Uncustomed Heroes of 2025: Marlins

 

In a year where the usual NL spoiler, the New York Mets, were too depressed to actually catch would-be competitors, the surprise spoiler may have been the Miami Marlins. They were never gonna make the playoffs, especially not with such a disappointing year from Sandy Alcantara, but they were good enough to make it interesting, and may have provided crucial losses that kept the Cardinals, Rangers, Royals and, yes, the Mets from making the playoffs, plus a few losses that kept the Tigers from taking the Central. They set themselves up for an even bigger year in 2026, with so many young pieces primed to take major roles. If Kyle Stowers is back in full force, there's definitely a chance for some damage.

Another cool factor would be a full season from Griffin Conine. Conine, son of the beloved '03 Marlins outfielder, had a brief come up in 2024 with some great contact work, then got an Opening Day spot this year. However, not too far into April he was stopped by an injury that held him out until September, robbing him of what could have been a breakout season. In 24 games, Conine hit .253 with 2 homers and 8 RBIs. 

2026 Prediction: 150 games, 100+ hits, and people mad he didn't make the ASG.

Ryan Weathers had a similar predicament in 2025, and honestly in 2024 as well. He was guaranteed a rotation spot this year, but couldn't stay healthy enough to really take advantage of it. At the very least the material the Marlins got from Weathers this year was still good, as he had a 3.99 ERA with 37 Ks in 8 starts. But again, having him missing 23 starts meant that the Marlins needed to get replacement guys for a lot of the season.

2026 Prediction: 20 starts, a 3 ERA, and some trade chatter.

The addition of a utility gold glove has allowed for some unsung heroes to get their due, and this year it meant that rookie utility man Javier Sanoja got a trophy immediately. Sanoja was mostly an extra outfielder that backed up Connor Norby, and his defense was excellent wherever they played him. Offensively he wasn't always as reliable, with a .243 average, 6 homers and 38 RBIs, but I want to make it clear that his best offensive moments of the season were almost all against the Philadelphia Phillies. In 11 Phils games, Sanoja hit .385 with 8 RBIs and one homer, far and away his best average against any divisional opponent. 

2026 Prediction: Starts a bit more, hits a bit more, still kills the Phils.

The Marlins were without usual catcher Nick Fortes for a lot of the season, so presumed backup, and rookie, Liam Hicks, a Toronto native netted in the previous year's rule 5 draft, ended up as the defacto starter for a lot of the season. It proved to be a good move, as Hicks was a slight upgrade at the plate, hitting .247 with 82 hits in 119 games. In 13 May games, Hicks was hitting .313 with 7 RBIs and 3 homers, giving him the gig until Agustin Ramirez would give him a little competition.

2026 Prediction: So Hicks is a better defender than Ramirez, but Ramirez' bat is gonna need to be in that lineup everyday. I think they platoon things so Hicks still starts more often than not, and he has a similarly fine year. Though if any Marlins catcher is gonna get dealt, it will be Hicks.

Speaking of competition, Connor Norby, in an injury-plagued year, struggled to cement himself as well as fellow Baltimore farmhand Kyle Stowers in a full year in Miami. He only played in 88 games, and shared time with Graham Pauley and Javier Sanoja upon his return. He hit .251 with 8 homers and 34 RBIs in that time, which is still decent production, to the degree that he was at in 2024.

2026 Prediction: The Marlins give him third from the jump, he keeps it all year and had a 30+ homer season.

The Marlins' most effective bullpen piece this year was Anthony Bender, after settling in last year. Bender's season was shortened with 2 months left to go, but in 51 games he had a 2.16 ERA and a 1.060 WHIP. 

2026 Prediction: Ronny Henriquez has ensured he won't need to close, but he'll still be the go-to setup guy and come close to his 2025 heights.

