English
Español2025 Season in Review: Justin Foscue
With the 2025 Texas Rangers season having come to an end, we shall be, over the course of the offseason, taking a look at every player who appeared in a major league game for the Texas Rangers in 2025.
Today we are looking at infielder Justin Foscue.
Not a great 2025 season for Justin Foscue.
In a year in which the Texas Rangers saw numerous position players go down — particularly in the final two months of the season — it seemed like there should have been opportunities for Justin Foscue to get a decent amount of major league playing time.
Instead, Foscue appeared in four major league games — two in June, two in July — going 1 for 9.
His one hit was a double, though. So that’s something.
And yet it was still an improvement over his time in the majors in 2024, when he had that ridiculous hitless streak and ended the year 2 for 42 with two walks. His 2025 OPS of 333 more than doubled his 2024 OPS of 162.
In case you are curious, Justin Foscue is currently sporting a career .059/.094/.098 major league slash line in 53 plate appearances.
What had to be particularly disappointing was that Foscue went backwards in AAA. Foscue has now spent three seasons with Round Rock, and after putting up an 862 OPS in 2023 and an 897 OPS in 2024, he dropped to 814 for the Express in 2025.
That’s a problem, particularly for a guy who is supposed to be a bat-first guy without a firm defensive position.
And so the clock is ticking for Justin Foscue. He is entering 2026 with one option year remaining. He needs to show that he can stay healthy — something he’s consistently failed to do as a pro — and that he can hit well enough to deserve a major league roster spot despite his defensive limitations.
It is worth noting that Foscue performed well against lefthanders in 2025, slashing .288/.367/.629 against them in 150 plate appearances. He slashing .265/.390/.500 against them in 2024, and .282/.415/.504 in 2023.
For a Texas Rangers team that needs a righthanded bench bat, someone who can platoon with Joc Pederson at DH, there’s an opportunity for Foscue this year to try to carve out a role as a righty bench bat. Of course, taking advantage of that opportunity requires him to stay healthy, and Foscue has already been sidelined this spring due to a hamstring strain.
The 2020 first round has been not terribly productive thusfar. Spencer Torklelson went first overall, and despite being a college bat who got an $8M plus bonus and was supposed to be close to major league ready, 2025 was his first decent season. The eight players selected immediately after him — Heston Kjerstad, Max Meyer, Asa Lacy, Austin Martin, Emerson Hancock, Nick Gonzales, Robert Hassell III, and Zac Veen — have all disappointed. Garrett Crochet and Pete Crow-Armstrong are easily the standouts of the 2020 first round, with Jordan Westburg, Reid Detmers, Patrick Bailey, Garrett Mitchell and Tyler Soderstrom also providing some value.
Interestingly, three of the top nine players taken in the first round that year are catchers — Bailey, Soderstrom, and Austin Wells.
There was a pandemic going on in the world that year, and so it shouldn’t exactly be surprising that that draft shook out kind of weird.
Previously:
Yankees Making the Team Meter: Round 1 of roster battles
For the first time since the spring training Grapefruit League slate began on February 20th, the New York Yankees will not play a baseball game today. Since we don’t have new Statcast data and game film to analyze, that makes today the perfect opportunity to kickstart what is, in my opinion, the best preseason series we do here at Pinstripe Alley: the annual Making the Team Meter.
For those new to Pinstripe Alley or who need a refresher: every year, we track the roster throughout the spring through this weekly series, helping fans keep pace with which players are most likely to break camp with the team. Here’s the key that we use:
As one can see, it’s fairly straightforward: red means that a player is almost certainly not going to make the roster, yellow tells us that a player has a shot if things break right, and green says, “We’ll see you in San Francisco for Opening Day on March 25th.”
