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In the opening moments of a new film called “Diamond Diplomacy,†Shohei Ohtani holds the ball and Mike Trout holds a bat. These are the dramatic final moments of the 2023 World Baseball Classic.

The film puts those moments on pause to share the long and complex relationship between the United States and Japan through the prism of baseball, and through the stories of four Japanese players — Ohtani included — and their journeys to the major leagues.

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Baseball has been a national pastime in both nations for more than a century. A Japanese publishing magnate sponsored a 1934 barnstorming tour led by Babe Ruth. Under former owners Walter and Peter Oâ€Malley, the Dodgers were at the forefront of tours to Japan and elsewhere.

In 1946, however, amid the aftermath of World War II, the United States government funded a tour by the San Francisco Seals of the Pacific Coast League. Director Yuriko Gamo Romer features archival footage from that tour prominently in her film.

“I thought it was remarkable,†she said, “that the U.S. government decided, ‘Oh, we should send a baseball team to Japan to help repair relations and for goodwill.†â€

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On the home front, Romer shows how Ruth barnstormed Central California in 1927, a decade and a half before the U.S. government forced citizens of Japanese ancestry into internment camps there. Teams and leagues sprouted within the camps, an arrangement described by one player as “baseball behind barbed wire.â€

The film also relates how, even after World War II ended, Japanese Americans were often unwelcome in their old neighborhoods, and Japanese baseball leagues sprung up like the Negro Leagues.

In 1964, the San Francisco Giants made pitcher Masanori Murakami the first Japanese player in Major League Baseball, but he yielded to pressure to return to his homeland two years later.

San Francisco Giants pitcher Masanori Murakami, shown on the a pro baseball field in 1964, was the first Japanese athlete to play in Major League Baseball. (Associated Press)

In 1995, when pitcher Hideo Nomo signed with the Dodgers, he had to retire from Japanese baseball to do so. (The film contains footage of legendary Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda teaching Nomo to say, “I bleed Dodger blue.â€)

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Now, star Japanese players regularly join the majors. In that 2023 WBC, as the film shows at its end, Ohtani left his first big imprint on the international game by striking out Trout to deliver victory to Japan over the United States.

On Friday, Ohtani powered the Dodgers into the World Series with perhaps the greatest game by any player in major league history.

In previous generations, author Robert Whiting says in the film, hardly any American could name a prominent Japanese figure, in baseball or otherwise. Today, Ohtaniâ€s jersey is baseballâ€s best seller, and he is a cultural icon on and off the field, here and in Japan.

Fans cheer as Dodgers pitcher Shohei Ohtani hits his third home run during Game 4 of the NLCS against the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday at Dodger Stadium. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)

“Suddenly, a Japanese face is the face of Major League Baseball in the United States,†Romer said. “People here can buy bottles of cold Japanese tea that have Shoheiâ€s face on it.

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“I know people who donâ€t care about baseball one iota and theyâ€re like, ‘oh, yeah, I know who that is.’â€

“Diamond Diplomacy†will show on Tuesday at 5 p.m. at the Newport Beach Film Festival. For more information, visit newportbeachfilmfest.com.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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KNOXVILLE, TN – MAY 31: Tennessee Volunteers head coach Tony Vitello celebrates with Tennessee Volunteers catcher Cannon Peebles (5) during the NCAA Division I Regional Tournament baseball game between the Tennessee Volunteers and the Cincinnati Bearcats on May 31, 2025, at Lindsey Nelson Stadium in Knoxville, TN. (Photo by Bryan Lynn/Icon Sportswire)

If Tony Vitello finalizes a deal to become the next manager of the San Francisco Giants, it would mark one of the most unprecedented moves in modern college baseball—a sitting head coach jumping directly to leading a major-league club.

As of Saturday evening, no agreement had been completed, multiple sources told Baseball America, but conversations between the sides were described as advanced and likely to conclude soon.

Tennessee, meanwhile, has already begun preparing for the possibility that its most successful coach in program history could be on the move. The university has not acknowledged the situation publicly, but sources said internal planning is underway in anticipation of Vitelloâ€s departure.

Vitelloâ€s potential jump to the big leagues would close the book on one of the most transformative tenures in recent college baseball history. Since arriving in Knoxville in the summer of 2017, he turned Tennessee from an SEC afterthought into the sportâ€s standard of intensity and swagger.

His teams won with overwhelming talent and an unmistakable edge, capped by a national championship in 2024 and College World Series appearances in 2021 and 2023. His success earned him a contract extension through 2029 worth an average of $3 million per year, making him the first college baseball coach to hit that threshold and, at the time, the highest-paid in the country. That deal includes a $3 million buyout.

Potential Replacements For Tony Vitello At Tennessee

If he departs for San Francisco, Tennesseeâ€s challenge will not be finding the next Vitello so much as preserving what he built. The early expectation among multiple sources is that athletic director Danny White will promote from within rather than immediately conduct a lengthy national search. Continuity is recognized as the best path forward for a program that has operated at the top of the sport for the better part of the last four seasons.

Associate head coach and recruiting coordinator Josh Elander and pitching coach Frank Anderson would be the candidates should White elevate from within the program. The two have worked side by side for most of the last decade.

Vitelloâ€s relationship with Elander dates back to their overlapping years at TCU, where Elander played from 2010-12 and Vitello served as an assistant from 2011-13. After being selected by the Braves in the sixth round of the 2012 draft, Elander played professionally until 2015, then returned to Fort Worth to finish his degree and begin his coaching career. He reunited with Vitello at Arkansas in 2017, where he served as an unpaid assistant before following him to Knoxville when Vitello landed the Tennessee job a year later.

Since then, Elander has emerged as one of the premier hitting coaches and recruiters in college baseball. Seventeen of his hitters have been selected within the first five rounds of the MLB Draft, including six—Drew Gilbert, Jordan Beck, Christian Moore, Blake Burke, Gavin Kilen and Andrew Fischer—who went in the first round.

Elanderâ€s eye for talent and player development track record have helped Tennessee sustain one of the nationâ€s deepest lineups year after year. He was promoted to associate head coach in 2022, and those within the program describe him as a steady hand capable of maintaining Tennesseeâ€s identity while putting his own stamp on it.

Anderson brings more experience, having served as Oklahoma Stateâ€s head coach from 2004-12 and in various assistant positions dating back to 1984. Heâ€s regarded as one of the best pitching coaches in college baseball with a particular knack for developing fastballs. Throughout his career, Anderson has coached 103 pitchers who have been selected in the draft, including 10 first-round picks (four at Tennessee). The Volunteers have had at least three pitchers selected in each of the last four drafts, including five in 2025.Â

What Happens To Tennessee’s Roster?

A promotion from within also provides immediate stability during what could otherwise be a volatile transition period. Tennesseeâ€s 2026 recruiting class is one of the countryâ€s best and features four players—Trevor Condon, Cole Koeninger, Landon Thome and Gary Morse—ranked among the top 100 prospects in the 2026 draft class.Â

Elanderâ€s presence in particular would go a long way toward keeping that group intact and ensuring that Tennesseeâ€s future pipeline remains strong. Andersonâ€s experience and success as a pitching coach also anchor the staffâ€s credibility.

A formal coaching search remains possible, but sources indicated Tennesseeâ€s administration understands the importance of momentum and is unlikely to disrupt the programâ€s structure. Naming an interim coach and revisiting the position after the 2026 season is an option, but one that risks creating uncertainty in recruiting and player retention.

Keeping Tennesseeâ€s current roster together would likely be less complicated than some might assume.

A coaching change opens the transfer portal for the Volunteers†players, but outside of graduate transfers, none would have immediate eligibility elsewhere. Most teams nationwide already have full rosters, leaving limited landing spots for anyone seeking to leave. As a result, Tennesseeâ€s core would have a strong chance to remain largely intact, especially if Elander or Anderson lead the program.

How Will This Impact Tennessee’s Future Recruiting Classes?

The greater test will come on the recruiting trail, where Vitelloâ€s magnetic presence and national recognition made Tennessee a destination program. His energy resonated with prospects and parents alike, giving the Volunteers a distinctive recruiting advantage even within the cutthroat landscape of the SEC.

Elander has been central to that success and carries credibility of his own, but sustaining Tennesseeâ€s national reach without Vitelloâ€s larger-than-life persona will require time and proof that the on-field results will continue. The infrastructure is there—from facilities to fan support to resources—but Vitelloâ€s leadership was the connective tissue binding those elements together.

In the broader picture, Tennesseeâ€s situation reflects how dramatically the programâ€s status has evolved.

