The Top 15 American League Spring Training Storylines
Real baseball games are back! Spring training games have officially begun as of last Sunday. Now that teams have shifted their focus from offseason transactions to planning their Opening Day rosters, let’s take a look at the biggest spring training themes that fans of each AL team will want to follow:
Baltimore Orioles – Trey Mancini’s Return
For a team that’s a sure bet to lose 100 games, questions about roster construction and how playing time will be divvied up don’t seem all that significant. The name of the game for the O’s is trying to secure another top-three pick in next year’s draft – but for the common fan, that doesn’t mean being able to watch an interesting on-the-field product. One thing O’s fans and every other fans’ teams can rally behind, though, is the comeback of popular slugger Trey Mancini. Mancini missed the 2020 season after winning a battle with Stage 3 colon cancer, and the fact that he’s already back to playing competitive baseball is incredible. In Sunday’s spring opener with the Pirates, Mancini received a standing ovation and hearty round of applause from both dugouts as well as the fans in attendance. He punctuated his return with a single to center, and his quest for the Comeback Player of the Year award will be a compelling storyline all year long.
Boston Red Sox – What to Expect from the Rotation
Lefty ace Chris Sale can be expected back from Tommy John surgery at some point this summer, but expecting him to carry the team once he returns would be a bit unwise. For now, the Sox will sport a pieced together rotation featuring new acquisition Garrett Richards as well as old friends in Nathan Eovaldi, Eduardo Rodriguez, Martín Pérez and Nick Pivetta. Tanner Houck will also get a chance to ply his craft, and even though he’s certainly not a sure bet to crack the Opening Day roster, his presence would inject some much-needed upside to a rotation that’s sorely lacking it – if he can prove himself with a good spring. Pitchers typically take more time to warm up in the first few weeks of play than hitters do, but if Boston wants to have a prayer of competing with the Yanks and Blue Jays this year, they’ll need the group to settle into a good groove – and fast.
New York Yankees – Keeping Judge and Stanton Healthy
The Yankees have a lot more question marks in the rotation than the biggest-market team in baseball should have, but they don’t have a lot of wiggle room to try and improve in the margins at this point. Luckily for them, they do at least have a true ace in Gerrit Cole, one of the deeper bullpens in the league, and a lineup that could put up 10 runs on any given night. Two key cogs in the Bronx Bombers’ hopes for a deep and productive lineup 1-9 will be Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton. The problem is both of them have had an exceptionally difficult time staying on the field. Stanton, for his part, probably won’t see much of the field anyway seeing as he’s more or less a permanent DH at this stage of his career. Judge was poised to become a superstar and one of the most prominent faces of baseball after his incredible 52-homer Rookie of the Year-season in 2017, but there are questions whether he can play often enough to truly tap into that potential. He only appeared in 112 games in 2018, 102 in 2019, and 28 out of 60 in 2020. Both he and Stanton continue to be well above-average at the plate, though – when they can make it there. It’ll be interesting to see how much manager Aaron Boone pencils the pair into the lineup this spring, or if he’ll treat them with kid gloves to make sure they don’t cut themselves on a blade of grass before the season.
Tampa Bay Rays – Is Randy Arozarena for Real?
Arozarena was just the tenth-ranked prospect in the Cardinals’ system when they traded him to the Rays in a package for Matthew Liberatore, but he was a revelation once the Rays called him up to the bigs. He put up an outstanding 176 wRC+ in his 23 regular season games, but it was his October heroics that granted him household-name status. In his 91 postseason plate appearances, he hit .358/.429/.790 (225 wRC+) with a whopping ten home runs. If you’re not familiar with wRC+, that means he was essentially 125% better than a league-average hitter – and in the playoffs, you know he’s not teeing off against bad competition, either. He certainly looked like the real deal from the eye test, but it’s worth noting he doesn’t even have half a season’s worth of major league at-bats to his name yet. The Rays, who are in considerably worse shape since the World Series ended thanks to the departures of Blake Snell and Charlie Morton, will need him to prove once and for all that he’s a true superstar if they have any designs of sneaking into a Wild Card spot this year.
