Andrew Siciliano deep dives on the 2026 NFL Draft with Nate Tice & ESPN’s Matt Miller. Andrew kicks things off with Nate Tice as they parse through Nate & Charles McDonald’s latest mock draft and cover a few of the more interesting selections, including EDGE Rueben Bain Jr. going second overall to the New York Jets, RB Jeremiyah Love in the top ten, EDGE David Bailey to the Washington Commanders and more. Next, Andrew & Nate set their sites on Indianapolis for the NFL Combine as Nate gives his top prospects he’s most excited to watch test next week.
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Later, Andrew is joined by ESPN’s Matt Miller to get his thoughts on the draft (including Ty Simpson, Caleb Downs and more) before talking through his latest NFL mock draft.
(6:55) – Nate Tice breaks down latest NFL mock draft
(21:55) – Nate’s top prospects to watch at the NFL Combine
(44:00) – Matt Miller talks latest NFL mock draft
MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA – JANUARY 19: Fernando Mendoza #15 of the Indiana Hoosiers takes the field during pregame warmups before the 2026 CFP National Championship between the Indiana Hoosiers and the Miami Hurricanes at Hard Rock Stadium on January 19, 2026 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by CFP/Getty Images)
(Photo by CFP/Getty Images)
Inside Coverage would be nothing without the impact of our beloved Terez Paylor, who was a pillar of Yahoo Sports’ NFL editorial and podcast coverage. We will continue to produce this NFL podcast in his honor, and hope that you can support Terez Paylor’s legacy in one of three ways:
• Buy an “All-Juice Team” hoodie or tee from BreakingT.com/Terez. All profits directly fund the Terez A. Paylor scholarship at Howard University.
• Donate directly at giving.howard.edu/givenow. Under “Tribute,” please note that your gift is made in memory of Terez A. Paylor. Under “Designation,” click on “Other” and write in “Terez A. Paylor Scholarship.”
Today on the Kevin O’Connor show, KOC is joined by Tom Haberstroh to ask some big questions in the NBA world: Are the Houston Rockets done? What teams have the most to prove in the 2nd half of the season? Which young players might break out and which coaches are on the hot seat?
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Then, the pair look at two of the hottest names in college basketball: Darius Acuff and Darryn Peterson. How does Acuff’s 49-point explosion affect his draft stock? Is Peterson’s self-check-out gambit for Kansas threatening his no. 1 draft pick potential?
Later, KOC is joined by Daman Rangoola, Sam Esfandiari & Claire De Lune from All-Star Weekend to talk the latest with the Lakers and Warriors. That and more on today’s show!
(1:11) Contenders with the most to prove (13:38) Young players to watch (20:26) NBA coaches on the hot seat (33:46) Kings decimated by injuries (37:12) Darius Acuff drops 49 points vs. Alabama (41:44) What’s going on with Darryn Peterson? (56:32) Daman Rangoola & Sam Esfandiari join from All-Star (1:43:10) Claire De Lune joins from All-Star
HOUSTON, TEXAS – FEBRUARY 11: Kevin Durant #7 of the Houston Rockets looks on during the second half of the game against the Los Angeles Clippers at Toyota Center on February 11, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Jack Gorman/Getty Images)
Nate Tice & Charles McDonald join forces to answer the NFL offseason’s biggest looming questions submitted by the audience. The duo start off by diving into the New York Giants’ potential NFL Draft plans with the 5th overall pick, how the Chicago Bears can fix their defensive line and whether or not Brian Daboll is a good fit with QB Cam Ward as the new Tennessee Titans OC.
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Next, Nate & Charles discuss whether or not the Los Angeles Chargers can fix their offensive line in one offseason, if the Jacksonville Jaguars defense can take a leap next season, who the Denver Broncos should be targeting in free agency (Tyler Allgeier?) and what our expectations for the 2026 Washington Commanders should look like.
Later, the two hosts wrap up with thoughts on the New England Patriots’ upcoming offseason decisions, why Sean McVay changed to a duo run game style with the Los Angeles Rams, whether Sean McDermott was really the problem with the Buffalo Bills and more.
(44:15) – Biggest offseason questions: Patriots, Rams, Bills & more
New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) warms up before the NFL Super Bowl 60 football game against the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
The Cooligans welcome former MLS head coach and analyst Giovanni Savarese for a deep dive into the 2026 MLS season. Gio shares his predictions, breakout teams to watch, and how the league continues to evolve ahead of a massive 2026 on home soil. The conversation also turns to the USMNT, as the guys assess expectations, pressure, and what success should realistically look like at the 2026 World Cup.
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Christian and Alexis then tackle the troubling racist incident involving Vinícius Júnior during Real Madrid’s clash with Benfica. They unpack how these situations are currently handled, question whether the responsibility to stop a match unfairly falls on the player experiencing abuse, and debate what meaningful structural changes could better protect players moving forward.
Finally, it’s a jam-packed Champions League recap. Folarin Balogun shines in a statement performance against Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus suffer a shocking defeat to Galatasaray, and Bodø/Glimt pull off a stunning win over Inter Milan. The boys react to all the drama, surprises, and what these results mean going forward.
Timestamps:
(6:30) – 2026 MLS preview and predictions
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(30:00) – Gio Savarese’s USMNT World Cup outlook
(39:00) – Vinicius Junior deals with racism again: time for a rule change?
(59:00) – Folarin Balogun shines in Champions League loss to PSG
(1:04:30) – Serie A teams suffer shocking Champions League losses
On today’s Kevin O’Connor Show, KOC is joined by NBC broadcaster John Fanta to talk everything NBA. They start with Eastern Conference contender power rankings: who’s the number one team in the East? Could Cade Cunningham really be MVP?
