manner that turns doubles into line outs without turning singles into triples. His old shoulder injury means he has a below-average arm, which is a big reason he moved to the outfield. The Future: Gillen’s polished lefthanded bat gives him a chance to be an impact regular in center field in an organization that emphasizes outfield defense. His lofty on-base percentages can be expected to dip as he faces better pitching, but his power should tick up as well. Scouting Grades Hit: 60 | Power: 45 | Run: 60 | Field: 60 | Arm: 40. 3. Carson Williams SS Ht: 6'1" | Wt: 180 | B-T: R-R Age: 22 BA Grade/Risk: 55/Average Adjusted Grade: 45 Track Record: Williams hit 20 home runs and stole 33 bases for Double-A Montgomery in 2024, but the Rays were aware that he was not a finished product as a hitter. Still, Williams’ struggles at Triple-A Durham in 2025 were surprising. His 34% strikeout rate was the second-highest in the International League. After trading away Jose Caballero, waiving Ha-Seong Kim and placing Taylor Walls on the injured list, Williams was called up to Tampa Bay. He hit five homers in 32 games, but it was an all-or-nothing approach that included a 42% strikeout rate. Scouting Report: Coming into 2025, there was hope that Williams could be an offensive force as well as a plus defender. Triple-A exposed more issues at the plate, and while there is still hope for offensive improvement, it’s more realistic to now project Williams as a strong defender who could hit enough home runs to have value as a bottom-of-the-order bat. If he can get a pitch up in the zone, he can get to his plus power. He has well above-average bat speed, and his 23 Triple-A home runs led all minor league shortstops, but there’s little adjustability to his swing. Teams learned that he’s almost helpless when pitchers work the bottom of the strike zone, especially with changeups. Defensively, Williams projects as a reliably plus or better defender at shortstop. He is tall and rangy, and he knows how to use his plus arm to full advantage. His hands are soft. He’s a plus runner who should steal 15-20 bases a year if he hits at all. The Future: Williams has a much wider array of possible outcomes than most players who have already reached the majors. His contact issues could completely derail his career, but as a true shortstop who could hit 20 home runs, he could be a valuable player even with frightening batting averages. Scouting Grades Hit: 30 | Power: 60 | Run: 60 | Field: 65 | Arm: 65. 4. T.J. Nichols RHP Ht: 6'5" | Wt: 189 | B-T: R-R Age: 23 BA Grade/Risk: 55/Average Adjusted Grade: 45 Track Record: A standout on the mound and in the classroom at Oakmont High in Roseville, Calif., Nichols was part of coach Jay Johnson’s final recruiting class at Arizona. Nichols bounced between the Wildcats rotation and bullpen for all three years of college. His stuff was exceptional, but he struggled with consistency, largely because of control troubles. The quality of Nichols’ stuff made him an enticing sixth-round pick for the Rays in 2023. Scouting Report: The Rays are consistently the best organization in baseball in helping pitchers improve their strike-throwing. Nichols is one of the prime beneficiaries. His delivery and arm action were already relatively clean, but the Rays’ combination of middle-middle catcher setups and emphasis on pitchers trusting their stuff has led to significant control strides. After walking 10% of batters he faced in college, Nichols slashed that to 6% across High-A and Double-A in 2025. His 68% strike percentage ranked 10th best among all minor league pitchers with 100 innings. Getting ahead of hitters more consistently allowed him to carve them up with his hard slider. If anything, Nichols may be in the zone a bit too much. The majority of the 21 home runs he allowed in 2025 came when he was ahead in the count. His plus fastball and plus slider could be more effective if hitters worried more about chasing them out of the zone. His below-average changeup needs to improve to better attack lefthanded batters, who were responsible for 16 of his 21 homers he allowed. The Future: No Rays pitcher has made bigger strides in the past two years than Nichols. He now has a track record of success as a starter, including an 0.97 ERA in 37 innings for Double-A Montgomery to end the season. Nichols will head back there to start 2026. He projects as a midrotation starter. Scouting Grades Fastball: 60 | Slider: 60 | Changeup: 40 | Control: 60. 5. Santiago Suarez RHP Ht: 6'2" | Wt: 175 | B-T: R-R Age: 20 BA Grade/Risk: 55/Average Adjusted Grade: 45 Track Record: A Marlins signee out of Venezuela in 2022, Suarez barely got to get comfortable wearing teal. Miami traded him with Marcus Johnson to the Rays for JT Chargois and Xavier Edwards in 2023. Suarez was impressing at High-A Bowling Green in 2025 when he went down with a sore shoulder in early May. He missed three months, and when he returned, the Rays promoted him all the way to Triple-A for his final two starts of the season. Scouting Report: The Rays emphasize throwing strikes more than any other organization, but even in an org full of strike-throwers, Suarez’s plus-plus control stands out. He walked eight batters in 52 innings all season, when 10 minor league pitchers walked at least that many in a single start in 2025. He ranked second in the minors in strike percentage