Toronto Blue Jays – Kirby Yates and the Outfield Rotation
Canada’s team finds itself in a similar situation to the Yankees entering spring training – tenuous pitching, and a very powerful lineup. The rotation will probably be an average unit at best outside of Hyun-Jin Ryu, which means there will be more pressure put on the bullpen to pick up some of the slack. Recent signee Kirby Yates has a good chance at being one of Trey Mancini’s principal competitors for the Comeback Player of the Year award, and if he can lock down the closer role like he did for the Padres in 2019, it will save every other pitcher in the Jays’ pen for lower-leverage situations. Yates’ showing in spring training will be a good indicator of how much he can bounce back from his August surgery to have bone chips in his elbow removed. On the position player side, it’s a foregone conclusion that George Springer will be the everyday center fielder, so the question is how the other outfielders will be deployed. Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Teoscar Hernandez and Randal Grichuk are all on hand to vie for playing time in the corners right now. When Grichuk was asked about his feelings on the outfield carousel, he responded, “I don’t really know. I think a lot is going to depend on performance. We’ve got four guys that need to play every day.” Unfortunately for him, his inconsistent history probably means he’ll be riding the bench a little more often than he’d like. Gurriel and Hernandez have earned starting spots in left and right, respectively, so Grichuk can probably expect to see his playing time come from backing up all three spots and platooning with Rowdy Tellez at DH. Of course, Grichuk did have a point that this conclusion could change depending on spring training performance – it’s possible that good play from him could force the Jays into resting their other outfielders more frequently. It’s also worth noting that Gurriel has infield experience and has been asked to work out this spring in the infield corners, so if he looks like a capable defensive option in those spots it could light a fire under Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Cavan Biggo to fight for their playing time, too.
Chicago White Sox – Is Nick Madrigal Part of the Core?
The White Sox are one of the few teams in the AL that don’t have many pitching concerns. They have a deep starting rotation and a bullpen anchored by one of the premier relievers in the game, offseason signee Liam Hendriks. Their lineup, led by MVP José Abreu, Tim Anderson, and Eloy Jiménez, seems like it will be the class of the AL Central as well. It’s a deep group 1-9, but the one guy that not a whole lot of people outside of White Sox fans talk about is Nick Madrigal. An outstanding contact hitter with excellent speed and soft hands, Madrigal’s game is reminiscent of how the game used to be played in days gone by – he puts the ball in play, steals bases, and doesn’t hit for a lot of power. Speaking of things from another era, Tony La Russa seems to be a big fan of the way Madrigal plays the game. “He thinks about the game like I do,” Madrigal said about his new manager. “If there’s situations where you need to bunt or slash, things like that, he’s open to those things. And that’s something, I’ve grown up playing that style of baseball.” Madrigal slashed .340/.376/.369 in 29 games in 2020, but he was limited by a sore shoulder that had popped out of its socked while sliding back on August 4th. He had offseason surgery on that shoulder and it may limit him at the onset of spring training, but this may be the kind of make-or-break year where Madrigal can prove himself as a dependable starter or risk languishing as a AAAA-utility player.
Cleveland Indians – Will Triston McKenzie be Their Next Success Story?
Say what you will about how the Indians choose to run their team, but they have been outstanding at developing quality pitching in the last decade. The team has lost all of Corey Kluber, Trevor Bauer and Carlos Carrasco in the past two years and continues to boast what should be an above-average rotation – a monumental feat in itself. What’s more, their current top four options – Shane Bieber, Zach Plesac, Aaron Civale, and Triston McKenzie – are all young, cheap and controllable. The first three of those guys have more major league experience, but McKenzie comes with just 33 innings at the major league level. He showed very well in that experience, though, and it would not be out of character for the Indians to develop yet another solid young arm. He struck out 11.34 batters per nine in those 33 innings against just 2.43 BB/9, with a 3.24 ERA and 3.91 FIP. My theory is that Cleveland will finish third in the Central behind the White Sox and Twins, but if McKenzie can find a way to build on his 2020 success, the strength of the rotation could force Cleveland into Wild Card relevancy.