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Then, they turn to Team USA hockey’s gold-medal win against Canada before John tells the story of his call-up to the NBA on NBC by Mike Tirico.
Plus, they discuss if Anthony Edwards is the face of the league, address the troubles in Phoenix & Houston, and take a look at the top prospects in this year’s fiery draft class.
That and more, today!
Eastern Conference Contenders (1:39) USA Hockey and John’s NBC Career (43:16) Draft Class (1:10:20)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 22: Payton Pritchard #11 of the Boston Celtics talks to head coach Joe Mazulla during the second half of their game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena on February 22, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Luiza Moraes/Getty Images)
LAFC sent a loud message in their 3-0 dismantling of Inter Miami, and it wasn’t just about the scoreline. Los Angeles FC looked sharp, organized, and ruthless, while Inter Miami CF looked frustrated and overwhelmed. We break down what went wrong for Miami, what this result means long-term, and whether Lionel Messi’s heated postgame interaction with referees is a sign of deeper cracks. Plus, we recap the rest of MLS opening weekend and highlight the teams that set the tone early.
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Across the pond, the Premier League title race is heating up once again. Manchester City and Arsenal continue to push each other to the limit at the top of the table. Can City pull off another late surge, or is this finally Arsenal’s year? We examine the remaining fixtures, squad depth, and pressure points that could decide the title.
Off the pitch, concerns are growing around the 2026 tournament. With New Jersey canceling its World Cup fan zone and Gillette Stadium reportedly resisting FIFA licensing without additional funding, we ask whether the 2026 World Cup is starting to show serious organizational strain. Is this just early logistical turbulence—or a warning sign for what’s ahead?
Timestamps:
(7:00) – LAFC thrash Messi and Inter Miami
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(23:00) – MLS opening weekend recap
(32:00) – Arsenal and Man City continue to battle in PL title race
(47:45) – World Cup in danger of falling apart already?
Yahoo Sports’ 26-and-under power rankings are a remix on the traditional farm system rankings that assess the strength of MLB organizations’ talent base among rookie-eligible and MiLB players. By evaluating all players in an organization entering their age-26 seasons or younger, this project aims to paint a more complete picture of each team’s young core. Our rankings value productive young major leaguers more heavily than prospects who have yet to prove it at the highest level, and most prospects included in teams’ evaluations have already reached the upper levels of the minors.
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To compile these rankings, each MLB organization was given a score in four categories:
Young MLB hitters: scored 0-10; 26-and-under position players and rookie-eligible hitters projected to be on Opening Day rosters
Young MLB pitchers: scored 0-10; 26-and-under pitchers and rookie-eligible pitchers projected to be on Opening Day rosters
Prospect hitters: scored 0-5; prospect-eligible position players projected to reach MLB in the next 1-2 years
Prospect pitchers: scored 0-5; prospect-eligible pitchers projected to reach MLB in the next 1-2 years
We’re counting down all 30 organizations’ 26-and-under talent bases from weakest to strongest, diving into five teams at a time. In addition to the scores for each team in each category, we’ll highlight the key players who fall into each bucket and contributed most to their organization’s place in the rankings. Below, we dig into Nos. 15-11.
15. St. Louis Cardinals (total score: 16/30) | 2025 rank: 16
Young MLB hitters (5/10): DH Iván Herrera, SS Masyn Winn, OF Jordan Walker, CF Victor Scott II, 3B Nolan Gorman, INF Thomas Saggese Young MLB pitchers (3/10): LHP Matthew Liberatore, RHP Michael McGreevy, RHP Gordon Graceffo, RHP Richard Fitts, RHP Hunter Dobbins Prospect hitters (4/5): SS JJ Wetherholt, C Leonardo Bernal, C Jimmy Crooks, 1B Blaze Jordan, OF Nathan Church, OF Chase Davis, OF Joshua Baez, C Rainiel Rodriguez Prospect pitchers (4/5): LHP Liam Doyle, SHP Jurrangelo Cijntje, LHP Quinn Mathews, RHP Tekoah Roby, RHP Tink Hence, LHP Ixan Henderson, LHP Brandon Clarke, RHP Chen-Wei Lin, RHP Tanner Franklin
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The Cardinals, long a beacon of small-market sustainability, are officially in rebuild mode. With president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom at the helm, St. Louis dealt away four high-priced veterans over the winter: Sonny Gray, Willson Contreras, Nolan Arenado and Brendan Donovan. The Cardinals ate money in each trade to improve the quality of prospects they acquired. That helped propel St. Louis’ farm system from simply solid to a top-10 or even top-five system in the sport.
Atop that group is JJWetherholt, who should make his MLB debut in the near future. The West Virginia product was tracking like a No. 1 draft pick in 2024 before injury concerns pushed him down to the Cardinals at seven. Less than two years later, that looks like quite the heist. Wetherholt is a special hitter, with a rare power-hit combo for an infielder that should propel him to multiple All-Star Games over the course of his career. While there are doubts about his ability to stick at shortstop, those questions won’t matter in the short term, considering that Gold Glover Masyn Winn is entrenched there in St. Louis. Either way, Wetherholt is a dude’s dude, the next face of this franchise.
The Cards also boast a preponderance of catching talent. JimmyCrooks is the closest to the big leagues, a glove-over-bat type in the Patrick Bailey mold. He won’t win any batting titles, but there’s probably a Gold Glove in his future. RainielRodriguez, Dominican-born and raised in Philly, is further from the show but has a much, much higher ceiling. The 19-year-old absolutely smoked minor-league pitching in 2025 and is tracking like an above-average defender behind the dish. He’s a top-three catching prospect in the sport.