in 2025 among pitchers with 50-plus innings. Suarez is no soft-tossing control wizard. His above-average four-seam fastball sits at 94-95 mph and can touch 97, and it has above-average life. His hard high-80s cutter gives him a plus secondary offering, and he’ll use an average low-80s downer curveball to give lefthanded hitters something to worry about. That curve has been especially important to lefties because Suarez is still looking for a changeup grip that he’s comfortable throwing. His hands are smaller than many pitchers, and as of yet, he hasn’t gotten comfortable with any of the multiple changeup grips he has tried to throw. The Future: Suarez figures to earn a spot in the Double-A Montgomery rotation in 2026 with a strong spring training. He will be one of the Southern League’s younger starters as a 21-year-old. His exceptional control gives him a chance to develop into a midrotation starter, though he may need to learn to expand the zone more often to become more unpredictable. Scouting Grades Fastball: 55 | Curveball: 50 | Cutter: 60 | Changeup: 40 | Control: 70. 6. Daniel Pierce SS Ht: 6'0" | Wt: 185 | B-T: R-R Age: 19 BA Grade/Risk: 55/High Adjusted Grade: 40 Track Record: The son of a high school baseball coach, Pierce seems to always be in control as a defender. But that attribute was likely to carry him only to the late second or third round coming into 2025. Significant improvements at the plate in his senior season pushed Pierce into the first round in a loaded prep shortstop draft class. He showed both more consistent contact and improved power. The Rays drafted him 14th overall and signed him for $4.31 million. Scouting Report: The Rays are loaded with plus defenders at shortstop, from Taylor Walls in the majors to Carson Williams, Gregory Barrios and Adrian Santana in the minors. But Pierce has a chance to be the equal or better of all of them if everything clicks. He glides around the infield, making the tough plays look easy with a quick first step, hands that erase bad hops and a 65 arm on the 20-to-80 scouting scale that matches Williams as the best in the organization. Offensively, Pierce has more upside than all the Rays shortstops but Williams. Earlier in his amateur career, he struggled to string together consistent at-bats. He has some noise in his setup that may contribute to that. He cocks the bat and has a big bat waggle at times, but as he filled out, his bat control and contact ability has improved. Pierce has the size and strength to combine average power with a fringe-average hit tool. He’s continued to fill out and is already 10 pounds heavier and stronger than he was when the Rays drafted him. The Future: Pierce should spend most or all of 2026 at Low-A Charleston, where he can be expected to play excellent defense and provide sneaky power. His defense gives him plenty of chances to develop into a big leaguer, and his power potential gives him a chance to be a star if he can continue to make strides at the plate. Scouting Grades Hit: 45 | Power: 50 | Run: 60 | Field: 60 | Arm: 65. 7. Brendan Summerhill OF Ht: 6'2" | Wt: 191 | B-T: L-R Age: 22 BA Grade/Risk: 50/Average Adjusted Grade: 40 Track Record: Summerhill was considered one of the top pure hitters in the 2025 college class after producing for average both at Arizona and in the Cape Cod League. But he missed a month of his junior season with a broken hand, and that may have cost him a spot in the first round. Summerhill was hitting .409/.500/.656 at the time of the injury but hit just .263/.412/.434 after he returned. The Rays drafted him with the 42nd overall pick. Summerhill’s older brother Colin, an Angels undrafted free agent in 2024, beat Brendan to pro ball by a year. Scouting Report: Summerhill immediately became one of the Rays’ best contact hitters as soon as he signed. He’s long shown excellent barrel control and adjustability in his swing. There’s no one way to pitch him. If a pitcher succeeds in one at-bat, there’s little guarantee that the same approach will work the next time. Summerhill’s power has always been modest. He could sell out for a few more home runs, but it’s more likely he’ll settle in as a plus hitter with fringe-average pop. Summerhill played both center and right field in college and eventually fits as a corner outfielder for the Rays. But that means he’ll likely get plenty of time in center field for now, because the Rays try to play three center field-capable outfielders most of the time. He’s an above-average runner who should be at least average in the corners with a chance to be above-average. He has an average arm. The Future: Summerhill’s brief pro debut for Low-A Charleston ended early because of an oblique injury, but he should be full speed for spring training. He fits the kind of well-rounded college hitter that the Rays covet in the draft. He should be a key part of the High-A Bowling Green outfield for most of 2026. Scouting Grades Hit: 60 | Power: 45 | Run: 55 | Field: 50 | Arm: 50. 