Spring training has arrived. Camps across Arizona and Florida opened earlier this month, and this past weekend Cactus League and Grapefruit League games got underway. Thank goodness. I was so ready for this slog of an offseason to be over.
Spring games are meaningless but they are fun in their own way, mostly because they allow us to see players we usually don’t get to watch during the regular season. Top prospects, reclamation project veterans, and many other minor leaguers will rub elbows with the big-league team during exhibition games before heading to the minors at the end of March.
Then there are the non-roster invitees (NRIs). Those are players who will be in big-league camp despite not being on the 40-man roster. Some NRIs are top prospects, some are journeyman veterans, and others are somewhere in between. The big-league coaching staff will get a look at all of them.
Some NRIs are more interesting than others. Drake Baldwin and Nick Kurtz both went from NRI to Rookie of the Year last season. Three years ago, Brandon Pfaadt went from NRI to starting a World Series game. Inevitably, a few NRIs will make an impact in 2026. And, inevitably, some will have a big spring and then show it was a fluke in April. That’s baseball.
With spring training arriving and exhibition games heating up, let’s examine each team’s most interesting NRI. As a reminder, all players on the 40-man roster will automatically be in big-league camp, a group that includes top prospects like Andrew Painter (Phillies) and outfielder Emmanuel Rodriguez (Twins). Here now are the top NRIs to watch.
One of the game’s biggest breakout prospects a year ago, Waldschmidt slashed .289/.419/.473 with 18 home runs and nearly as many walks (96) as strikeouts (106) while splitting time between High Class-A and Double-A. Other than the great Corbin Carroll (who’s now injured), Arizona’s outfield is lacking at the moment. Passing Waldschmidt over Triple-A entirely and putting him on the MLB roster may be unlikely but it can’t be ruled out. Making such a rapid ascent and skipping Triple-A would be reminiscent of a similar former D-back with righty power and a polished approach: Paul Goldschmidt.
(Sacramento) Athletics: SS Leo De Vries
The prize of the Mason Miller trade, De Vries is on the short list of the game’s top prospects and is a borderline prodigy. He reached Double-A as an 18-year-old last summer and hit .281/.359/.551 with five home runs in 21 games at that level. Incumbent shortstop Jacob Wilson just signed a long-term extension, but third base is wide open. Would the A’s really carry De Vries on the Opening Day roster? I don’t think so, but reaching the big leagues as a 19-year-old later this year is a distinct possibility. Either way, De Vries will be must-watch television this spring. Lefties Jamie Arnold and Gage Jump are other touted A’s prospects to keep tabs on this spring, especially given the club’s pitching needs.
The Braves push their pitching prospects as aggressively as any team, and Ritchie is knocking on the door of the big leagues less than four years after being drafted out of high school. He logged a healthy 140 innings last year and reached Triple-A, pitching to a 2.64 ERA with 140 strikeouts. Similar to Spencer Schwellenbach, Ritchie stands out for his advanced pitching know-how and deep seven-pitch arsenal. It is a near certainty he will make starts for the Braves at some point in 2026.
De León has some of the best pure stuff in the minors and is maybe Baltimore’s best chance to develop their own top-of-the-rotation starter. The 22 year old reached Double-A last season, striking out 107 batters with a 3.30 ERA in 87 ⅓ innings along the way. His ground ball rate also approached 60%, which is elite. De León has some control issues (what young pitcher doesn’t?), but upper-90s gas from the left side and two bat-missing secondaries (slider and splitter) will play. He’s an exciting young pitcher who could help the Orioles later this year.
Although they have a strong farm system, the Red Sox have a fairly boring NRI list because so many of their best prospects are already on the 40-man roster (Connelly Early, Payton Tolle, Tyler Uberstine, etc.). Romero, the club’s first-round pick in 2022, gets the nod here almost by default. He slugged 33 doubles and 17 home runs between Double-A and Triple-A last year, albeit with a .300 on-base percentage. Recent additions Caleb Durbin and Isiah Kiner-Falefa crowd the Red Sox infield but, with a good spring, Romero can put himself on the radar for a call up later this year.
Innings eaters aren’t really a thing anymore, but Wiggins looks the part at 6-foot-6 and 225 pounds. He tore through three minor-league levels last season, pitching to a 2.19 ERA with 97 strikeouts in 78 innings around a bout of arm fatigue. Wiggins reached Triple-A and his fastball, which regularly touched 100 mph last season, is one of the best in the minors. He works with a slider and a changeup, and is one of the most exciting and highest upside pitching prospects in the game. I’m not sure how likely it is Wiggins will make his MLB debut in 2026, but if he does, he could have Cade Horton-like impact.