On the mound, St. Louis has assembled a massive arsenal of potential impact arms. LiamDoyle, the fifth pick of last year’s draft, is rawer than the typical college ace but also has one of the best fastballs in the minors. If he can smooth out the edges and refine his secondaries, he’ll be a monster. JurrangeloCijntje is famous because he can throw with both hands, but the Donovan deal headliner has been so good with his right that he might soon need to drop his left. There are still multiple delightful avenues to him switch-pitching in the bigs, but he’s going to make a living off a three-pitch mix that features a mid-90s heater and a slider and changeup that both grade out as plus or better. TekoahRoby, QuinnMathews and TinkHence have all been top-100 prospects at one point or another, but all took steps back in 2025. We like Mathews to bounce back to become, at the very least, a good late-inning arm.
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On the big-league side, one question will define this Cardinals season: How many current young big leaguers will make it through the rebuild to be on the next good St. Louis ballclub?
Winn, on the strength of his glove, feels like a lock. The 5-foot-9 Texan is jackrabbit-quick and has a howitzer for an arm. That means he just needs to be competent offensively, like he was in 2025. IvánHerrera is a similarly good bet to survive the sludge, though he and Winn are polar opposites. While Herrera came up and debuted as a catcher, the Panamanian caught only 14 games in 2025 and looks slated to be St. Louis’ regular DH. Thankfully, the 25-year-old absolutely rakes; he had the same wRC+ last season as Vlad Guerrero Jr. And at this point, consistency from any of VictorScott II, Jordan Walker, Nolan Gorman or ThomasSaggese would be considered a win.
Things are sparser in the big-league pitching staff, though the Cardinals have cleared spots for a few youngsters. While MatthewLiberatore and MichaelMcGreevy project to be in the Opening Day rotation, both guys look like back-end, kitchen-sink types. The same is true for HunterDobbins and RichardFitts, both acquired over the winter from Boston. — J.M.
Is JJ Wetherholt ready to become the next face of the St. Louis Cardinals?
Young MLB hitters (5/10): OF Jakob Marsee, C/DH Agustín Ramírez, SS Xavier Edwards, OF Owen Caissie, INF Connor Norby, INF Graham Pauley, UTIL Javier Sanoja, OF Heriberto Hernández Young MLB pitchers (5/10): RHP Eury Perez, RHP Ronny Henriquez Prospect hitters (2/5): C Joe Mack, INF Starlyn Caba, 1B/3B Deyvison De Los Santos, OF Kemp Alderman, SS Aiva Arquette, OF Dillon Lewis, OF Brendan Jones Prospect pitchers (4/5): LHP Robby Snelling, LHP Thomas White, RHP Karson Milbrandt, LHP Dax Fulton
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The 2025 Marlins were far, far better than people expected, thanks in large part to this crop of young hitters. JakobMarsee, dealt from San Diego as part of the package for Luis Arraez, was a revelation in a 55-game sample after debuting Aug. 1. He looks like a cornerstone leadoff man and center fielder for the Fish, a sum-of-the-parts borderline All-Star. XavierEdwards’ defensive numbers — he was a first-percentile defender in 2024 — finally took a leap forward. He profiles best as a bottom-of-the-order, slash-and-dash, catalyst type, but 2025 was an encouraging year for the 26-year-old. AgustínRamírez is an incredibly fun, incredibly flawed slugger with sensational bat speed and a whole lot of chase. Miami gave the cement-handed Dominican a multitude of opportunities behind the plate last year. That’s something only a bad team would’ve done, as he ended the season as the game’s worst catcher. He’s almost certainly a full-time DH down the line.
Eury Pérez made 20 starts after returning from Tommy John surgery and looked good, not great. We think that’s attributable to rust and still have him pegged as a future frontline guy. The 6-foot-8 seedling doesn’t turn 23 until April. His heater sat at 98 mph last year, the third-highest mark for any hurler with at least 20 starts. This remains a unicorn talent who should take a huge jump forward if he improves the command and upgrades his secondaries.
Conveniently for Pérez — and all the following arms — Miami has developed a strong reputation over the years for pitching development. The Marlins’ current cache of high-minors arms certainly played a role in compelling president of baseball operations Peter Bendix to deal away Edward Cabrera and Ryan Weathers over the winter. ThomasWhite is the crown jewel, an imposing, 6-foot-5 southpaw with an overpowering three-pitch mix. Few pitchers in the minors can rival his immense physicality, trio of plus offerings and statistical résumé. He can get a bit too walk-prone, à la Carlos Rodón or MacKenzie Gore, but like those dudes, White’s stuff is so good that he’ll get outs anyway. Expect him in Miami this year.
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Robby Snelling, a former Padres comp-rounder sent to Florida in the Tanner Scott deal, had a bounce-back 2025 and looks like a midrotation piece again, thanks to a velocity bump. In his third taste of High-A, KarsonMilbrandt added 10 percentage points to his strikeout rate. He followed that with an eye-catching fall league stint in which he punched out 23 in 13 ⅓ innings. He might end up in the bullpen, but his high-ride heater is the real deal.
