He was the 2024 National League Rookie of the Year. He was the 2025 NL Cy Young Award winner. What does flamethrowing Pirates phenom Paul Skenes have in store for 2026? Well, for one thing, a new look. Skenes has shaved the beard he kept during his first two MLB

A brand new year means new possibilities for all 30 teams. Whether it's postseason success, individual awards, statistical records or player development, there's something every club can dream on heading into 2026. With the help of MLB.com's 30 beat writers, here's one key prediction for every team ahead of the

Mason Montgomery’s first velocity spike came the traditional way. A Minor League starter since 2021 with the Rays, Tampa Bay moved him to the bullpen during the 2024 season while at Triple-A Durham, when his four-seam fastball was sitting at 91-92 mph just a year prior. It jumped to over

The new year is for new starts, the unknown and the to-be-determined. No one can perfectly say what will happen in this 2026 calendar year, but we can certainly take a few highly educated guesses. In the land of Minor League Baseball, there may not be a more sought-after prediction

Part of what makes baseball the best are the feats and amazing stats accruing left and right, every single day. We chronicle them throughout the year, but there’s no better time than before the calendar flips to take a look back. It’s hard to pick just one per team, after

PITTSBURGH -- Expectations were high for Oneil Cruz in 2025. Positioned at the heart of the lineup, there were hopes he could take another step after a 20-20 campaign in 2024, especially since he was another year removed from his 2023 ankle injury.

After one of the great seasons in baseball history -- a season we’ll be talking about for the rest of our lives -- Major League Baseball has a tough act to follow in 2026. Fortunately, it has a deep cast of stars and compelling figures, all main characters in a

As the Pirates move into the offseason, this page will continue to be updated. Players on the 60-day injured list will have to be added back to the 40-man roster after the World Series.

As we close the book on 2025 and celebrate the teams that enjoyed a great year, the teams that didn’t should keep this in mind: One year can make a huge difference. Just ask the Blue Jays. In 2025, they reached a World Series that they came this close to

A new year brings new opportunities -- to build on the positives from last year, to improve on a disappointing season, or to finally reach expected potential. One or more of those could apply in 2026 for players on the verge of a breakout year. These are players who, for

Andrew Heaney, who pitched for two World Series-winning teams, announced his retirement on Sunday afternoon in a social media post. The left-hander spent time with six teams over 12 big league seasons, during which he racked up 56 wins, 1,156 strikeouts and a 4.57 ERA.

The 2025 Draft has early promising returns with several players making great first impressions in the months after signing. First overall pick Eli Willits, just 17 at the time, slashed .300/.397/.360 at Single-A. SEC standouts Andrew Fischer and Wehiwa Aloy posted an .848 and .856 OPS respectively. The Rockies' first

Another year in baseball is in the books, so let's look back at the best of the best plays from this past season. These are the annual Statcast superlatives -- the longest home run, the fastest strikeout, the speediest inside-the-park home run, the toughest catch and more. Here are 15

With the Minor League season in the rearview mirror and a new year on the horizon, we took a look at how some of the top prospects performed in 2025.

Happy holidays, baseball fans. As our gift to you, we're back with the tradition we are determined to make happen: our yearly list of every team's longest home run of the season just past. Admittedly, we always think these lists make for good gifts, but we have a pretty good

Nick Kurtz. Drake Baldwin. Roman Anthony. Trey Yesavage. Nolan McLean. They and so many other rookies left their marks on the 2025 season. One year ago, they were mere prospects who had yet to make their MLB debuts, and another host of newcomers will inevitably be difference-makers for their clubs

With days left until 2025 becomes 2026, it's natural to use this time for reflection. Looking back at the year that was and finding satisfaction in all the progress that was made, while also looking ahead with hope for even better things to come, along with new goals in the

While the old adage says that a win is a win, most would agree that not all victories are equal in terms of overall significance to a team -- or simply from an entertainment perspective as a fan. With that in mind, and with the help of all 30 MLB.com

The Pirates are in agreement with free agent and 2025 All-Star Ryan O'Hearn on a two-year, $29 million contract, per sources, adding another bat to a lineup they very much wanted to revamp this winter. The club has not confirmed the agreement. O’Hearn would become the first free agent the

There are 120 Minor League Baseball teams, and they each play approximately 70 home games a year. In the interest of not doing math, let's just say this results in a lot of gameday promotions over the course of the season. Theme nights, giveaways, celebrity appearances and more are a

Jake Mangum may have debuted in the Majors last year, but his statistical claim to fame is from the collegiate ranks, holding the all-time SEC hit record. Mangum loved his time at Mississippi State and didn’t want to leave, but he can now joke: “That record just means I stayed

Brandon Lowe has spent most of the home games in his career under the Tropicana Field roof. It’s practical for the Florida weather, but it pales in comparison to the view of the Pittsburgh skyline PNC Park boasts. His new home ballpark also offers a shorter right field porch, an

When you look at the top of the Pirates’ prospect rankings, what stands out the most is how close many of these players are to being contributors in Pittsburgh in 2026. Their top prospect Konnor Griffin will have a chance to break camp with the team or at least debut

When we rank prospects at MLB Pipeline, it’s always with a long-term-potential frame of mind. We’re trying to project what kind of big leaguer each of these Minor Leaguers are going to be, so we look at tools or stuff and how we think each player will use them consistently