Spring Training Prospect Report - February 23, 2026

Ah, can you smell it? The smell of fresh-cut grass and the dirt of the diamond. Baseball is back, and it is a beautiful sight. Spring Training games have kicked off, and we are here to break down everything you need to know regarding the top prospect performers from the previous day’s action.

What prospects are standing out? Who is making noise? Who could break camp with teams? Let’s discuss what you need to know!

Exit Velocity Leaders(Prospects Only)

Whiff Leaders(Prospects Only)

Spring Training Prospect Watch

🚀 Standout of The Day

Mick Abel, RHP, Minnesota Twins

Stats: 3 IP/2 H/0 ER/0 BB/5 K

Notable Data: 12 Whiffs(7 on four-seam FB), 32% Chase, 63% Strike

Why The Performance Matters:

Abel took the ball and faced off against the 2024 and 2025 CY Young winner, Tarik Skubal, and honestly outpitched him. The Tigers ran out a lineup that resembled what we will likely see come Opening Day, and Abel gave up just two hits across three innings of work. He struck out five, did not issue a walk, and needed just 46 pitches to get through the three innings.

The 12 whiffs were a daily best across all pitchers in baseball, and seven of those came on the four-seam fastball. Abel mixed six pitches and generated a whiff with all of them but his sinker, which he threw just once. The 52 percent whiff rate and 39 percent CSW stand out in a huge way.

Abel took a massive step forward with command last season and saw his fastball velocity tick back up. Across 98.1 Triple-A innings, Abel posted a 2.20 ERA with a 1.11 WHIP, a substantial difference from the 6.46 ERA we saw in 2024. Abel also made his MLB debut with the Phillies before being traded to Minnesota at the 2025 deadline for Jhoan Duran. In 39 MLB innings between both teams, Abel posted an uninspiring 6.23 ERA, but the arm talent is there.

Abel’s fastball works around 96 mph and has tops at 99 mph with solid traits. The bat-missing has ticked up on the pitch, and Abel is creating more than 16 inches of IVB from a 5'6" release height. The flat VAA stands out in a big way, and Abel also creates eight inches of horizontal movement while having exceptional spin rates and active spin. The sinker plays well off it, giving him the ability to get groundball outs when needed.

The slider averages around 87 mph with a gyro shape, but is almost close to bullet spin. While it has missed plenty of bats, the sweeper might be even better. It sits around 83 mph, and yesterday showed more carry than we saw last season, and it averaged 16 inches of sweeping action.

Abel did throw his changeup more than we saw last year, and it looks much improved. It has more depth while still having ten inches of fading action. It sits around 87 mph. The arsenal was strong yesterday and Abel should see a ton of quality innings in the Majors this year. He is a solid buy in redraft and dynasty for me. -CC

Fantasy Spin:

Abel was roughed up in his MLB debut last season, but has the arm talent to be very solid starting pitcher. Expect Able to likely start in Triple-A, but he should be up quick and could be a staple in the rotation.

Today’s Article is nearly 4,000 words on everything you need to know prospect wise. Subscribe below for full access and all the other great things we offer on the site!

Join the Dynasty Dugout, Trusted by Thousands