Joe Mack — a lefty-hitting catcher with big power, hit tool concerns and a rocket arm — is Miami’s highest rated position-player prospect, but Aiva Arquette is the org’s most important one. Very few shortstops are built like this (6-foot-5, 220 pounds) with this type of power projection (113 mph exit velocities already). Arquette is a freak athlete with superb body control on the defensive side that should let him stick at short despite his height. Like any long-limbed lad, he has hit tool questions, but if he adds strength, stays nimble and develops the bat, he could turn into a Hawaiian version of Elly De La Cruz. — J.M.
Young MLB hitters (4/10): 1B Kyle Manzardo, INF Gabriel Arias, OF/1B C.J. Kayfus, C Bo Naylor, INF Brayan Rocchio, OF George Valera, UTIL Angel Martinez Young MLB pitchers (6/10): RHP Gavin Williams, LHP Joey Cantillo, LHP Parker Messick, RHP Andrew Walters, RHP Peyton Pallette Prospect hitters (4/5): OF Chase DeLauter, 2B Travis Bazzana, INF Juan Brito, 1B Ralphy Velazquez, SS Angel Genao, OF Kahlil Watson, C Cooper Ingle, OF Jace LaViolette Prospect pitchers (2/5): RHP Khal Stephen, RHP Austin Peterson, RHP Daniel Espino, LHP Matt Wilkinson, LHP Josh Hartle, LHP Doug Nikhazy
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No team had more key pitchers age out of this year’s rankings than the Guardians: Five of their top seven arms by innings pitched in 2025 (Tanner Bibee, Logan Allen, Slade Cecconi, Luis Ortiz, Cade Smith) were in their age-26 seasons. All except Ortiz remain pivotal members of the pitching staff, but for the purposes of this project, their graduations deal a notable blow to Cleveland’s young MLB pitchers group, which scored a 9/10 last year. Yet the Guardians still rate well in the category, thanks in large part to Gavin Williams’ long-anticipated breakout, as the big right-hander finally put together a complete season in the rotation and got better as the year went on. Command remains a concern — no pitcher walked more batters in 2025 — but the frequency of free passes did not prevent Williams from pitching deep into games. There might be more untapped potential if he can improve the strike-throwing even a little bit.
Cleveland has also done well to develop effective arms with less obvious impact traits. Lefties Joey Cantillo and Parker Messick don’t have blow-you-away velocity but thrive on deception and deft deployment of their arsenals. Top pitching prospect Khal Stephen, acquired at last year’s trade deadline for Shane Bieber, relies on a similar recipe from the right side. Guardians pitchers, regardless of their exact repertoires, usually know how to get outs, which means Cleveland can depend on its run-prevention roots to stay competitive even when the offense lags behind.
About that offense. Quantity is not in question: Outside of veteran face of the franchise José Ramírez and 28-year-old All-Star outfielder Steven Kwan, almost every other position player on the active roster is of the 26-and-under variety. But quality? That’s more murky. Gabriel Arias and Brayan Rocchio remain entrenched in the middle infield, despite roughly 1,000 big-league plate appearances of below-average output from each. Bo Naylor has shown flashes of impact on both sides of the ball but is entering his third season as the primary catcher with a career wRC+ of 88. CJ Kayfus and George Valera both arrived late last season with solid track records of mashing in the upper minors but now need to do it in the big leagues. If there’s one bat to believe in among those we’ve already seen in the majors, it’s Kyle Manzardo. The rare big leaguer born and raised in Idaho, Manzardo’s lefty bat proved potent in his sophomore season, as he swatted 27 homers with a 113 wRC+. He adds minimal value on defense or the basepaths, so he’ll have to keep raking to remain a key piece for Cleveland.
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While the progress of the aforementioned hitters is worth monitoring, Cleveland’s offensive outlook is far more dependent on the wave of rookie-eligible hitters expected to make an impact in 2026. That starts with outfielder Chase DeLauter, who joined the exclusive list of players to make their major-league debuts in the postseason in October after yet another injury-marred regular season. Few hitting prospects in recent memory have navigated a wider array of ailments than DeLauter has since being selected in the first round in 2022, but when he has been on the field, he has shined. He’s in a strong position to potentially make the 2026 Opening Day roster, with hopes that his advanced lefty stick can single-handedly elevate the Guardians’ lineup.
Behind DeLauter, there’s a deep and diverse group of hitters at the upper levels who could play their way into the big-league picture. 2024 No. 1 pick Travis Bazzana might not have raced to the majors like a few of the players drafted after him, but he’s still an exciting, all-around talent who should factor into Cleveland’s plans soon. Juan Brito, Kahlil Watson and Cooper Ingle will be waiting in the wings in case of injury or a player ahead of them on the depth chart faltering. Ralphy Velazquez might not be ready until 2027, but his offensive ceiling is arguably higher than that of any other hitter in the system. All told, it’s an enviable collection of hitting prospects on paper, with considerable pressure to perform quickly or risk replicating the underwhelming output of the Guardians’ group of young hitters in the majors. — J.S.
12. Los Angeles Dodgers (total score: 16/30) | 2025 rank: 5
Young MLB hitters (3/10): Andy Pages, Dalton Rushing Young MLB pitchers (7/10): Emmet Sheehan, Roki Sasaki, Justin Wrobleski, Will Klein Prospect hitters (4/5): Alex Freeland, Zyhir Hope, Josue De Paula, Mike Sirota, James Tibbs Prospect pitchers (2/5): Jackson Ferris, Adam Serwinowski, Zach Root, Peter Heubeck
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In Los Angeles, amid a galaxy of superstars, the opportunities for youngsters are few and far between. The bar, in Dodger Blue, is that much higher.
