Quinn Priester is poised to take that next step and live up to his first-round pedigree. Opportunity paired with increased octane are among the reasons why. Drafted 18th overall by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2019 out of Cary-Grove High School, the erstwhile Illinois prep stands a good chance of breaking camp in the Red Sox starting rotation. With Brayan Bello (shoulder) and Kutter Crawford (knee) likely to begin the season the injured list, Priester is well positioned to help fill the void.
The enhanced heater factors heavily into his hoped-for emergence as an established big-league hurler. The 24-year-old right-hander’s two-seamer averaged 93.1 mph last year, and this spring it has consistently been a few ticks higher. In his last outing, Priester topped out at 97.
“The cutter is getting better, but more than anything it’s been the velocity piece,” Priester said of his recent developmental strides. “We’re trying to see that trend upwards, and hold throughout games. I want to be 96-plus with the sinker, and then let everything else complement that pitch.”
Added muscle has contributed to the additional oomph. Acquired by Boston at last summer’s trade deadline in exchange for Nick Yorke, Priester currently carries 220 pounds on his 6-foot-3 frame, 10 more than a year ago. He’s evolving in other ways, as well. Increasingly mature, he’s learning the nuances of his craft.
“When I signed, I was power fastball, power curveball,” explained Priester, whose MLB ledger includes a 6.23 ERA and a 5.72 FIP over 99-and-two-thirds frames. “But as you go up through the levels, you’re not going to get by on just power stuff alone — not unless you’re really, really special. I’ve needed to learn how to throw the sinker to both sides of the plate, throw the slider off of it, and use the changeup to complement those pitches. Now I’m developing a cutter to hold lefties honest, and also continuing to improve my power curveball. Being a complete starter is important.”
Priester pointed to the change of scenery when asked if he truly feels ready to become a consistent big-league starter.
“I definitely do,” he said. “I’ve had a lot of experience the past two years, parts of them in the big leagues, and since the transition — being traded over here — I’ve been helped a lot. I’ve been encouraged to dive into the things I’m really good at. I’ve been encouraged to not change as much. That kind of reasoning — a lot of can-dos — has resulted in some freedom on the mound. That’s where I feel I can thrive. I’m kind of seeing it all come together.”
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RANDOM HITTER-PITCHER MATCHUPS
Paul O’Neill went 12 for 18 against Buddy Groom.
Bill Doran went 12 for 25 against Tom Glavine.
Hal Morris went 19 for 50 against Greg Maddux.
Chris Sabo went 15 for 34 against Steve Avery.
Billy Hatcher went 15 for 37 against Bill Gullickson.
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Diego Cartaya is a catcher looking to turn the corner. The top-ranked prospect in the Los Angeles Dodgers system as recently as two years ago, the 23-year-old Maracay, Venezuela-born backstop is now looking to revitalize his career with the Twins. DFA’d by the Dodgers in January, Cartaya was subsequently swapped to Minnesota in exchange for 20-year-old right-hander Jose Vasquez.
I recently asked Cartaya about the rough road he’s followed, and what he needs to do to reach baseball’s highest level.
“We go through a process, and it obviously hasn’t gone the way I’ve wanted it to,” said Cartaya, who posted an 85 wRC+ and a 28.2% strikeout rate last year between Double-A Tulsa and Triple-A Oklahoma City. “But the goal is the same. I’m trying to be the best person I can be. With my swing, I’ve been working on trying to make it flatter, and trying to be more behind the ball.”
Late in the 2022 season, Cartaya told me that he used to be “more of a big launch-angle guy,” but he’d since flattened out his path. For whatever reason, the adjustment never stuck.
“At the time it was my though process, but I kind of got away from it,” admitted Cartaya. “From the end of last year throughout the offseason, and now here [in spring training] that has been my main goal The flatter and more behind the ball I am, the better I do.
“Swinging is something so unique,” continued Cartaya. “And it’s never perfect. We’re always going through a process. Back then [2022 in the Midwest League], it was easier for me to do what I wanted to with my swing, but your body changes and you move differently. I’ve gotten bigger as I get older. I weighed 205-210 and now I’m 220. I’m not as mobile as I used to be, but that’s nothing bad, because it’s muscle weight. I feel like I’m in a good spot. I think I’m making good adjustments with my swing.”
Earmarked for the minors to begin the campaign, Cartaya has logged just eight plate appearances this spring. He has one hit and has gone down on strikes five times.
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Which player had the better career, Pete Rose or Carl Yastrzemski? I asked that question in a Twitter poll a few days ago, and the result was fitting given their respective statistical accomplishments. The Boston Red Sox icon garnered 67.4% of the votes cast, while the Cincinnati Reds icon and MLB all-time-hits leader received just 32.6%.
Yaz’s edge was greater than you might expect. While Rose recorded 4,256 hits to Yastrzemski’s 3,419, the latter logged 452 homers to the former’s 160, and his wRC+ advantage was 130 to 121. Moreover, Yaz’s best wRC+ seasons were 194, 179, and 170. Rose’s were a comparably humble 154, 150, and 144. Not surprisingly, Yaz (94.4) also amassed more WAR than Rose (80.1).