Every spring, the pitching staff always generates the most discussion, and this year is no different. Heading into camp, the Yankees had a trio of starters already guaranteed to miss Opening Day — Gerrit Cole, Clarke Schmidt, and Carlos Rodón — while the bullpen has seen almost a complete makeover since last spring and will have several spots up for grabs. Since the start of camp, though, minor injuries may have put more spots in play, while multiple top prospects have captured a lot of attention with their performance on the mound.
Note that, within this list, I use the FanGraphs Depth Chart to decide whether to mark a pitcher as either a starter or a reliever. Because of this, several pitchers on the roster bubble — particularly prospects and non-roster invites — will be listed as starters to represent the fact that they will fill out the Scranton rotation; if they make the major league club, however, there’s a good chance they’ll work out of the bullpen. We’re also a little more lenient with the yellow ratings this early in camp because some names can truly come out of nowhere to make an impression. Call it the 2021 Lucas Luetge Principle.
The Yankees’ plan for the starting rotation has been clear for months. Max Fried will almost certainly get the ball on Opening Day, 2025 playoff phenom Cam Schlittler will get the ball behind him, and some combination of 2024 Rookie of the Year, new trade acquisition Ryan Weathers, and the second-year Will Warren will fill out the rotation behind them.
Although at the moment, I still expect that to be the case, two major wrenches have been thrown into the conversation. One, Schlittler was sidelined early in the spring due to back inflammation, and although manager Aaron Boone says that he will be ready to go Opening Day even if he’s only built up to 70-80 pitches instead of the normal 90-100 you’re looking for, until we see him pitch in a spring training game, we can’t mark him down as a certainty. And two, Elmer Rodriguez has looked electric in his two spring training starts, striking out five and walking just one in six innings of work; sure, he has a long way to go towards seizing a starting job out of camp, but as Joe Girardi said on the YES broadcast, Jordan Montgomery was able to do exactly that in 2017. How quickly Schlittler returns to the mound, and how Rodriguez looks in the World Baseball Classic, could upend our calculus on the Yankees’ rotation, and bears watching.
The bullpen, on the other hand, is much more unsettled. David Bednar will be the closer. Camilo Doval and Fernando Cruz will work the late innings in front of him. Tim Hill, Ryan Yarbrough, and Paul Blackburn will be there too (although it must be noted that any of the latter two could wind up in the rotation depending on injuries). That leaves two spots up for grabs. The early favorites are probably Jake Bird, who the Yankees acquired at last year’s Trade Deadline, Angel Chivilli (a more recent Rockies trade acquistion), and Cade Winquest, who they acquired in the Rule 5 Draft and thus must stay on the active roster all year. But at this point, it’s far too early to truly rule anybody out.
Anybody except the Yankees’ top pitching prospects, that is. Is the idea of putting Carlos Lagrange and his 103-mph fastball in the bullpen to start the year enticing? For sure. Would the Yankees much prefer to keep him working as a starter and possibly bring him up in, say, July or August, and unleash that 103-mph fastball in the starting rotation? Absolutely.
Next, let’s take a look at the catchers.
Last year was the first time in literal years that the Yankees had a true battle for the backup catcher job in spring training. This year, we once again now from the beginning of the spring who the Yankees’ main catchers are …albeit with a catch (rimshot). Austin Wells is the starter, certainly, and should he get hurt, J.C. Escarra will probably slide into the starting job. But will he be continuously rostered, or will the Yankees opt to use Ben Rice as the backup catcher to keep his bat in the lineup when they want to play Paul Goldschmidt against a tough lefty? It’s unlikely, as the Yankees have yet to give Rice any time behind the plate this spring, but it’s still early.
That being said, if Rice exclusively plays first base this week, then we can safely assume it’ll be Wells and Escarra. One can’t fully rule out a last-second trade acquisition either, like when the Yankees brought Jose Trevino aboard days before Opening Day 2022 to join Kyle Higashioka in a better tandem behind the plate than the in-house options of the moment.
