Things To Watch Out For As Spring Training Games Begin
From the prospects to keep an eye on, to a comeback bid for Mike Trout and the introduction of ABS, here's a list of things I'm excited about as Cactus / Grapefruit League games get underway...
Time to play ball!
Spring training has been underway for over a week now, but we will get the juicy treat of watching actual games this weekend.
Okay, so spring training games can quickly lose their charm but, after a long winter without baseball, it will be a delight to be able to dive into a bunch of Cactus and Grapefruit League games over the next few days.
It all starts on Thursday when the Cubs and the Dodgers officially get the Cactus League schedule underway.
To that end, here’s a laundry list of things I’m excited to watch out for as spring training games get going…
First Pitch
The World Series feels like a lifetime ago, so I’m pretty pumped that baseball is finally back.
And, although spring training games are designed to help players ramp up for a grueling 162-game regular season schedule, in addition to giving prospects a chance to impress, I’ll be locked in on the opening game of the Cactus League later today.
Although there will be no Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto will be on the mound for LA, who is coming off an impressive rookie year. The likes of Mookie Betts, Max Muncy and Teoscar Hernández are expected to be in the lineup for the Dodgers, and we will get a glimpse at a couple of Chicago’s top prospects in C Moises Ballesteros and 2B James Triantos.
Again, spring training games were not designed with ultimate entertainment in mind. The vast majority of notable names will get pulled after only a couple of innings. But, following a long and frigid winter, it will be an absolute thrill just to be able to watch a game of baseball again.
Sasaki Mania
Roki Sasaki - the latest elite weapon to be acquired by the juggernaut Dodgers - wowed spectators during his first live batting practice of the spring on Wednesday. The phenom has filthy stuff and his splitter could prove to be a nightmare pitch for opposing batters. It remains to be see how he adapts to Major League Baseball, but his transition and first spring start will both be fascinating to watch.
LA boasts a stacked rotation - especially once Ohtani is healthy to pitch again - and Sasaki figures to be a big part of it. Having so much talent in the rotation should also allow Sasaki the luxury of having more time to settle in, something that should only help his development. But, make no doubt about it, Sasaki has the kind of nasty stuff that can baffle hitters, and it will be fun to start seeing that happen throughout spring training.
Familiar Faces In New Places
Juan Soto with the Mets. Alex Bregman with the Red Sox. Kyle Tucker with the Cubs. Cody Bellinger, Max Fried and Devin Williams with the Yankees. Corbin Burnes with the Diamondbacks. Willy Adames with the Giants.
A ton of household names now have different homes heading into the 2025 season, and spring training will offer us the first opportunity to catch a glimpse of those players with their new teams.
It remains to be seen how many of those names we will see in action across the first few days of spring training games, but you can be confident that Soto’s first spring outing with the Mets will be one worth circling.
Star Power
Aaron Judge. Shohei Ohtani. Gunnar Henderson. Bobby Witt Jr. Elly De La Cruz. Freddie Freeman. Mookie Betts. Bryce Harper. José RamÃrez. Tarik Skubal. Paul Skenes.
Major League Baseball is flooded with a boatload of elite talent right now, and the grind of spring training games will be brightened up by watching the best the game has to offer strut their stuff.
I can’t wait to watch Judge destroy baseballs in the Florida sun. I am on the edge of my seat waiting to see Skenes and Skubal continue to torment opposing hitters. And I am beyond excited to watch Ohtani continue to do super-human like things on a baseball diamond.
The wait for Opening Day still seems like a long one, but at least getting the chance to see the true stars of the game ramp up and lock in will make the time go faster.
Comeback King
One of the great tragedies of modern-day baseball is the fact that we’ve been denied prime Mike Trout on too many occasions.
Not only is one of the best ever players to have stepped foot on a baseball diamond stuck on a garbage team in the Angels, but Trout has also struggled to stay on the field in recent years. The three-time MVP and 11-time All-Star missed most of the 2024 season through injury, and he’s played over 100 games just once over the last four seasons.
Injury is threatening to derail and cut short one of the finest careers in the history of Major League Baseball, which is beyond sad. And, in order to try and extend his career and get back to his previous heights, Trout will move over to right field for the 2025 season. That’s a change both Trout and the Angels will hope will pay off in a big way. Don’t forget; Trout was playing at an MVP level before injury struck last year.