In his stead, the Marlins gave a ton more reps to Tyler Phillips, who broke out last year with a terrific couple of starts for the Phillies, followed by a depressing drop-off. Being rejected by the Phils' fans made Phillips pretty angry, cause he's from the Philly area, and upon becoming a relief specialist in Miami he channeled that to great success, smacking himself before appearances, and preserving a deadpan, realist guise in postgame interviews. It may not be healthy behavior, but it paid off on the ballfield, with a 2.78 ERA, a 1.146 WHIP and a 1.9 WAR in 54 games and 77 innings. He can do long work, he can get saves, and he made the Bender loss a ton less crucial.

2026 Prediction: Well I sincerely hope he lightens up. Maybe has to fill-in as closer and does alright. Maybe they need him to start at some point and does alright there too.

With all the great rookies on this Marlins team, many of which I've spoken about here, it's easy to overlook Heriberto Hernandez, but judging by the fact that he got a small bit of ROY votes, there could be something here as well. In 87 games, Hernandez hit .266 with 10 homers and 45 RBIs, as an OF bat but also as a DH. The Marlins have Stowers and Ramirez as power bats, but Hernandez could be right there with him.

2026 Prediction: Gets more OF starts, has a 25 homer year.

Coming Tomorrow- So many New York Mets.

Uncustomed Heroes of 2025: Mariners

 

It was a pipe dream that became a reality. 'What if the Mariners caught fire, took the West and made a run?' It'd be cool if it happened. Switch-hitting catcher hitting 60, that was already a thing. Maybe it was possible. And sure enough, this Mariners team stopped the Tigers from making it deep, and nearly caught the Jays. With Julio, Randy, Cal, Jorge and Logan all doing what they were brought here to do, the Mariners finally seemed like they were fulfilling the promises of so many lost seasons. With Dan Wilson at the helm, there's firmer footing, and there's a big chance this team can rule the West going forward.

Victor Robles was looking to repeat his surprise 2024 success, then got hurt a week into the season. So his output was ultimately kind of limited, but he did show up in a few spots for the Ms. He hit .245 in 32 games for the Mariners, with six steals and some slightly limited defense.

2026 Prediction: Who even knows with this guy? He's almost never been good when his team has needed him to be. Maybe he has a decent year, I dunno if it'll be starting.

Before the Eugenio Suarez deal, the Mariners used rookie Ben Williamson as a 3rd base option. Williamson was average, hitting .253 without much to show for it and having 21 RBIs in 85 games. 

2026 Prediction: Might get to start once or twice, but unless he really levels up and acclimates to the majors, he's not gonna have much of a role here. It also has to do with...

...foundational rookie prospect Cole Young, who got plugged in at 2nd as Polanco took more reps at DH. Young similarly struggled at the plate, hitting only .201 in 77 games. Even if the Mariners really want this guy to succeed, they used a different young second baseman in October.

2026 Prediction: Of Williamson, Young and Rivas, Young will have the furthest reach, and it'll start with a breakout 2026.

One of the best middle relief pieces in Seattle this year was Eduard Bazardo, a 29-year-old who had failed to click with Boston or Baltimore but somehow found a place here. This year Bazardo was very sharp, going 5-0 with a 2.52 ERA and 82 Ks in 72 games. In the playoffs he struck out 13 in 12 innings, getting his first postseason win.

2026 Prediction: Slightly lesser numbers but same amount of reps.

The guy who saw the most time at 2nd this postseason for Seattle was another young guy, Leo Rivas, a 27-year-old second year who got 48 games and wound up as the victor thanks to a .244 average and a .721 OPS. The playoffs brought a ton more cool moments from Rivas, with a very crucial RBI against Detroit.

2026 Prediction: I'm not sure how much staying power he has, but until they figure out what the proper formula is, they're gonna need pieces like Rivas to test out.

And even in a season where the starting catcher did the unthinkable, there was still room for a rookie backup, organizational favorite Harry Ford, no doubt a lock for UK's WBC team next year. Ford got 8 games in the MLB this September, and got his first MLB hit and RBI, then went 1 for 1 in a postseason at-bat. Unfortunately, Raleigh's incredible season spelt doom for any notion of Ford being the starting catcher in Seattle anytime soon, and the M's dealt him to Washington for Jose Ferrer.

