ELCHE, SPAIN – JANUARY 31: Raphinha of FC Barcelona looks on the LaLiga EA Sports match between Elche CF and FC Barcelona at Estadio Manuel Martinez Valero on January 31, 2026 in Elche, Spain. (Photo By Francisco Macia/Europa Press via Getty Images) | Europa Press via Getty Images
“I’m fine. I’m a little tired, but I’m okay. In theory, it will be a short time, and I’ll try to recover as quickly as possible. I’ve always tried to give my best,” he told Mundo Deportivo.
Raphinha is also expected to sit out the weekend’s La Liga game against Real Mallorca in what will be a further blow to Flick.
The Brazilian has suffered a few injury problems this season but has still been in great form, scoring 13 goals and bagging five assists in 22 outings in all competitions.
LOOK OUT, HE HAS A SWORD | Photo by Porter Binks/Getty Images
For a moment, I was looking at this week’s Big East basketball schedules and it was starting to look like maaaybe there weren’t really that many intriguing games on deck. Then I realized that we’re past the halfway point or further even for everyone in the league, and things are Starting To Get Important relative to fighting to avoid playing on the opening night of the conference tournament. As it happens, there’s more than a couple of games that fit the bill of “oh, well, that’s important to the 5th place/6th place cut line right now.”
Plus a ranked on ranked game in the men’s division! That’s actually nationally important!
Let’s get into it!
Wednesday, February 4: Seton Hall Pirates at Villanova Wildcats (5:30pm Central, Peacock) — Seton Hall has stemmed the tide of a complete collapse with a massive rally second half against Xavier and fending off a challenge from Marquette. However, the four game losing streak might have broken their NCAA hopes unless they can match it with quality wins, and at The Finn against a Nova team seemingly ticketed for the Dance is exactly that. Kevin Willard’s Wildcats can’t exactly afford to cough up a loss here, not with the Torvik Wins Above Bubble bracket slotting them in as a #8 seed.
Wednesday, February 4: Georgetown Hoyas at Creighton Bluejays (6pm Central, ESPN+) — This is one half of an important week for Jim Flanery’s Bluejays as they come off a very good road win over Seton Hall on Sunday. They’re a game behind St. John’s for fifth place (and thus one of the byes in the first round of the Big East tournament) in the league, and a game ahead of the Hoyas team as well. Creating space between themselves and Georgetown is as easy as winning at Sokol right here.
Wednesday, February 4: Creighton Bluejays at Georgetown Hoyas (6:30pm Central, Peacock) — The Bluejays needed overtime to down Georgetown at home, and they’re just 1-3 since then, needing a miracle break against Xavier to get the win and getting absolutely run over by both UConn (fine) and Marquette (uh oh) in the losses. There’s not much of a hope for the NCAA tournament in Omaha any more, but a loss here would probably finish them off…. and if that’s the case…. are we seeing the beginning of the end for Greg McDermott as head coach at Creighton?
Friday, February 6: Connecticut Huskies at St. John’s Red Storm (7pm Central, Fox) — This will be the first of two meetings this season between the two teams that were considered to be the top two teams in the conference heading into the year. To this point, they’ve separated themselves atop the standings at 11-0 and 9-1, and with the Johnnies holding the loss, the onus is on them to win at home here to create a race for the regular season title down the stretch.
Saturday, February 7: Butler Bulldogs at #1 Connecticut Huskies (11am Central, FS1) — Presuming that Sarah Strong’s squad gets through a road game against last place DePaul just fine on Wednesday, UConn could be playing to clinch a spot in the top five of the league in this game and thus avoid the opening day tripleheader of the conference tournament. That would be with six games left in the conference slate for the Huskies, and I say “could” because it’s possible that they get help on Wednesday from Georgetown to clinch it anyway.
Saturday, February 7: Butler Bulldogs at Marquette Golden Eagles (1pm Central, FS1) — Butler followed up their home win over Marquette by getting trampled at The Garden by St. John’s and then getting shunted into the Negative Zone by Georgetown. Five points in the final 6+ minutes after cutting a margin to four! At home! How much will the National Marquette Day crowd gas up the Golden Eagles at Fiserv Forum here?