Dalton Rushing might be hitting seventh as the primary catcher for many other organizations. In L.A., he’s lucky to don the gear twice a week. AndyPages was unplayably bad in October, but he delivered an underrated regular season. Elsewhere, a .774 OPS with great outfield defense from a 24-year-old would be frontpage material. The signing of Kyle Tucker means Pages could be relegated to the Dodgers’ bench whenever Tommy Edman gets off the IL this year.
The 2025 Dodgers don’t win the World Series without EmmetSheehan and JustinWrobleski, both of whom came up huge in key spots. In many other places, they’d be mid-rotation mainstays. In L.A., they’re either fighting for scraps behind Yamamoto, Ohtani, Glasnow and Snell (Sheehan) or pitching out of the pen (Wrobleski). Then there’s RokiSasaki, baseball’s ultimate mystery box. Hyped more than the original iPhone, the Japanese phenom spent the first third of 2025 acting like a skittish cat before he landed on the IL due to a shoulder issue. But at the 11th hour, he returned as a white knight reliever, posting zeros in eight of his nine October outings to solidify a rickety Dodgers ‘pen. Now he’s headed back to the rotation, armed with an abundance of talent and a dearth of moxie. Anything could happen.
As you surely already know, The Franchise Ruining Baseball is much, much more than a collection of highly paid mercenaries. This organization, despite drafting at the back of the first round or later seemingly every year, has been world-class at identifying and developing talent. Part of that is certainly financial — the Dodgers were early and heavy on game-changing tech — but a lot of it is employing smart people and getting them all on the same page. That’s why this farm system, despite being regularly plundered for trades, remains absolutely stacked with position players.
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Josue De Paula has intergalactical offensive upside, with an advanced eye and an orchard of juice. If he optimizes his swing plane for lift, watch out. ZyhirHope is one of the best athletes in the minors, a power-speed dynamo with huge swing-and-miss concerns. He either needs to stick in center or upgrade his hit tool to break onto L.A.’s stacked big-league roster. Still just 21, he has time. AlexFreeland got his doors blown off during a cup of coffee in 2025. That short stint amplified questions about whether he can play short and how much contact he’ll make.
Whether any of these prospects ends up playing for the Dodgers is somewhat beside the point. The position-player depth in this system — we’ve yet to mention guys like Eduardo Quintero, Mike Sirota or Charles Davalan — will allow Friedman and Co. to be aggressive in the trade market if the opportunity presents itself. Los Angeles has the horses on the farm to acquire pretty much anybody in baseball — and yes, that includes Tarik Skubal. — J.M.
11. Boston Red Sox (total score: 16/30) | 2025 rank: 1
Young MLB hitters (8/10): OF Roman Anthony, 1B Triston Casas, INF Marcelo Mayer, OF Ceddanne Rafaela, OF Kristian Campbell, INF Caleb Durbin Young MLB pitchers (4/10): LHP Connelly Early, LHP Payton Tolle Prospect hitters (2/5): SS Franklin Arias, INF Mikey Romero, OF Allan Castro Prospect pitchers (2/5): LHP Jake Bennett, RHP Kyson Witherspoon, RHP Anthony Eyanson, RHP Marcus Phillips, RHP Gage Ziehl, RHP Juan Valera
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Our No. 1 team in last year’s rankings, the Red Sox took a tumble in 2026 due to the graduations of Garrett Crochet, Brayan Bello and Wilyer Abreu, plus some stagnation among some of their important young bats. But the arrival of Roman Anthony — who looks as advertised — in the big leagues and some pleasant surprises on the mound have ensured that Boston remains in the top half of our list.
Entering 2025, Anthony was the clear headliner among Boston’s trio of elite hitting prospects that also included Marcelo Mayer and Kristian Campbell. While he was not the first of the three to debut — Campbell made the Opening Day roster — Anthony delivered most thoroughly on the hype as a rookie, immediately asserting himself as one of the most dangerous Boston bats before an oblique strain ended his campaign in September. His absence was felt during Boston’s early exit against the Yankees in October, and now Anthony’s role atop the lineup carries all the more weight in the wake of Alex Bregman’s departure. Just 21 years old until May — and currently gearing up to play left field for Team USA in the WBC — Anthony is rapidly establishing himself as one of the premier left-handed hitters in the sport. It’s no surprise the Red Sox already awarded him with a nine-figure extension.
Campbell’s and Mayer’s transitions to the majors weren’t nearly as smooth. Campbell raked for a month before going ice-cold for much longer, necessitating a demotion to Triple-A in June, and he did not appear in the majors the rest of the season. Boston is now focused on developing him as an outfielder, which should simplify a previously uncertain defensive outlook, but most important is getting his bat back on track. While it’s far too early to discard Campbell as a potential core piece, his path to impacting the Red Sox in the near future is cloudy based on his weaknesses and the roster in place around him. Mayer’s glove is big-league ready at multiple infield spots, but late-offseason additions to the infield depth chart — including contact maven Caleb Durbin, who also strengthens Boston’s young MLB hitters group — suggest a hesitance to entrust him with regular at-bats just yet. He’s still wildly talented, but his ramp-up to an every-day role could take time.
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Triston Casas, 26, and Ceddanne Rafaela, 25, are more experienced than the aforementioned offensive trio, but both still face crucial developmental hurdles. Rafaela’s sensational center-field glove is irrefutable, but his bottom-of-the-scale plate discipline (.287 career OBP in 1,247 career plate appearances) has hampered any semblance of upside at the plate. Casas’ powerful left-handed bat was on an encouraging trajectory early in his career but is now tasked with bouncing back from a season-ending leg injury while attempting to reintegrate into a lineup without an obvious opening for another 1B/DH type.