2026 Prediction: This is what Ford needed. In Washington, his biggest rivals will be Keibert Ruiz, who was once a promising prospect but hasn't accomplished much at all, and Riley Adams, a professional backup. I think he will ascend to everyday catcher and be the next piece of the Nats rebuild. 

Coming Tomorrow- The Marlins, as bad as they were, were still entertaining, and I have a bunch from their season.

Uncustomed Heroes of 2025: Guardians

 

What the Guardians were able to do this season, despite the amount that was stacked against them fundamentally, was incredible. That Stephen Vogt got this team to the playoffs without Emmanuel Clase, Ben Lively, Lane Thomas and any sort of foothold on the AL Central all year is a monumental achievement. The Guardians won the division in a season that was the Tigers' to lose, and even if the Tigers still knocked them out, they bodied them in the regular season. With, again, only a few huge pieces and a lot of youth. It proves that this team has staying power, depth, and isn't just Jose Ramirez. I respect it. 

Like, Tanner Bibee was the ace this season and honestly he didn't really have the greatest season, cause I really don't think he's ace material. You'd come from Kluber, Carrasco, Bieber...and Bibee maybe is a good 2 guy, but this year he wasn't a great #1. Gavin Williams was a lot more impressive. But Bibee at least had some nice starts, finishing the season with 12 wins, a 4.24 ERA and 162 Ks. He still made all his starts and went deep into games, it just was a very okay season in that respect. Remember when everybody made all their starts and that would just happen occasionally?

2026 Prediction: Much better year, but maybe misses a tiny bit of time. Helps keep the ERA lower though.

Gabriel Arias was supposed to take most of the starts at 2nd this year in Andres Gimenez's absence, but ended up taking most of the starts at shortstop due to the absence of Brayan Rocchio's bat. Either way, he was somewhat impressive, with 11 homers and 54 RBIs in 129 games, even if the bat isn't the main takeaway with Arias.

2026 Prediction: Similar middle infield role, a little less fluid, a little more production.

With Bibee and Williams cementing themselves atop the rotation, Logan Allen, for the most part, settled in behind them. He was a little spottier, with a 4.25 ERA, 122 Ks and an 8-11 record, but he was consistent, durable and topped 150 innings. 

2026 Prediction: A firmer breakout, a 3 ERA and some ASG consideration.

Hunter Gaddis continued to prove that moving him to the bullpen was a very good idea, with a with a 3.11 ERA and 73 Ks in as many games. 

2026 Prediction: Continues at this pace, with an ERA closer to 2024's.

And Cade Smith really saved the Guardians' ass this year, jumping into the ninth after the Clase suspension and keeping the lights on. In 74 innings, Smith had 8 wins, a 2.93 ERA, 104 Ks, a 1.005 WHIP and 16 saves, far and away the best relief season in Cleveland this year.

2026 Prediction: 30+ saves, chasing the league lead. Emmanuel who?

The Guardians brought up two very good looking rookies later this year, and they were impressive enough to distract the fans from neither of them being named Travis Bazzana. C.J. Kayfus is a very highly ranked hitting prospect for Cleveland, and he debuted in August and displayed decent power numbers immediately, with 19 RBIs and 4 homers in 44 games. Kayfus will have to contend with Kyle Manzardo at 1st, but Kayfus is slightly better defensively.

2026 Prediction: 30 homers, ROY votes.

And then Chase DeLauter, an organizational cornerstone, was brought up specifically for the AL Wild Card series against the Tigers, which was a very big deal. It's always wild when guys debut immediately in a playoff game, and DeLauter's hard-pounding work in Columbus was enough to make him a cool inclusion in October. In 2 games he did manage a major league hit, one that doesn't even technically count cause it's not in the regular season, and proved himself even in a losing season.