Saturday, February 7: Seton Hall Pirates at St. John’s Red Storm (1pm Central, ESPN+) — This is the only game of the week for Savannah Catalon’s Pirates and they come in having lost two of the last three. One was to UConn, but the other was to Creighton at home. St. John’s is trying to stay in the top five of the Big East standings (and thus out of the conference tournament opening tripleheader) with just a one game lead over Creighton right now, so they can make a lot of noise with a win here. Oh, and Seton Hall’s next game, as they try to maintain a hold on third place in the league? Marquette, the team they are currently tied with in the standings.
Saturday, February 7: DePaul Blue Demons at Providence Friars (3pm Central, FS1) — The Friars have lost six of seven and host Butler and DePaul this week. Think of this one as the second half of the Kim English Keep Your Job Challenge. Difficulty Level: Hard.
Saturday, February 7: Seton Hall Pirates at Creighton Bluejays (5pm Central, Peacock) — All the stuff I said earlier about Budd Clark’s Pirates and Josh Dix’s Bluejays? Goes double here, especially with it being the second of two road games this week for the Pirates.
Sunday, February 8: Marquette Golden Eagles at Creighton Bluejays (12pm Central, FS1) — Here’s the other half of an important week for Creighton, as they get Cara Consuegra’s inconsistent (but tied for third!) Golden Eagles in Omaha. If the Jays want to make a play to get one of those five first round byes in the conference tournament, they could do a lot worse than closing the current three-game gap with MU right here. Meanwhile, Halle Vice and Marquette still haven’t found a way to start playing clean basketball for 40 straight minutes, and they have to get through a home game against Providence before making this trip to somewhere in middle America.
Here’s the full Big East men’s basketball schedule for the week, with all times Central, as always.
Date
Game
Time (CT)
Television
Tuesday, February 3
Xavier at #3 Connecticut
6:00 PM
Peacock
#22 St. John’s at DePaul
7:00 PM
Peacock
Wednesday, February 4
Seton Hall at RV Villanova
5:30 PM
Peacock
Butler at Providence
6:00 PM
Peacock
Creighton at Georgetown
6:30 PM
Peacock
Friday, February 6
#3 Connecticut at #22 St. John’s
7:00 PM
Fox
Saturday, February 7
RV Villanova at Georgetown
11:00 AM
TNT/truTV
Butler at Marquette
1:00 PM
FS1
DePaul at Providence
3:00 PM
FS1
Seton Hall at Creighton
5:00 PM
Peacock
Here’s the full Big East women’s basketball schedule for the week, with all times Central, as always.
MIAMI GARDENS, FL – JANUARY 22: new Miami Dolphins general manager Jon-Eric Sullivanand new Miami Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley answer questions from reporters during the Miami Dolphins press conference on Thursday, January 22, 2026 at Baptist Health Training Center in Miami Gardens, FL. (Photo by Peter Joneleit/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Being a Miami Dolphins fan for any period of time comes with the built-in expectation of almost always having concerns about the team, be it the general manager, scouting, coaching, or players. Between the poor execution of their jobs on the field and just stupid, unnecessary scandals off the field, it has often seemed as if there were more periods of just being overall bummed by the team and whatever stupid thing was happening with them than periods we could celebrate. In recent times, we can only point to epic comebacks, a 70-point game against a bad Denver Broncos team, or an individual accomplishment by a single player as things to celebrate. Either way, there is always something to be concerned about, but with each new regime we are at least given a bit of light at the end of the tunnel…maybe…until it’s snatched away again.
So with that big ole’ pile of joy this evening’s Phinsider Question Of The Day is:
Now that our Miami Dolphins have hired the new GM and nearly filled out the entire coaching staff, what concerns do you still have about either or both? Is it an individual coach that you believe could hold the team back, or is there another concern about the new makeup of the front office or the coaching staff as a whole? Or…maybe you think this is nearly perfect for what we want to see. Please let us know that and why as well.