A decade ago, it was a rebuilding job searching for relevance in the SEC. Now, itâ€s the kind of platform that can vault a coach directly to a major-league dugout. The potential ripple effects of Vitelloâ€s potential move—from staff reshuffling to recruiting shifts—could shape the next phase of college baseballâ€s power hierarchy.

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Would the Dodgers have paid $4 million for Shohei Ohtaniâ€s production on Friday night?

“Maybe I would have,†team owner Mark Walter said with a laugh.

Four million dollars is how much Ohtani has received from the Dodgers.

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Not for the game. Not for the week. Not for the year.

For this year and last year.

Ohtani could be the greatest player in baseball history. Is he also the greatest free-agent acquisition of all-time?

“You bet,†Walter said.

Even before Ohtani blasted three homers and struck out 10 batters over six scoreless innings in a historic performance to secure his teamâ€s place in the World Series, the Dodgers were a target of complaints over the perception they were buying championships. Their payroll this season is more than $416 million, according to Spotrac.

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During the on-field celebration that followed the 5-1 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series, manager Dave Roberts told the Dodger Stadium crowd, “Iâ€ll tell you, before this season started, they said the Dodgers are ruining baseball. Letâ€s get four more wins and really ruin baseball!â€

What detractors ignore is how the Dodgers arenâ€t the only team that spent big dollars this year to chase a title. As Ohtaniâ€s contract demonstrates, itâ€s how they spend that separates them from the sportâ€s other wealthy franchises.

The New York Mets spent more than $340 million, the New York Yankees $319 million and the Philadelphia Phillies $308 million. None of them are still playing.

The Dodgers are still playing, and one of the reasons is because of how opportunistic they are.

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When the Boston Red Sox were looking for a place to dump Mookie Betts before he became a free agent, the Dodgers traded for him and signed him to an extension. When the Atlanta Braves refused to extend a six-year offer to Freddie Freeman, the Dodgers stepped in and did.

Something else that helps: Players want to play for them.

Consider the case of the San Francisco Giants, who canâ€t talk star players into taking their money.

The Giants pursued Bryce Harper, who turned them down. They pursued Aaron Judge, who turned them down. They pursued Ohtani, who turned them down. They pursued Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who turned them down.

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Notice a pattern?

Unable to recruit an impact hitter in free agency, the Giants turned their attention to the trade market and acquired a distressed asset in malcontent Rafael Devers. They still missed the postseason.

The Dodgers donâ€t have any such problems attracting talent. Classified as an international amateur because he was under the age of 25, Roki Sasaki was eligible to sign only a minor-league contract this winter. While the signing bonuses that could be offered varied from team to team, the differences were relatively small. Sasaki was urged by his agent to minimize financial considerations when picking a team.

Sasaki chose the Dodgers.

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Players such as Blake Snell, Will Smith and Max Muncy signed what could be below-market deals to come to or stay with the Dodgers.

There is also the Ohtani factor.

Ohtani didnâ€t want the team that signed him to be financially hamstrung, which is why he insisted that it defer the majority of his 10-year, $700-million contract. The Dodgers are paying Ohtani just $2 million annually, with the remainder owed after he retires.

Without Ohtani agreeing to delayed payments, who knows if the Dodgers would have signed the other pitchers who comprise their dominant rotation, Yamamoto, Snell and Tyler Glasnow.

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None of this is to say the Dodgers havenâ€t made any mistakes, the $102 million they committed to Trevor Bauer a decision they would certainly like to take back.

But the point is they spend.

“We put money into the team, as you know,†Walter said. “Weâ€re trying to win.â€

Nothing is stopping any other team from making the financial commitments necessary to compete with the Dodgers. Franchises donâ€t have to make annual profits to be lucrative, as their values have skyrocketed. Teams that were purchased for hundreds of millions of dollars are now worth billions.

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Example: Arte Moreno bought the Angels in 2003 for $183.5 million. Forbes values them today at $2.75 billion. If or when Moreno sells the team, he will receive a huge return on his investment.

The calls for a salary cap are nothing more than justifications by cheap owners for their refusal to invest in the civic institutions under their control.

The Dodgers arenâ€t ruining baseball. They might not do everything right, but as far as their spending is concerned, theyâ€re doing right by their fans.

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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Dave Roberts and the Los Angeles Dodgers aren’t afraid of embracing a villain persona. Especially when they have a fully operational Death Star hitting and pitching for them.

As the Dodgers celebrated a second straight National League title and a chance to become MLB’s first back-to-back champions in 25 years, their manager took the microphone and executed a perfect heel turn:

“Before this season started, they said, ‘The Dodgers are ruining baseball.’ Let’s get four more wins and really ruin baseball!”

Roberts’ players approved of the statement, as did the fans at Dodger Stadium. The group will attempt to follow through on his threat against either the Seattle Mariners or the Toronto Blue Jays, with the Mariners holding a 3-2 ALCS advantage after Friday.

That’s the kind of confidence you get after a dominant sweep of the Milwaukee Brewers, who posted the best record in MLB in the regular season (including a 6-0 record against the Dodgers). The L.A. rotation of Shohei Ohtani, Blake Snell, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow anchored those four wins with a combined 28 2/3 innings, 9 hits, 2 runs, 7 walks and 35 strikeouts.

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Of course, that quartet of pitchers also epitomize why so many opposing fans see the Dodgers as not just bad for their own team but also bad for baseball.

Are the Dodgers really bad for baseball?

The Dodgers and Brewers were perfectly set up as a clash of baseball archetypes. The Dodgers were the big, bad, large-market team with the most expensive roster in baseball, underwritten by an enormous local TV contract and Ohtani’s cultural power. The Brewers had a bottom-10 payroll in one of the league’s smallest markets, succeeding through shrewd decisions at the plate and in the front office.

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You already know which one won.

Even if you adjust Ohtani’s heavily deferred $700 million contract for inflation, that four-man Dodgers rotation collectively makes more than the entire Brewers $123 million roster. The smallest of those four contracts (Glasnow’s five-year, $137 million deal) would still obliterate the Brewers’ largest contract ever for a pitcher (Matt Garza, four years and $50 million).

Brewers manager Pat Murphy, fond of calling his very talented roster the “Average Joes,” leaned into that dichotomy throughout the series, at one point claiming that some Dodgers players couldn’t name more than eight players on his roster. It possibly became a self-fulfilling prophecy, as the Dodgers absolutely looked and acted like the more talented team.

[Get more L.A. news: Dodgers team feed]

Back-to-back Dodgers titles would mean money works, even if plenty of other high-spending teams — the Dodgers included — have struggled to dominate like what L.A. is doing now. The New York Mets, MLB’s second-largest payroll, failed to make the postseason. The New York Yankees, with the third-largest payroll, have won only one title since 2000 and crashed out hard in the ALDS.

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It’s funny to think that the Dodgers were quite literally bankrupt 15 years ago, and then they landed with a dream ownership group, who hired the right people and signed the right Japanese unicorn. Until 2024, it was easy to disregard them. Their money had bought them only one World Series title, the often-mocked 2020 title won amid the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Now, it’s not so easy.

The Dodgers look unbeatable. It might become a self-fulfilling prophecy. (Photo by Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

(Mary DeCicco via Getty Images)

Will the Dodgers ruin baseball with another title? That probably depends on your definition of “ruin.” Baseball itself would probably see higher ratings and general interest with a true juggernaut capturing headlines, as is true for pretty much every other major league over the past half-century. Last year’s World Series between L.A. and New York saw a seven-year high in ratings and drew more viewers in Japan than the NBA Finals did in the U.S.

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However, the Dodgers putting it all together is very bad news for your team if you’re not a Dodgers fan. Rooting for a team is hard enough when it theoretically has a 1-in-30 chance of winning the championship. It’s even harder when you look over and see a team, particularly a rich one, seemingly ready to gobble up half the titles of the next decade. It’s more a question of fairness than one about the fate of the game, though those debates might become one and the same during the next CBA negotiations, in which MLB is already pushing for a salary cap.

There is a way to credit the Dodgers for what they have done — what Ohtani has done in particular — while conceding that, yes, Milwaukee was facing an uphill battle because of all that expensive talent. The same will be true in the World Series if the Mariners finish off the Blue Jays, who had a top-10 payroll this year.

For now, though, the Dodgers are just going to have fun with their critics. That’s what villains do.

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The Los Angeles Dodgers are headed to the World Series after sweeping the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Championship Series, capping the four-game stretch with a 5-1 home win on Friday.

