#prospect-development

#prospect-development

Do right by Auston Matthews. Does he need surgery, rest, a playmaking right winger who can help out in all three zones? As much as Auston Matthews also needs to step up the team isn't going to be at its best until Auston is put in a situation where he looks like he can put up 60 goals again. If that's not possible at all anymore the Leafs problems are bigger than we think.

The Cubs have very few players under contract past 2026 and 2027, which means the next few winters could be quite busy. Just a few years ago, the team had one of the best farm systems in baseball. Those players are now reaching the major leagues, which could prove to be pivotal as Jed Hoyer looks to construct the next great Cubs team.

Hopkins is heading to the Storm in exchange for Alex MacLean, a 2026 third-round pick from the Saginaw Spirit, a conditional 2027 2nd-round pick from the Kitchener Rangers, a 2027 fifth-round pick from the North Bay Battalion and a 2029 seventh-round pick originally belonging to Guelph. "I am super excited to be part of the Storm and for the opportunity that is in front of this group," Hopkins said. "I am looking forward to helping build something special here."

He continued to struggle making contact which resulted in a .213 walk rate, and struck out a ton with a strikeout rate sitting at a mammoth 35%. His walk rate was still outstanding, though it was a career low 14.9%. The result - a batting average of .213 but an OBP of a respectable .343. The power also saw a minor uptick as he hit a career high 7 homers, and an ISO of .129.

After a college career that spanned two seasons at Ohio State and one at Arkansas, the Braves took Landon Beidelschies in the 6th round of the 2025 draft, using the 187th selection on the Razorback. He received a signing bonus of $297,500 to leave college early and begin his professional career. What were the 2025 expectations? Obviously since he was a 2025 draftee, the expectations for Beidelschies were understandably low.

Clohisy went back to Rome and spent 92 games there, hitting .247/.338/.330 with 16 doubles, two triples, and three homers with 45 walks to 76 strikeouts over 405 plate appearances. He finally got promoted to Double-A and hit .270/.328/.384 with four doubles, a triple, and four homers with 11 walks to 29 strikeouts in 174 plate appearances. He combined to hit .254/.335/.346 with 79 steals on the season.

there was hope that a full offseason would have Jose ready to go in 2025, unfortunately the season started off poorly with some expecting Jose to be in better shape - not that he was in bad shape, but just better shape. It turned into a bit of a struggle of a season as he hit .223/.275/.270 in 54 games.

He can do so in free agency but will probably have to commit to keeping a guy until he's at least 36. Trading? Well, there's an outfielder who can be moved. And maybe one of Tolle or Early or Harrison if you think you can get, I don't know, one step down from Garrett Crochet? A mid-20s non-ace but very very good starting pitcher.

The New York Islanders might be in the NHL's most hopeless situation, and if the constant losing keeps up, there could be whispers of a potential fire sale that could make waves through Long Island, perhaps even before the league takes a break for the Olympics. It makes sense at first, considering the Isles' recent track record as a team that has been in steady decline.

Kirill Marchenko looks like a superstar in the making, posting 74 points in his age-24 season last year. Dmitri Voronkov isn't far behind him with 23 goals and 24 assists in his sophomore campaign. And Adam Fantilli and Kent Johnson are even younger. The East feels so crowded that it's hard to say if last year's ninth-place finisher is going to muscle its way into the playoffs, but it's easy to talk yourself into the idea that Columbus is on the upswing.

William Eklund's path to the San Jose Sharks has been one of the most closely watched prospect journeys in the league. Drafted 7th overall by San Jose in the 2021 NHL Draft, he came into the organization with huge expectations as a future face of the franchise. After spending time developing in Sweden with Djurgårdens IF and splitting a couple of seasons between the Barracuda and the Sharks, Eklund finally became a full-time NHLer in 2023-24, and he didn't disappoint.

With its final choice of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft in Nashville, the Florida Panthers selected Belarusian forward Stepan Zvyagin in the seventh round (198th overall), a pick that originally belonged to the Arizona Coyotes, from the KHL's Dinamo Minsk organization. In 15 KHL games with Dinamo during his draft season, Zvyagin netted one goal. He was much more productive against his peer group, racking up 14 goals and 33 points in 37 games with Babruysk Dinamo-Shinnik of the MHL.

"To get out there and get the feel of things, there's obviously a lot of things to work on, maybe stay out of the box a bit," he said. "I thought it was a good start but a lot of work to put into my game."

The Orioles reached out to Cubs VP of scouting Dan Kantrovitz about a possible interview for their general manager opening, according to 670 The Score's Bruce Levine. However, it appears as though Kantrovitz declined the offer, as he isn't looking to leave the Cubs organization. Kantrovitz has over 21 years of baseball operations experience, split over stints with the Cardinals, Athletics, and Cubs.

The first thing you notice about Ravensbergen is his size. At 6'5", he's got that big modern goalie frame that eats up a ton of the net. That alone makes shooters think twice, but it's not just the size; he actually uses it well. He's not the type to flail around or make crazy desperation saves all the time. Instead, he stays pretty composed, relies on his positioning and just looks calm even when the play is breaking down in front of him.

Hard work does not always guarantee success, but it does always put you in the position to excel. August has been a good month on the diamond for former Texas A&M baseball standout Braden Montgomery. On Tuesday, the White Sox organization named the Double-A Birmingham outfielder as their Minor League Player of the Month for August. Montgomery has been tearing it up since being moved up at the beginning of August, becoming a doubles machine and flashing his glove in the outfield.

The problems continued this past season, when Havelid floundered with Linköping. In 19 games, he had just one point, and his development stagnated. Midway through the season, he was loaned to Djurgårdens IF in the second tier, and things seemed to come together for the defenseman. Havelid was placed on a team that included players like Victor Eklund and Anton Frondell. Combined, Djurgårdens IF won the league and was promoted back into the SHL. For Havelid, he scored 14 points in 18 games and found his confidence.

Ask any member of the Red Sox about Anthony and three themes emerge: His immense talent, his quiet confidence and an old-soul maturity uncommon for someone who couldn't legally drink until May 13. "He is probably the most mature 21-year-old, baseball-wise, I have ever been around in my life," Red Sox third baseman Alex Bregman said. "The moment is never too big for him."

Griffin has taken off like a meteor this season and his penchant for impact hasn't slowed down even despite a promotion to High-A. The 19-year-old has made significant strides in allaying concerns about his hit tool and approach, and the rest of his overall game has evaluators buzzing as they envision how his plus power, speed and at least above-average defense at two different positions could come together.