Last, and certainly not least, we have the rest of the position players:
Let’s get one thing out of the way from the beginning. Yes, I love Spencer Jones’ moonshot home runs. Yes, the idea of him hitting behind/in front of Aaron Judge and giving opposing pitchers something truly scary to think about is really, really enticing. The truth is, though, he’s not making the Opening Day roster, and he may not even get the call-up to the Show this season. Jones has regularly performed well in spring training, only to strike out a ton in the minor leagues, and while there’s hope that his new Ohtani-esque batting stance may help him cut down on the K’s, we need to see it in action over a long period of time in Triple-A before we’ll even have a chance to see it in the Bronx. The contact issues simply need to improve in games that matter.
Moving on, let’s turn to the real drama: the bench. Once the Yankees re-signed Paul Goldschmidt, the bench immediately got crowded, as Amed Rosario, Oswaldo Cabrera, and Jasson Domínguez appeared to have the three non-catcher bench spots locked up; in fact, it was this jam that led to the speculation that the team could use Rice as the backup catcher, freeing up another spot. The last two weeks, however, have significantly changed this calculus.
For starters, barring an injury to Giancarlo Stanton or one of the outfielders, it seems likely that the Yankees will start the Martian in Triple-A Scranton so he can get everyday at bats against left-handed pitchers and regular reps in left field; reinforcing this inclination is the team’s recent decision to sign Randal Grichuk, a corner outfielder who has historically crushed southpaws, to a minor-league deal worth $2.5 million if he makes the team. Then, it was reported that Oswaldo Cabrera’s ankle hasn’t quite recovered to the point where they’re comfortable having him practice sliding, and he seems to be on track to start the season on the IL. And lastly, the organization has given Paul DeJong the number 18 — and while vets on minor-league deals don’t typically receive high numbers like prospects generally do, such a low number suggests the Yankees may be inclined to have him start the season as the starting shortstop. With Anthony Volpe out, the team doesn’t have a true backup shortstop to Caballero, as Rosario doesn’t seem like a viable option there anymore and the only other remote alternative with Cabrera injured is the standard third baseman Ryan McMahon.
Right now, FanGraphs lists the Yankees’ bench as Escarra, Goldschmidt, Rosario, and Grichuk, with the latter three serving as platoon partners of sorts with Rice, McMahon, and Trent Grisham, respectively. Brendan Kuty and Chris Kirschner of The Athletic have Escarra, Goldschmidt, Rosario, and Cabrera, seemingly believing that the utilityman will get up to speed in time — although it must be noted that their projection came before Grichuk’s addition. Both projections ignore Max Schuemann and Jorbit Vivas, a pair of infielders who may have a leg up in the roster battle because they’re already on the 40-man roster.
Personally, I think FanGraphs is likely right on the nose here; the Yankees can cover all infield positions besides shortstop with Rosario, and if McMahon takes reps at shortstop as reported, they won’t need to worry about carrying a dedicated backup to Caballero to start the season. This flexibility allows them to focus on their main need, a right-handed bat to balance out their very left-handed lineup. But it’s March 3rd, and Opening Day is March 25th — a lot always changes between now and then.
And that is where the Yankees roster stands coming into today. Do you agree with our assessments? Tune in again next week to see how things change after another week of game action.
Yankees' win total predicted to drop for Blue Jays, Orioles, Red Sox reason
New York needs a more consistent summer.
3 Nets takeaways from 106-102 loss to James Harden, Cavaliers
NEW YORK -- The Brooklyn Nets (15-45) are still looking for their first win coming out of the All-Star break, but they had a better chance of ending their losing streak with the Cleveland Cavaliers (38-24) missing Donovan Mitchell due to injury. Brooklyn came into the game dealing with two injuries to center Nic Claxton and rookie guard Egor Demin and it seems like the Nets could have used both of them.
The Netslost to the Cavaliers on Sunday 106-102 despite the fact that Brooklyn never trailed by more than 11 points as they had arguably their best effort since coming back from the break. Forward Michael Porter Jr. led the way for the Nets with 26 points and five rebounds while rookie forward Danny Wolf had 23 points and nine rebounds coming off the bench.