Please share your thoughts and answers in the comments section below-
DENVER, COLORADO – MARCH 25: Nathan MacKinnon #29 of the Colorado Avalanche skates against J.T. Compher #37 of the Detroit Red Wings. (Photo by Michael Martin/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
The Colorado Avalanche and Detroit Red Wings are set to meet for the second time in just three days, this time at Ball Arena in downtown Denver, CO. This quick turnaround and second game of a home-and-home should make for some unsettled tension after the first installment featured extracurriculars and a stellar performance from MacKenzie Blackwood, who logged the shutout. Will the Avalanche beat their old rival yet again? Or will the Wings steal one at a mile high?
Colorado Avalanche: (36-8-9)
The Opponent: Detroit Red Wings (24-21-7)
Time: 7:00 p.m. MT
Watch: Altitude, Altitude+, ESPN+
Listen: Altitude Sports Radio, 92.5 FM
Colorado Avalanche
The Avalanche is an interesting group right now with a litany of injuries and what feels like waning interest at times, all resulting in the first real dip in success.
They looked plenty interested last time out, and leading the way in that regard was Nathan MacKinnon, who is undoubtedly getting all tuned up and ready for his appearance at this year’s Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy.
A 5-0 shutout is just about as ideal as a scoreline can be, but make no mistake, even MacKinnon told Erik Johnson on the ABC broadcast that, “It was more competitive than the scoreline showed.”
Speaking of MacKinnon, he is just one assist shy of logging his 700th career apple so keep an eye on that this evening. EJ has clarified that he did not get a spray tan but leaned toward being too tan rather than too pale when giving the makeup artist instructions ahead of the broadcast. I don’t buy it.
The Wings are a solid club and feel like a playoff team this season, despite not showing much of that in Saturday’s game. Getting to the playoffs would mean ending a nine-year drought in Detroit and would do a lot to validate the work being done by management and coaches alike. Todd MacLellan’s mid-season hire (last year) still looks like a solid move from Steve Yzerman and company.
Detroit’s captain Dylan Larkin called Saturday’s loss a “bump in the road,” and spoke about the Avalanche being beatable and having lots to play for in tonight’s rematch. We shall see how that turns out!
ANN ARBOR, MI – APRIL 20: Michigan Football Linebackers Coach Brian Jean-Mary yells to the Maize Team during the fourth quarter of the Michigan football spring game at Michigan Stadium on April 20, 2024 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (Photo by Jaime Crawford/Getty Images) | Getty Images
According to multiple reports, Marcus Freeman and the Notre Dame Football program are expected to hire Michigan linebackers coach, Brian Jean-Mary, to coach the linebackers for the Irish in 2026.
As I reported for @On3 earlier today, Notre Dame is targeting Brian Jean-Mary as its next linebackers coach.
Jean-Mary was also the Michigan defensive run game coordinator — which is was also the same position as departing Irish coach Al Washington had last season. He is known as a diligent recruiter, as well as a hard-nosed coach. An intewrseting Notre Dame connection here is that Brian was a GA for Lou Holtz during his time with the South carolina Gamecocks.
Brian Jean-Mary Coaching Career
2000 Louisville, Graduate Assistant (Strength and Conditioning)
2001-02 South Carolina, Graduate Assistant (Defense)
2003 North Alabama, Secondary
2004-09 Georgia Tech, Linebackers
2010-14 Louisville, Assistant Head Coach/Linebackers
2015-16 Texas, Linebackers/Recruiting Coordinator
2017-19 South Florida, Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers
2020 Michigan, Linebackers
2021-23 Tennessee, Linebackers
2024-25 Michigan, Defensive Run Game Coordinator/Linebackers
So… the coaching staff looks to be locked in place (for now).
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, despite significant criticism from plenty in Washington, is all for Bad Bunny’s halftime show this week at Super Bowl LX.
Goodell was asked directly about Bad Bunny on Monday in San Francisco when he met with reporters ahead of Sunday’s Super Bowl at Levi’s Stadium, and said plainly that he believes the Puerto Rican superstar will be able to “unite people” in the way that Super Bowl halftime performers of the past have.