8. Aidan Smith OF Ht: 6'3" | Wt: 190 | B-T: R-R Age: 21 BA Grade/Risk: 50/Average Adjusted Grade: 40 Track Record: The Rays knew when they traded Randy Arozarena at the 2024 deadline that they needed to nail the trade, because Arozarena was one of the team’s best trade chips. A year and a half later, Brody Hopkins is the team’s best prospect. Smith, the other prospect in the deal, had a tougher time in 2025. After hitting for average and power in 2024, Smith saw his strikeout rate spike to 31% at High-A Bowling Green while he hit .237 and his power dipped. On the bases, Smith has been consistent. He’s stolen 41 bases while getting thrown out six times in each of the past two seasons. Scouting Report: Smith never seemed to get comfortable at the plate with Bowling Green. He struggled more with velocity than he ever did before. He has always been quiet in his setup, but in 2025, he struggled to get in rhythm and get his hands going. When he tried to tweak his stance, his struggles spiraled. He ended up fouling away pitches he should have been pulling for extra-base damage. Smith has a knack for driving the ball in the air when he’s synced up. While he struggled more than expected at the plate, there was a much more positive development in 2025 in the field. With the Mariners, Smith was splitting time almost equally between all three outfield spots. The Rays challenged him to focus on center field. He responded by steadily getting better defensively. By the end of the year, he was the Rays’ best defensive minor league center fielder. He now projects as a plus center fielder. He’s a plus runner with a plus arm. The Future: Smith’s defensive improvements reduce the pressure on his bat, but he will have to show that his 2025 hitting struggles were a blip more than a trend. Scouting Grades Hit: 40 | Power: 45 | Run: 60 | Field: 65 | Arm: 60. 9. Xavier Isaac 1B Ht: 6'3" | Wt: 240 | B-T: L-L Age: 22 BA Grade/Risk: 55/High Adjusted Grade: 40 Track Record: After a strong 2023 and first half of 2024, Isaac’s career hit a speed bump at Double-A Montgomery. His 2025 season never really got going. A sore elbow sidelined him for the first 10 days of the season, and when he was activated, he was limited to DH. The Rays shut Isaac down for good on July 5 with a wrist injury after just 41 games. Scouting Report: Isaac’s injury issues made him a tough player to evaluate in 2025. He was helpless against lefthander, which hasn’t been an issue in the past, but his power and bat speed were still impressive despite the injuries. No Rays minor leaguer hits the ball harder than Isaac, but he is going to have to make adjustments to get to that power consistently. He has struggled to pull the ball in the air. Fewer than 20% of his fly balls at Double-A were pulled to right field, while 80% of his ground balls in 2025 were pulled. His ability to clear the fence in center and left field has allowed him to get to his power anyway. Isaac’s swing is steep. He can drive pitches at the top of the zone, but is somewhat helpless against pitchers working down in the zone. He has solid pitch recognition skills, but pitchers can toy with his timing. He is too often tardy on quality fastballs and he struggles to handle changeups, as well. Isaac was an average defender at first base in 2024, but he didn’t get on the field in 2025. He is an average runner despite his 6-foot-4, 240-pund frame. The Future: Isaac will play the entire 2026 season as a 22-year-old, so despite lost time, he’s still on a good timetable, even with a return to Double-A. With his ability to drive the ball and draw walks, he could be productive even with a strikeout rate near 30%. But he needs to stay healthy to refine some of the apparent flaws in his game. Scouting Grades Hit: 40 | Power: 60 | Run: 50 | Field: 50 | Arm: 50. 10. Nathan Flewelling C Ht: 6'1" | Wt: 185 | B-T: L-R Age: 19 BA Grade/Risk: 55/High Adjusted Grade: 40 Track Record: As a 17-year-old catcher coming out of Alberta, Flewelling was not exactly a high-profile, low-risk pick. But the Rays loved his power potential, and they were one of the teams that also believed that he could stick behind the plate. They drafted him in the third round in 2024. Flewelling more than rewarded their faith by being one of the pleasant surprises on the Low-A Charleston club. His surface-level stats (.229/.393/.336) weren’t anything special, but his batted-ball data shined while he proved to be a reliable catcher defensively. Scouting Report: If Flewelling was a first baseman, his offensive ability would still be intriguing. But he pairs an exceptional batting eye, plus power and solid contact ability with work behind the plate to create one of the better sleeper prospects in the game. Flewelling had one of the best chase rates in the Rays’ system, and he paired it with plus power potential. While he hit just six home runs in 2025, he should develop above-average power. His 90th percentile exit velocity of 105 mph is excellent for a teenager. As a catcher, he’s already an above-average framer, and he embraces the intellectual aspects of leading the pitching staff. He carries himself like a veteran, rather than one of the youngest players on the team. Flewelling turns in average pop times with plus accuracy, which helped him throw out 27% of basestealers. He caught 75 games in 2025. That topped Ethan Salas’ 2024 season as the most games caught by an 18-year-old in pro ball this decade. The Future: The Rays haven’t produced a homegrown long-term starting catcher at any point in their history. Flewelling has a lot of development left, but his combination of defense, savvy and hitting ability could finally end the three-decade drought. Scouting Grades Hit: 45 | Power: 55 | Run: 30 | Field: 50 | Arm: 50.