The main reason that the Cavaliers were able to emerge from this game with a victory was due to the efforts of guard James Harden (22 points, nine rebounds, eight assists) and center Jarrett Allen (20 points, six rebounds). Brooklyn was unable to come away from this game with their desired result, but they gave a much better effort. Here are three Nets takeaways from Sunday's loss to the Cavaliers:
Michael Porter Jr. Impacts Both Ends Of The Floor
Porter, who finished this game with 26 points (10-of-17 from the field, 5-of-8 from three-point land) and five rebounds, has clearly been the offensive engine for the Nets this entire season, but this game showed how impactful he can be on the defensive end when he's locked in. Porter used his length to get into the passing lanes and racked up three of Brooklyn's 10 steals against a Cavaliers team missing Donovan Mitchell.
Rookie Danny Wolf Impresses Off The Bench
Wolf has had some rough stretches this season while trying to provide some semblance of consistency off the bench as a rookie, but he has found his stride as of late. Coming off his best month of the season, Wolf had arguably his best game of the season against the Cavaliers after dropping 23 points, nine rebounds, and five assists in 27 minutes off the bench.
Grant Nelson Sparks Bench Unit
Nelson, playing in just his second game with Brooklyn after signing a 10-day contract with the club after spending the entire season in Long Island, came off the bench with quite the impact in his first stint on the floor. Nelson, who played 20 minutes for head coach Jordi Fernandez, dropped 11 points, four rebounds, one steal, and three blocks as he brought the kind of spark that the team is looking for in every game, especially one against a formidable opponent like the Cavaliers.
This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: 3 Nets takeaways from 106-102 loss to James Harden, Cavaliers
Lakers reportedly could battle with Knicks, Warriors for $149 million seven-time All-Star
Lakers reportedly could battle with Knicks, Warriors for $149 million seven-time All-Star originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Los Angeles Clippers’ 34-year-old star forward isn’t set to be a free agent until 2027.
The two-time NBA champion is in the midst of completing the second year of his three-year $149 million contract extension he inked with the Clippers in 2024, meaning a trade must be completed for him to leave Los Angeles this summer.
However, Yahoo Sports’ Tom Haberstroh believes there’s a world in which the Los Angeles Lakers could battle the Golden State Warriors and New York Knicks for the two-time NBA Finals MVP’s services this summer.
“Maybe it’s a case where Adam Silver levies some sort of punishment, whether it’s forcing Kawhi Leonard’s contract to be invalidated,” Haberstroh stated last Monday. And I think that would be one of the things that is on the table, because that is what David Stern did with the Joe Smith cap circumvention with the Minnesota Timberwolves decades ago.”
“The interesting thing on that is it provides a conundrum where I think if Kawhi Leonard is now a free agent, you’re now going to see a frenzy for his services, with the likes of the Lakers, with the likes of the Golden State Warriors, or the New York Knicks."
“They would try to go get Kawhi Leonard at this stage as a free agent. That would create more hysteria and chaos around the league.”
While Haberstroh’s idea is undoubtedly far-fetched, it isn’t completely out of the equation. If it somehow materializes, the Lakers could position themselves to sign the accomplished veteran after striking out on him in 2019 (he entered free agency after winning a title with the Toronto Raptors and eventually joined the Clippers).
Leonard’s two-way dominance when healthy would make him an ideal fit in JJ Redick’s system in Los Angeles. The San Diego State product is contributing 28.0 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 2.0 steals per game with the Clippers this season, shooting 49.4% from the field and 38.1% from three-point land in 44 contests.
If anything, Haberstroh’s report emphasizes the importance of closely monitoring Leonard’s situation in Los Angeles.
More NBA: Cavaliers acquire 6-foot-3 former Pacers star, two-time All-Star via G-League trade