As Spring Training gets into full swing across Florida and Arizona, the baseball world is already buzzing with early storylines that could shape the months ahead. From key players reporting to camp to potential injury concerns and the start of extension talks, here are three developments worth watching as teams ramp up for the 2026 season.
1. Full-Squad Workouts Begin for Final Few Clubs
While most teams are already deep into their Spring Training routines, a few clubs are just now hitting a key milestone: full-squad workouts. Today marks the first official day that position players and pitchers will be on the field together for the Rays in the Grapefruit League, and for the Guardians, Rockies, Brewers, and Mariners out in the Cactus League.
This is more than just a box to check-it’s the first real look at how new additions and returning players start to mesh. For Tampa Bay, Cedric Mullins is among the fresh faces in camp, bringing his speed and defensive range to a Rays outfield that could use both.
The Rockies are welcoming Jake McCarthy, whose versatility and athleticism could be a boost in the spacious outfield of Coors Field. And over in Peoria, the Mariners are getting their first full-squad look at Brendan Donovan, a player known for his defensive flexibility and contact skills, as well as the return of first baseman Josh Naylor, who re-upped with Seattle back in November.
These early workouts are where chemistry begins to form, and for teams with playoff aspirations-or even just questions to answer-this is where the tone of the season starts to take shape.
2. Pablo Lopez to Undergo MRI on Elbow
This is the kind of news no team wants to hear in mid-February: Pablo Lopez, one of the Twins’ most important arms, is headed for an MRI after experiencing elbow soreness. It’s an early red flag for a pitcher who has already dealt with his share of injuries, including a teres major strain and forearm issues last season.
When healthy, Lopez is a frontline-caliber starter-he’s got the pitch mix, the command, and the poise to anchor a rotation. But durability has been a recurring theme, and this latest setback could put Minnesota in a tough spot if it lingers. While there’s no official word yet on the severity or timeline, it’s a situation worth monitoring closely.
Should Lopez miss extended time, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Twins re-enter the pitching market. Names like Lucas Giolito and Zack Littell are still available, and Minnesota has already shown a willingness to be aggressive-they reportedly made a late push for Framber Valdez before he signed with the Tigers. For now, though, all eyes are on the results of that MRI.
3. Extension Season Heating Up
With most of the big free-agent dominoes already down and the trade market cooling off, front offices are shifting gears. This is the time of year when contract extensions start to take center stage, and we’re already seeing the first signs of that across the league.
The Dodgers wasted no time locking up Max Muncy to his fourth career extension earlier this month, keeping a key piece of their lineup in place. Meanwhile, the Padres extended president of baseball operations A.J. Preller, doubling down on their long-term vision for the franchise.
But the real intrigue lies in which players could be next. The Cubs have a few candidates in Nico Hoerner, Ian Happ, and Seiya Suzuki-players who’ve become core pieces in Chicago and could be in line for long-term deals.
The Mariners, too, might look to solidify their future by exploring extensions for J.P. Crawford or newly acquired Randy Arozarena.
And let’s not forget about the pre-arbitration crowd. The A’s kicked things off by signing Jacob Wilson to a spring extension, a reminder that this is prime time for teams to lock in young talent before arbitration years drive up the price.
Spring Training might just be getting started, but the storylines are already coming fast. Whether it’s key players reporting, rotation anchors facing health questions, or front offices working the phones on extensions, the groundwork for the 2026 season is already being laid-and every move now could have ripple effects come October.