2026 Prediction: He's not gonna make the Opening Day roster. But he is gonna be a big part of the playoff push next year.

Coming Tomorrow- A few extras from a Mariners team that came within inches of their first World Series. 

Uncustomed Heroes of 2025: Giants

 

The Giants, like usual, had some strong swells, some embarrassing swells, some great performances, some disappointing performances, and some ultimate harsh realities. Bob Melvin in San Francisco did not work, much like Gabe Kapler did not work. The idea seems to be that getting a new breed of MLB manager in Tony Vitello, being the first to make the common-for-football jump from college coach to professional skipper. Now, the NFL has proved that this sort of thing can work sometimes [Pete Carroll, Jim Harbaugh] and fail loads of other times [Urban Meyer, Chip Kelly, Lane Kiffin, Matt Rhule, Nick Saban, how long ya got??]. But the Giants are confident. They were confident with Melvin but somehow they're more confident now. The right team doesn't seem to be terribly far away, it just needs the right circumstances.

Like, for instance, Patrick Bailey came up being so good in multiple facets that the Giants felt they could trade Joey Bart. And then Bailey mellowed out and now Bart hits better in Pittsburgh. In 2025, Bailey won his second straight gold glove behind the plate. He also hit .222, his lowest average yet, despite 55 RBIs, his highest total yet. Clearly the offense isn't gonna be the takeaway, unless he undergoes a Salvy Perez-esque transformation, but he's still a great defensive weapon and he's good for the occasional power moment.

2026 Prediction: All-star nod. He will not be the initial choice but somebody'll get injured and there'll be an opening.

Speaking of the all-star game, Randy Rodriguez, a 25-year-old second year reliever, did the unthinkable by making an ASG team despite nobody really having heard of him. Dave Roberts, in putting the roster together, knew he needed a great relief weapon, and given the amount of times he had to manage around Rodriguez he thought the kid invaluable. In 50 games, Rodriguez had a 1.78 ERA with 67 strikeouts, a .888 WHIP and a 1.9 WAR. He got hurt a little after the break and may be out for a while, but if the Giants can sustain his success they might be alright.

2026 Prediction: Does not appear.

2027 Prediction: Yeah, more of this kind of low-ERA dominance. 

The Giants usual relief specialist extraordinaire, Ryan Walker, was thrust into the RP1 role when Camilo Doval and Tyler Rogers got traded. Walker was terrific in 2024, and was slightly shakier this year, with a 4.11 ERA, a 5-7 record, 60 Ks and, importantly, 17 saves. He can, and will, be relied upon to close games, and hopefully that'll straighten things out. Also, I learned recently that Ryan Walker and I share the same birthday, to the year. He turned the big 3-0 on the 26th of November. Don't, uh, don't look at me like that. 

2026 Prediction: 30+ saves, and more eyes on him. 

Though the Giants had their rotation figured out from the jump for the most part, between Logan Webb, Robbie Ray, Justin Verlander and Jordan Hicks, they called upon Landen Roupp, over Kyle Harrison and Hayden Birdsong, and quickly the Giants fans understood why. Roupp was pretty impressive in a relatively full season of work, with a 3.80 ERA and 102 Ks in 22 starts. Not Webb levels, but a sturdy, reliable low starter. In August he took a liner to the leg, got a bone bruise and was out the rest of the year.

2026 Prediction: Is back in full force, takes a bit more of a load and has his best season to date.

Dominic Smith was in camp with the Yankees, and was honestly hitting like crazy, making the Yankees' eventual decision to cut him over Ben Rice puzzling until...until we saw what Rice was cooking. So Smith eventually signed a minor league deal with the Giants, then made the team when LaMonte Wade trailed off. It was slightly risky stacking this team with three corner infielders who aren't good on defense, but Smith made up for it with some strong hitting, hitting .284 in 63 games, with 5 homers, 33 RBIs, and a .750 OPS. 