The accolades are mostly even. Yaz had 18 All-Star berths to Rose’s 17, and each won three batting titles and one MVP. And while Yaz has a seven-two advantage in Gold Gloves — he also won a triple crown — Rose boasted something his contemporary missed out on completely: three World Series rings.
As for the Hall of Fame, count me among those who feel Rose should remain on the outside looking in. MLB is playing with enough fire on the gambling front already. The integrity of the game is paramount, and reinstating Rose would send the wrong message.
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A quiz:
Which Hall of Famer hit his lone big-league home run in his first-ever at-bat?
The answer can be found below.
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NEWS NOTES
The Baltimore Orioles announced on Thursday that Adam Jones and Joe Orsulak have been elected to the team’s Hall of Fame. The duo will be formally honored on August 8 at Orioles Park at Camden Yards.
Frank Saucier, an outfielder who played in 18 games for the St. Louis Browns in 1951, died on March 3 at age 98 (per Baseball Player Passings). The Leslie, Missouri native went 1-for-14, with his lone MLB hit coming in Cleveland against Mike Garcia. Saucier was the player that 3-foot-7 Eddie Gaedel famously pinch-hit for.
José Valdivielso, a native of Matanzas, Cuba who played for the Washington Nationals/Minnesota Twins from 1955-1961, died on March 4 at age 90. An infielder, Valdivielso was part of the only all-Cuban triple play in MLB history, combining with Camilo Pascual and Julio Bécquer to erase Whitey Herzog and a pair of Kansas City Athletics baserunners.
A reminder that this year’s SABR Analytics Conference will take place this coming week, from March 14-16, at Arizona State University’s downtown Phoenix campus. More information can be found here.
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The answer to the quiz is Hoyt Wilhelm. The knuckleballer went deep on April 23, 1952, then proceeded to come to the plate 492 more times without leaving the yard. He did hit a few on the farm. Prior to reaching the majors, Wilhelm homered twice for the North Carolina State League’s Mooresville Moors in 1947, and once for the Tri-State League’s Knoxville Smokies in 1948.
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Which player is the key to the Yankees’ success this season? I asked that question to Dan Martin, who covers the club for the New York Post.
“Just like the last few years, Aaron Judge enters 2025 as the Yankees’ most important player,” Martin told me. “Sure, they’ll need Cody Bellinger and others to produce to make up for the loss of Juan Soto in the lineup, and Gerrit Cole has to pitch like an ace, but the Yankee offense has proven it needs Judge to be an MVP candidate—- and healthy— in order to be dangerous. That will be the case again this year, especially with Soto in Queens.
“Want proof? A year ago, Judge played in 158 games and finished with an fWAR of 11.2 and the Yankees finished in first place in the AL East. In 2022, he appeared in 157 games with an 11.1 fWAR, with the Yankees winning the division. But in 2023, a toe injury limited him to 106 games and a 4.7 fWAR — and the Yankees ended up in fourth place, with their worst season in decades.”
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Which Yankees pitcher has caught David Cone’s attention this spring? I asked the former Cy Young Award winner that question a few days ago.
“There is nothing more important than developing your own starting pitching, so I always look for the young kids in the organization,” replied Cone, who serves as an analyst for the YES Network and ESPN Sunday Night Baseball. “To me, it’s Will Warren. He’s the guy who looks like he’s going to take a big step this year. He took his lumps in the big leagues last season, but he continues to improve. That’s what every organization desires — a homegrown starting pitcher — and he’s looked great this spring.”
Warren surrendered 27 runs in 22-and-two-thirds innings after making his MLB debut last summer. So far in Grapefruit League action, he has allowed just two hits and one run, with 11 strikeouts, over eight innings. The 25-year-old right-hander is No. 2 on our 2025 New York Yankees Top Prospects list, with a 50 FV.
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Jumping over to the AL Central, which player is the key to the Tigers’ success this season? I asked Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press for his perspective.
“It’s easy to point to Tarik Skubal, but no player is more crucial to the Tigers’ success this season than Parker Meadows, their leadoff hitter and centerfielder,” opined Petzold. “Just look at last season: Detroit posted a .653 winning percentage in games he started (49-26) and an even better .738 mark when he recorded a hit (31-11). After making a swing adjustment in Triple-A Toledo, he hit .299 with an .857 OPS over his final 50 games, signaling a potential long-term breakout.
“Beyond his offensive upside, Meadows is an elite defender in center field and one of the fastest players on the bases. If he maintains above-average production at the plate, he could be worth at least 4.0 fWAR in 2025 — putting him among MLB’s top five centerfielders. The best starter in baseball takes the mound once every five days, but an elite centerfielder impacts the game every day. If Meadows unlocks his potential, the Tigers’ ceiling rises with him.”