Along with catcher Kyle Teel, Montgomery was the co-headliner in the Garrett Crochet trade with the Red Sox. Teel took over as the team’s starting catcher last year and Montgomery’s not too far away from joining him on the South Side. Last year, Montgomery, the No. 12 pick in the 2024 Draft, slashed .270/.360/.444 with 34 doubles and 12 home runs, and reached Double-A. Figure another 2-4 months of fine-tuning in the minors and Montgomery will be in a big leaguer. Noah Schultz and Hagen Smith, Chicago’s two prized lefty pitching prospects, will both be in camp as NRIs as they look to rebound from down/injury-interrupted seasons.
The Reds do not have the most exciting NRI list this spring, partly because so many of their best young players are already on the 40-man roster (Chase Burns, Sal Stewart, etc.). Unless you’re still enamored with Tejay Antone‘s top 1% stuff (when healthy), Collier is the guy here. The No. 18 pick in the 2022 Draft posted a .391 on-base percentage in 95 games last year and reached Double-A, but hit only four home runs. Collier’s disjointed lower half mutes his power output despite some pretty serious exit velocity. If he can ever iron out his swing mechanics and gain consistency, Collier could explode as a prospect in short order.
Two years ago, the Guardians won the draft lottery and used the first No. 1 overall pick in franchise history on Bazzana. A serious quad injury limited him to 84 games last year, and his performance was good rather than great (.245/.389/.424), though he remains highly regarded and a future cornerstone piece for the Guardians. Bazzana reached Triple-A last year and the middle infield is wide open in Cleveland. He’ll be a big leaguer sooner rather than later. Notable: Bazzana will play for Australia in the World Baseball Classic. He might get more at-bats in the WBC than he would in spring training games however long he’s gone, and it will certainly be a more competitive environment.
It is interesting that the Rockies listed Condon, their top prospect, as an outfielder on their spring training roster. He played 74 of his 121 minor-league games at first base last season, with a few games at third and in left field. Colorado’s first basemen were “worth” minus-3.1 WAR last year and they’re not locked into anyone at the position. There’s a clear lane for Condon to join the big-league team and fairly soon, though it seems they’re going to try him as an outfielder. Of course, being listed at a certain position on a spring training roster doesn’t mean much. The Rockies could play Condon at first base the next few weeks. If you’re going to try the outfield though, spring training is the time to do it. Hmmm.
The case can be made McGonigle, the game’s top prospect, should have been up late last season to help Detroit’s postseason push. He wasn’t though, so he will be in camp as an NRI. Now 21, McGonigle hit .305/.408/.583 with 19 home runs and more walks (59) than strikeouts (46) while climbing from High Class-A to Double-A last season. He should make his MLB debut this coming season, if not make the Opening Day roster. Detroit’s prospect-laden NRI list also includes outfielder Max Clark and catcher Josue Briceño.
The Astros do not have a great farm system and many of their better prospects are already on the 40-man roster, so their NRI list is mostly journeyman types. Janek, the No. 28 pick in the 2024 Draft, had a solid enough season a year ago, slashing .263/.333/.433 with 12 homers and 30 steals in 92 High Class-A games. He’s a defense-first catcher with soft hands and a rocket arm that makes him the rare backstop worth watching for his glovework. Hard-throwing ground ball specialist Alimber Santa is another NRI to watch. He figures to find himself in Houston’s bullpen at some point this summer.
Kansas City will have three recent first rounders in camp (Gavin Cross, Blake Mitchell, Frankie Mozzicato), though I’m most interested to see Sanchez, who is a decade removed from his peak with the Blue Jays. Now 33, Sanchez did not pitch in 2025, though he was excellent in the Dominican Winter League these last few weeks (1.55 ERA in 46 ⅓ innings) and showed lively stuff that still looked to be MLB caliber. Sanchez has not pitched in the big leagues since 2022. I’m a sucker for a good comeback story and plan to keep an eye on him this spring.
No team pushes their top prospects as aggressively as the Angels and if Bremner, the No. 2 pick in the 2025 Draft, pitches well this spring, he could win an Opening Day roster spot. Ryan Johnson did it last year: the 2024 second-round pick won a big-league job last spring despite zero games in the minors. Bremner can bring it — he’s up to 98 mph with his fastball and his changeup is one of the best pitches in the minors — plus he has above-average control. He has the talent and a path to doing what Johnson did last season, and jump essentially from college to MLB with a good spring.