2026 Prediction: Similar bench/replacement role with a smaller market team.

And then as it became clear that Tyler Fitzgerald wasn't gonna be homer-crazy like he was last year, and therefore wasn't useful, the Giants turned to Christian Koss as the everyday second baseman.  Koss was not only a defensive upgrade from Fitzgerald, but he hit .264. Like Bailey the defense is the difference-maker with Koss, but he's got the occasional contact perk to help out.

2026 Prediction: He'll be more of a utility guy I gather, as I'm thinking the Giants will try and get an upgrade at 2B, but he'll still be extremely useful, especially as this team attempts a playoff berth.

Coming Tomorrow- The Guardians made the playoffs without their closer, and with the division leaders being two weeks ahead of them in August. There's still some magic in this team after all. 

Uncustomed Heroes of 2025: Dodgers

 

Well...they did it again. 

The Dodgers ensured that baseball would have a back-to-back World Series winner, which really hadn't happened since the '00 Yanks. Teams had tried, the Astros had tried tons of times, the Phils sure tried, but nobody was able to until the Dodgers came along, perfected their already-great 2024 team and won against a really tough Jays squad in an incredible Game 7. As annoying as it may have been to see the richest team win out, they did so in a full squad effort with some incredible performances and some great clutch moments from reliable pieces. It's everything you want in a World Series team.

This also means that Enrique Hernandez needs to be studied. Not many other people have the ability to hit .200 during the regular season and .300 during the postseason. What the hell happens to this guy in October? Does he just get rejuvenated by pumpkin spice lattes?? In 92 regular season games he hit .203 with 10 homers and 35 RBIs. Then in 17 postseason games he hits .250 with 16 hits, 7 RBIs and 1 homer, all pretty much coming at crucial moments. This is what the Dodgers brought Hernandez back for, and he's done everything they've expected.

2026 Prediction: The same, but something tells me he won't have as extensive an October stat line for some reason.

One of the first big one-upmanship moves the Dodgers made during the offseason was signing Tanner Scott to be their closer...followed by signing Kirby Yates to be their setup man. Scott in the ninth in LA looked like a slam dunk, and for a while it was. Ultimately, both injuries and strains ballooned Scott's ERA, leaving the year with a 4.74 ERA, only 23 saves and a -0.6 WAR. He was all out for the whole playoff season, meaning the Dodgers needed to plug Alex Vesia, and later Roki Sasaki, into the ninth in his stead.

2026 Prediction: There will be more missed time, but I think by the second half, Scott will have reclaimed his Miami mojo almost completely.

As a late add-on, the Dodgers also brought on Michael Conforto, after a couple years in San Francisco. Conforto is clearly nowhere near Mets levels of offensive production, but he's good for decent power every so often. Despite getting far too many opportunities in LA, Conforto was a disappointment this year, hitting .199 with 12 homers and 36 RBIs in 138 games. Absolutely atrocious, and with poor defense as well. He did not factor into their October.

2026 Prediction: If anybody takes a chance on him, it'll be on a minor league deal, and it'll be for platoon DH appearances.

Brusdar Graterol being out and Evan Phillips struggling and getting cut means one of the longer-tenured relievers left in LA is now Alex Vesia, who had another strong year this year with a 3.02 ERA and 80 Ks in 68 games, plus 5 saves filling in for Scott. His equally strong October, going 2-0 in 7 appearances, was cut short due to an unspeakable family tragedy. He'd make no World Series appearances, but everybody on both teams would mark their caps in tribute to Vesia and his family.

2026 Prediction: Comes back in full force, notches 15 saves before the last few full seasons catch up with him.

An underrated smart move by the Dodgers was adding Korean superutilityman Hyeseong Kim in the offseason. Kim fit in as a defensive sub and bench fit, and did really well, hitting .280 with 17 RBIs and 13 stolen bases in 71 games. He was mostly used as a defensive sub/pinch runner in October, which does the trick [I mean, it gets you a ring at the end of the day]. 

