Luken Baker, 1B (STL)
Baker's prodigious power has been on display this spring. The 27-year-old hit his third home run on Wednesday, improving his OPS to 1.233 in 17 Grapefruit League at-bats. Power is Baker's game. He hit 33 home runs in 314 AAA at-bats in 2023 and 32 homers in 376 AAA at-bats in '24. However, the rest of his game is lacking. He is a classic Three True Outcomes batter, striking out about one-quarter of the time, walking 14% of the time and hitting a home run most of the instances he makes contact. There's a reason the Cardinals have hesitated to give him meaningful MLB at-bats, despite his advanced age for a minor leaguer. This could be the year for him to get a chance, however, as the Cardinals are leaning into their youth and relying on Willson Contreras and Alec Burleson to man the designated hitter and first base positions. If Baker finds his way into more playing time, he offers plenty of cheap power albeit with a sluggish batting average.
Grayson Rodriguez, SP (BAL)
Let's preface this by taking a deep breath and reminding ourselves not to overreact about spring training. Okay? Did you breathe? Now PANIC!!!! Okay, it's at least a little worrisome that Grayson Rodriguez was pulled from Wednesday's start with reduced velocity. Afterward the Orioles righty was quoted as saying, "today was a little difficult just trying to get in the strike zone." He looked fine in his previous start so this isn't something to read too much into. He didn't see an innings jump in 2024 so there shouldn't be a concern about being overworked. Keep an eye on his status moving forward and expect Rodriguez's innings to jump to the 150's this year.
Ezequiel Tovar, SS (COL)
Tovar was forced to leave Wednesday's game after getting hit by a pitch on the arm. The Rockies are calling it a left triceps contusion and don't expect him to miss much, if any, time. Tovar has been quiet this spring with four hits in 17 at-bats, but three of those knocks are doubles. What is encouraging to see is that the young shortstop has walked four times already. For comparison, he walked only 23 times in 695 plate appearances last season. Likely to hit in the middle of the Rockies lineup, patience at the plate is the next step in his development. He demonstrated power upside with 26 home runs last year and managed to hit a solid .269, although his xBA is .233 (playing at Coors Field helps). The drawback is his poor batting EYE. If the early spring sample is any indication of offseason gains, Tovar could offer bargain value at his current ADP.
Andrew Kittredge, RP (BAL)
Kittredge is dealing with a sore knee, and the Orioles said he will seek a second opinion, which is rarely good news. The veteran reliever signed a one-year contract with Baltimore after an excellent season in St. Louis. He is at least one step away from the closer's role so his status isn't of too much concern for fantasy owners in standard leagues, but those in formats that reward holds should be paying attention to this ailment. Kittredge has a really good slider along with a sinking fastball. He limits walks and home runs and strikes out a sufficient number of hitters, providing plenty of value as a high-leverage reliever. Seranthony Dominguez and Yennier Cano will likely see more opportunities to directly set up Felix Bautista if Kittredge misses time.
Garrett Crochet, SP (BOS)
Crochet isn't giving fantasy owners many reasons to question the hype. He polished off his third scoreless appearance this spring with seven strikeouts in three innings against the Rays. Crochet has 14 strikeouts in 6.1 innings this spring, building off his incredible breakout season with the White Sox last year. Now in Boston, Crochet is bound to improve 2024's 6-12 record. He had an amazing 209/33 strikeout-to-walk ratio last year along with a high ground ball rate and mediocre quality of contact. The walks may increase a bit in Boston, but he should still offer insane upside with the other metrics. The biggest question is how many innings he throws. Last season was Crochet's first as a starter and he finished with 146 innings. If he can stay healthy, he should surpass that total this year, which means his strikeout numbers could be among the league's best. It's always difficult to gauge the impact of a huge innings jump as Crochet saw from 2023 to 2024. What is evident right now, at the very least, is he is healthy and dominating.
Injuries Hit Brewers Pitching
The Brewers pitching staff is dealing with a lot of changes. DL Hall was placed on the 60-day injured list with a lat strain. Hall appeared likely to open the season in Milwaukee's rotation, but he now won't be eligible to return until late May. Further complicating issues is an oblique injury that is hampering Aaron Ashby. Ashby was removed from Monday's start and is now seeking a second opinion on his injury. Now the Brewers rotation looks to be composed of Freddy Peralta, Tobias Myers, Nestor Cortes, Aaron Civale and the recently-signed Jose Quintana, who inked a one-year deal with the Brew Crew this week. Brandon Woodruff's impending return from shoulder surgery will bump one of those pitchers, likely Civale, from the starting five, but the status of Hall and Ashby are at stake as well.
Jordan Walker, OF (STL)
Walker is reportedly dealing with knee inflammation after leaving Tuesday's game. It is not a good omen for a player that is trying to give someone a reason to believe in a turnaround from what has been a disastrous start to his major league career. Walker has only two hits in his first 14 at-bats this spring and now the knee injury creates enough uncertainty to drop his draft value slightly. They probably won't call it a 'rebuild,' but the Cardinals are clearly looking for a new generation of players following the retirements of Yadier Molina and Adam Wainwright, the departures of Paul Goldschmidt and Tommy Edman and the likely eventual trade of Nolan Arenado. That would seemingly open the door for a former top prospect like Walker, who is still only 22 years old. Unfortunately he continues to struggle at the major league level. His contact rate hovered right around 70% last year and his walk rate dropped below six percent. He needs to improve his plate discipline in order to capitalize on his above-average raw power. Until then, he's nothing more than a reserve player in most fantasy formats.
