Fantasy Baseball Spring Training Roundup (3/14)

Spring training is a wild time for fantasy baseball players, as we see considerable overreactions to tiny sample sizes, changes in player value due to velocity jumps or drops and other big swings.

So as we head toward the start of the 2024 MLB season, we’re going to go around all the news from baseball to analyze what matters for fantasy. We aim to cover notable news, value changes or other valuable nuggets. We’ve got you covered.

2024 Fantasy Baseball Spring Training Roundup (3/14)

AL East

Baltimore Orioles: Samuel Basallo (C/1B)

Look, enough with the Orioles prospects already. Jackson Holliday hit a grand slam and has all but won the Opening Day job despite it only being the second week of March. Colton Cowser might be a top-five hitter this spring. Jordan Westburg keeps hitting home runs. Coby Mayo and Kyle Stowers will undoubtedly hit 500-foot HRs if they can ever crack the lineup. And now there is Samuel Basallo, who made his spring debut Monday, and deserves a paragraph all to himself. 

He is astounding. Only 19 years old and already a top-10 prospect in some places, Basallo has true 70-grade power and once he matures a bit, would be an absolute fantasy dynamo if he can catch just enough to both spell Adley Rutschman and gain C eligibility, he will be an asset you want to own heavily. 

Tampa Bay Rays: Junior Caminero (SS/3B), Taj Bradley (SP)

The Rays sent possibly their best hitter down to minor league camp. So while this takes a bit of the luster off of Junior Caminero in redraft, I wouldn’t move him down too far, and it wouldn’t change my opinion of him at all in dynasty, he’s still very much a top target. 

As for Taj Bradley, he was the one young Rays star to come out of last year unscathed with respect to injury, and this spring he has looked excellent, but has found himself amongst the injured as well. You’ll want to monitor this one extremely closely, as Bradley has amazing potential, but Rays pitchers have been particularly susceptible to injury (Shane McClanahan, Jeffrey Springs, Shane Baz and Drew Rasmussen come to mind). For now, the pec injury will be shut down from throwing for two weeks and will need to be built back up before he can rejoin the rotation. Probably looking at a late April/early May return best case, but rarely do we get the best case with Rays pitchers. 

New York Yankees: Gerrit Cole (SP)

Gerrit Cole is missing some time, that much we know. He’s also going to see Dr. Neal ElAttrache, which is never what you want. It sounds like it probably isn’t a UCL, but if you want to jump into the speculation game, at least let a guy with an actual medical degree be your guide (below). Or don’t! Mainly don’t take Cole in your drafts unless you have an extreme appetite for risk and are getting an extreme discount relative to market.

Toronto Blue Jays: Nate Pearson (SP), Ernie Clement (2B/3B)

Nate Pearson has been working on a splitter this spring, and it is apparently starting to pay some dividends (see tweet below). He’s not an OC draft target and he’s barely a DC draft target with an ADP in the 700s, but this improvement with a new pitch might make him worth a flier.

Ernie Clement has done nothing but hit all spring, and he is deserving of a roster spot even though it isn’t readily apparent where exactly he would play. But if hitting .400 and not striking out in 26 PAs doesn’t get you a roster spot, I don’t know what will. You could do worse than Clement as a late-round DC guy who will inevitably end up with some MPE.

Boston Red Sox: Lucas Giolito (SP)

Lucas Giolito has opted for internal brace surgery, which I guess is not as devastating as TJ, but will still miss the entirety of the 2024 season. In any event, he should be off your boards entirely for 2024 and massively downgraded in dynasty.

AL Central

Kansas City Royals: Nick Loftin (IF)

The expectations were, well, lofty, for the Royals infielder this spring, and he has more than risen to meet them. Perhaps most impressive is the 6 walks in only 23 PAs, but it is also definitely at least interesting that he also only has 3 K’s and has hit .353 in that same span. The Royals are also not supposed to be very good this season and will regularly be trotting out guys like Michael Massey and Nick Pratto, so if Nick Loftin continues his hot-hitting ways into May or June, it will no doubt force the issue. A bit old to be considered a prospect at 25, Loftin is more steak than sizzle, as evidenced by his mid-600s ADP despite the outstanding spring performance. Take the discount on him while you can. 

Cleveland Guardians: Triston McKenzie (SP)

Triston McKenzie has shoved so far in both outings this spring, and if all three of he, Shane Bieber and Tanner Bibee put it all together and stay healthy simultaneously, look out. The Guardians are going to be in the discussion for one of the better front lines of starting pitching in the AL. Here is McKenzie being lanky and mowing down Dodgers hitters, like he does.

