Spring Training Players to Monitor

Written By Paul Dika

Spring Training has finally arrived, and a flurry of news has come with it. A slew of notable names showed up to camp with elbow discomfort, sore obliques, and hamate bones in disarray. The season is just around the corner, but there is a lot to be determined in the next five weeks or so.

With rotation spots up for grabs and roster decisions to be made, the best ball landscape is set to see some movers and shakers amid camp and World Baseball Classic news. Here are a few situations I’m monitoring throughout March.

Pitcher

Connelly Early (239.1)

Early’s 2025 debut was very impressive, albeit in a small sample size. Still, the Red Sox turned to the 23-year-old to help their playoff push, and even handed him the ball for a Wild Card series start against the Yankees. In 19 innings, he punched out 29 hitters with an impressive 5.1 BB%.

Unfortunately, the Red Sox are loaded with pitching depth. With the acquisitions of Sonny Gray and Ranger Suarez, plus the anticipated return of rehabbing veterans Kutter Crawford and Patrick Sandoval, Early may be on the outside looking in. But both Crawford and Sandoval are coming back from major injuries, and some pitching options may be best served in a bullpen role. If a path for Early opens up, he’ll be a priority in almost every draft.

Jonah Tong (Undrafted)

Tong also made his major league debut in 2025, only three years after being selected in the 7th round by the Mets. He didn’t see the same type of success as Early, but Tong’s 25% strikeout rate is noteworthy.

His rapid ascension through the minors stems from his strikeout ability. Tong’s K% never dipped below 30%, and his stuff, paired with a Yesavage-like arm angle, makes for a uniquely challenging at-bat. Like most rookies, he’s buried on the depth chart, but that can change quickly.

Infield

Jordan Westburg (161.5)

The Orioles look poised to make noise after a big offseason that added Pete Alonso and Taylor Ward. Westburg figures to be a big part of their offence, if he can stay on the field. Unfortunately, he’s already dealing with a ‘mild’ oblique injury and is anticipated to miss a handful of Spring Training games.

I don’t like overreacting to a minor injury in February, but Westburg has yet to piece together a full season because of his poor health. However, when he is healthy, Westburg has produced strong numbers and slots into the middle of the Orioles’ lineup. If he can get through March unscathed and fully healthy to start the season, Westburg can provide a lot of value for teams at the back end of the draft board.

Munetaka Murakami (141.7)/Kazuma Okamoto (186.1)

Two of the most intriguing infield options in the pool will be getting their first taste of Major League action this season. Murakami brings a three-true-outcome skill set, with big power and big swing-and-miss, while Okamoto projects as a blend of power and contact.

What they look like in the Majors versus Japan is a big unknown, and it won’t be clear until they start playing games. But with the World Baseball Classic kicking off in a few weeks, they’ll have an opportunity to square off against the best the game has to offer. If either Murakami or Okamoto ball out for Japan, be prepared for their ADPs to skyrocket.

Outfield

Cam Smith (227.1)

Smith had all of 134 professional plate appearances before he debuted with the Astros. As the centrepiece of the Kyle Tucker trade, the 2024 14th overall selection held his own in his first full season, putting up a 90 wRC+. While the numbers themselves aren’t overly impressive, he’s only 23 and played 134 games while learning a completely new position.

With reports that Altuve will spend most of his time at second base and the trade of Jesus Sanchez for Joey Loperfido, the outfield alignment for the Astros is in question. Loperfido and Zach Cole are both older and have less pedigree than Smith, so there’s a path to regular playing time. If Smith can separate in Spring Training, it’ll be hard for the Astros not to find him everyday ABs.

Owen Caissie (237.2)

Cassie appeared ready to finally make an impact with the Cubs, that is, until he was traded to the Marlins for SP Edward Cabrera. Caissie is poised to get an extended run and has an opportunity to make an impact at the big league level after crushing it in the minors for several seasons.

The concern is that every Marlins outfielder is left-handed, and based on their projected bench, Miami may carry right-handed platoon bats for tough matchups. Caissie is less established than Kyle Stowers and Jakob Marsee so the rookie may be the odd one out in those situations. In any case, I’ll be paying close attention to Miami’s lineup construction as we get deeper into the spring.