“Listen, Bad Bunny is, and I think that was demonstrated last night [at the Grammys], one of the great artists in the world. That’s one of the reasons we chose him,” Goodell said.
“But the other reason is he understood the platform he was on, and that this platform is used to unite people and to be able to bring people together with their creativity, with their talent, and to be able to use this moment to do that. I think artists in the past have done that, I think Bad Bunny understands that, and I think he’ll have a great performance.”
Roger Goodell is asked whether or not there will be any ICE enforcement operations at the Super Bowl and also addresses Bad Bunny’s remarks about ICE at last night’s Grammy Awards. pic.twitter.com/FxGcbiIbZP
Bad Bunny was the top global artist on Spotify for the fourth time in his career last year, and he won two Grammy awards on Sunday night, including Album of the Year, for “Debí Tirar Más Fotos.”
What about Bad Bunny criticism and ICE?
Quickly after Bad Bunny was announced as the Super Bowl halftime show, plenty in President Donald Trump’s administration criticized the decision. Trump said he had “never heard of him,” and Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Mike Johnson (R-LA) called it a “terrible decision” in October. Johnson, however, then suggested that 83-year-old Lee Greenwood, famous for “God Bless the USA” do the show instead.
U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said that Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents would be “all over” the Super Bowl.
“They suck, and we’ll win,” Noem told right-wing podcast host Benny Johnson about her message to the NFL, via ESPN. “They won’t be able to sleep at night because they don’t know what they believe. And they’re so weak, we’ll fix it.”
Bad Bunny has been extremely outspoken about Trump and ICE. He mocked Trump in his “NEVAYoL” music video, where he had a Trump-like voice apologizing to immigrants, and he even declined to hold any concerts on his current world tour in the United States because “f***ing ICE could be outside [the concert].” He called out ICE after winning a Grammy award during an acceptance speech on Sunday night, too.
“Before I say thanks to God, I’m going to say ICE out,” he said. “We’re not savages, we’re not animals, we’re not aliens, we are humans and we are Americans … The hate gets more powerful with more hate. The only thing that’s more powerful than hate is love. So please, we need to be different. If we fight, we have to do it with love.”
Bad Bunny says “ICE OUT” at the #Grammys and receives a massive standing ovation:
“We are not savage, we are not animals, we are not aliens, we are humans and we are Americans. The hate gets more powerful with more hate. The only thing that is more powerful than hate is love.… pic.twitter.com/IFzvguqdCR
Bad Bunny is Puerto Rican, which makes him an American citizen.
The Bay Area Host Committee told local officials on Monday that there are no planned ICE operations for Super Bowl LX, according to The Athletic. Goodell was asked about that directly on Monday, but he sidestepped the ICE of it all. Security preparations, he said, are moving forward as normal.
“Security is obviously one of the things we focus on the most,” Goodell said. “It’s a tier one level event that involves unique assets at the federal level, the state level and the local level all working together. I see no change in that in the preparations for the Super Bowl … The federal government is a big part of that, including this administration and every other administration before that.”
Former Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher John Axford is reportedly “cranking it up” in case Team Canada needs him for the 2026 World Baseball Classic, per Bob Elliot.
Hearing RP John Axford (Simcoe, Ont.) is “cranking it up,” just in case he is needed for March’s WBC. Second all-time among Canadians in career saves, Axford is coaching his son’s 15U Burlington Bulls team @Brewers#TeamOntarioAstros@baseballcanada@NotreDame
This wouldn’t be the first time Axford has come out of retirement to pitch in the tournament if he ends up featuring for Team Canada, as he also played in the 2023 installment of the tournament. The right-hander is the second all-time leader among Canadians in saves with 144, and led the National League in the stat in 2011.
He made his first appearance for Team Canada in 2013, posting a 5.40 ERA through two outings in the tournament. When he returned in 2023, he threw one scoreless inning.
Sep 25, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; Colorado Rockies relief pitcher John Axford (66) delivers a pitch in the ninth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Coors Field. The Rockies defeated the Dodgers 7-4. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
When Did John Axford Play for the Dodgers?
