Rays Send Jacob Melton to Minor-League Camp: Tampa Bay Rays outfield prospect Jacob Melton, who was in contention to make the Opening Day roster out of spring training, has been optioned to minor-league camp and will begin the 2026 season at Triple-A Durham, according to Ryan Bass. Melton is considered a key piece of the team's future and is expected to be up in the majors at some point in 2026. The Rays acquired Melton in the offseason from the Houston Astros in a three-team trade. The 25-year-old former second-round pick in 2022 out of Oregon State made his major-league debut in Houston last year and struggled to a .157/.234/.186 slash line, no homers, seven RBI, seven stolen bases, six walks, and 29 strikeouts in 78 plate appearances over only 32 games for the Astros. Melton might be a platoon bat when he eventually reaches Tampa this year, but he's an intriguing stash in dynasty/keeper leagues for his plus speed and developing power stroke. He's listed as Tampa's No. 4 prospect, per MLB Pipeline. - as of Tue, 17 Mar 2026 17:15:43
Carson Williams Optioned to Triple-A: Tampa Bay Rays shortstop prospect Carson Williams, who was in contention to make the Opening Day roster, has been optioned to minor-league camp and will start the 2026 season at Triple-A Durham, according to Ryan Bass. Williams is a key piece of the Rays' future and is expected to be up in the major leagues at some point in 2026. The 22-year-old former 28th overall pick in 2021 looked overmatched in his first taste of big-league pitching in just 32 games, going 17-for-99 (.172) with five homers, 12 RBI, six walks, and 44 strikeouts in 106 plate appearances. He has looked much better in Grapefruit League action this spring, going 8-for-22 (.364) with two RBI, a run, one stolen base, one walk, and five strikeouts in 11 games played. Per MLB Pipeline, Williams is Tampa's No. 1 prospect. He has clear 20/20 upside at a premium position, making him a must-stash in all dynasty/keeper leagues, and even some deeper mixed and AL-only leagues in 2026. - as of Tue, 17 Mar 2026 17:10:33
Edward Florentino a Powerful Bat to Keep an Eye on in 2026: Pittsburgh Pirates outfield prospect Edward Florentino broke in with the team as a 17-year-old playing in the Dominican Summer League in 2024, then dominated the Florida Complex League in 2025 to the tune of a .347 batting average, six home runs, and a 1.085 OPS in 29 games before earning a promotion to Single-A. The Pirates' fourth-ranked prospect showed off his power stroke there, belting 10 more home runs in 54 games for Bradenton as an 18-year-old, while also drawing walks at a 13.9 percent rate. The 6-foot-3 slugger could spend much of the 2026 season at High-A, and with a strong showing, he could see at-bats at Double-A by season's end. The 19-year-old is still likely a couple of years away from the majors, but has the tools to make for an intriguing fantasy asset in dynasty leagues, so interested managers should keep an eye on his progress in the upcoming campaign. - as of Tue, 17 Mar 2026 16:45:29
Chase DeLauter Looking Like a Potential Breakout Candidate in 2026: Cleveland Guardians outfield prospect Chase DeLauter is looking comfortable at the plate this spring, collecting at least one hit in seven of the nine games he's played, going 10-for-25 (.400) with three doubles, a home run, and a 2:2 BB:K. The Guardians' second-ranked prospect is expected to break camp as the team's everyday right fielder and could be set up for a big year at the plate. The former first-round draft pick owns highly-rated hit and power tools, and has registered a .302/.384/.504 slash line with 20 home runs in 138 career minor league games. His problem, though, has been staying healthy, playing in no more than 57 games in a single season to date. With his health issues finally behind him, the team felt comfortable enough in allowing the youngster to make his big league debut in the postseason last year, so it shows the confidence they have in his abilities. Slated to bat sixth in the order in 2026, the left-handed slugger could live up to his first-round pedigree and return value on his ADP of 198 overall. - as of Tue, 17 Mar 2026 16:25:39
Could Colt Emerson Make the Mariners' Opening Day Roster?: Seattle Mariners shortstop prospect Colt Emerson remains in camp with the team with just over a week until the regular season begins. It's a near certainty that Emerson will debut with the club in 2026, but it's trending toward being sooner rather than later. Ambuguity around the health of J.P Crawford's ailing shoulder could be factoring into why Emerson remains in camp. Although the Mariners have stated that the concern level is "very low" with Crawford, he last played in a Cactus League game on March 11 and is not in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Padres despite imaging coming back clean after visiting Dr. Keith Meister in Texas. Emerson is 9-for-36 (.250) in spring training, although four of those hits have come in his last three contests, with one of them being his lone home run of the spring. Crawford's shoulder is a situation to monitor because it could mean a spot on the Opening Day roster for Emerson, and if that is the case, the 20-year-old could quickly become fantasy-relevant, as he owns one of the best hit tools in the minors, and he also has plenty of speed and should grow into more power. Last season, the former first-rounder put together a .285-16-78-82-14 line in 130 games across three levels of the minor leagues. If he does not make the Opening Day roster, he's a top stash candidate in deeper leagues for whenever he does end up debuting. - as of Tue, 17 Mar 2026 15:31:07