A year ago we tabbed Boston as having one of the weaker prospect pitching groups. But a pair of enormous breakouts from Payton Tolle and Connelly Early ultimately rendered that assessment inaccurate. Tolle hadn’t even thrown a professional pitch at this time last year, but the gargantuan southpaw carved through the minors en route to an August debut. His special fastball paired with elite extension will carry Tolle quite far, but if he can polish his command and improve his secondary offerings, the sky’s the limit. Early’s raw stuff isn’t quite as eye-popping, but his pitchability is a notch above, which could give him the edge as the two jockey for positioning on Boston’s crowded starting pitching depth chart. Neither is guaranteed a rotation spot to open the season, but we’ve included Early and Tolle in the young MLB pitchers category on the basis of their demonstrated importance to the club last season and in October. Both pitchers remain rookie-eligible, but it’s hard to envision either spending the bulk of this season in the minors.
Graduations and a substantial number of trades to upgrade the big-league roster have thinned out this system in recent years. But the developmental leaps made by Early and Tolle lend optimism that the next wave of minor-league arms could chart similarly expedited paths, with last year’s college pitching-heavy draft class providing several candidates to monitor (Kyson Witherspoon, Marcus Phillips, Anthony Eyanson). Franklin Arias should also not be overlooked as a likely shortstop with a plus hit tool who reached Double-A as a 19-year-old last year. If he can access more power, the Red Sox might have another elite hitting prospect to factor into their position-player plans sooner rather than later. — J.S.
After months recovering from a back surgery, Justin Thomas is ready to return to the PGA Tour.
Thomas will be in the field next week at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, he announced on Monday night. It will mark Thomas’ first start of the 2026 season and his first since he underwent surgery to fix a disc in his back last fall.
“I’ve obviously missed it,” Thomas said on ESPN while playing in a TGL match in Florida. “It’s been a long time, but it’s good to be back here and playing, to feel the juices, the competitiveness, the adrenaline, and just competing. I’ve watched these guys on TV the last, what feels like, a very, very long time. So it’s good to be playing with them.”
Thomas announced in November that he had undergone surgery to fix a disc issue in his back. He had been dealing with “nagging hip pain” for a few months, and has been recovering ever since.
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Thomas last competed at the Ryder Cup in September, though Team Europe rolled over the United States at that event at Bethpage Black in New York. Thomas was set to play in The Skins Game on Black Friday, too, but he had to pull out as a result of the surgery.
Thomas has won 16 times in his career on Tour, most recently at the RBC Heritage last season. He had eight top-10 finishes in 2025 and three runner-up finishes. Thomas has struggled in the majors since his PGA Championship win in 2022, however, and has only finished inside the top 30 once and has missed the cut seven times in his last 14 major starts. Despite not playing in recent months, Thomas is currently at No. 14 in the Official World Golf Rankings.
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The Arnold Palmer Invitational, set for Bay Hill Club and Lodge, marks the third signature event of the season and the last tune-up before The Players Championship next month. The first round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational will tee off on March 5.
Yahoo Sports’ 26-and-under power rankings are a remix on the traditional farm system rankings that assess the strength of MLB organizations’ talent base among rookie-eligible and MiLB players. By evaluating all players in an organization entering their age-26 seasons or younger, this project aims to paint a more complete picture of each team’s young core. Our rankings value productive young major leaguers more heavily than prospects who have yet to prove it at the highest level, and most prospects included in teams’ evaluations have already reached the upper levels of the minors.
To compile these rankings, each MLB organization was given a score in four categories:
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Young MLB hitters: scored 0-10; 26-and-under position players and rookie-eligible hitters projected to be on Opening Day rosters
Young MLB pitchers: scored 0-10; 26-and-under pitchers and rookie-eligible pitchers projected to be on Opening Day rosters
Prospect hitters: scored 0-5; prospect-eligible position players projected to reach MLB in the next 1-2 years
Prospect pitchers: scored 0-5; prospect-eligible pitchers projected to reach MLB in the next 1-2 years
We’re counting down all 30 organizations’ 26-and-under talent bases from weakest to strongest (with the top 10 coming later this week). Below is an overview of the scores for each team in each category and the key players who fall into each bucket. For a deeper dive into each organization, check out our tier-by-tier breakdowns: Nos. 30-26, Nos. 25-21, Nos. 20-16 and Nos. 15-11.
Jump to a team by clicking on the links below:
The Rockies once again find themselves at the very bottom of our 26-and-under team rankings.
