The Daily Briefing — March 3
By Morgan Davis · Tue Mar 03 2026
Quick Hits Andrew Painter threw two perfect innings Sunday in his spring debut against the Yankees. While that outing happened technically on March 1, MLB Pipeline's official Phillies ranking yesterday featured Painter at 28th overall, signaling confidence that his return from Tommy John surgery is real. The 22-year-old pounded the zone with a 96.8 mph fastball and showed off a nasty slider that fooled Jasson Domínguez for a strikeout. After three years away from Grapefruit League competition, Painter demonstrated the arm slot adjustments he worked on this offseason actually stuck. Nolan McLean is a consensus top 5 pitching prospect in baseball. The Mets' 24-year-old right-hander is currently 8th overall on our Top 100 . His postseason work last year cemented his status as the organization's de facto ace heading into 2026. A plus fastball, elite slider, and refined pitch sequencing make him dangerous. The Mets know they can't replace that production easily, which is why McLean remains the cornerstone of their pitching future despite the Brandon Sproat and Jett Williams trades. Aidan Miller 's back soreness is creating uncertainty heading into Phillies camp. Miller ranks 21st on our Top 100 list and it will be interesting to see if he slides at all with his recurring lower-back issues flareing up in camp this past weekend. Dave Dombrowski acknowledged nobody knows exactly what's causing the soreness, and there's real uncertainty about whether Miller plays in any Grapefruit League games. A player with that level of upside shouldn't be sidelined heading into March, yet here we are. Juan Sanchez is now the Blue Jays' power prospect to watch. The 17-year-old international signing dominated the Dominican Summer League dominance (56 games, .341 average, 1.004 OPS, eight home runs). He's currently ranked 12th on the Blue Jays Prospect List . Scouts are genuinely excited about the power potential here. He'll see full-season ball this summer and could crack the Top 100 by year's end if everything clicks. Stat of the Day Jack Wenninger struck out 147 batters in 135 and two-thirds innings at Double-A Binghamton last season for the Mets, pitching to a 2.92 ERA. Wenninger is ranked 4th on the Mets Top Prospects and 114th overall. The righthander saw some velocity gains (93-96 mph versus 91-94 the year prior) last season and has developed a 70-grade splitter. For a 24-year-old sixth-round pick, this trajectory is exactly what organizations dream about. Wenninger represents depth that could matter in New York's starting pitcher equation by mid-May. On the Radar Eli Willits , SS, Washington Nationals. The No. 1 overall pick from last June signed for 8.2 million dollars and made his professional debut last week. Willits projects as an everyday shortstop in the Majors and features a 60-grade hit tool, 60-grade run tool, and a switch-hitting profile. He's only 18 in a rebuilding organization, but don't sleep on this kid's progression—his hit and fielding ability could move him up quickly if the bat shows speed.