The Dodgers have won the last two World Series and they also have arguably the best farm system in baseball. Their impressive NRI group includes outfielder Zyhir Hope and lefty Jackson Ferris, who wouldn’t be out of place as an organization’s No. 1 prospect. Instead, we’ll highlight De Paula, who is a cut above those two after running a .391 on-base percentage at (mostly) High Class-A in 2025. He doesn’t have a chance to break camp with the big-league team, which makes getting eyes on him this spring is all the more important. De Paula will disappear into the minors come April. He is on the short list of the game’s most talented, most tantalizing prospects and he has only scratched the surface of his ability.
Although fellow lefty Thomas White is the more highly regarded prospect, Snelling is considered more MLB-ready after his success in Triple-A, including a walk rate that was about half of White’s. The Marlins picked up Snelling in the Tanner Scott trade with the Padres at the 2024 deadline and the Edward Cabrera and Ryan Weathers trades leave a wide-open path to open 2026 in the big-league rotation. White, who will also be in camp as an NRI, will surely see MLB action at some point this coming season too. Snelling is a much better bet to log substantial big-league time. He’s a sneaky Rookie of the Year candidate.
Shortstop Jesús Made is the better prospect (and one of the best in baseball) and will be in camp as an NRI, but we’ll go with Williams, the headliner in the Freddy Peralta trade with the Mets. Soon after the trade, he told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel he will focus on shortstop this spring after spending time at second base and in center field in the minors. Williams is Brewers-sized (listed at 5-foot-7) and he’s coming off a .261/.363/.465 slash line with 17 home runs and 34 steals between Double-A and Triple-A in 2025. I wouldn’t call it likely, but there is a chance Williams wins a job outright in spring training, especially after the Caleb Durbin trade opened an infield spot. I expect Williams to make his MLB debut this coming season one way or another.
The injury issues that plague Minnesota’s top players (Byron Buxton and Royce Lewis, most notably) unfortunately extend to the minors. Jenkins, the No. 5 pick in the 2023 Draft, has yet to play 85 games in a season and it’s a fairly long list of injuries. An ankle sprain last year, quad and hamstring injuries in 2024, plus a broken hamate and hip surgery in high school. When healthy though, Jenkins is awfully exciting. He’s a legitimate five-tool talent who looks the part in a uniform. The 20 year old reached Triple-A last year and hit .286/.399/.451 with 10 homers and 17 steals in 84 games. Jenkins could reach Minnesota this summer even after missing all that time with injuries.
The Mets left a wide-open lane for Benge to win the left field job this spring. New York’s top position player prospect climbed from High Class-A to Triple-A in his first pro season and slashed .281/.385/.472 with 15 home runs and 22 stolen bases along the way. Benge’s 24-game Triple-A cameo didn’t go great (.583 OPS), but he didn’t strike out excessively and posted strong contact quality data (exit velocity, etc.), so it’s not too worrisome. A job is there for Benge to win this spring.
The Yankees will have just about all their top prospects in big-league camp either as 40-man roster players (Spencer Jones and Elmer Rodríguez) or NRIs (Lagrange, Ben Hess, George Lombard Jr.). Lagrange is the headliner here as one of the hardest throwers in the minors. He hit 103 mph at times last year and made big strides with his slider and changeup, hence 168 strikeouts in 120 innings. There is no room for Lagrange on the Opening Day roster. There’s a chance, albeit a small one, he comes up later this year and does what Cam Schlittler did for the Yankees last season.
The Phillies have all but confirmed Crawford, the son of longtime big leaguer Carl Crawford, will be their center fielder this coming season. The 22-year-old hit .334/.411/.452 with 46 steals in a full season at Triple-A last year, though chronically high ground ball rates limit his offensive upside and create questions about how he’ll handle MLB-caliber pitching. Infielder Aidan Miller is the superior prospect and he’ll be an NRI as well, but Crawford is more important to Philadelphia’s 2026 success, so he’s the pick here.
Griffin, the No. 9 pick in the 2024 Draft, is one of the very best prospects in the minors. He authored a .333/.415/.527 line with 21 home runs and 65 steals last season, and reached Double-A as a 19 year old. If you take them at their word, the Pirates intend to give Griffin a chance to win their shortstop job this spring. He would be the first teenager to appear in a big-league game since Elvis Luciano and Juan Soto in 2019. Termarr Johnson, the No. 4 pick in 2022, is another young Pirate to watch this spring.