Axford played for the Dodgers towards the latter end of his career, pitching just five games for L.A. after arriving at the trade deadline in 2018. Through his five games with the Dodgers, he posted a 17.18 ERA with four strikeouts in 3.2 innings pitched.
He made just one more MLB appearance after leaving the Dodgers, ending his career with the Milwaukee Brewers.
Other than the Brewers and the Dodgers, Axford played for the Toronto Bluejays, Oakland Athletics, Colorado Rockies, Pittsburgh Pirates, Cleveland Indians and St. Louis Cardinals.
Throughout his MLB career, the right-hander posted a 3.90 ERA and pitched in 544 games. He struck out 589 batters in 525.2 innings.
The White Sox might really get a kick out of having David Sandlin in their rotation this summer. | (Photo by Ella Hannaford/Minor League Baseball via Getty Images)
Rejoice! It’s February! That means baseball will be back before the month is over, and I’ll finally write about something besides “Hey, look at this young arm!”
Unfortunately, Spring Training is still weeks away. Respite still eludes you, South Side Sox stan. The Pale Hose have another arm you haven’t heard of, Daniel Sandlin, and I’m going to tell you all about him. (At least he’ll stick around for longer than Ryan Rolison.
The trade represents a lateral move for Sandlin’s organization ranking: FanGraphs has Sandlin as the ninth best prospect in the White Sox system, which was just about the consensus for him with the Red Sox. His big-ticket trait is velocity: at 6’4’’ and 215 pounds, Sandlin was topping out at 99.9 mph in September. The steady velocity – he sits around 96mph – has kept the door open for Sandlin to start in the majors, despite being transitioned into the bullpen at Triple A this past season. In the video below, a June 21 Double-A start, you can see how easily Sandlin can overpower an opposing lineup when he’s locating his fastball at the top of the zone:
FanGraphs also has good things to say about Sandlin’s cutter and slider, calling both pitches “nasty and fairly distinct from one another.” A sinker/sweeper combo rounds out his standard five-pitch mix, although he has a curveball he’ll mix in on occasion. Sandlin also threw a changeup last year. No, literally. He threw one changeup:
However, I’d wager the remainder of Luis Robert Jr.‘s contract that Sandlin is going to be throwing a lot more changeups … what’s that? Apologies, dear reader, but I’m now being told all that money actually has been spent? No kidding? Huh. Well then, I guess I’d wager the remainder of Andrew Benintendi’s contract? Regardless, if Sandlin’s going to win a spot in the White Sox rotation, he’ll need to get comfortable with a changeup, and quick.
At this point in time, Sandlin’s has a two-part plan for approaching lefthanders. The first part is to throw the ball, and the second part is to pray:
2025 Splits (Combined Double-A and Triple-A) vs. Righties: .225 BA, .343 SLG, .649 OPS, .289 BABIP vs. Lefties: .285 BA, .430 SLG, .772 OPS, .358 BABIP
Back to FanGraphs, who came through in the clutch with an updated 2026 report today: “[Sandlin] still doesn’t have a great offspeed pitch with which to attack lefties … [he] peppers the top of the zone with cutters and sliders before elevating his fastball with two strikes.”
If you’re throwing your breaking pitches up in the zone to get ahead against opposite-side hitters, it doesn’t take much imagination to picture what could happen if that slider hangs just a little, or that cutter comes out a little flat, or even if he just misses his spot a couple inches low. The French refer to it as “Bang City.”
If you’ve read a single thing I’ve published on this site before — not a guarantee, I realize! — you already know what I’m going to say, and you’re probably pissed off that you’ve read 500 words just to realize this is yet another article about the kick changeup and how I think it’s a magical pitch that fixes everybody. But I’m not even the first to bring it up this time!
“The White Sox have had recent success coaxing better changeups out of pitchers with naturally-good breaking balls,” FanGraphs concludes in their prospect report, “and perhaps they’ll be able to do that with Sandlin.”
And I’d say the evidence is there! Sandlin has a very strong supinator profile. His Achilles’ heel, for him and many supinators, is a lack of arm-side options against opposite-handed hitters.
