#prospect-development

#prospect-development

According to Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet, the Blue Jays plan for their starters are Dylan Cease, Eric Lauer, Cody Ponce, and Max Scherzer from Tuesday through Saturday. Now, that doesn't mean he can't come in during the middle of one of those games, but the point is, the Blue Jays want to take it slow with Yesavage after his unprecedented rise to the majors last season.

Ryan Ward has been a very productive hitter over the past few years in Triple A and he's now the all-time home run leader for Oklahoma City. Ward led the minor leagues with 36 home runs last year and was a deserved addition to the team's 40 man roster this offseason. He should be a fixture in the middle of the Comets' order in 2026 and will hopefully make his long-awaited major league debut.

Now a sophomore at Boston University, Eiserman serves as an alternate captain on one of the youngest teams in college hockey. Leadership hasn't come from the letter on his sweater - it's come from his habits. "I think I've grown a lot this year," Eiserman said via NewYorkIslanders.com. "I'm a lead-by-example kind of guy, so I have to dial in the details and do everything right."

Born in a Montréal suburb, Pitre attended Félix-Leclerc Secondary School and went undrafted in his first season of eligibility. Honouring his commitment to the University of Kentucky, the middle infielder appeared in just 11 games in his freshman season. He got more playing time in 2023, slashing .318/.440/.413 with a home run in 281 plate appearances for a 104 wRC+.

The 6'1″, 225-pound slugger erupted for a .265/.385/.602 batting line with 36 home runs and a massive 15.2% walk rate in 545 plate appearances between Double-A and Triple-A. His 28.8% strikeout rate was an obvious cause for concern, but Pratto had finally seen some of his prodigious raw power manifest in game settings, all while showing an ability to work deep counts and draw free passes, creating optimism that he could yet become a bat-first slugger at first base or DH.

Baseball America had ranked him the #4 prospect in MLB on the heels of a .330/.439/.558 showing in the minors. Campbell was generally viewed alongside or even slightly above Marcelo Mayer as the Red Sox's second-best prospect behind Roman Anthony. The organization seemed to share that assessment, as they built their trade package for Garrett Crochet around and Braden Montgomery rather than including anyone in their top three.

The Rockies are designating former top outfield prospect Yanquiel Fernandez for assignment, reports Francys Romero of BeisbolFR.com. Between the Fernandez DFA and this morning's trade of right-handed reliever Angel Chivilli to the Yankees (in exchange for non-roster first baseman T.J. Rumfield), Colorado has cleared two spots on its previously full 40-man roster. Fernandez just turned 23 on New Year's Day but has exhausted two of his three minor league option years. He made his major league debut with the Rox this past season but hit just .225/.265/.348 with a 30% strikeout rate in 147 trips to the batter's box.

When the New York Islanders drafted Jesse Pulkkinen with the 54th overall pick of the 2024 draft, many were intrigued about what he could become. He is a big body defenseman, with a 6'6" frame and weighing in at 220 pounds. He has used this size to his advantage, delivering big hits and being an aggressive forechecker. He is also very mobile for his size, which he uses to get involved in the offense. He put this on display during his time in Finland.

I mean, for a young guy in this league, there's going to be some nights that are better than others. So you just want to make sure you're putting these guys in a position to have success initially, especially if it's their first time playing in the NHL.

Do right by Auston Matthews. Does he need surgery, rest, a playmaking right winger who can help out in all three zones? As much as Auston Matthews also needs to step up the team isn't going to be at its best until Auston is put in a situation where he looks like he can put up 60 goals again. If that's not possible at all anymore the Leafs problems are bigger than we think.

Hopkins is heading to the Storm in exchange for Alex MacLean, a 2026 third-round pick from the Saginaw Spirit, a conditional 2027 2nd-round pick from the Kitchener Rangers, a 2027 fifth-round pick from the North Bay Battalion and a 2029 seventh-round pick originally belonging to Guelph. "I am super excited to be part of the Storm and for the opportunity that is in front of this group," Hopkins said. "I am looking forward to helping build something special here."

As they attempt to make it a threepeat, however, Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register writes that president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman suggested to reporters that there's "not as much heavy lifting required" this year as there was in previous winters, and acknowledged that the Dodgers may alter their approach somewhat as they look to avoid some of the perils that come with an aging core.