Afterward, exuberant Dodgers manager Dave Roberts had something to say for his team’s preseason critics while being interviewed by TNT Sports’ Lauren Shehadi.

“I’ll tell ya, before this season started, they said, ‘The Dodgers are ruining baseball.’

“Let’s get four more wins and really ruin baseball! Let’s go!”

Per USA Today, the Dodgers had the second-highest payroll in baseball for 2025 at $321.3 million. However, L.A. also has over a billion dollars in deferred payments alone to eight players from 2018-2046.

The Dodgers’ practices even got commissioner Rob Manfred talking, per Ronald Blum of the Associated Press back in February.

“The Dodgers have gone out and done everything possible, always within the rules that currently exist, to put the best possible team on the field and that’s a great thing for the game. That type of competitive spirit is what people want to see,” commissioner Rob Manfred said last week.

“By the same token, it’s clear that we have fans in some markets that are concerned about the ability of the team in their market to compete with the financial resources of the Dodgers. And I think if we’ve been consistent on one point it is we try to listen to our fans on topics like this and I have heard people on this, believe me, I get a lot of emails about it.”

The Dodgers won the World Series last year with a loaded lineup headlined by Shohei Ohtani, and the rich got richer in 2025 with the team adding a host of new talents, including pitchers Blake Snell, Roki Sasaki and Tanner Scott.

The debate, of course, before the season was whether the Dodgers were ruining baseball with their spending ways.

On one side, you had people concerned about a big market team being able to spend as much money as they want and defer as much money as they want while smaller market teams get squeezed out of adding players.

On the other side, some fans recognized that the Dodgers were doing whatever they can to compete, which is a lot more than can be said for some teams and their owners who are known for penny-pinching.

Injuries hampered the Dodgers during the regular season, but they still had 93 wins and took the NL West. L.A. has since gone 7-1 in the playoffs to cruise to the World Series. The Dodgers need four more wins for back-to-back Fall Classic titles, something Roberts clearly wants for his team but also to send a message to L.A.’s critics.

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Whether through the addition of Search overviews or simply a rise in AI-generated content, you may be finding it more difficult to find the results you want from trusted sources. It has made Search more difficult for everyone–including publishers like us. But a new Google update is giving you back some control over your results on search, and will allow you to never miss an update from Baseball America.

Google’s new Preferred Sources tool allows users to select their preferred news sources in Search. By setting Baseball America as a preferred source, our stories will appear more often in your “Top Stories†and “From your sources†sections when you search for baseball-related topics.

Here’s how to do it.

First, you will need to log into a Google account. Then you can follow this linkto manage your preferred sources at any time. Simply type in Baseball America, check the box and you’re all set.

You can also set your preferred sources while searching for different topics.

For example, if you search for Kevin McGonigle, Google will surface several recent stories in a carousel of news results at the top of the page.

See that icon next to the Top Stories module that looks like a starred folder? If you click on it, it will open up your preferred sources folder, where you can then search or toggle Baseball America.

After saving your selection and refreshing or reloading your results, Baseball America will be one of your preferred sources moving forward. Once thatâ€s done, youâ€ll start seeing more Baseball America stories highlighted in your personalized Google results, helping you stay updated on every level of the game, from the majors to the minors to the next wave of prospects.

For more details on Google’s Preferred Sources program, click here.

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With the 2025 MLB regular season behind us, itâ€s time to review what we learned from a fantasy perspective and how we can apply it to next year.

In the coming days throughout October, weâ€ll be breaking down the standout seasons, the breakout candidates, the prospects to know, and our early 2026 rankings.

Here are the other positions we have covered so far:

Weâ€re moving on to shortstop now though and in terms of top talent and volume of strong producers, there isnâ€t a more impressive group across the game.

Aaron Judge or Shohei Ohtani at the top? Our early 2026 Top 300 rankings highlight key fantasy storylines heading into the MLB offseason.

2025 POSITION BREAKDOWN: SHORTSTOP

ðŸŽï¸ STATE OF THE POSITION

This is absolutely, no-doubt the best position group in real-life baseball and fantasy alike. Littered with elite talent, shortstops accounted for two of the top-10 players, three of the top-12, and 15 of the top-70 players in 5×5 leagues according to FanGraphs†Player Rater.

At the top was an expected duo of Bobby Witt Jr. and Francisco Lindor, the stalwarts at this position.

Then, the rest of the first round picks here all floundered. Elly De La Cruz didnâ€t take a step forward and 30 fewer stolen bases made him take a step back in fantasy value. Gunnar Henderson never snapped all the way back after an oblique injury in spring training. A virus stole Mookie Betts†power and a broken toe not long thereafter sent his season into a spiral. This whole trio has questions to answer before 2026.

Shockingly, Geraldo Perdomo filled that void and played like a legit superstar. Heâ€s sure to get top-of-ballot MVP votes and was literally one of the best players in baseball. Anyone who spent a very late pick on him or scooped him off their waiver wire reaped tremendous rewards.

Jacob Wilson was the other huge, unexpected story at shortstop this season. He wouldâ€ve won the batting title if not for Aaron Judgeâ€s heroics and showed more power than anyone expected. It will be fascinating to watch his growth as a hitter.

Otherwise, Trevor Story and Bo Bichette each enjoyed huge bounceback seasons while Zach Neto and Jeremy Peña broke out in huge ways despite each spending ample time on the injured list. Corey Seagerâ€s slow start followed by some injuries of his own were too much to overcome for him though.

Then, what was expected to be an upside filled middle-class of shortstops mostly flopped. Nothing more needs to be said about Anthony Volpeâ€s struggles. Ezequiel Tovar spent much of the year out and wasnâ€t particularly good when he played.

Willy Adames looked like a cataclysmic bust until a second half surge saved his season. Dansby Swanson puttered his way to another 20-20 season despite some serious cold stretches and a poor batting average. Masyn Winn was an abomination at the plate. Xander Bogaerts wasnâ€t too good there either.

This season was a good lesson that shortstop is a position filled with tons of top-end talent, but you could be left scrambling if you miss on that top tier and try to find a value later on.

🆠2025â€s Top Five Shortstops

1. Bobby Witt Jr. (Royals)

.295 / .351 / .501, 23 HR, 99 R, 88 RBI, 38 SB

Witt was the top shortstop again despite not being able to measure up to his historically great 2024. A .332 batting average, 32 home runs, 31 stolen bases, and 234 combined runs and RBI from then pushed him to be the number one overall pick in many drafts. Those expectations make his final numbers from this season feel pedestrian. Yet, he turned in one of the most balanced stat lines in the league and led this hyper-talented position in a season that felt close to his floor.

2. Francisco Lindor (Mets)

.267 / .346 / .466, 31 HR, 117 R, 86 RBI, 31 SB

Even in his age-31 season Lindor did not miss a beat. He hit 30 homers for the third straight season and was one of seven players to go 30-30. In fact, heâ€s a short-term back injury in 2024 and one stolen base away from joining Barry Bonds as the only players ever to have three straight 30-30 seasons. His power and rate stats lagged a bit compared to last year due to an early summer toe injury and prolonged slump that followed, but all of his numbers wound up exactly where weâ€d expected them to by seasonâ€s end. This man is a baseball metronome.

3. Geraldo Perdomo (Diamondbacks)

.290 / .389 / .462, 20 HR, 98 R, 100 RBI, 27 SB

Respectfully, where on earth did this come from? Perdomo had spent the first few years of his career as a contact oriented, slap hitting shortstop who was best known for his silky smooth defense. Before this breakout campaign, his career-highs were six home runs, 47 RBI, 16 stolen bases, 30 extra-base hits, and a .718 OPS. He didnâ€t just improve on each, but blew them so far out of the water they seem comical looking back. If you play in a points based league, Perdomo was more than likely the top shortstop and one of the five or so highest scoring players overall. It was nothing short of a legendary breakout season which will lead to tons of questions heading into next year as to how much we should believe it and where he should be drafted.

Geraldo Perdomo entered today with 5.4 fWAR, the 7th highest mark in Major League Baseball.