Young MLB hitters (4/10): C Hunter Goodman, SS Ezequiel Tovar, OF Jordan Beck, 2B Adael Amador, INF Ryan Ritter Young MLB pitchers (3/10): RHP Chase Dollander, RHP Victor Vodnik, RHP Seth Halvorsen, RHP Juan Mejia, RHP RJ Petit Prospect hitters (1/5): 1B Charlie Condon, OF Cole Carrigg, OF Zac Veen, OF Jared Thomas, 2B Roc Riggio, SS Ethan Holliday Prospect pitchers (1/5): LHP Carson Palmquist, RHP McCade Brown, RHP Brody Brecht, LHP Welinton Herrera, LHP Sean Sullivan
Young MLB hitters (5/10): OF Jackson Merrill Young MLB pitchers (2/10): RHP David Morgan, RHP Bradgley Rodriguez Prospect hitters (1/5): C Ethan Salas, OF Tirso Ornelas Prospect pitchers (1/5): RHP Miguel Mendez, LHP Kash Mayfield, RHP Garrett Hawkins, RHP Tucker Musgrove, LHP Kruz Schoolcraft
Young MLB hitters (3/10): OF Heliot Ramos, OF Drew Gilbert, 1B/DH Bryce Eldridge, OF Luis Matos, OF Grant McCray, C Daniel Susac Young MLB pitchers (1/10): RHP Hayden Birdsong, RHP Randy Rodriguez Prospect hitters (2/5): OF Bo Davidson, OF Dakota Jordan, 1B/OF Parks Harber, 2B Gavin Kilen, SS Josuar Gonzalez, 2B Nate Furman Prospect pitchers (3/5): LHP Carson Whisenhunt, RHP Blade Tidwell, RHP Will Bednar, RHP Trevor McDonald, LHP Joe Whitman, LHP Jacob Bresnahan
Young MLB hitters (2/10): OF Zach Cole, OF Cam Smith, OF Zach Dezenzo Young MLB pitchers (4/10): RHP Mike Burrows, RHP Spencer Arrighetti, Roddery Muñoz Prospect hitters (2/5): OF Brice Matthews, OF Joseph Sullivan, C Walker Janek, OF Lucas Spence, OF Ethan Frey Prospect pitchers (2/5): RHP Miguel Ullola, RHP AJ Blubaugh, RHP Ethan Pecko, RHP Bryce Mayer
Young MLB hitters (2/10): INF/OF Otto Kemp, OF Justin Crawford, OF Johan Rojas Young MLB pitchers (2/10): RHP Orion Kerkering, RHP Andrew Painter Prospect hitters (4/5): SS Aidan Miller, OF Gabriel Rincones Jr., 2B Aroon Escobar, 1B Keaton Anthony, OF Dylan Campbell Prospect pitchers (2/5): RHP Moises Chace, RHP Gage Wood, RHP Jean Cabrera, RHP Alex McFarlane
Can Junior Caminero and Wyatt Langford help their teams get back in the postseason picture in 2026?
Young MLB hitters (5/10): SS Zach Neto, 1B Nolan Schanuel, C Logan O’Hoppe, INF Vaughn Grissom, OF Wade Meckler, INF Christian Moore, INF Oswald Peraza, INF Matthew Lugo, INF/OF Kyren Paris Young MLB pitchers (3/10): LHP Reid Detmers, RHP Grayson Rodriguez, RHP José Fermin, RHP Chase Silseth, RHP Ben Joyce, RHP Jack Kochanowicz, RHP Caden Dana Prospect hitters (1/5): OF Nelson Rada, SS Denzer Guzman, INF David Mershon Prospect pitchers (3/5): RHP Tyler Bremner, LHP Sam Aldegheri, RHP George Klassen, RHP Ryan Johnson, RHP Chris Cortez, RHP Chase Shores, RHP Walbert Urena
Young MLB hitters (3/10): 2B Luke Keaschall, SS Brooks Lee, OF Alan Roden Young MLB pitchers (3/10): RHP Taj Bradley, RHP Mick Abel, RHP David Festa, RHP Zebby Matthews, RHP Simeon Woods-Richardson, RHP Travis Adams Prospect hitters (4/5): OF Walker Jenkins, OF Emmanuel Rodriguez, SS Kaelen Culpepper, OF Gabriel Gonzalez, OF Hendry Mendez, C Eduardo Tait Prospect pitchers (3/5): LHP Connor Prielipp, LHP Kendry Rojas, RHP CJ Culpepper, RHP Marco Raya, RHP Andrew Morris, RHP John Klein, LHP Dasan Hill, RHP Charlee Soto
Young MLB hitters (6/10): OF Wyatt Langford, OF Evan Carter, OF Alejandro Osuna, 2B/OF Cody Freeman Young MLB pitchers (3/10): RHP Jack Leiter, RHP Kumar Rocker, RHP Cole Winn, RHP Carter Baumler Prospect hitters (2/5): SS Sebastian Walcott, SS Cameron Cauley, C Malcolm Moore Prospect pitchers (3/5): RHP Jose Corniell, RHP Caden Scarborough, RHP David Davalillo, RHP Emiliano Teodo, RHP Winston Santos
Young MLB hitters (6/10): 3B Junior Caminero, OF Chandler Simpson, INF Ben Williamson, OF Justyn-Henry Malloy Young MLB pitchers (1/10): RHP Mason Englert, RHP Yoendrys Gomez, RHP Joe Boyle Prospect hitters (3/5): SS Carson Williams, OF Jacob Melton, 1B Xavier Isaac, 1B Tre Morgan, C Dominic Keegan, 2B Jadher Areinamo Prospect pitchers (4/5): RHP Brody Hopkins, RHP TJ Nichols, RHP Anderson Brito, RHP Santiago Suarez, RHP Ty Johnson, RHP Michael Forret
Can Munetaka Murakami, James Wood and Anthony Volpe take steps forward and deliver on their potential in 2026?