The Nolan Arenado and Brendan Donovan trades clear the way for Wetherholt to make the Opening Day roster, or at least spend most of the season in the big leagues. The No. 7 pick in the 2024 Draft slashed .306/.421/.510 with 17 home runs and 23 steals last year, reaching Triple-A. He’s also a strong defender who would play shortstop for St. Louis if not for Masyn Winn. Outfielder Chase Davis and lefty Quinn Mathews are other top Cardinals prospects who will be in camp as NRIs.
Top catcher prospect Ethan Salas, who feels like he’s been around forever but is still only 19, will be in big-league camp as an NRI. So will lefty Jagger Haynes, who should make his MLB debut at some point this summer. We’re going to highlight McKenzie as a change-of-scenery guy here. It wasn’t too long ago that he looked like one of the top young pitchers in the sport, though injuries and ineffectiveness have derailed him the last few years. San Diego’s rotation behind Michael King, Joe Musgrove, and Nick Pivetta is the land of opportunity. If McKenzie pitches well this spring and looks anything like the 2022 version of himself, there will be room for him on the Opening Day roster.
The Giants discovered Davidson as an undrafted player at a junior college in North Carolina and he’s since blossomed into one of their best prospects. He reached Double-A last year and hit .281/.376/.468 with 19 home runs and 19 steals in 14 games, and posted some pretty big exit velocities. Davidson is also a gifted defensive outfielder. San Francisco’s big-league outfield is full (Harrison Bader, Jung Hoo Lee, Heliot Ramos) and Davidson will need more time in Double-A and at least some time in Triple-A, but he’s an awfully exciting prospect, and quite a find for San Francisco’s scouting department.
The Mariners have one of the game’s top farm systems and it shows in their NRI list. Emerson will join fellow top prospects Kade Anderson, Michael Arroyo, Jonny Farmelo, and Lazaro Montes in big-league camp. Even after the Brendan Donovan trade, the Mariners have an open infield spot, and the team has indicated Emerson will be given a chance to win it despite playing only six career games in Triple-A. He slashed .285/.383/.458 with 16 home runs while climbing three levels last season and, even if he doesn’t win a job this spring, chances are we’ll see Emerson make his MLB debut at some point in 2026.
The key piece in the Randy Arozarena trade with the Mariners, Hopkins is a classic Rays pitcher in that he has a funky delivery/arm angle and nasty blow-you-away stuff. The fastball has touched 100, the cutter jams lefties inside, and the changeup and curveball consistently miss bats. Hopkins has some control issues and his full-effort delivery and aggressive mentality seem better suited for the bullpen. Count on the Rays maximizing his production however they use him. Hopkins spent the entire 2025 season in Double-A and struck out 141 batters in 116 innings. The Rays probably won’t carry him on their Opening Day roster. It would be an upset if we don’t see him in the big leagues at some point in 2026 though.
Sebastian Walcott’s elbow surgery takes the excitement out of an NRI group that is otherwise filled with journeymen and Grade-C prospects. We’ll instead highlight Sborz, who was a key bullpen piece during the Rangers’ World Series run in 2023. That includes getting the final seven outs of the Game 5 clincher. Injuries, including shoulder surgery, have limited Sborz to only 39 innings in the two years since, and 27 of those 39 were minor-league rehab innings. He is healthy now though and will compete for a bullpen spot this spring. The Rangers did not do much to reinforce a bullpen that was middle of the pack last year. If Sborz looks anything like the 2023 version of himself, he’ll give Texas a big lift.
Infielder Arjun Nimmala is Toronto’s best prospect not on the 40-man roster, but Stanifer is the guy here because he is more likely to contribute to the 2026 Blue Jays. A 19th-round pick in 2022, Stanifer reached Double-A last year and struck out 35.5% of the batters he faced, the second-highest strikeout rate among the 288 players to throw at least 100 innings in the minors. The Blue Jays are developing Stanifer as a starter, though his long-term future may be in the bullpen. Either way, we’ll see his fastball/slider/changeup package in spring training and potentially in the big leagues later this year.
Washington’s top two pitching prospects, Jarlin Susana and Travis Sykora, are working their way back from injuries and won’t see any meaningful spring training action, even though they will be in camp as NRIs. That makes King, the No. 10 pick in the 2024 Draft, the guy to watch this spring. He did not have a great regular season a year ago, hitting only .244/.294/.337 at mostly Double-A. King mashed in the Arizona Fall League though (.359/.468/.563) and appeared to make progress reining in his swing and not selling out for power. There’s a chance, albeit a small one, things really click this summer and King makes his MLB debut later in the season.