He hit his 16th HR of the season and owns a 134 wRC+. He deserves more recognition for the season he is having for the Diamondbacks.#DBacks pic.twitter.com/FmdLMnl8gX

— Running From The OPS (@OPS_BASEBALL) September 2, 2025

4. Elly De La Cruz (Reds)

.264 / .336 / .440, 22 HR, 102 R, 86 RBI, 37 SB

Itâ€s a bit surprising to see De La Cruz as the fourth-ranked shortstop and 15th hitter overall in earned value considering the discourse that surrounded him. Yet, those are the high standards a player is held to after earning MVP votes in their age-22 season and rising up to a consensus top-five pick in fantasy drafts. Funny enough, the main gripe with De La Cruz was always that his high strikeout rate was untenable for what some considered an elite player. Well, he finally got that in check and whiffed at far fewer breaking balls in the process. He also did far less damage and itâ€s fair to wonder if he can ever marry his outrageous power with an acceptable contact rate or if heâ€ll be spending the next few years on this same see-saw. With that, itâ€d be nice if he could steal something closer to the 67 bags from 2024 to give this profile more of a steady floor. Thereâ€s also a growing trend that heâ€s a much, much better hitter from the left side compared to the right.

5. Trea Turner (Phillies)

.304 / .355 / .457, 15 HR, 94 R, 69 RBI, 36 SB

Turner turned in his best overall season as a Phillie that likely wouldâ€ve seen him in the top-three at this position if not for a hamstring injury that knocked him out for September. Still, he hit .300 for the first time since 2021 and stole 30 bases for the second time since then. His home run power appears to be gone though, a trend that has held up for a few years now and is matched by the fading of his underlying power metrics. There remains an avenue for him to stay near-elite through his 30s with a speed and contact-based profile, just without the gaudy ceiling that pushed him to the front half of the first round for many of the last five years.

📈 2026 Breakouts

It can be difficult to identify a “breakout†per se at shortstop because itâ€s the most established position in the league and littered with stars. So, for these breakouts weâ€re seeking players who were outside the elite group at this position and who have the skills to rise to near first round value after next season.

CJ Abrams (Nationals)

Still only 25 years old, Abrams has all the tools to be one of the leagueâ€s most dynamic players. He just lacks the consistency required to do so. Heâ€s learning to be a bit more selective compared to the free-swinger he came in the league as and can do more damage now than ever before. Maybe his on-base percentage or defensive ability rise enough to be considered a star in real life, but more incremental improvements to his swing decisions can push him to a 30-30 season with a high batting average. New coaches and a new philosophy in Washington could help him move in the right direction this coming season.

Zach Neto (Angels)

It felt like Neto was on his way to a truly massive breakout this year, but just enough of a step back in the second half pushed him outside the top-10 in earned value at shortstop by seasonâ€s end. That did come in 128 games played though due to some missed time with an early shoulder injury and late hand injury. Nevertheless, he played at better than a 30-30 pace and made massive improvements with his swing decisions to the point where that facet of his game should be considered elite. He also figured out how to go out and get the baseball, making contact far more out in front of the plate compared to 2024. Thatâ€s how he gets to so much power without top-end bat speed. With 30 homers and 30 stolen bases as something like the 50th percentile outcome, there are plenty of ways for Neto to jump up a level and be considered a near first round pick entering 2027.

📠2026 Prospects To Know

Konnor Griffin (Pirates)

To plant a flag in the ground, Griffin has a great chance to contribute at the major league level next season. If he does, watch out. This is the most physically gifted top prospect weâ€ve seen in quite some time and he could take the entire league by storm. Think on Ronald Acuña Jr.â€s level. Itâ€s plus-plus power, speed, defense, and contact ability with a howitzer for an arm for the five-tool Griffin. He just put up 21 home runs and 65 stolen bases with a .333 batting average and .941 OPS in his first season of pro ball. That wasnâ€t all in the low minors either. He skipped the complex league altogether and closed the season with 21 games in Double-A, where he didnâ€t miss a beat as a 19-year-old. Heâ€s the best shortstop in the Pirates†organization by far and should get a chance to show that if they are interested in winning baseball games.

This kid is ridiculous. Konnor Griffin homers again. He’s a teenager until a month into next season and he has a .971 OPS with 3 homers and 5 SB through his first 11 Double-A games.

OPS of nearly .950 on the season, 19 homers and 65 bags. Insanity. pic.twitter.com/mTbwWSX7HT

— Aram Leighton (@AramLeighton8) August 31, 2025

Kevin McGonigle (Tigers)

The number one prospect in the game on some lists over Griffin, McGonigle tormented Double-A pitching with a .919 OPS, 12 homers, and more walks than strikeouts across 46 games this past season at 20 years old. That type of pedigree and advanced profile gives him a great chance to debut early next season and he could become a fixture at the top of the Tigers†lineup immediately. Expect more of a hit over power profile off the bat though with more doubles than home runs until he finds his second gear.

Aidan Miller (Phillies)

Miller is unlikely to contribute at shortstop next season with Trea Turner still ensconced in that spot, but is too good to spend another full season in the minors. He just stole 52 bases and hit 13 home runs across 108 games at Double-A and closed the season in Triple-A at just 21 years old. Heâ€s never played an inning anywhere besides short in the Phillies†organization, but could easily mix in at second or third depending on what happens with Alec Bohm and Bryson Stott in what could be a turbulent offseason in Philadelphia.

Colt Emerson (Mariners)

An injury-riddled 2024 season dulled some of Emersonâ€s shine after tons of excitement during his first taste of pro ball in 2023. He made up for lost time this past year blazing through High-A and Double-A to get a late season cup of coffee with Triple-A Tacoma in September. Only entering his age-20 season, it wouldnâ€t be surprising to see Emerson spend all of next season in the upper minors. Yet, JP Crawford is entering the final year of his contract in Seattle and thereâ€s a world where Emerson forces the issue sooner rather than later. Be advised weâ€re still waiting to see whatâ€s expected to become plus power from Emerson though.

Leo De Vries (Athletics) / Jesús Made (Brewers)

Itâ€s worth mentioning these two superstar-caliber prospects despite them each entering their age-19 season because they have the potential to be that good and both reached Double-A this past season. Keep them on your radar for a late season call-up if everything goes perfectly again in 2026.

🔮 2026 Top 12 Shortstops

1. Bobby Witt Jr.: The hands down best shortstop in the league even if he canâ€t get back to that 30 HR mark. No question whatsoever that heâ€s a high first round pick.

2. Gunnar Henderson: An oblique injury during spring training set him off track, but expect a return to elite status.

3. Francisco Lindor: A baseball metronome who we can expect to go 30-30 once again.

4. Elly De La Cruz: Bet on talent and hope the stolen bases sneak back near 50.

5. Mookie Betts: An .828 OPS through August and September followed by a strong showing in the playoffs has me believing in Betts for next season.

6. Trea Turner: Calm, cool, and a near .300 batting average with 30 steals will come again.

7. CJ Abrams: 30 steals, 20 homers, and a .250 average feel like a floor at this point.

8. Corey Seager: Itâ€s foolish to expect him to play 162 games ever again, but heâ€s still a star-caliber hitter when on the field.

9. Willy Adames: Reports of his demise were overstated as he was an easy top-10 shortstop in the second half.

10. Geraldo Perdomo: It feels disrespectful to put him here after this season, but the other talent at this position is too much to overcome for what could be a volatile, batting average driven profile.

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With the 2025 MLB regular season behind us, itâ€s time to review what we learned from a fantasy perspective and how we can apply it to next year.

In the coming days throughout October, weâ€ll be breaking down the standout seasons, the breakout candidates, the prospects to know, and our early 2026 rankings. You can see our catcher breakdown here, and our first base breakdown here.

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In this edition, weâ€ll cover the 2025 closer position and take a look at some situations to monitor this winter, as well as some relievers on the rise.

2025 POSITION BREAKDOWN: RELIEF PITCHER

The closer position remains volatile as we chase saves in drafts and on the waiver wire. This season, about half of the top 20 closers by ADP failed to match their draft value. Emmanuel Clase, the top closer in drafts, finished with only 24 saves and was suspended in late July. Devin Williams, usually second drafted, managed just 18 saves for the Yankees before losing the job to Luke Weaver and David Bednar. Mason Miller and Ryan Helsley, other top-10 draft closers, were traded to setup roles.

On the other hand, Josh Hader had an incredible season despite missing the final two months. Edwin Díaz enjoyed a successful bounce-back season. Andrés Muñoz and Jhoan Duran elevated their game to new levels. And we got some incredible values from the likes of Aroldis Chapman and Emilio Pagán. With a total of 215 different pitchers recording a league-wide 1201 saves, securing the category early in drafts will always have its merits, while examples like Chapman and Pagán prove that waiting remains viable if you can identify the right situations.