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The Tigers leaned on their relievers quite a bit in 2024, and mixing-and-matching out of the pen promises to remain a big part part of manager A.J. Hinch’s run-prevention strategy. Even so, Detroit’s starting rotation could very well be a strength. Along with reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal, Hinch can give the ball to Jack Flaherty, Jackson Jobe, Kenta Maeda, Matt Manning, Casey Mize, Keider Montero, and Reese Olson. Once he’s healthy, Alex Cobb will factor into the equation as well.
How would Hinch compare this year’s Tigers rotation to the best he’s had as a manager?
“I’ve had some pretty experienced guys who are probably ticketed for Cooperstown, so it’s pretty hard to compare any staff to some of the best ones I’ve had,” said Hinch, who had Gerrit Cole, Zack Greinke, and Justin Verlander in Houston. “But this is as talented and deep a rotation as any manager could ask for right now… whoever ends up being a starter — five, six, seven, eight — there is very little gap amongst the group that is competing to make the opening day roster. It’s a good problem to have, if it’s even a problem at all. It’s more of a perceived problem than an actual problem.”
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SPRING TRAINING STANDOUTS
Detroit’s Kenta Maeda has 14 strikeouts and one walk in eight-and-two thirds innings. He has allowed six hits and three runs.
Toronto’s Max Scherzer has 14 strikeouts and no walks in nine innings. He has allowed three hits and two runs.
San Francisco’s Landen Roupp has 11 strikeouts and one walk in eight-and-a-third scoreless innings. He’s allowed just one hit.
Tampa Bay’s Curtis Mead is 15-for-21 with a double and a home run in 24 plate appearances
Minnesota’s Ty France is 11-for-20 with three doubles and two home runs in 22 plate appearances.
Cincinnati’s Elly De La Cruz is 10-for-19 with three doubles and three home runs in 23 plate appearances. He has three stolen bases in as many attempts.
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A random obscure former player snapshot:
Modern era MLB history includes four catchers who had at least 2,000 plate appearances and a wRC+ of 130 or higher. Mickey Cochrane and Mike Piazza are in the Hall of Fame, while Gene Tenace is well-known thanks to World Series heroics and the plaudits he received in The Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract. And then there is Dick Dietz.
A right-handed-hitting backstop who played primarily for the San Francisco Giants in a career that spanned the 1966-1973 season, Dietz logged a 132 wRC+ over 2,244 plate appearances. His 1970 campaign was his best. Playing on a team that included the likes of Bobby Bonds, Willie Mays, and Willie McCovey, Dietz slashed .300/.426/.515 with 36 doubles, 22 home runs, and a 152 wRC+. Another strong season followed (19 home runs and a 132 wRC+), but then injuries began to take their toll. A few short years later, Dietz — one of the best hitting catchers you’ve maybe never heard of — saw his playing career come to an end.
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LINKS YOU’LL LIKE
Toronto Blue Jays prospect Alan Roden studied astrophysics at Creighton University — quasars and black holes were specific areas of study — and now he is on the verge of playing in the big leagues. Ben Nicholson-Smith has the story at SportsNet.
MLB.com’s Michael Clair wrote about Team Germany infielder/outfielder Lou Helmig, whose grandfather, Claus, is called “the godfather of German baseball.”
Len Pasculli profiled erstwhile slugger Steve Balboni for the SABR BioProject.
The Athletic’s Sahadev Sharma wrote about how Chicago Cubs southpaw Matthew Boyd isn’t reinventing himself, but rather doubling down on who he is.
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RANDOM FACTS AND STATS
Scott Boras slashed .295/.378/.387 with two home runs in 512 plate appearances for the Florida State League’s St. Louis Cardinals in 1976.
Otis Nixon had 1,199 singles and 180 extra-base hits.
Harmon Killebrew had 1,199 singles and 787 extra-base hits.
Richie Ashburn had 2,574 hits, including 29 home runs.
Manny Ramirez had 2,574 hits, including 555 home runs.
The Chicago Cubs signed Andre Dawson as a free agent on today’s date in 1987. The erstwhile Montreal Expo went on to be named NL MVP after leaving the yard 49 times and driving in 137 runs in the first of his six seasons as a Cub.
Players born on today’s date include Shooty Babitt, who recorded 40 hits while appearing in 52 games for the Oakland Athletics in 1981. A local product who was drafted by the A’s out of Berkeley High School, the 5-foot-8 infielder’s given name was Mack Neal.
Also born on today’s date was Paul Brown, a right-hander whose professional career comprised seven games with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1955 — and no games in the minor leagues. The Brownstown, Pennsylvania native issued 17 free passes, fanned four batters, and logged a 14.14 ERA over seven innings. Two of his strikeouts came against Jackie Robinson.
The first Australian-born player in MLB history was Joe Quinn. The Queensland native played from 1884-1901, initially with the Union Association’s St. Louis Maroons, and later with seven other teams, including the infamous 1899 Cleveland Spiders who finished 20-134. Quinn was an infielder.
Wimpy Quinn slashed .343/.413/.522 with 22 home runs for the California League’s Bakersfield Indians in 1949. Eight years earlier. the Birmingham, Alabama native — his given name was Wellington Hunt — went 1-for-2 at the plate while appearing in three games, all as a pitcher, for the Chicago Cubs.
