While yesterday was a light day for prospect action across the sport, Baseball America’s Josh Norris patrolled the backfields in Arizona to see two intriguing pitching prospects. Here’s what he saw.

Gage Jump, LHP, Athletics: Jump was one of the breakout stars of last summer. In his first test as a pro, the LSU alum rung up 131 strikeouts in 112.1 innings while rising from High-A to Double-A with a stop at the Futures Game in between. In one of his final tuneups before attempting an encore, Jump was outstanding over five innings in a backfield game against the Diamondbacks.

Armed with a varied mix fronted by a fastball that peaked at 98 and an array of offspeed pitches that included a slider, a sweeper, a changeup and a curveball, Jump racked up seven strikeouts and drew 13 whiffs before yielding to the bullpen. Jump is expected to begin the year with Triple-A Las Vegas, according to MLB.com’s Martin Gallegos, but if the start to his season looks anything like he did on Wednesday, he could push for the big leagues in short order.

Nate Snead, RHP, Angels: Although they rank near the bottom of BA's organizational rankings, it's clear the Angels have more than a few talented pitchers ready to matriculate up the ranks. That much was clear in the team's Spring Breakout game, when a quintet of their best arms—save for Tyler Bremner and Chase Shores—punched out 11 against the Guardians. One of those pitchers was Snead, and he was at it again on Wednesday in a nighttime tilt on the backfields against the Rockies.

Over four innings, the Tennessee fireballer—one of a host of Knoxville-bred heatmakers in recent years—used a mix of four-seam, two-seam and cut fastballs in concert with a slider and a curveball to flummox Colorado's High-A roster. One fastball bore so hard in on a hitter's hands that he managed to foul it off his own face. Another lost his bat completely while trying to catch up to a high heater. By the time four innings had concluded, Snead had struck out eight and coaxed nine empty swings. He's likely ticketed for High-A but could move quickly through the system.

Prospect Essentials

Pro baseball is back! Big league action kicks off in earnest Thursday, with Triple-A games and, eventually, the rest of the minors not far behind. Whether you’ve been following along all offseason or you’re getting up to speed on the next wave of talent, here’s everything you need to know heading into the 2026 season.

Flagship Prospect Coverage

• Top 100 Prospects

• Top 30 Prospects For Every Team

• 10 More Prospects To Know In Every System

• Breakout Prospects For Every Team in 2026

• One Sleeper Prospect For Every Team In 2026

Fantasy Baseball

• Top 500 Dynasty Rankings

• Top 500 Fantasy Prospects

• Find all of our sleepers, Statcast standouts & more

Latest Spring Training Intel

• Opening Day Assignments For Top 100 Prospects

• Billy Carlson’s Growth, Rising Reds Prospects | Arizona Intel

• Red Sox Arms Show Huge Upside On Backfields | Florida Intel

• Braves, Pirates Top 100 Arms Impress Early | Florida Intel

• Why Rockies Prospect Roldy Brito Is Gaining Steam | Arizona Intel

• 10 Pitching Prospects Showing Velo Gains

Baseball America’s MLB Preview

Below, you’ll find our World Series picks, as well as American and National League standings projections and a rundown of more 2026 predictions.

World Series Predictions

We'll begin by asking each of our participating staffers who will win it all this season. Here are their choices:

• Ben Badler: Dodgers over Tigers in 6

• Jesús Cano: Dodgers over Mariners in 7

• Mark Chiarelli: Mariners over Dodgers in 6

• Carlos Collazo: Blue Jays over Mets in 7

• J.J. Cooper: Dodgers over Mariners in 6

• Ian Cundall: Dodgers over Mariners in 6

• Matt Eddy: Mariners over Dodgers

• Josh Norris: Mariners over Mets in 7

• Geoff Pontes: Blue Jays over Braves in 5

• Jacob Rudner: Dodgers over Blue Jays in 7

AL & NL Standings Previews

And here's how our staff projects AL and NL standings to shake out for 2026:

AL Champion: Mariners (6), Blue Jays (3), Tigers (1)
NL Champion: Dodgers (7), Mets (2), Braves (1)

MLB Predictions

• Which Team Had The Best Offseason Entering 2026?

• Which Team Had The Most Disappointing Offseason Entering 2026?

• Which Team Will Be The Biggest Surprise Of 2026?

• 9 Breakout Pitchers To Watch In 2026

• 9 Breakout Hitters To Watch In 2026

• What Will Be The Biggest MLB Storylines In 2026?

• 9 Players Who Will Bounce Back In 2026

• AL Awards: MVP, Cy Young & Rookie of the Year

• NL Awards: MVP, Cy Young & Rookie of the Year

MLB Power Rankings

Baseball America’s preseason MLB power rankings grade every team on the 20-80 scouting scale while also highlighting key rookies and Top 100 Prospects for each org. Read more…

Top MLB Rookies

We make the case for—and against— the top 20 players who figure to factor into the AL and NL rookie of the year awards in 2026. Read more...

Matt Eddy explains why this year’s rookie class could be one of the best ever. Read more…

Here are the 19 PPI-eligible rookies who made Opening Day rosters. Read more…

Quick Hits

Prospect news and notes from around baseball…

• Astros outfielder Zach Cole will open the season in Triple-A.

• After a brief injury scale, Orioles rookie outfielder Dylan Beavers (knee) is expected to be ready to go for Opening Day.

In Case You Missed It