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2025â€s Top Ten Closers

1. Aroldis Chapman (Red Sox)

61 1/3 IP, 1.17 ERA, 0.70 WHIP, 85/15 K/BB, 32 SV

Year 16 in the majors may have, incredibly, been Chapmanâ€s best yet. There was some ambiguity over who would emerge as Bostonâ€s closer this season, and in the end, it was the 37-year-old left-handed veteran proving he had plenty left in the tank. Chapman was still averaging 98.5 mph on the fastball, still generated an elite whiff rate, and displayed some of his best control with a career-low 6.6% walk rate in a full season. The Red Sox rewarded Chapman with a one-year contract extension for 2026 at $13.3 million.

2. Andrés Muñoz (Mariners)

62 1/3 IP, 1.73 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 83/28 K/BB, 38 SV

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Finally trusted with the full-time closer role, Muñoz enjoyed a breakout 2025 campaign with a career-high 38 saves for the ALCS-bound Seattle Mariners. The 26-year-old right-handerâ€s skills have been incredibly consistent over the last three seasons. A secured role now makes him one of the top closers going into 2026.

3. Edwin Díaz (Mets)

66 1/3 IP, 1.63 ERA, 0.87 WHIP, 98/21 K/BB, 28 SV

Díaz had a relatively disappointing 2024 after missing the 2023 season with a knee injury. Another year removed, he bounced back in a big way this season for the Mets, going from a 3.52 ERA to a 1.63 ERA with outstanding strikeout numbers. While his skills havenâ€t fully rebounded to otherworldly 2022 levels, mainly behind a 97 mph fastball that has lagged behind the 99 mph mark he was displaying pre-injury, he remains among the best closers in the game. He has the ability to opt out of the final two years and $37 million on his contract with the Mets and become a free agent, which most expect he will do.

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4. Jhoan Duran (Phillies)

70 IP, 2.06 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 80/19 K/BB, 32 SV

Duran, much like Muñoz, excelled this season as he was trusted with the full-time closer role, posting a career-high 32 saves. The save total saw a boost after he was acquired by the Phillies at the trade deadline, converting 16 of his 32 saves over the last two months in Philadelphia. The team has its locked-in closer over the next several seasons with three more years of team control, giving him the job security behind the elite skills that make him one of baseballâ€s top pitchers in the ninth inning.

5. Robert Suarez (Padres)

69 2/3 IP, 2.97 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, 75/16 K/BB, 40 SV

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There was some concern going into the season surrounding Suarez and the way he ended his 2024 season. He put those questions to rest with an excellent campaign, leading the National League with 40 saves while maintaining outstanding ratios and an improved strikeout rate. The threat of Mason Miller behind Suarez may keep his draft price suppressed once again, but thereâ€s speculation that Miller could potentially be stretched out as a starter. Still, thereâ€s little reason to believe Suarezâ€s role would be in any jeopardy unless the team decides to cash in on a trade this winter.

6. Josh Hader (Astros)

62 2/3 IP, 2.30 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 86/19 K/BB, 28 SV

Hader mightâ€ve finished atop the rankings had he not suffered a shoulder injury that sidelined him for the final two months, with his last appearance coming on August 8. Before that, he had converted 28 saves while displaying some of the best skills of his career, including a 7.8% walk rate and 21.1% swinging-strike rate.

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7. David Bednar (Yankees)

62 2/3 IP, 2.30 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 86/19 K/BB, 27 SV

Bednar was briefly demoted by the Pirates early in the season before returning in mid-April and putting together a strong bounce-back campaign, following a 5.77 ERA in 2024. He converted 17 saves for Pittsburgh and was the best reliever for the Yankees after joining New York at the trade deadline, converting ten more saves. With another year of team control, Bednar is in line to open the 2026 season as the Yankees†closer.

8. Trevor Megill (Brewers)

47 IP, 2.49 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 60/17 K/BB, 30 SV

After converting 21 saves for Milwaukee in 2024, filling in for Devin Williams, Megill opened the season as the teamâ€s closer with Williams traded to the Yankees over the offseason. He ran with the opportunity, converting 30 saves with outstanding ratios before a right flexor strain landed him on the injured list in late August. Megill made just one more appearance on the final day of the regular season before Milwaukeeâ€s postseason run.

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9. Carlos Estévez (Royals)

66 IP, 2.45 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 54/22 K/BB, 42 SV

Estévez was a big regression candidate as he seemed to pitch well above his peripherals in 2024. Instead, he posted a nearly identical season, including a carbon copy 2.45 ERA on his way to leading baseball with 42 saves. Still, the red flags remain, as Estévez saw a sharp dip in his swinging-strike rate while issuing more walks, a ratio heâ€ll have to correct if heâ€s to repeat his success next season.

10. Kenley Jansen (Angels)

59 IP, 2.59 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, 57/19 K/BB, 29 SV

The 2025 top ten is bookended by a pair of 16-year veterans. And like Chapman, Jansen proved he can still get it done with an outstanding 16th season. The 38-year-old right-hander should certainly get another chance to add to his 476 career saves in 2026.

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2026 Rising Relievers

Braydon Fisher (Blue Jays)

Fisher had an outstanding rookie season for the Blue Jays, earning a call-up after posting a 1.62 ERA with 22 strikeouts over 16 2/3 innings in Triple-A. The 25-year-old right-hander made an impact in the Toronto bullpen, recording a 2.70 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, and a 62/19 K/BB ratio across 50 innings. His 22.3% K-BB rate was the best in the Blue Jays†bullpen. While Jeff Hoffman remains under contract for two more seasons, he doesnâ€t have the longest track record as a closer, and it would not be surprising to see Fisher in the mix for saves sometime in 2026 should Hoffman struggle next season.

Ronny Henriquez (Marlins)

The Marlins found a gem when they claimed Henriquez off waivers from the Twins before the season. The 25-year-old right-hander had a breakout season in Miami, posting a 2.22 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, and a 98/27 K/BB ratio across 73 innings, earning seven wins and converting seven saves. His 23.4% K-BB rate was tops in the Marlins†bullpen as he collected plenty of strikeouts behind a strong 16.7% swinging-strike rate. Henriquez worked his way into a share of saves in a closer committee and, at worst, should go into the season in the mix for saves once again.

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Connor Phillips (Reds)

Phillips posted an 8.01 ERA across 19 starts in Triple-A in 2024 before reinventing himself as a reliever in 2025 after recovering from Thoracic Outlet Syndrome. He posted a 2.84 ERA across 38 innings in the minors, earning himself a promotion on June 20. The 24-year-old right-hander went on to record a 2.88 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, and a 32/12 K/BB ratio across 25 innings in Cincinnati. Flashing a 98 mph fastball and 15.4% swinging-strike rate, Phillips could be in line for a significant role in the back end of the Reds†bullpen next season, especially if the team loses closer Emilio Pagán in free agency.

Matt Svanson (Cardinals)

Svanson is another name to watch for in 2026. The 26-year-old right-hander went under the radar this season despite a breakout performance, posting a 1.94 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, and a 68/20 K/BB ratio across 60 1/3 innings for the Cardinals. Svanson has positioned himself for a pivotal role in the St. Louis bullpen in 2026. And while JoJo Romero and Riley Oâ€Brien finished the season in a closer committee, neither has a large track record in the ninth inning, nor have they separated themselves from a skills perspective.

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2026 Situations to watch

The main things to watch for over the offseason when it comes to closers are the vacant situations left by pending free agents and teams with ambiguous roles without established closers. The biggest name on the market will be Devin Williams. The 31-year-old right-hander had a disappointing season in New York, posting a 4.79 ERA over 62 innings while losing the closer role. Still, his underlying metrics remained strong while he maintained an elite strikeout rate. Thereâ€s a good chance heâ€s given an opportunity to close wherever he lands. Other big names to watch for include Emilio Pagán, Raisel Iglesias, Kenley Jansen, Luke Weaver, and Ryan Helsley. Robert Suarez of the Padres can also exercise an opt-out and enter free agency.

2026 Top 12 Closers

1. Andr̩s Mu̱oz РMariners

4. Aroldis Chapman – Red Sox

8. Robert Suarez/Mason Miller – Padres

10. Raisel Iglesias – Free Agent

11. Carlos Est̩vez РRoyals

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Editor’s Note: A previous version of this story included UC Santa Barbara instead of West Virginia.

It is always difficult to trim the list of every recruiting class in college baseball down to a top 25 ranking. In what is the case every year, a number of schools end up having a valid argument to make the list but end up just missing out.

Below, you can find the 10 schools that just missed out on cracking our final top 25 recruiting class ranking for 2025. The list includes some blue blood programs, but also a handful of other schools that could be in store for an exciting 2026 season due in part to their impact newcomers. Itâ€s important to keep in mind that the teams below are listed alphabetically, and that this is not a ranking.