Yeah, agreed, it was a good baseball trade.

This would please me.

Nah, he wasn't in BA's top 10 released 2 days ago, he's good though. Pipeline is saying he was #5, not sure if that's updated though. Richard Fitts is also not a nothingburger, trade seems fair to me, although I hate that the Bosox just got much better. Ughh... Where were the Orioles on this?

It's due dilligence, kicking tires, whatever you want to call it, they're not going to be left with their dick in there hand, is all. Bo will likely re-sign, but Marte would be an upgrade, regardless. Nothing to see here, man. Toronto will be in on all top available players whether through trade, or Free Agency. It's as simple as that.

Bloss was as high as #66 on the top 100 list last February and obviously since the injury he has dropped out, this is the latest on Bloss before he was injured so this is basically your go to in concern of Jake, here's his latest blurb... 5. Jake Bloss RHP Ht: 6'3" | Wt: 205 | B-T: R-R Age: 23 BA Grade/Risk: 50/Medium. Track Record: Bloss spent three seasons at Lafayette College in Pennsylvania, then transferred to Georgetown in 2023. He broke out with a 2.58 ERA and 96 strikeouts in 76.2 innings to win Big East Conference pitcher of the year honors and was drafted by the Astros in the third round. Bloss bullied minor league competition out of the gate in 2024, earning a promotion to Double-A after just four starts. Houston called him up directly from Corpus Christi on June 21. Bloss exited his MLB debut with shoulder discomfort but returned in early July to make two starts. The Astros traded him to the Blue Jays as a part of the Yusei Kikuchi deadline deal. Scouting Report: Bloss has a prototype pitcher’s build, standing 6-foot-3 with a strong, athletic build. He uses a semi-windup with a high leg lift before moving into his drop-and-drive mechanics. Bloss does a good job getting downhill, creating well-above-average extension that helps the release from his high, three-quarters arm slot play up. He mixes five pitch shapes: a four-seam fastball, cutter, slider, curveball and changeup. Bloss’ four-seam fastball is an above-average four-seamer that sits 93-95 mph and touches 98 with above-average ride and cut. His cutter is his primary secondary and sits 86-88 with a cutter-slider hybrid shape. His slider is designated by some as a sweeper and sits 81-83 with 11-12 inches of horizontal break. Both his slider and cutter show average-or-better command and the ability to miss bats. Against lefthanded hitters, Bloss mixes in a steady diet of his upper-80s changeup and upper-80s two-plane curveball. He lands all of his pitches at an average-or-better rate. The Future: Bloss looks like a quality No. 5 starter ready to contribute in 2025. Scouting Grades: Fastball: 55 | Curveball: 45 | Slider: 50. CH: 45. CUT: 55 | Control: 50. Scouting Grades: Fastball: 55 | Curveball: 45 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 45 | Cutter: 55 | Control: 50.