2026 Prediction: An injury is going to ensure that Kim has more playing time. I'm thinking a Ha-Seong Kim style come to prominence. Or even mid-2010s Tommy La Stella.

Emmet Sheehan may have been one of the keys to the Dodgers' World Series win. Yes. Somehow so many people got hurt that Emmet Sheehan saved this team by being around at the exact most opportune time and playing so many different roles. During the regular season he filled in as almost every starter was getting injured, and did very well for himself, with a 2.82 ERA in 15 appearances, going 6-3 with 89 Ks. Not bad for a guy who hadn't been healthy since mid-2023. Then he became the role-player extraordinaire in the playoffs, going in for long work in extras on multiple occasions. He may have ended up with a high ERA, but what that doesn't show is how many scrapes he got this team out of. Without him, that ring doesn't happen.

2026 Prediction: So here's the thing. If everything goes to plan next year, the Dodgers' rotation will consist of Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow and potentially Roki Sasaki. But Sheehan's now right under there in the depth chart. Unless the Dodgers swing another starter for some reason, Sheehan has a decent shot at cracking the opening day rotation, or at the very least being the 'break in case of emergency' starter this year. I think it'll go better for Sheehan than it did for Ross Stripling.

Coming Tomorrow- The Giants ended the season at .500, and were one embarrassing downfall away from a competitive year. So naturally I've got a bunch from them. 

Uncustomed Heroes of 2025: Diamondbacks

 

Okay. So here is how I would sum up the Diamondbacks' 2025 season, and it's through Brandon Pfaadt. Brandon Pfaadt, one of the team's most populous starters, finished the season with a record of 13-9. Considering how meaningless the win stat is now that people leave midway through the fifth inning, it's very good that someone, even for a team just a hair under .500, could get to 13 wins. But otherwise, Pfaadt's season was a failure, with a 5.25 ERA and a 1.330 WHIP. How could something look so good on the surface but be so bad at the core? Well...this team found a way.

Zac Gallen started all 33 games, but it was his most wobbly material so far. Ketel Marte, Gerardo Perdomo, Corbin Carroll and Eugenio Suarez had incredible seasons, but the pitching could not keep this team in the race, especially without a full season from Corbin Burnes. And thus they sold at the deadline, wound up in fourth, and still seem to be shopping Marte. I do think this team still has a future as a competitor, but man that division is tough.

As for Pfaadt, his fundamentals aren't bad, and he still struck out 147, second behind Gallen, but this just wasn't a very good year for him. Thankfully he's still young.

2026 Prediction: Less wins, but a much lower ERA. Bounce-back on the horizon.

The D-Backs also have Eduardo Rodriguez, who, once again, failed to get anywhere near the heights of his Red Sox tenure. He appeared in 29 games, but went 9-9 with a 5.02 ERA and 143 Ks. Back in Detroit, you'd stomach a bad season from Rodriguez knowing a good one was perhaps along the horizon, but I don't know if the bungee theory really works anymore. 

2026 Prediction: Well...he's got two more years left on this contract...and it would help immensely if one of them wasn't complete ass. Perhaps that's next. 

Pavin Smith has remained one of the handier unsung pieces of these Diamondbacks teams, and this year he was a great help as a regular DH. He hit .258 with 28 RBIs and 8 homers, amounting to a .797 OPS. Smith has always been a good clutch guy, and this year was no anomaly. Sadly he missed a ton of time at the end of the year due to injuries.

2026 Prediction: Sets a new personal record for home runs, which shouldn't be too difficult, as his current mark is 11.

And after Suarez was traded to Seattle, fill-in 2nd base guy Blaze Alexander moved over to third to fill the gap there, and did honestly pretty well for himself. Offensively he's only a .230 hitter with the occasional contact perk, but defensively he was an improvement over the more power-prone Suarez. It's looking like he'll be the answer there going forward.

2026 Prediction: A much better season at the plate, enough to ensure he stays around in that spot in the depth chart.

Coming Tomorrow- Unsurprisingly there are, in fact, a handful of Dodgers remaining. 