Central Florida

Following a tournament appearance in 2024—its first since 2017—UCF took a bit of a step back in 2025 and finished with a more modest record of 29-26. However, it was the Golden Knights†first year in the Big 12, and they showed plenty of positive flashes that bode well for the 2026 season. In addition to his quality transfer portal class, coach Rich Wallace and his staff have a few freshmen who could make an impact sooner rather than later.

Starting on the mound, lefthander Alan Soler presents an exciting blend of athleticism and remaining projection. Soler moves well on the mound and attacks from a three-quarters slot with a clean arm stroke. His fastball has been up to 92 mph with more velocity likely on the way, while his low-80s changeup has plus potential, and his upper-70s-to-low-80s slider is a solid third pitch. Soler fits into a number of appealing buckets, and getting him on campus is a major win for the Golden Knights.

The standout of the position player group is catcher Dallas Brooks. Brooks†defense is currently ahead of his offense, and heâ€s a good athlete behind the dish with advanced catch-and-throw skills. His swing is a little stiff and can get long at times, but Brooks†defensive ability is loud enough to be his carrying tool. Fellow backstop Sebastian Hurtado was a member of the Braves†East Coast Pro Showcase team, and he flashed solid bat-to-ball skills on the summer circuit.

Clemson

Clemson won 40-plus games for the third-straight year in 2025, but its season again came to an end on its home field. While there is lost production to make up for—especially as it pertains to the irreplaceable hole left by star centerfielder Cam Cannarella—the Tigers boast both an exciting group of newcomers and returning talent. Clemson hasnâ€t made the College World Series since 2010, but it will again have Omaha upside in 2026.

Projection lefthander Nicholas Frusco is the headliner of Clemsonâ€s recruiting class. Standing at 6-foot-5, Frusco features a fastball that sits in the high 80s/low 90s to go along with a low-80s slider for which heâ€s shown feel to spin. Fruscoâ€s heater was up to 93 mph this spring, and he should add a few ticks of velocity as he continues to mature physically. He rounds out his arsenal with a low-80s changeup, though at this point itâ€s a distant third offering. Itâ€s rather easy to dream on what Frusco will look like when heâ€s next eligible for the draft in 2028.

Speaking of lefthanders, Daniel Margolies is another Tigers arm to follow. He doesnâ€t quite have the upside of Frusco, but his fastball has been up to 93 mph to go along with a mid-to-upper-70s curveball that proved to be effective on the 2024 travel circuit. Margolies relies heavily on his heater, and he lacks a distinct third pitch, but he has a chance to log a handful of innings this spring.

Indiana

Indiana coach Jeff Mercer has done a fantastic job since taking the reins of the program ahead of the 2019 season. While the Hoosiers took a slight step back in 2025 after back-to-back tournament appearances, they won 30-plus games for the third-straight season, and their 16 conference victories were tied for the most since 2021.

Indiana is no stranger to having freshmen make a considerable impact. Two of the last three Big Ten freshmen of the year—Devin Taylor in 2023 and Jake Hanley in 2025—were both Hoosiers. In whatâ€s become the standard in Bloomington, Mercer and his staff have put together another strong recruiting class.

Six-foot-three righthander Xavier Carrera has plenty of pure talent, though heâ€s more of a thrower than he is a pitcher at this point. Carrera has no shortage of arm speed, and last spring his high-spin heater was up to 97 mph. The pitch has plus potential, and he pairs it with a slurvy breaking ball that sits in the upper 70s. Carrera rounds out his arsenal with a low-80s changeup thatâ€s emerged as a serviceable third pitch against lefthanded hitters. In addition to taking a sizable step forward in the strike-throwing department, Carrera will need to improve the quality of his breaker to help diminish his reliever risk.

On the other side of the baseball, outfielder Trey Meyers was one of the most athletic prepsters in the 2025 class. While heâ€s listed at an impressive 6-foot-6 and 220 pounds, Meyers has managed to turn in plus run times and was a standout physical tester. As someone with long levers, Meyers†swing can get disconnected at times, which leads to swing-and-miss. And while there are hit tool questions, Meyers has no-doubt plus power upside and moves well enough to potentially stick in the outfield.

Kentucky

The Wildcats in 2025 couldnâ€t quite replicate the success of back-to-back super regional appearances, but they did make the tournament for the third-straight year for the first time in program history. Coach Nick Mingione has turned the Wildcats into a perennial contender and, after breaking down the door to Omaha for the first time in program history in 2024, the “Bat Cats†are hungry for more.

While Kentucky has a knack for faring well in the transfer portal, it also recruits at a high level. Lefthanded hitting outfielder Braxton Van Cleave has an exciting toolset. He fits into the “tools over performance†bucket right now, but he has big-time bat speed to go along with present strength and projection remaining. He also consistently turns in above-average run times. A torn UCL and subsequent Tommy John surgery robbed Van Cleave of his senior high school season, but he still has a chance to earn meaningful at-bats this spring.

While weâ€re on the subject of tools, catcher Owen Jenkins shows the ability to impact the game in a number of different ways. He has thunderous bat speed and above-average raw power, though his hit tool needs a coat or two of polish. Behind the plate, he has a plus arm, and his throws consistently carry through the base. As a cherry on top, Jenkins has also turned in above-average run times.

NC State

Following a run to the College World Series in 2024, NC State last spring made a regional for the third consecutive year. The Wolfpack have won at least 35 games in each of the last 10 full seasons, and itâ€s a streak that seems destined to continue in 2026.

NC State brought in a handful of quality additions via the portal, but the freshman duo of Everett Johnson and Vincent DeCarlo are a pair of standouts. Johnson is an undersized outfielder who fits the mold of a slash-and-dash hitter at the top of the order. He boasts advanced bat-to-ball skills and a patient approach while consistently turning in plus run times. Johnson has the potential to stick in center field, though he could also slide over to left.

DeCarloâ€s defense is ahead of his bat right now, and he was one of the more highly-regarded defensive catchers in the 2025 high school class. He has a prototypical catcherâ€s build, and he moves well behind the dish with reliable hands. On top of his catch-and-throw skills, DeCarlo has demonstrated the ability to block at a high level. He has an above-average arm, regularly gets off quick transfers and his footwork is compact and clean. DeCarloâ€s approach and contact skills serve as a solid foundation to his offensive profile.

Notre Dame

The Fighting Irish are still searching for their first tournament berth since their run to the College World Series in 2022, but 2025 was a major step in the right direction. Notre Dame coach Shawn Stiffler and his staff have the program trending in the right direction, and their 32 wins last season were the program’s third-most since 2015.

When it comes to sheer athleticism, it will be hard for any freshman to top Brandon Logan. A four-star safety with multiple Power Four football offers, Logan committed to Notre Dame for both baseball and football. On the diamond, he’s a double-plus runner whose speed and athleticism give him a chance to be an impact defender in center field. Loganâ€s offensive ability is a bit more crude, but he has above-average bat speed and intriguing power upside.

The son of former major leaguer Jim Crowell, Caden Crowell is a 6-foot-4 southpaw with a solid three-pitch mix featuring a fastball that has been up to 94 mph. His command of the pitch can get scattered at times, but he demonstrated a solid feel for both his upper-70s-to-low-80s slider and low-80s changeup. As Crowell continues to fill out, expect both his velocity and pure stuff to tick up across the board.

Oregon State

The Beavers are a perennial College World Series contender, and last season was their first trip to Omaha since 2018. While they fell short of their ultimate goal, it was still a mighty successful 2025 season for coach Mitch Canhamâ€s crew.

Mason Pike ranked No. 68 on the final iteration of the BA 500, and he heads into 2026 as one of the most prized freshmen in the country. Pike has a chance to make an immediate impact on both sides of the baseball, but his ability on the mound is slightly more appealing. His fastball has been up to 97 mph, and itâ€s a high-spin pitch for which he deploys two different shapes. In addition to his four-seamer, Pikeâ€s sinker this fall has proven to be effective with upwards of 18 inches of run. His go-to secondary offering is a low-to-mid-80s sweeper that routinely flashes above-average, while his mid-80s changeup is a clear third pitch. Pikeâ€s strike-throwing can be inconsistent, but his pitchability took a step in the right direction last spring. In the box, Pike is a switch-hitter with quick hands who has shown he can drive the baseball into either gap.

