Spring training stars don't always shine when the regular season lights come on—and Nick Senzel's journey is the latest reminder of that harsh reality. The Triple-A Oklahoma City Comets made the difficult call to release the third baseman on Monday after a rocky start to the 2026 season.
Senzel's path to this point has been a rollercoaster. He joined the Dodgers organization on a minor league deal midway through 2025, quickly climbing from Double-A Tulsa to Triple-A Oklahoma City after less than a week. Across 99 games at both levels, he showed promise with a .749 OPS, 12 home runs, and 66 RBIs.
That promise carried into spring training 2026, where Senzel turned heads in Dodgers camp. The infielder posted an eye-popping 1.062 OPS over 20 Cactus League games, launching three homers and driving in 11 runs. Even more impressive? He walked more than he struck out—a sign of plate discipline that scouts love to see.
But baseball can be unforgiving. Despite that stellar preseason performance, Senzel didn't crack the Opening Day roster. Back in Triple-A to start the season, the magic vanished. Through 23 games with Oklahoma City, his OPS plummeted to just .545, a stark contrast to the player who had dominated in Arizona just weeks earlier.
This isn't Senzel's first taste of adversity. Drafted second overall by the Cincinnati Reds in 2016, he debuted in the majors in 2019 and played at least 100 games in three of his five seasons with the club. But consistency eluded him—he posted a -1.7 bWAR and a .671 OPS across 377 games in Cincinnati. After a 2023 season marred by injuries and a demotion to the minors, he elected free agency.
The Washington Nationals gave him a big-league contract in December 2023, but the struggles continued. A .663 OPS in 64 games led to his release in July 2024. His last MLB stop came with the historically bad 2024 Chicago White Sox, who signed him for just 10 games before designating him for assignment.
Now 30 years old, Senzel faces another crossroads. His spring training brilliance proved he still has the talent to compete at a high level. But translating that into regular-season success has been a challenge that's followed him throughout his career. Somewhere, a team might see the potential in a former top prospect who just needs the right opportunity to rediscover his form.
What do you think—will another organization take a chance on Nick Senzel? And if so, which team could be the one to help him finally unlock that potential?