To flatten out his pitching splits, Sandlin’s going to need something. This is the magic of the kick change: no unfamiliar arm mechanics or discomfort. The platonic ideal of the kick change isn’t just its effectiveness, but how quickly somebody can pick it up and add it to their arsenal. For Sandlin, it is also the difference between a major league starter versus a middle reliever.
San Diego Padres Joe Musgrove (Photo by K.C. Alfred / The San Diego Union-Tribune via Getty Images)
Major League Baseball’s offseason is coming to an end. It is time to take your bats, balls, and glove out of storage because Spring Training is fast upon us. The San Diego Padres’ postseason hopes rest on a resurgent Joe Musgrove leading them to October baseball.
Spring Training is where pitchers want to ramp up their offseason workouts, but the Padres need some assurance that Musgrove is healthy to begin the regular season on the active roster.
Musgrove is an essential part of the rotation
He missed the entire 2025 campaign recovering from Tommy John surgery. Arm injuries limited his workload the prior season, as Musgrove finished with a 6-5 record, 3.88 ERA in 19 starts. The right-hander’s season prematurely ended in the postseason, as Musgrove pitched 3.2 innings before leaving his start against the Atlanta Braves with elbow discomfort in the Wild Card round.
You cannot argue with his career success. Musgrove registered a 3.73 ERA with a 23.9% strikeout rate and 6.0% base-on-balls rate in 180 starts. He utilizes a six-pitch repertoire, as his sinker averages over 90 MPH, which sets up the four-seam fastball (93 MPH) to get batters out.
Friars skipper Craig Stammen has reiterated that he does not foresee implementing an innings limit on Musgrove. However, he will monitor how he feels after each start and determine if Musgrove needs extra recovery time before his next appearance on the mound.
Starting pitching depth is hard to find
The Friars are searching for starting pitching depth, as they need to take a cautious approach with several starters. Michael King, Nick Pivetta, Randy Vasquez, JP Sears, Triston McKenzie, and newly signed Marco Gonzales are expected to see time in the starting rotation this season. Several in this group carry their own injury issues.
King spent the majority of last season on the injury list, which limited him to 15 starts. All eyes will be on him during his throwing sessions at the start of Spring Training. The organization is optimistic that King will return to form in 2026.
Gonzales spent last season recovering from surgery that placed an internal brace to repair the flexor tendon in his left forearm. The injury limited him to 17 combined starts in the 2023 and 2024 seasons. The latest procedure was the third surgery on Gonzales’ troublesome arm. If he makes the major league roster, the coaching staff will monitor the amount of innings-pitched all summer long.
It is undecided if Musgrove will begin the 2026 season on the Opening Day roster, as the Padres will monitor his progress during Cactus League appearances. They need to build up his arm strength before Musgrove makes his regular season debut.
It may be disappointing not to see him pitch in the opening series at Petco Park, but the goal is to keep Musgrove healthy all season long.
We are getting close to the point where our Top 100 Prospect countdown crashes into the Prospect Vote, so we may not have too many more rounds to go here.
This time around, we determined a winner while one player on our ballot was DFAd (Jairo Iriarte) and a recent winner (Gage Ziehl) was dealt away. For now, we will keep Jairo on the ballot, but if his is claimed elsewhere we’ll add two players next go-round.
In very tight voting, Marcelo Alcala eked out the win, earning 8 of 44 (18%) votes:
The tight race among Alcala, Diaz and Schweitzer yielded the lowest share of the vote for a winner yet, at 18.18%. This was Alcala’s first time on our ballot.
Past No. 34s in the SSS Top Prospect Vote 2025 Voting lasted only 31 rounds 2024 Abraham Núñez (33%) 2023 Voting lasted only 24 rounds 2022 Voting lasted only 17 rounds 2021 Kodi Medeiros (23%) 2020 Alec Hansen (32%) 2019 Luis Curbelo (25%) 2018 Jameson Fisher (28%)
Alcala is the 15th hitter of 34 players to advance, as well as the third center fielder:
Left fielder Caden Connor, who traversed three levels of the White Sox minors in 2025, joins the ballot for this round.