Uncustomed Heroes of 2025: Cubs

 

Okay...so the Craig Counsell era in Chicago hasn't gone as well as expected so far. Yes, they made the playoffs this year, but the guy who inherited Craig's old team has turned it into a mega-competitor that may have a stronghold on the NL Central for a while. The key word there is 'may', as the Cubs definitely have enough going for them long term to compete with them. Granted, the potential loss of Kyle Tucker wounds them somewhat, and the short-lived specter of a Zac Gallen trade cast doubt on how cutthroat the team will be this offseason, but perhaps providing room for Kevin Alcantara and Moises Ballesteros is a step in the right direction.

Case in point: with Patrick Wisdom gone, and Isaac Paredes in Houston, the opening at third left room for rookie Matt Shaw, who was the starter at third from the very beginning of the season, the Japan series. Granted, he wouldn't have much luck til he got to the states, but Shaw had a decent rookie year. May was his best month at the plate, in 11 games he hit .359 with 14 hits and 4 RBIs, but his power numbers would increase as the season went on. In the second half alone he hit 11 homers and 29 RBIs, all while providing great defense at the hot corner. Shaw didn't fare well at all in the playoffs, though. 

2026 Prediction: Begins to figure the majors out a bit more, at least at the plate.

The primary closing option for the Cubs this year, in a year without Adbert Alzolay, or without Ryan Pressly's better numbers, was organizational stalwart Daniel Palencia, a decent reliever who just needed a chance. This year, despite some injury-plagued stretches, Palencia gave a nice taste of his talents in the ninth, with a 2.91 ERA, 22 saves and 60 Ks. He also went 3-0 in six playoff appearances.

2026 Prediction: 30+ saves, holds it the whole year.

There were several backup catching options up for the Cubs this year, like Miguel Amaya and Reese McGuire, but in the absence of them, the Cubs also had the absolute tank that is Moises Ballesteros chilling in Iowa. Ballesteros is 21, plays catcher and 1st base, and is built like a brick shithouse. Dude punishes the ball whenever he can. In Iowa alone he hit .316 with 13 homers and 76 RBIs. That Ballesteros only had 20 games in the majors mostly meant the MLB roster was pretty full, but even in limited opportunities he proved himself, hitting .298 with 2 homers, 11 RBIs and a .868 OPS, only .010 higher than his Iowa OPS. This kid is looking pretty inevitable at this point.

2026 Prediction: Well if he's not up at some point they're gonna look pretty bad. I mean, letting a supercharged, big hitting prospect toil around in minor roles for two years? Who are they, the Yankees? So yeah, he plays 100 games in the bigs next year, passes his Iowa RBI mark and finds a place to play everyday.

I think the sneakiest thing the Cubs did at the deadline was stealing Andrew Kittredge from Baltimore, because Kittredge was quietly having a small comeback season and not everyone had noticed yet. The former Rays setup man finished the year strongly in Chicago, with a 3.23 ERA, 32 Ks and 5 saves filling in for Palencia. He was a little shakier in the playoffs, but famously got out of some scrapes against Milwaukee. 

2026 Prediction: A reunion with the O's, this time with a better manager and a healthier team, should go great for Kittredge, cause I know the fans enjoyed him this year. Not quite Rays quality, but he'll be able to handle a lot of the workload.

Finally, Willi Castro was a pretty nice pickup for the Cubs, as they needed a good utility piece, and Castro has been among the best of those lately. His Cubs numbers were a disappointment compared to his Twins run, as here he only hit .170 with 17 hits in 34 games. Very odd that Jose Caballero ended up being the pickup that Castro should have been for the Cubs.

2026 Prediction: Y'know honestly it wouldn't shock me if the Twins bring him back. They certainly need all the help they can get..

Coming Tomorrow- A small crew of Diamondbacks that tried, and failed to slip into the playoffs at the last minute.