Well, I'm going to post the AL East at least, the Jays drop on Wednesday... Boston Red Sox... 1. Payton Tolle LHP Ht: 6'6" | Wt: 250 | B-T: L-L Age: 23 BA Grade/Risk: 60/Mild Adjusted Grade: 45 Track Record: After two years at Wichita State as a power-hitting first baseman and lefthander, Tolle transferred to Texas Christian in 2024 and focused increasingly on the mound. A strong junior season at TCU—he went 7-4 with a 3.21 ERA and 37% strikeout rate—and evident aptitude to develop in a new program convinced the Red Sox to draft Tolle in the second round. He signed for a slightly over-slot $2 million and was Boston’s highest selection of a pitcher since 2017. Tolle combines distinct mound traits—a mountainous build and a funktastic delivery with incredible extension—and in his 2025 pro unveiling, he made huge gains in his velocity and pitch shapes. He overwhelmed minor league hitters with a 36.5% strikeout rate, which was fourth-highest among minor league pitchers with at least 80 innings, while zooming from High-A through the upper levels. Tolle emerged as the best Red Sox pitching prospect in years, and in late August, he made his MLB debut little more than a year after signing. Scouting Report: Tolle leverages his immense 6-foot-6, 250-pound frame to propel himself down the mound and punch hitters in the face while averaging seven and a half feet of extension on his fastball. That elite attribute from a low three-quarters arm slot was hard on hitters when he sat at 91 mph at TCU, and the basis of dominance when he jumped to an average of 95 in the minors. He then averaged 96.6 mph in his big league cameo and hit triple digits for the first time in his life on a pitch that averaged 16.7 inches of ride and 6.7 inches of armside run. Tolle reshaped his secondary mix throughout the season, most notably with the introduction of an 88-90 mph cutter in August that immediately surpassed his gyro slider, kick changeup and curveball in usage. In the minors, he proved capable of missing bats in the zone with that entire mix, and his pitch shapes graded as average or better across the board. In the big leagues, he lacked command of his secondaries and struggled while leaning hard on a fastball he threw 64% of the time, too often down the middle. If Tolle can harness his secondaries—likely with a more balanced fastball/cutter/slider combination with occasional changeups and curveballs to righthanded hitters—in a way comparable to what he showed in the minors, he has the makings of a rotation workhorse. The Future: While Tolle wore a jet pack in his 2025 ascent, he’ll likely open 2026 in the Triple-A rotation to better define and refine his secondary mix. His double-plus fastball gives him an obvious late-innings floor, but the immense developmental strides he made in 2025 suggest a midrotation—or better—ceiling. “This is hard for me to say, but this guy, he’s a Jonny Lester-type guy to me—can’t-miss, dominant, big leaguer,” Double-A Portland manager Chad Epperson said. “This guy’s going to be really, really special.” Scouting Grades Fastball: 70 | Curveball: 45 | Slider: 50 | Cutter: 50 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 50. 2. Franklin Arias SS Ht: 5'11" | Wt: 170 | B-T: R-R Age: 20 BA Grade/Risk: 55/Average Adjusted Grade: 45 Track Record: Arias featured natural shortstop actions and unusual feel to shoot liners all over the field as an amateur in Venezuela. That pairing of skills, along with startling maturity, led the Red Sox to sign him for $525,000 in 2023. In 2024, he was named MVP of the Florida Complex League in a season he finished with 36 games for Low-A Salem. Arias returned to the Carolina League to open 2025 and advanced to Double-A Portland as a 19-year-old, becoming one of eight teenage position players at the level. Scouting Report: Arias has a clock, feel and adaptability on both sides of the ball that are atypical for his age. Despite an excellent 2024 season, there were concerns that Arias’ attack angle was too steep, rendering him vulnerable to pitches at the top of the zone. He made posture adjustments to flatten his bat path in 2025, resulting in a jump in his in-zone contact rate from 82% in 2024 to 94% in 2025. He struck out just 10% of the time. That approach came with some compromises to his quality of contact, particularly when expanding the zone. Arias’ groundball rate rose from 38% in 2024 to 46%. He’s also an all-fields hitter, resulting in a clear hit-over-power profile, but with exit velocities topping out around 110 mph, he does have sneaky pop and the chance to add more if he can add strength. Defensively, Arias has tremendous instincts and sound mechanics that permit him to reliably turn balls in play into outs, profiling as a solid to above-average shortstop despite a lack of burst. The Future: Arias has the balanced two-way impact to profile as an everyday shortstop—with a chance to push his ceiling if he can grow into more power. He’ll open 2025 back in Double-A, with a strong chance to reach Triple-A by mid 2026. Scouting Grades Hit: 60 | Power: 40 | Run: 40 | Field: 60 | Arm: 55. 