Josh Proctor boasts some of the most impressive raw power of any freshman in the country. While he stands in at a massive 6-foot-5 and 225 pounds, Proctor does a nice job keeping his swing rather compact for someone of his stature. He has a knack for generating quality contact and could develop into plus game power. Proctor is not a standout athlete by any means, but his arm translates well over at third base. If he is unable to stick on the dirt, Proctor could man a corner outfield spot.

Southern California

For the first time since 2015, USC returned to the tournament last spring. It was a long time coming for the Trojans, and coach Andy Stankiewicz has done an excellent job since taking over ahead of the 2023 season. Rather than an anomaly, it’s not unreasonable to expect 2025 to become the new normal for the Trojans.

The big fish of this yearâ€s group of incoming freshmen for USC is undoubtedly Diego Velazquez. While he was just 17 years old on draft day, Velazquez boasts an impressive blend of bat speed and physicality. He has a loose, easy swing from the left side and regularly works the middle of the field. Velazquez has a chance to possess an enticing hit-power combination when all is said and done, and heâ€s performed well this fall. Defensively, his actions and smooth hands give him a chance to stick at shortstop, but his above-average arm also profiles nicely at third base if he needs to move off the position.

On the bump, Gavin Lauridsen is an intriguing ball of clay that Southern Californiaâ€s staff will get the chance to mold. Lauridsen measures 6-foot-5, 200 pounds with ample room to add strength and physicality. His delivery is accompanied by a head whack, but he has present arm speed, and his effort figures to diminish as he matures physically. Lauridsenâ€s fastball has been up to 95 mph with real carry through the zone, and it’s a pitch he supplements with a mid-70s curveball that has solid depth, a distinct upper-70s-to-low-80s slider and a low-80s changeup.

Virginia Tech

After hosting a super regional in 2022, Virginia Tech has failed to make the tournament in each of the last three seasons. With returning production and a group of newcomers hungry to leave their mark on the program, the Hokies will look to return to form in 2026.

Headlining the group of newcomers is righthander Ethan Grim. Grim had tons of draft buzz last spring, but opted to honor his commitment to Virginia Tech. His performance on the summer circuit was particularly impressive, and between East Coast Pro and the Area Code Games he struck out 11 of the 19 batters faced. Grimâ€s fastball has been up to 96 mph with life through the zone, and it consistently gets over the barrel of opposing hitters. He has a feel for both his upper-70s-to-low-80s slider and mid-70s curveball. Grim rounds out his arsenal with a low-80s changeup—another pitch for which he has an advanced feel. He is perpetually in “attack mode,†and he consistently competes in and around the strike zone. With an appealing blend of strikes and stuff, Grim is a safe bet to start long term.

Infielder Ethan Ball has a clean stroke from the left side with more impact than his 6-foot, 185-pound frame might suggest. Thereâ€s some swing-and-miss to his game, but Ball is a plus runner whose actions on the dirt give him a strong chance to stick up the middle.

West Virginia

The Steve Sabins Era got off to a roaring start in Morgantown last season, as the first-year coach led West Virginia to its second-straight super regional. Thereâ€s plenty of veteran production to replace on both sides of the baseball, but Sabins has a solid group of returners to build around in addition to an impressive crop of newcomers.

On the dirt, shortstop David PerezhasÂintriguing tools on both sides of the baseball. Perez has strength packed into his 5-foot-10, 190-pound frame, and he doesnâ€t get cheated in the box. In addition to his impressive bat speed, Perez has flashed particular impact to the pull side. His approach, however, will need a coat or two of polish. Perez has a no-doubt plus arm on the dirt and he likely fits best over at the hot corner. On the hill, heâ€s flashed a fastball thatâ€s been up to 95 mph in addition to a low-80s breaking ball.

While he missed the 2024 summer circuit recovering from Tommy John Surgery, 6-foot-6 righthander Hudson Cavallo is an arm on which to keep close tabs. He deploys two different fastball shapes—a four-seamer thatâ€s been up to 95 mph with carry through the zone and a two-seamer with distinct armside run—as well as a slider and changeup. With plenty of projection remaining, Cavallo has a chance to blossom during his time in Morgantown.

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With the 2025 MLB regular season behind us, itâ€s time to review what we learned from a fantasy perspective and how we can apply it to next year.

In the coming days throughout October, weâ€ll be breaking down the standout seasons, the breakout candidates, the prospects to know, and our early 2026 rankings. We started with catcher last week, and now we’ll head over to first base.

MLB: Washington Nationals at Atlanta Braves

Way-Too-Early 2026 Fantasy Baseball Top 300 Rankings

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Aaron Judge or Shohei Ohtani at the top? Our early 2026 Top 300 rankings highlight key fantasy storylines heading into the MLB offseason.

2025 POSITION BREAKDOWN: FIRST BASE

ï¸ STATE OF THE POSITION

There were 17 first basemen who earned at least $10 of value this season, according to Fangraph’s Player Rater. That was the most for any infield position, which hints at the depth we have at the first base position. Some of that is the old stalwarts like Freddie Freeman, Matt Olson, Bryce Harper, Vladimir Guerrero, Pete Alonso, and Yandy Diaz. However, we also had young players like Nick Kurtz, Vinnie Pasquantino, Michael Busch, and Tyler Soderstrom emerge as consistent producers this season. Whenyou add to that, players like Rafael Devers and Willson Contreras gaining first base eligibility, this is probably the deepest the position has ever been, and we haven’t yet talked about Christian Walker, who is coming off of a down year, Spencer Torkelson, who made the most of his second chance, and Ben Rice, who may actually get a chance to be the every day first baseman next year if the Yankees move on from Paul Goldschmidt.

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As it stands, all is well with the first base landscape, and while it’s tempting to try and lock in one of the elite bats at the position, this might be the best position to wait on in drafts and still find value with a middle-round starter.

2025â€s Top Ten First Basemen

1. Pete Alonso (Free Agent)

.272/.347/.524, 38 HR, 87 R, 126 RBI, 1 SB

The Polar Bear had his best season yet after signing a two-year deal to return to the Mets, and played so well that he will almost certainly opt out of the final year of his contract and test the free agent waters again. Alonso set career highs in batting average, plate appearances, and barrel rate while posting his sixth straight full season with at least 34 home runs. In non-COVID seasons, Alonso averages 41.3 home runs per game, which is tremendous consistency and value from a power standpoint. The big reason why his fantasy value jumped this year, in addition to hitting behind Juan Soto and driving in 126 runs, was that Alonso went to a more all-fields approach and trusted his power to play regardless. He had the lowest pull rate of his career and the lowest fly ball rate of his career, instead focusing on hard line drives. He was also more aggressive in the zone than he had been since 2022, which allowed him to improve his quality of contact overall despite swinging and missing a bit more. Oh, and he also set the Mets franchise record for home runs. Not a bad season.

2. Josh Naylor (Free Agent)

.295.353/.462, 20 HR, 81 R, 92 RBI, 30 SB

What a wild season for Josh Naylor. We kinda knew his 31 home run season in 2024 was a bit of a fluke, but he found new ways to produce fantasy value by improving his batting average and shattering his career-high in stolen bases. Without making a drastic change in approach, Naylor saw a huge increase in his batting average, which sounded a few alarm bells. He was a bit more aggressive outside of the zone, but his contact rate was identical to last year. He did see more pitches in the zone, so perhaps being in a deeper lineup helped him, but his pull rates and fly ball rates were all pretty similar to 2024, while he also posted his lowest full-season barrel rate since his rookie year. It’s hard to see Naylor keeping up this .290-plus batting average, and his previous career-high in steals was 10, so stealing 19 bases in just 54 games with the Mariners is doing a lot of heavy lifting with his fantasy value this year. He seems like a clear regression candidate, but we’ll have to see where he signs.

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3. Cody Bellinger (Yankees)

.272/.334/.480, 29 HR, 89 R, 98 RBI, 13 SB

Sadly, Bellinger will not be first base eligible in 2026 because he only played seven games there for the Yankees this season. However, the park was as good for him as everybody expected. Bellinger’s barrel rate was only 7.5% and his 38% hard hit rate was the highest he’s had since 2022, but still below most first basemen. Still, he increased his pull rate by 3% and his flyball rate by 2% and that helped lead to 29 home runs. He also made some adjustments to the pitches he was swinging at on the fringes of the strike zone, cutting his chase rate marginally but increasing his contact outside of the zone by a significant amount. That led to a solid batting average and the lowest strikeout rate of his career. All of this feels repeatable for Bellinger, but he’ll just be doing it as an OF-only fantasy player.