Young MLB hitters (6/10): C Drake Baldwin, OF Michael Harris II Young MLB pitchers (5/10): RHP Spencer Schwellenbach, RHP Hurston Waldrep, RHP AJ Smith-Shawver Prospect hitters (0/5): 1B/3B David McCabe, SS John Gil, SS Alex Lodise, OF Pat Clohisy Prospect pitchers (3/5): RHP Didier Fuentes, RHP J.R. Ritchie, RHP Owen Murphy, LHP Cam Caminiti, RHP Lucas Braun, RHP Ian Mejia
Young MLB hitters (5/10): OF Jasson Domínguez, C Austin Wells, SS Anthony Volpe Young MLB pitchers (5/10): RHP Cam Schlittler, LHP Ryan Weathers, RHP Cade Winquest Prospect hitters (2/5): OF Spencer Jones, SS George Lombard Jr. Prospect pitchers (3/5): RHP Ben Hess, RHP Bryce Cunningham, RHP Carlos Lagrange, LHP Elmer Rodriguez, RHP Chase Hampton
Young MLB hitters (7/10): OF James Wood, SS CJ Abrams, OF Daylen Lile, OF Dylan Crews, INF Luis García Jr., 3B Brady House, INF Nasim Nuñez, INF José Tena, CF Jacob Young, OF Robert Hassell III Young MLB pitchers (2/10): RHP Brad Lord, RHP Cole Henry, LHP DJ Herz, LHP Mitchell Parker Prospect hitters (3/5): C Harry Ford, 1B Yohandy Morales, SS Seaver King, OF Christian Franklin, OF Andrew Pinckney, SS Eli Willits, INF Gavin Fien, 1B Abimelec Ortiz Prospect pitchers (3/5): RHP Jarlin Susana, RHP Travis Sykora, RHP Luis Perales, LHP Alex Clemmey, LHP Jackson Kent
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16. Chicago Cubs (total score: 15/30) | 2025 rank: 17
Young MLB hitters (6/10): OF Pete Crow-Armstrong, INF/OF Matt Shaw, C/DH Moisés Ballesteros Young MLB pitchers (5/10): RHP Cade Horton, RHP Daniel Palencia Prospect hitters (2/5): OF Kevin Alcántara, 1B Jonathon Long, 3B Pedro Ramirez, 2B James Triantos, INF Jefferson Rojas, OF Ethan Conrad Prospect pitchers (2/5): RHP Jaxon Wiggins, RHP Brandon Birdsell
Is JJ Wetherholt ready to become the next face of the St. Louis Cardinals?
Young MLB hitters (5/10): DH Iván Herrera, SS Masyn Winn, OF Jordan Walker, CF Victor Scott II, 3B Nolan Gorman, INF Thomas Saggese Young MLB pitchers (3/10): LHP Matthew Liberatore, RHP Michael McGreevy, RHP Gordon Graceffo, RHP Richard Fitts, RHP Hunter Dobbins Prospect hitters (4/5): SS JJ Wetherholt, C Leonardo Bernal, C Jimmy Crooks, 1B Blaze Jordan, OF Nathan Church, OF Chase Davis, OF Joshua Baez, C Rainiel Rodriguez Prospect pitchers (4/5): LHP Liam Doyle, SHP Jurrangelo Cijntje, LHP Quinn Mathews, RHP Tekoah Roby, RHP Tink Hence, LHP Ixan Henderson, LHP Brandon Clarke, RHP Chen-Wei Lin, RHP Tanner Franklin
Young MLB hitters (5/10): OF Jakob Marsee, C/DH Agustín Ramírez, SS Xavier Edwards, OF Owen Caissie, INF Connor Norby, INF Graham Pauley, UTIL Javier Sanoja, OF Heriberto Hernández Young MLB pitchers (5/10): RHP Eury Perez, RHP Ronny Henriquez Prospect hitters (2/5): C Joe Mack, INF Starlyn Caba, 1B/3B Deyvison De Los Santos, OF Kemp Alderman, SS Aiva Arquette, OF Dillon Lewis, OF Brendan Jones Prospect pitchers (4/5): LHP Robby Snelling, LHP Thomas White, RHP Karson Milbrandt, LHP Dax Fulton
Young MLB hitters (3/10): Andy Pages, Dalton Rushing Young MLB pitchers (7/10): Emmet Sheehan, Roki Sasaki, Justin Wrobleski, Will Klein Prospect hitters (4/5): Alex Freeland, Zyhir Hope, Josue De Paula, Mike Sirota, James Tibbs Prospect pitchers (2/5): Jackson Ferris, Adam Serwinowski, Zach Root, Peter Heubeck
Young MLB hitters (8/10): OF Roman Anthony, 1B Triston Casas, INF Marcelo Mayer, OF Ceddanne Rafaela, OF Kristian Campbell, INF Caleb Durbin Young MLB pitchers (4/10): LHP Connelly Early, LHP Payton Tolle Prospect hitters (2/5): SS Franklin Arias, INF Mikey Romero, OF Allan Castro Prospect pitchers (2/5): LHP Jake Bennett, RHP Kyson Witherspoon, RHP Anthony Eyanson, RHP Marcus Phillips, RHP Gage Ziehl, RHP Juan Valera
Christian Polanco and Alexis Guerreros react to a chaotic AFCON final and ask the uncomfortable question: was the spectacle a nightmare for the sport? The guys break down what went wrong, what it says about tournament organization, and why moments like this matter for global soccer’s credibility. Christian and Alexis dive into viral territory as iShowSpeed encounters his first ultra fans in Algeria — and quickly learns that not every football culture rolls out the red carpet.
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Next, Copa90 creative director Shawn Francis joins the show to talk World Cup 2026 coming to America, why he’s completely flipped his stance on MLS’s new schedule, and what the league needs to do to actually become “cool.”
The episode wraps with a look at Manchester City’s recent slump and whether Pep Guardiola has the answers to pull City out of their funk.
Timestamps:
(8:00) – Was the AFCON final an embarrassing moment for the sport?
(26:30) – IShowSpeed encounters Algerian ultras
(34:15) – Shawn Francis joins The Cooligans
(1:11:15) – Can Pep save Man City again or has he lost control?