Carter Jensen Continues to Look Like a Value Pick at Catcher: Kansas City Royals catching prospect Carter Jensen appears poised to break camp as the team's designated hitter for 2026, while also likely to spell veteran Salvador Perez behind the plate on occassion. The Royals' top-ranked prospect surged through the upper levels of the minor leagues last year, culminating with an impressive 20-game debut in the majors in which he slashed .300/.391/.550 with three home runs and a 9:12 BB:K. The left-handed slugger has looked solid again this spring, going 8-for-30 (.267) with three home runs in 10 games. While the 22-year-old may see some regression from the 2025 numbers over the course of a 162-game season, the contact ability and power are real, as is his ability to draw walks, owning a career 15.2 percent walk rate in the minors. The former third-round draft pick is the 15th catcher going off the board in fantasy drafts (ADP 199), but could easily find himself finishing within the top 12 at the position by season's end, and he currently owns the fourth-best odds for AL Rookie of the Year at +700 (FanDuel), not far behind the leader, Kazuma Okamoto, who is at +460. - as of Tue, 17 Mar 2026 14:59:46
Ryan McMahon an Option at Shortstop for Yankees?: New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone said that he'd be comfortable having third baseman Ryan McMahon play shortstop if today were a regular-season game, according to Chris Kirschner of The Athletic. McMahon will open the 2026 season as the team's regular third baseman, but apparently, the 31-year-old veteran will also operate as the backup shortstop behind Jose Caballeros with regular shortstop Anthony Volpe (shoulder) starting the year on the injured list. McMahon, a first-time All-Star in 2024, was traded from the Colorado Rockies to the Yankees in 2025, but he struggled all around at the plate last season. Overall, he slashed .214/.312/.381 with a .693 OPS, and he hit .208/.308/.333 with a .641 OPS, four home runs, 18 RBI, 21 walks, and 62 strikeouts in 54 games (185 plate appearances) in the regular season in the Bronx. McMahon's stock is obviously down after his poor 2025 performance, and RotoBaller has him ranked as the No. 37 fantasy third baseman. If the mechanical changes he made in the offseason work out, McMahon will be an excellent late-round value pick in deeper fantasy leagues. - as of Tue, 17 Mar 2026 12:24:42
Mariners Not Very Concerned About J.P. Crawford's Shoulder: Seattle Mariners shortstop J.P. Crawford (shoulder) is currently visiting Dr. Keith Meister in Texas to "make sure they are on track," according to Shannon Drayer of SeattleSports.com. General manager Justin Hollander said that Crawford's imaging was good, and the team's concern level is "very low" at this point. The veteran infielder has been out of the lineup since last Wednesday, but it doesn't sound like the injury is cause for too much alarm. It remains to be seen whether he'll be healthy enough to play on Opening Day, though. After a frustrating 2024 campaign, Crawford bounced back with an above-average 2025 season at the plate. Across 157 games, he slashed .265/.352/.370 with 12 home runs, an 11.3% walk rate, an 18.7% strikeout rate, and 113 wRC+. He's not a major power or base-stealing threat, but he puts the ball in play while delivering reliable infield defense. As it stands, the 31-year-old ranks #41 among RotoBaller's latest fantasy baseball rankings for 2026. - as of Tue, 17 Mar 2026 11:59:35
Mets Option MJ Melendez and Christian Scott to Triple-A: The New York Mets have optioned outfielder MJ Melendez and right-handed pitcher Christian Scott to Triple-A, according to Mike Puma of The New York Post. Melendez was in Mets camp on a split contract, and it appears that he did not make the Opening Day roster. Always a below-average hitter, Melendez is coming off a particularly ugly year with the Royals in which he slashed .083/.154/.167 with -14 wRC+, a 4.6% walk rate, and a 35.4% strikeout rate across 23 games in the majors. He was 4-for-11 with a pair of homers this spring. While encouraging, that stat line came over a small sample size, and the Mets aren't going to find a spot for him in the majors yet. Meanwhile, Scott is also back in the minors after missing all of 2025 due to Tommy John surgery. He last pitched in 2024, when he split time between Triple-A and the majors. In the bigs that year, he posted a respectable 4.60 FIP with 7.42 K/9 and 2.28 BB/9. After surrendering three runs and four walks over six innings this spring, though, the Mets have decided that he needs a little more time in the minors before re-joining the big-league pitching staff. - as of Tue, 17 Mar 2026 11:53:36