Trout playing at the very peak of his powers and doing Mike Trout-like things is only good for baseball, so hopefully a change of position will translate to a healthy - and MVP-caliber - season.
Prospect Watch
Spring training is all about prospects fighting for the chance to impress and earn a call-up to The Show. Watching the potential stars of the future grab their opportunity is one of the best things about this time of year.
And there are a flood of high-end prospects worth keeping an eye out for this spring. INF Kristian Campbell (Red Sox), 3B Matt Shaw (Cubs), OF Dylan Crews (Nationals), RHP Kumar Rocker (Rangers), OF Jasson DomÃnguez (Yankees), RHP Brandon Sproat (Mets), 2B Cole Young (Mariners), OF Roman Anthony (Red Sox), RHP Jackson Jobe (Tigers), SS Colt Emerson (Mariners), SS Jordan Lawlar (Diamondbacks), SS Marcelo Mayer (Red Sox), RHP Andrew Painter (Phillies), RHP Bubba Chandler (Pirates), INF Coby Mayo (Orioles), C / OF Dalton Rushing (Dodgers), CF Max Clark (Tigers) and 2B Jett Williams (Mets) are just some of the young studs I’m excited to watch battle throughout spring training.
Spring Breakout, entering its second year, will be the marquee event for all prospects once again this spring (March 13-16), and that exhibition series should be absolute heaven for those invested in the future of Major League Baseball.
I’ll also be paying special attention to Jackson Holliday this spring. The Orioles infielder entered last spring training as the No. 1 prospect in baseball, but his first taste of the majors was largely forgettable. Holiday hit just .189/.255/.311/.565 with five home runs in 190 major league at-bats last year. As such, the much-heralded talent will be looking to have a big spring on the way to hopefully orchestrating a breakout year in The Show.
ABS
Major League Baseball announced that it will test the Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) challenge system during some spring training games. It won’t be used in every game as not every spring training ballpark has the required technology, but it will be used in roughly 60% of the games and we should get our first look at the ABS system during the Cubs - Dodgers game on Thursday.
Now, here’s a couple of important things to take note of:
This new technology isn’t replacing human umpires. At least not yet, anyway. No, the challenge system, which was used in MiLB last year, will be there to help assist the home plate umpire.
Each team will start with two challenges, and teams will only lose their challenge if the umpire’s call is confirmed.
Only the batter, pitcher or catcher can challenge a call. Managers won’t be able to challenge from the dugout, and the batter, pitcher or catcher must challenge straightaway without any input from the dugout. The batter, pitcher or catcher must tip their cap / helmet to the umpire to signal that they want to challenge.
There will be no additional challenges in extra innings.
Hawk-eye view will be shown during the review.
There will no doubt be one or two kinks to iron out along the way, but it will be fascinating to see how teams and players react to the new challenge system. It will likely be a while before we see it in actual Major League Baseball games, but the fact that ABS is getting a dress rehearsal this spring is a step in the right direction.
Blockbuster Trades?
Earth-shattering trades are a very rare occurrence in spring training. So the likelihood we’ll see one over the next few weeks is slime to none.
However, the potential for a big-name player being moved this spring is there. The Padres are seemingly always looking to cut payroll, and they’ve reportedly already dangled ace Dylan Cease in trade talks. Every team always needs pitching, and there are a handful of contenders in need of upgrading their starting rotation. The Mets, who have already lost Frankie Montas to injury, are one team that are in real need of adding an elite frontend arm.
Elsewhere, drama has been brewing in Boston with Rafael Devers unwilling to move off third base following the signing of Alex Bregman. Bregman is the superior defensive third baseman, and the Red Sox would be foolish not to put their shiny new toy at the hot corner. Devers leads all third basemen in errors every single year and would be better suited being the team’s full-time DH. However, if he’s really unwilling to change positions, then maybe the Sox would be better off trading Devers and avoiding a potential bigger headache down the road.
The final candidate for a huge spring trade could be Vladimir Guerrero Jr.. The Blue Jays first baseman failed to reach an agreement on a contract extension, and now looks set to hit free agency next winter. But, given his worth and the obvious talent he brings to the table, would Toronto really want to risk losing him for nothing? The Jays opting to move on from their four-time All-Star this season does seem unlikely, but crazier things have happened and a blockbuster trade featuring any of the names mentioned would be a welcome distraction once spring training fatigue sets in.