4. Nick Kurtz (Athletics)

.290/.383/.619 36 HR, 90 R, 86 RBI, 2 SB

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Kurtz was the fourth overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft and had played just 12 minor league games before the Athletics sent him to Triple-A to begin the 2025 season. It seemed like an incredibly aggressive promotion, but Kurtz responded by crushing Triple-A pitching for 20 games and forcing his way into a promotion. He didn’t adjust to MLB pitching that quickly. Up until June 1st, he was hitting .245/.315/.447 with five home runs and a 33.3% strikeout rate in 28 games. It wasn’t a terrible start, but it certainly didn’t indicate that he would catch fire as quickly as he did. From June 1st on, Kurtz hit .304/.403/.669 with 31 home runs and 71 RBI in 89 games. Yes, he did still strike out 30% of the time, but that’s always going to be a little bit a part of his game. He’s still just 22 years old and will play another season in hitter-friendly Sacramento with a young and improving lineup around him. It’s hard not to get excited about his future.

5. Rafael Devers (Giants)

.252/.372/.479 35 HR, 99 R, 109 RBI, 1 SB

Yes, after all that drama, Devers is now first base eligible. The veteran took issue with the way the Red Sox handled signing Alex Bregman this offseason and then had no desire to patch things up with the front office, so he was shipped out of town mid-season to San Francisco where he slowly worked himself into a role as the team’s first baseman. That’s a role he figures to occupy for much of the 2026 season, but the bigger question is what impact Oracle Park will have on him. Devers was somebody who went to the opposite field often in Boston, using the Green Monster to his advantage, so he struggled initially when he had to change his approach in San Francisco. Overall, Devers hit .236/.347/.460 with 20 home runs in 90 games with the Giants, striking out 29.4% of the time and pulling the ball 45% of the time, which is 8% higher than his career average. He did make tons of hard contact, but there are some questions about whether or not the 29-year-old can shift his approach so drastically and maintain his .276 career batting average while playing in San Francisco.

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6. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (Blue Jays): .292, 23 HR, 96 R, 84 RBI, 6 SB

7. Matt Olson (Braves): .272, 29 HR, 98 R, 95 RBI, 1 SB

8. Freddie Freeman (Dodgers): .295, 24 HR, 81 R, 90 RBI, 6 SB

9. Yandy Diaz (Rays): .300, 25 HR, 79 R, 83 RBI, 3 SB

10. Vinnie Pasquantino (Royals): .264, 32 HR, 72 R, 113 RBI, 1 SB

2026 Breakouts

Ben Rice (Yankees)

Matthew Pouliot covered Rice in his catcher’s article, so check that out here.I will just add that, from June 1st on, Ben Rice had the third-best Process+ score in all of baseball, behind only Aaron Judge and Juan Soto. That’s certainly the company you want, and the Yankees need to just give this kid at-bats.

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Andrew Vaughn (Brewers)

I don’t know if the Brewers are going to let Vaughn be their starting first baseman in 2026, but they should. In 64 games with Milwaukee, he hit .308/.375/.493 with nine home runs, 46 RBI, and a 14.6% strikeout rate. He had an 11.1% barrel rate and 91.7 mph average exit velocity over that span, but also put up a Process+ score of 126, when 100 is league average. From July 7th on, when Vaughn was called up by the Brewers, his Process+ score was in line with Roman Anthony, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Kyle Stowers, and Julio Rodriguez. So we have the results and we have the metrics to suggest that his approach and process support the results. I’m excited to see what a full season can bring.

Kyle Manzardo (Guardians)

With Carlos Santana out of town, Kyle Manzardo should head into the 2026 season as the everyday first baseman in Cleveland. The 25-year-old dealt with some off-season hardship this season, with his mother undergoing major surgery in the middle of the year, which also led to him missing a few games. Baseball players are human too, so that undoubtedly weighed on his mind, but Manzardo seemed to turn a corner on the field in the second half of the season. He hit .256/.338/.473 with 12 home runs and 33 RBI in 60 games to end the season. That’s in line with the player we think Manzardo can be. He’s just 25 years old and has an MLB career barrel rate of 11.2%, so there is plenty of quality contact being made. In a full season, could he hit .260 with 25+ home runs while batting in the middle of Cleveland’s lineup? That could bring lots of fantasy value.

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Troy Johnston (Marlins)

Johnston is a 28-year-old who just made his MLB debut this season, so think of this as a late-career breakout. Still, he hit .277/.331/.420 in 28 games with the Marlins with four home runs, a 9.3% barrel rate, and a 21% strikeout rate. He also stole 31 bases in 84 games at Triple-A this season and has another 24-steal campaign on his resume from back in 2023. So we have a guy with solid 15 home run power who can also steal 20 bases and hit .281 in his career in the minor leagues. Johnston also posted a solid 114 Process+ score during his time in the big leagues, which was the same as Kerry Carpenter, Bo Bichette, Ian Happ, and Vinnie Pasquantino. That means the swing decisions and contact metrics also support the results we got. Johnston is going to be 1B/OF eligible next season, and getting late shares of him seems like a solid plan.

2026 Prospects To Know

Bryce Eldridge (Giants)

Bryce Eldridge was called up by the Giants at the end of the season and struggled in his 37 MLB plate appearances; however, he showed legit power in the minors with 25 home runs in 102 games. He did have a 14.6% swinging strike rate in the minors, so swing-and-miss will always be part of his game, but the quality of contact is elite, and he posted a 95.6 mph average exit velocity in his very brief MLB sample size, but also a 95.7 mph average exit velocity in his 66 games at Triple-A. I expect Eldridge and Rafael Devers to split 1B/DH reps in San Francisco next season, and Eldridge could prove to be a great source of power.

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Charlie Condon (Rockies)

We say the Rockies hate to promote their prospects, but the Rockies are also finally going to hire a general manager from outside of their organization this offseason, so maybe that all changes. Condon is the 61st-ranked prospect in baseball, according to MLB Pipeline, but is 14th on Keith Law’s list. He struggled a bit in 55 games at Double-A this season, but he has impressive tools that helped make him the 3rd overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft. He showed great contact ability in college and flashed that same ability at High-A to start the season. I expect Condon to begin 2026 at Double-A, but a hot start to the season will move him to Triple-A, at least. The Rockies have nobody really blocking him at first base, so if Condon were to get hot, they could give him a shot at big league at-bats, where his power would be tantalizing in Coors Field.

Abimelec Ortiz (Rangers)

A little bit off the radar here, but Ortiz had a great season in 2025, hitting .257/.356/.479 with 25 home runs and 89 RBU in 130 games. Oddly enough, his batting average was actually much better in his 41 games at Triple-A, hitting .283/.388/.565. The 22-year-old is only 5’10” but 230 pounds and swings the hell out of the bat. He has elite bat speed and began to make more contact as he quieted his approach. He’s an average defender at first base, so he’s not a DH-only, but Texas was playing Rowdy Tellez at the end of the season because Jake Burger couldn’t stay healthy. With a DH spot likely opening and Joc Pederson leaving, the Rangers could keep Burger as the primary DH and give Ortiz a chance to claim reps at 1B, or the two could switch off. The upper levels of the Rangers’ farm system are not deep with first base options, so if they don’t make a big splash in free agency, expect Ortiz to be in the mix.

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2026 Top 12 First Baseman

1. Nick Kurtz: Given his home park and the growth we saw. He has the highest upside of this group.
2. Pete Alonso: A lot is going to depend on where he ends up, but I believe in the approach shift and the consistency.
3. Matt Olson: This Braves offense is going to be better in 2026, and Olson has continued to produce.
4. Vladimir Guerrero Jr.: An elite hitter, but I think we can expect him to hit around 25 home runs, which limits his ceiling a bit at a position where you need power.
5. Freddie Freeman: Will age ever catch up with him? The team context is great, and the results have been there.
6. Rafael Devers: He’s been one of the best, but what will the new park do to his batting average and power upside?
7. Bryce Harper: Are we seeing a moderate decline? Will be 33, and his batting average has fallen each of the last three years.
8. Vinnie Pasquantino: We finally saw some power come with the batting average. I’m buying into it being repeatable.
9. Josh Naylor: Where he signs will be huge. So much of his value came from those late steals. Will they return?
10. Michael Busch: Put together a great season in Chicago, and has gotten his strikeout rate under control. Power is very real.
11. Tyler Soderstrom: A bit of a rollercoaster, but the results were there. Power is great, and the home ballpark is tremendous.
12. Willson Contreras: Aging but safe. He’s probably a 20 HR bat with a .260 average on a decent team, but you know you’re getting his consistency.

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