Christian Walker, 1B (HOU)
Walker was scratched from Wednesday's lineup for what was revealed as a sore oblique. The Astros didn't express serious concern regarding the injury, but obliques can notoriously linger, particularly in power hitters like Walker so this is a situation to monitor. Walker has only appeared in four games this spring but has four hits, including three doubles, in eight at-bats. The 33-year-old has hit at least 26 home runs in each of the past three seasons, and the Astros are hoping he covers for the loss of Alex Bregman. Like Bregman, Walker hits the ball in the air and pulls it to the right side. Unlike Bregman, Walker hits with a lot more power. That should offer plenty of shots into the Crawford Boxes and a lot of production for fantasy owners.
Marco Luciano, SS (SF)
Luciano, who has played primarily in the outfield this spring, was optioned to AAA-Sacramento on Wednesday, meaning he will need an injury or underperformance from others in the organization in order to get an opportunity with the Giants. The one-time top prospect has struggled mightily, both in the field and at the plate, but he is still only 23 years old and has demonstrated power upside throughout the minor leagues. What continues to hold him back is an elevated swinging strike rate and an underwhelming barrel rate. He should be avoided in redraft leagues, but it's still too early to close the door on his long-term potential.
Jose Iglesias, SS (SD)
Iglesias signed a minor-league deal with the Padres on Wednesday, a late add to the spring roster. For all non-Mets fans, the veteran infielder is nothing more than a quality utility player with little to no fantasy value. For Mets fans, Iglesias is an MVP candidate. I'm writing from the former's perspective so we'll treat him for what he is: below-average power and speed with a decent hit tool and a great glove. Now at 35 years old without a clear path to playing time, don't let those energetic Mets fans deceive you: Iglesias has no fantasy offerings.
Adolis Garcia, OF (TEX)
Garcia's injury isn't considered serious after he was forced to sit out the past two games with oblique discomfort. An MRI on Wednesday showed a mild strain, but the Rangers expect him to be ready for Opening Day. They need him to return to his pre-2024 self when he demonstrated excellent power and decent speed. Last year his quality of contact declined, as did his plate discipline. The lower hard-hit rate contributed to a lower HR/FB rate and therefore the lowest home run total of his career. It's possible the muscular Garcia is already demonstrating some early age regression, although it's also possible last year was an outlier and he rebounds in 2025. The Fantistics Draft Software is optimistic, projecting Garcia for 32 home runs and 11 stolen bases.
Jesus Luzardo, SP (PHI)
Luzardo was hammered on Wednesday, giving up six runs in two innings, including three home runs allowed on three consecutive pitches. The first homer was a grand slam. The line looks scary, but it shouldn't move the fantasy needle. His velocity was reportedly fine and he didn't allow a baserunner in his first spring appearance. The risk with Luzardo is high as the 27-year-old is coming off multiple injuries limiting him to 12 starts and subpar numbers in 2024. However, he was excellent over 50 starts between 2022-2023 and he finally moves to a contender where his win totals could see a boost. Luzardo is pretty secure in Philadelphia's rotation to begin the season, but his leash isn't infinite. The Phillies have a moderate amount of depth and could opt to replace him if he falters. Hence, the risk and reward.
Sandy Alcantara, SP (MIA)
Alcantara continued his stellar spring, polishing off another scoreless appearance on Wednesday against the Nationals. Alcantara walked a pair of hitters in 2.2 innings, but didn't allow a hit while striking out one. His fastball continues to sit between 99-100-mph, he is generating plenty of ground balls and looks healthy as can be after missing the entirety of the 2024 season following Tommy John surgery. Concerns over Alcantara's health are waning, which is causing his ADP to rise. Take advantage while you still can.
Antonio Senzatela, SP (COL)
Senzatela extended his spring scoreless streak to eight innings with three solid frames on Wednesday. He allowed one hit and one walk and struck out two. The 30-year-old sandwiched an extended absence for Tommy John surgery with 20 total innings pitched over the past two seasons combined. While he is entrenched in the weak Rockies rotation, his innings total will certainly be limited this year. Senzatela doesn't strike batters out, but he also limits walks and gets a lot of ground balls. That's really one of the only methods to success in Colorado. If you're someone who can stomach untalented pitchers who start half their games at Coors Field, Senzatela should at least be on your radar in the deepest of NL-Only leagues.
Mitchell Parker, SP (WSH)
Parker is dealing with neck stiffness which forced the Nationals to skip his start scheduled for Wednesday. This issue follows an ugly performance against the Mets last week, in which he allowed two runs on five hits in 2.1 innings. Neck stiffness shouldn't be too much of a concern for Parker's availability to begin the season, but it is certainly an injury worth monitoring. The Nationals don't have the strongest rotation, but they do have depth. If Parker is forced to miss time, Japanese rookie Shinnosuke Ogasawara could get an opportunity, as could intriguing lefty DJ Herz. Parker is coming off an impressive rookie season, finishing 7-10 with a 4.29 ERA and advanced statistics that back up his solid numbers. He isn't likely to win a lot of games or strike out an extraordinary amount of batters, but he is a valid depth option in NL-Only or deeper mixed leagues.