3. Connelly Early LHP Ht: 6'3" | Wt: 195 | B-T: L-L Age: 23 BA Grade/Risk: 50/Mild Adjusted Grade: 45 Track Record: Even as a soft-throwing junior at Virginia following two years at Army, Early impressed the Red Sox with his pitchability and secondary weapons. Boston placed a fifth-round wager on Early, believing he could make major gains in his stuff in a professional training environment. That’s exactly what happened over his first two full professional seasons. In 2025, Early combined a 32% strikeout rate in the upper levels with minimal hard contact, then impressed in his big league unveiling, including an 11-strikeout effort against the Athletics on Sept. 9 that tied a Red Sox franchise record for a pitcher making his debut. Scouting Report: Early’s fastball, which averaged 90 mph as a college junior, now sits at 93-94 and tops out at 97. Though the offering, which features 15 inches of induced vertical break, garners pedestrian stuff grades, Early creates evident deception that allowed him to attack the zone and get whiffs in his debut. He paired the fastball with an excellent mid-80s changeup with sink and fade to his arm side as well as a slider and curveball against righties, while crushing lefties by mixing his four- and two-seamer with a low-80s sweeper that produced a 100% whiff rate—not a typo—on 10 regular season swings. Early has an athletic delivery that he repeats and that permits him to command his arsenal to all parts of the zone. He has struggled at times to maintain stuff after his first time through the order. The Future: Early’s mix and command are those of a starter, and he’ll be in the big league rotation mix to open 2026. He has the floor of a multi-innings bullpen weapon and ceiling of a No. 3 starter. Likelier, he projects as a No. 4, so long as he can add strength to achieve a starter’s durability. Scouting Grades Fastball: 50 | Curveball: 50 | Slider: 40 | Changeup: 60 | Sweeper: 55 | Control: 50. 4. Kyson Witherspoon RHP Ht: 6'2" | Wt: 205 | B-T: R-R Age: 21 BA Grade/Risk: 55/Average Adjusted Grade: 45 Track Record: After mostly playing shortstop in high school, Witherspoon became a two-way player at Northwest Florida State JC. Both Witherspoon and his twin brother Malachi showed live arms that resulted in the pair transferring to Oklahoma for the 2024 season. After a solid sophomore season, Witherspoon tightened his delivery and added strength entering 2025. He dominated for the Sooners by going 10-4 with a 2.65 ERA and 32% strikeout rate to emerge as the best college righthander in the draft. Witherspoon projected as a top 10 pick, but when he remained available at No. 15, the Red Sox pounced. They made him their highest pick ever for a college righthander and signed him for $5 million. Scouting Report: Witherspoon is a natural tinkerer with grips and pitch shapes, something that flows out of his catch play with his twin brother, a second-round pick by the Tigers. Hearkening to his days as a shortstop, Witherspoon shoots the ball out of his ear, a raptor-like delivery that creates deception. He built a five-pitch arsenal around a fastball that averaged 96 mph and topped out at 99. He bumped up his usage of a swing-and-miss low-90s cutter that proved to be an in-zone weapon, while also setting up a gyro slider for chase. He also showed the ability to shape and change speeds with a high-70s curveball and flashed a changeup that showed potential, though he seldom needed it in college. He repeats his delivery well, resulting in a low walk rate and the ability to get pitches to all quadrants. The Future: Witherspoon shows No. 3 starter potential. He’ll open 2026 in High-A or perhaps even Double-A and could move quickly. If he pounds the strike zone and finds the right breaking pitch shapes, he could be fast-tracked to the big leagues by early 2027 or even late 2026. Scouting Grades Fastball: 60 | Curveball: 45 | Slider: 55 | Cutter: 60 | Changeup: 45 | Control: 50. 5. Luis Perales RHP Ht: 6'1" | Wt: 160 | B-T: R-R Age: 22 BA Grade/Risk: 60/High Adjusted Grade: 45 Track Record: After he signed for $75,000 out of Venezuela in 2019, Perales quickly started generating buzz with a quick arm that unleashed mid-90s fastballs. His development proceeded slowly in part due to elbow discomfort in both 2021 and 2022, but a solid 2023 campaign served as a prelude to an early breakout in 2024, when a broader mix resulted in a 39% strikeout rate at High-A and Double-A. However, Perales had Tommy John surgery in June, shortly after his promotion to Double-A. He added significant strength while rehabbing, and when he returned to games in September 2025, he showed triple-digits velocity even as he worked to regain command. Scouting Report: Perales has a bazooka. He sat 98-101 mph in his brief return to the mound in 2025, with 17 to 20 inches of ride. His fastball can be a swing-and-miss weapon when he keeps it in the zone, but his ability to do so was inconsistent. He more reliably located his low-90s cutter—a pitch that contributed to his 2024 breakout—and that pitch may end up being his primary offering, with the fastball looming as a putaway pitch. His gyro slider and splitter have depth to stretch the zone vertically, but for now his splitter is too often non-competitive below the zone. The development of his splitter as a reliable weapon, not to mention improved control to leave hitters on the defensive, will dictate whether he’s a starter or a late-inning reliever. The Future: Perales has upside to rival any pitcher in the Red Sox system, if he can harness his stuff in the zone. If that happens, and he returns to 2024 form, he has the upside of a No. 3 starter. Otherwise, his future will be as a leverage reliever. He’ll compete for a big league bullpen spot in 2026, but more likely will open the year in the Triple-A rotation. Scouting Grades Fastball: 70 | Slider: 45 | Cutter: 60 | Changeup: 55 | Splitter: 45 | Control: 40. 