South Side Sox Top-Voted White Sox Prospects for 2026
Alexander Albertus Third Baseman Age 21 2025 high level Arizona Complex League (Rookie) Age relative to high level +0.4 years Overall 2025 stats 8 games ▪️ 0 HR ▪️ 2 RBI ▪️ .333/.520/.444 ▪️ 3-of-3 (100.0%) SB ▪️ 6 BB ▪️ 3 K ▪️ 1.000 FLD%▪️ 0.3 WAR
What can you say further about Albertus? He seems to have great tools but an uncanny ability to stay off of the field (just eight games in a season-plus in the White Sox system). In 2025, he was assigned to Kannapolis but was … wait for it … injured. He lasted just eight games of ACL rehab before hitting the IL-60 again.
Aldrin Batista Right-Handed Starting Pitcher Age 22 2025 SSS Prospect Vote ranking 6 2025 high level Winston-Salem (High-A) Age relative to high level -1.2 years Overall 2025 stats 2-0 ▪️ 7 games (2 starts) ▪️ 14 IP ▪️ 5.79 ERA ▪️ 17 K ▪️ 7 BB ▪️ 1.429 WHIP ▪️-1.2 WAR
Batista was our No. 6-voted player in last year’s poll and top righthander — and then disaster struck, as he started the third Dash game of the season on April 6 and then was out more than four months with a stress fracture in his right (pitching) elbow. His return in late August was iffy, with three poor relief appearances of five. But he ended the season with a scoreless (two-inning) “opener” start, which hopefully reverses the curse for 2026.
Ryan Burrowes Second Baseman Age 21 2024 SSS Prospect Vote ranking 23 2025 SSS Prospect Vote ranking N/R 2025 high level Winston-Salem (High-A) Age relative to high level -2.0 years Overall 2025 stats (Low-A/High-A) 111 games ▪️ 6 HR ▪️ 39 RBI ▪️ .255/.342/.355 ▪️ 47-of-53 (88.7%) SB ▪️ 39 BB ▪️ 110 K ▪️ .976 FLD%▪️ 1.1 WAR
It feels like Burrowes has been around forever, and he’s still only 21 years old (and playing at a level significantly younger than his age). His first taste of High-A ball went pretty well, as his baserunning seems to have no trouble translating at any level. The hit tool is solid, although he continues to struggle with contact — a no-no for a speed-over-power guy.
Caden Connor Left Fielder Age 25 2025 high level Charlotte (AAA) Age relative to high level -2.3 years Overall 2025 stats (High-A/AA/AAA) 126 games ▪️ 7 HR ▪️ 64 RBI ▪️ .272/.358/.366 ▪️ 13-of-16 (81.3%) SB ▪️ 60 BB ▪️ 81 K ▪️ .982 FLD%▪️ 1.9 WAR
Like Ryan Galanie, it’s hard to know what to make of Connor. The end of the 2025 season, at Charlotte, marked the first time in his pro career that he’s not played old for his level. But aside from a dip in July, Connor hit well all season and didn’t get dunked underwater at Charlotte. Theoretically with a weak White Sox outfield, the sky’s the limit for him in 2026.
Reudis Diaz Right-handed relief pitcher Age 20 2025 high level ACL (Rookie) Age relative to high level -2.1 years Overall 2025 stats 1-1 ▪️ 1 SV▪️ 21 games (4 finishes) ▪️ 27 2/3 IP ▪️ 2.28.ERA ▪️ 18 K ▪️ 8 BB ▪️ 1.084 WHIP ▪️1.2 WAR
Who? You’re forgiven for being unfamiliar with an extremely young arm who hasn’t yet gotten out of rookie ball, but our No. 77 prospect a year ago (then a starter, repeating the DSL and killing it) made a successful adjustment Stateside. He’ll return to starting in 2026, likely getting his feet wet in Arizona and getting a promotion to Low-A in the second half of the season.