Detroit Tigers: Jackson Jobe (Howitzer)

If you have an internet connection, you have likely seen the clip of Jackson Jobe throwing 102 and blowing hitters away. You knew Jobe was good of course, but it is another thing entirely to see it come to fruition like that. While I’m high on Jobe long term, and I think he can be the next great home-grown Tigers ace, he has all of 6 innings in AA under his belt and is only 21, it truly wouldn’t make sense for a non-competitive team to rush his development. 

Chicago White Sox: Dylan Cease (SP)

Dylan Cease is now on the Padres… and for what it’s worth, the return is excellent. They didn’t get Dylan Lesko, but getting Drew Thorpe, Jairo Iriarte and Samuel Zavala is pretty major stuff. Thorpe and Iriarte are more or less ready now. Zavala is young but has a ton of upside if he can figure out how to make consistent contact. I’m amused at the level of competency from the White Sox here, you don’t often see it.

Minnesota Twins: Austin Martin (OF)

While there may have been some hope left among the folks who follow prospects closely that Austin Martin land an Opening Day gig, the writing was on the wall when the Twins traded for Manuel Margot that there just wouldn’t be enough PAs to go around to have it make sense for Martin to start the season in the Twin Cities. We’ll want to pay close attention to what he does in AA to start the season though, as a hot start combined with a Byron Buxton injury (I’m not rooting for this, but some things are just more inevitable than we’d like to think) could mean an opening for the Twins to try Martin out at the MLB level. 

AL West

Texas Rangers: Wyatt Langford (OF)

Wyatt Langford needs to make the Opening Day roster possibly more than any rookie has ever needed to make an Opening Day roster. He is demolishing MLB pitchers, just as he did SEC pitchers and minor league pitchers at all levels last season. Industry insiders have called for him to make the team on Opening Day, and he has hit .375 during the spring with a .406 ISO and 4 homers. I would tend to agree that if he does not begin the season in Arlington, there will (rightfully) be pitchforks, and while I am very happy to have him at 160-plus ADP in January and February drafts, I doubt you’ll get him anywhere near that price as we approach the season of Main Events. 

Seattle Mariners: Gregory Santos (RP)

If I didn’t know better, I would think there is some sort of curse in the Mariners bullpen. First, Matt Brash was injured and then everyone freaked out because the injury was apparently really serious and then it turns out maybe it wasn’t so bad. Say it with me… the reporting may have been a little too… brash.

As for Santos, he has a lat strain and won’t be ready for Opening Day. We don’t know exactly how long he’ll be out yet, but we do know that. The current reporting says it will be weeks rather than months, but the reporting got Brash wrong, so who is really to say? Making matters worse, Jackson Kowar is already out with a torn UCL, and so the Mariners bullpen is already playing their own version of Final Destination and the season doesn’t start for another couple weeks. Good luck, fellas.

Oakland A’s: Zack Gelof (2B)

Just stopping by to say something positive about the A’s and Zack Gelof, who is having more or less the same spring as Wyatt Langford, but no one cares because he’s on the A’s. Realistically no one will pitch to him in the season because he has no protection in this putrid lineup. Still, the guy is extremely talented, and we aim to say stuff about guys like that in these parts.

Houston Astros: Luis Contreras (RP)

The 27-year-old is hardly a prospect but has been impressive in spring training so far for the Astros, posting a 24% K rate alongside a .109 BAA and a .67 WHIP. Perhaps the newly bullpen-depleted Mariners should consider trading for him. 

NL East

New York Mets: J.D. Davis (1B/3B), J.D. Martinez (DH)

If you are unemployed, your name is J.D. and you don’t play much defense but you do mash lefties, consider Flushing! These guys have to play somewhere, and J.D. Davis has a history here while J.D. Martinez might be a bit more of a stretch and definitely contributes nothing on the defensive side, he’s nonetheless been rumored to have some interest in the Mets. We’ll see if either of these shake out, thus far the Mets have not really been able to make much in the way of splashy roster construction moves. 

Washington Nationals: Robert Hassell (OF)

It’s a groin strain for one of the lesser heralded pieces of the Juan Soto deal, and he’ll likely start the season on the IL. He wasn’t really in consideration for the big-league club anyway, but Robert Hassell was having an excellent spring and we’re certainly hoping he can improve on last season’s AA stats wherein he was barely able to hit his weight. He is only 22 and has post-hype sleeper written all over him if he can put together a solid season once recovered from injury. Definite buy-low candidate in dynasty. 

Miami Marlins: Eury Pérez (SP)

The Marlins ace has a pesky fingernail issue on his throwing hand, and it was pesky again Wednesday, resulting in Eury Pérez being lifted early from his start. Hopefully the Marlins can enlist a highly skilled manicurist to help resolve the issue before it starts to become a problem in the regular season. 