6. Jhostynxon Garcia OF Ht: 5'11" | Wt: 163 | B-T: R-R Age: 23 BA Grade/Risk: 45/Mild Adjusted Grade: 40 Track Record: Garcia stood out in amateur workouts in Venezuela both by the way he glided across the outfield and drove the ball out of the park. Still, his early pro development was deliberate, and he entered 2024 as a fourth outfielder in Low-A. Thanks to major strength and bat speed gains entering that year, he asserted himself as a prospect. He led the Red Sox system with 23 home runs while reaching Double-A in 2024, then again led the system with 21 round-trippers in 2025, a year spent mostly at Triple-A Worcester but that also included his first MLB callup. Scouting Report: Over years of strength work and bat speed training, Garcia has grown into power. His maximum exit velocity jumped from 105 mph in 2022 to 113 in 2025. His hips explode open on pitches in the bottom half of the zone, resulting in tape-measure shots, though a steep bat path has rendered him vulnerable to whiff on pitches above the belt. He has worked to flatten his swing to counter those pitches, while also training diligently to improve his swing decisions. Still, his 35% chase rate and 34% whiff rate at Triple-A point to a below-average hit tool. Defensively, Garcia plays with skill and flair, delighting in catching fly balls at his hip. His range and arm are above-average in right field and he’s at least adequate in center. Though he has average speed, Garcia is a smart player and good baserunner, though not a basestealer. The Future: If Garcia keeps building on his swing decision improvements of recent years, he has a chance to become a big league regular. At the least, his defense and power suggest a strong floor as a righthanded-hitting fourth outfielder who could be a big league consideration to open 2026. Scouting Grades Hit: 40 | Power: 55 | Run: 50 | Field: 55 | Arm: 55. 7. Juan Valera RHP Ht: 6'3" | Wt: 205 | B-T: R-R Age: 19 BA Grade/Risk: 50/Average Adjusted Grade: 40 Track Record: Valera’s $45,000 signing out of the Dominican Republic in 2023 garnered little notice. Since then, strength and stuff gains in professional baseball made him a head-turner as an 18-year-old in the United States in 2024, when he forged a 1.99 ERA while holding hitters to a .125 average in a season he finished in the Low-A Carolina League. That performance resulted in an aggressive assignment to High-A Greenville as a 19-year-old in 2025. Valera’s 5.45 ERA belied an ability to work in the zone (6% walk rate) and miss bats while doing so (28% strikeout rate). He missed three months of 2025 with elbow soreness but returned to games by the end of the season. Scouting Report: Valera has a powerful 6-foot-3 starter’s build and backs it with a high-octane four-seam fastball that averaged 96.7 mph and topped out just over 100 in 2025. The pitch—which he keeps in the zone—has more cut than ride, a trait that limits whiffs but still leaves batters taking defensive hacks. He started to incorporate a two-seamer late in 2025 to spread the zone with power stuff. Valera also shows the ability to land spin in the zone at a high rate, using a sweeper against righthanded hitters and a shorter gyro slider against lefties. He’ll need to improve the feel for his changeup—the least consistent of his secondaries—to get swings-and-misses against opposite-hand hitters. The Future: Between his youth, power stuff and ability to work in the strike zone, Valera is young enough to dream on his midrotation potential. Still, there’s also a potential fast track into a big league bullpen. He will open 2026 either back in High-A or in Double-A; if the former, he’ll probably be a quick mover to the upper levels. Scouting Grades Fastball: 60 | Slider: 45 | Sweeper: 50 | Changeup: 40 | Control: 55. 8. Justin Gonzales OF Ht: 6'4" | Wt: 210 | B-T: R-R Age: 19 BA Grade/Risk: 55/High Adjusted Grade: 40 Track Record: Gonzales is wonderfully perplexing. Though he towered over other amateur showcase participants, the industry ignored him at ages 14 and 15 when he lacked strength and featured below-average tools. But Gonzales improved through game play, and despite an ugly swing, showed big exit velocities while uncorking 98 mph throws from the outfield as a 17-year-old at a scouting event in Colombia. The Red Sox signed him for $250,000 in 2024, unsure whether he would end up on the mound or in the batter’s box. Instead, Gonzales displayed uncanny bat-to-ball skills during an outstanding Dominican Summer League season, and the Red Sox pushed him to Low-A Salem as an 18-year-old in 2025 before a season-ending promotion to High-A Greenville. Scouting Report: Gonzales looks almost apologetic for his 6-foot-4 size in the box, hunching in his open stance. But as he unfolds, he generates rockets to all fields, with a 90th percentile exit velocity of 107 mph and a top end at 113 