Ryan Galanie First Baseman Age 25 2025 high level Birmingham (AA) Age relative to high level +1.3 years Overall 2025 stats (High-A/AA) 119 games ▪️ 11 HR ▪️ 94 RBI ▪️ .276/.327/.422 ▪️ 14-of-17 (82.4%) SB ▪️ 35 BB ▪️ 79 K ▪️ .995 FLD%▪️ 1.1 WAR
It’s been a slow but steady climb for this 13th-rounder in 2023. The good news here is, with the caveat that Galanie has always competed older than his level, Galanie has found some footing. While his power/slugging numbers are merely OK, he drove in 94 runs in 2025. He disappeared a bit in the playoffs for Birmingham (just four hits in six games, with five walks as well) but started every game in the march to a second consecutive Southern League title for the Barons.
Jairo Iriarte Right-Handed Relief Pitcher Age 24 2025 SSS Top Prospect Vote Ranking 19 2025 high level Charlotte (AAA) Age relative to high level -4.3 years Overall 2025 stats (Rookie/AAA) 3-3▪️ 1 SV ▪️ 37 games (5 starts, 9 finishes) ▪️ 48 IP ▪️ 7.13 ERA ▪️ 50 K ▪️ 37 BB ▪️ 1.917 WHIP ▪️ -0.8 WAR
The 2025 season was an utter disaster for Iriarte, who went from prospective South Side rotation member to lost in space. The righty, who made his brief debut in the majors in 2024, both lost the plate and misplaced his strikeout power. The Brian Bannister Pitching Lab has its work cut out here, for sure.
Javier Mogollón Shortstop Age 20 2025 high level Kannapolis (Low-A) Age relative to high level -1.4 years Overall 2025 stats 51 games ▪️ 5 HR ▪️ 19 RBI ▪️ .220/.347/.387 ▪️ 15-of-21 (71.4%) SB ▪️ 30 BB ▪️ 56 K ▪️ .971 FLD%▪️ 1.0 WAR
An ascending star just one year ago, we have to tap the breaks a bit on Mogollón after a lackluster first full season of minors ball. While still young for his level and managing to keep his head above water in a new league every season of his career, Mogollón’s undeniable hitting in Rookie ball fell off significantly with the Cannon Ballers. However, how much of that was due to battling injury is undetermined, as Mogollón was shelved for what turned out to be the season on July 2.
Yobal Rodriguez Right-Handed Starting Pitcher Age18 2025 high levelDSL White Sox (Rookie) Age relative to high level -1.5 years Overall 2025 stats0-3 ▪️ 13 games (10 starts) ▪️ 30 1/3 IP ▪️2.97 ERA ▪️ 33 K ▪️ 13 BB ▪️ 1.022 WHIP ▪️ 1.2 WAR
Rodriguez is a rare DSL pitcher, not for his relatively light innings load, but as a primary starter — and at just 17 years old (Yobal turns 18 on February 9). Inasmuch as it’s tough to project anyone out of the DSL, especially pitchers, you could hardly have hoped for more from him in his pro debut.
Tyler Schweitzer Left-Handed Starting Pitcher Age25 2025 high levelCharlotte (AAA) Age relative to high level -3.3 years Overall 2025 stats (AA/AAA) 8-2 ▪️ 27 games (10 starts) ▪️ 99 2/3 IP ▪️4.61 ERA ▪️ 81 K ▪️ 41 BB ▪️ 1.344 WHIP ▪️ 0.8 WAR
Schweitzer relieved in most of his games in 2025, but he remains a starter in our eyes given he was consistently paired with Tanner McDougal in Birmingham Barons starts. And in Birmingham, Schweitzer was divine: 1.27 ERA that included a long scoreless streak leading to a Charlotte promotion, 0.946 WHIP. However, everything the southpaw did as a Baron, he undid as a Knight (7.92 ERA, 1.740 ERA). While other gilded arms (Drew Thorpe, Grant Taylor) get to skip Charlotte entirely, Schweitzer was not so lucky. And that luck could prevent him from ever seeing the majors.
Round 24 of voting was the last of 2023 (we did not do an actual wrap for the voting, but Jordan Sprinkle ended up being our final pick), and the full archive.