Philadelphia Phillies: Kyle Schwarber (OF/DH)

All of the reporting around this used “precautionary”-type language, so this is less of a concern than it would otherwise be, but a large husky man who has an issue in a core muscle area is almost always a situation worth monitoring. If Kyle Schwarber can get back on the field (to hit anyway, doubt we see him play defense) Thursday, he’s likely OK moving forward. 

NL Central

Chicago Cubs: Garrett Cooper (1B/DH)

What if Garrett Cooper hits his way onto an underrated and extremely fun Cubs team, and ends up with semi-regular PT? This could be an even better version of when he was getting everyday work with the Marlins with Jon Berti and Brian Anderson seemingly always on base for him to knock in. I’m pretty excited about the possibility of Garrett Cooper at Wrigley, if you couldn’t tell.

St. Louis Cardinals: Victor Scott II (OF)

What if Billy Hamilton could hit .300? If Victor Scott II makes the Cardinals Opening Day roster and gets regular PT with Tommy Edman and Lars Nootbaar both on the shelf, we may just find out. Both the fan of diminutive speedsters in me and the fantasy analyst in me would love to see this happen. 

Milwaukee Brewers: Brice Turang (2B), Devin Williams (RP)

Case of the good news and bad news here for Brice Turang and Devin Williams, respectively. It’s nice to see that for Turang the hard work has paid off and the coaching staff seems to have placed a lot of trust in him and is expecting big things. He hasn’t hit for much average or for much power so far this spring, but he’s walked as much as he’s struck out so there is that, at least. He’s also stolen three bags despite not being on base much, and that’s his main area where we expect a plus contribution from a fantasy perspective. If you need a late-round boost in SBs and an MI slot will do, Turang could very much be your huckleberry. 

The news isn’t as good for Devin Williams, who will now miss around 3 months and obviously takes a massive value hit as we near the end of draft season. If you took him in January and February at or near ADP, you have my sympathy. Or empathy. I have him too, so whichever one of those that means. Anyway, pour one out for your Devin Williams teams and get to FAABing your Abner Uribe, Trevor Megill and Joel Payamps claims (in that order). I suspect that this will be a committee, but you’ll want to invest in the committee nonetheless.

Pittsburgh Pirates: Oneil Cruz (SS)

Just wanted to let you know he homered again. Oneil Cruz now leads all of MLB with 5 in spring training. He might have homered again while I was writing this sentence, who is to say really?

NL West

San Diego Padres: Jackson Merrill (SS/OF), Dylan Cease (SP)

Jackson Merrill is going to Korea. Not for a concert or anything but to start the season in MLB. It’s pretty awesome that all three Jacksons (Holliday, Chourio, Merrill) will likely be starting the season in the major leagues. I wonder if this is the first time that a triumvirate of Jacksons has reached stardom at such an early age. Surely it must be!

Dylan Cease is now a Padre.

San Francisco Giants: Blake Snell (SP)

Just kidding. The Giants still have 2.5 starting pitchers and Opening Day is in two weeks. Hooray!

Los Angeles Dodgers: Gavin Lux (2B)

Gavin Lux has the yips. The Dodgers moved him off SS to take off some defensive pressure while he tried to get the bat going, and he responded by playing even worse defensively. What if Gavin Lux just “ain’t it,” as the kids say? I guess there will only be another 357 power hitters that can play every position in the infield waiting in the Dodgers farm system to take over. Tough break Dodgers.

Colorado Rockies: Jordan Beck (OF)

Jordan Beck might be the next great Rockies hitter, and we are not likely to see him at Coors until late 2025. That says more about the dearth of talent in the Rockies farm system than it does about Beck who still needs some time to mature, but he sure did impress in spring training before being sent to minor league camp, leading the team in batting average with multiple extra-base hits and 6 RBIs over his 19 at bats. A name to watch as he lets his approach develop in AA to start the season.

Arizona Diamondbacks: Blaze Alexander (2B/SS)

Despite the name, Blaze Alexander isn’t actually very fast or a threat to steal bases. His value is mainly predicated on plus power and defensive talent, which is in and of itself not particularly exciting without a hit tool and/or speed to go along with it. Yet, the Diamondbacks staff seems to love him, and he has managed to stay with the team through the first round of cuts, despite bigger names like Jordan Lawlar starting the season in AAA. If you’re looking for an out-of-nowhere guy that might somehow pile up 400-plus PAs because of his defense and “grit,” Blaze Alexander is a name to remember (and like a 65-grade name).