mph. He’s comfortable catching pitches deep and lining the ball to right field, suggesting true all-fields power potential, and he swings at strikes. The caveat: Gonzales’ flat path produces plenty of contact but also a poor 57% groundball rate. If he can adjust his bat path to hit the ball in the air more frequently—sacrificing contact to tap into some of the 70- or 80-grade raw power that now plays below-average—he could be a monster. After Gonzales spent 2024 playing first base, the Red Sox tried him in the outfield in 2025. He moves well for his size and has the arm for either corner but will need to improve his jumps and routes to profile anywhere but at first. The Future: Gonzales has a wide range of outcomes, from an all-star corner outfielder to a high-contact yet low-power first baseman who struggles to be more than a fringy roster member. Scouting Grades Hit: 50 | Power: 55 | Run: 45 | Field: 45 | Arm: 70. 9. Yhoiker Fajardo RHP Ht: 6'3" | Wt: 181 | B-T: R-R Age: 19 BA Grade/Risk: 50/Average Adjusted Grade: 40 Track Record: Fajardo signed with the White Sox for $400,000 out of Venezuela in 2024. He pounded the strike zone with a low-90s sinker and gyro slider in his 2024 pro debut in the Dominican Summer League, finishing the year with a 3.91 ERA, 30% strikeout rate and 4% walk rate that was one of the lowest in the league. The Red Sox acquired Fajardo from Chicago for reliever Cam Booser in December 2024, and Fajardo made a jump while splitting 2025 between the Florida Complex League and Low-A Salem. He posted a 2.25 ERA and 29% strikeout rate between the levels and was one of four minor league pitchers to throw at least 70 innings without yielding a home run. Scouting report: Fajardo has a repeatable, athletic delivery without a lot of deception, but he throws strikes and avoids barrels by using different shapes to get to different areas of the strike zone. After his fastball sat 92 mph with the White Sox in 2024, he typically pitched at 94 with both a four-seamer and sinker in 2025 while topping out at 96. Fajardo has room to add muscle to his 6-foot-3 frame and turn that top-end velocity into a baseline. He actually threw his high-80s slider slightly more than his fastball in 2025, and he also liberally employed his changeup against lefthanded hitters. Fajardo’s control allows him to spread the zone. For now, he lacks an above-average offering, but he’s young enough to believe he could develop one. The Future: Fajardo should compete for a spot in the High-A Greenville rotation as a 19-year-old in 2026. He lacks the ceiling of other pitchers in the top system but has a clearer path to being a back-end starter than most, with a big league ETA of 2027 or 2028. Scouting Grades Fastball: 50 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 55. 10. Dorian Soto SS Ht: 6'2" | Wt: 180 | B-T: B-R Age: 17 BA Grade/Risk: 55/High Adjusted Grade: 40 Track Record: As an amateur, Soto produced explosive contact with feel to play shortstop, a combination that led the Red Sox to confer upon him a $1.4 million bonus, their highest of the 2025 international signing period. His performance in the Dominican Summer League in 2025 did nothing to dampen excitement. Though a wrist injury limited the switch-hitter’s ability to bat righthanded in stretches, Soto still showed loud tools to emerge as one of the better prospects coming out of league. Scouting Report: Soto has added significant size and strength since signing with the Red Sox, creating formidable offensive potential. He generates plenty of bat speed with a whippy—and sometimes long—swing, resulting in a 90th percentile exit velocity of 102 mph. He’s aggressive on pitches in the zone but has strong bat-to-ball traits, helping to hold his strikeout rate to 16%. He’s more advanced as a lefthanded hitter (.311/.372/.432) than when hitting righthanded (.294/.324/.412) but exhibits good baseline traits from both sides and the aptitude to hone his swings and improve. For now, Soto shows a shortstop’s natural movements, but he may outgrow the position and land at third base, where his arm and power would play. The Red Sox gave him some exposure to both second and third base in 2025. His speed is currently fringy but could move in either direction depending on the kind of size and strength he adds to a 6-foot-2 frame that is continuing to fill out. The Future: Soto will play in the United States in 2026 and has the kind of skill set to make his stay in the Rookie-level Florida Complex League either brief or non-existent before he reaches full-season ball at Low-A Salem. Scouting Grades Hit: 50 | Power: 55 | Run: 40 | Field: 45 | Arm: 55.

You can get 2 Fairbanks for a good Bassist??? lol

Kikuchi would have done that, heck, even Muni, lol.

Dare to dream fellas...

This listing was interesting, I'm down for Bo/Ranger/Bassitt and Seranthony, but it's been a slice Max, Bassitt wins... 😜 https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/11/most-popular-choices-from-mlbtrs-free-agent-prediction-contest.html

I believe the Jays match Bo's best offer and sign him for 2B, it has to happen.

So he might be a ticking time bomb, (I mean, all pitchers are) but, Sorrow could be right... Welp!

Didn't he have minor surgery to clean the elbow? I think he did. Oops my bad he didn't...