Detroit Tigers – Any Sign That the Rebuild is Almost Over
The Tigers have been bad for a pretty long time now. Their last winning season was in 2016, and they’ve lost at least 98 games in every season since then – except for 2020 of course, when they went 23-35. Expectations are that they will once again be bottom feeders in an already weak AL Central, but they did make some frugal veteran additions that at least prove they’re no longer in full tank mode. The timing isn’t a coincidence – three of their best prospects (Casey Mize, Tarik Skubal and Matt Manning) should all make some starts for the Tigers this year, and if those guys can become contributors, it could be a signal that the team should make further investments to finally become a winner. Outside of the former first overall pick Spencer Torkelson, most of their top prospects are pitchers, so those “investments” would be via free agency or trade for position players that would coincide with their window of contention. Of course, that’s all putting the cart way before the horse. Those three pitchers will each get a handful of innings to showcase what they’ve got this spring, and any hope of the Tigers making win-now moves next offseason rests on their backs.
Kansas City Royals – Getting Benintendi Back on Track
The Royals had a quietly interesting offseason – signing a few vets like Carlos Santana and Hanser Alberto, extending Hunter Dozier, and trading for Andrew Benintendi. That last one was the most surprising and could be a particularly shrewd deal seeing as Benintendi seems like a prime change-of-scenery candidate. In the right environs, he could get back to being the player he was back in 2018 when he put up a 123 wRC+ and 4.4 WAR. That kind of player would be a building block for a young team like Kansas City, and a very fitting replacement for Alex Gordon. That’s the glass-half-full look at Benintendi’s future. If you’re a realist, you might point to the fact that he was mediocre in 2019 and atrocious last season. His 101 wRC+ and 2.0 WAR in 2019 were serviceable yet dull, and his triple slash in 2020? .103/.314/.128 – in just 14 games, but still. His walk rate was astronomical at 21.2%, but his isolated power? .026. Probably had something to do with why he was worth -0.5 WAR in just 14 games. The Royals look to be on track to finish fourth in the AL Central this year, but if they want to have designs at exceeding that projection, Benintendi will have to be part of the solution.
Minnesota Twins – Will Kirilloff Play Every Day?
The Bomba Squad lost one of its lefty sluggers this offseason – Eddie Rosario, who took his talents to their rivals in Cleveland via free agency. The rest of their deep lineup remains intact, and they even brought in the slick fielding Andrelton Simmons to push Jorge Polanco into a super-utility role. If the Twins want to keep pace with the White Sox for a shot at the division title, though, it absolutely will require them getting good production out of the newly vacated left field position. Enter 23-year-old lefty Alex Kirilloff, who hasn’t played a game above AA yet but is the current favorite for the starting LF job according to Fangraphs. He’s always hit for a good average in the minors with decent power, but unraveling the mystery of whether or not he can translate that to big league success right away will begin this spring training. Staying hot for a couple weeks of March might be all he needs to force his way onto the Opening Day roster, since it’s slim pickings for their other internal options in left field. He’ll also need to prove he can handle the outfield from a defensive perspective, since scouts believe his body type hints that he’ll end up at first base in the future. The Twins’ backup permutation in left might be trotting out Luis Arraez and letting Polanco start at the keystone for the moment.
Houston Astros – Avoiding Beer Bottles Thrown by Fans
The Houston Astros were unquestionably the luckiest team in baseball in 2020. When news of their sign stealing scandal dominated headlines during the 2019-20 offseason, retribution from opposing fans was poised to be aggressive. However, much like they escaped any serious punishments from MLB, the Astros were spared from the fate of being treated like subhuman filth whenever they left the friendly confines of Minute Maid Park thanks to the pandemic. We’re now just over a year removed from the scandal breaking, and fans will only be filling a small portion of seats this year, but you can bet that the fans who do show up won’t have forgotten what went down so easily. The Astros will have to double down on embracing their role as villains going into the season, and their outfielders might want to watch their backs in case any garbage gets thrown their way instead of towards a trash can.
Los Angeles Angels – Can Shohei Ohtani Do It All?
Apologies to Brendan McKay and Michael Lorenzen, but Ohtani has the talent to be the best two-way superstar in this sport since Babe Ruth. The trouble is he just can’t seem to stay on the mound enough to make that happen. He had Tommy John surgery after just 51.2 innings in his rookie 2018 season, and aside from 1.2 innings last season he hasn’t been able to take the mound since. That could change this season, but he’ll be on a strict innings limit to help preserve his arm and keep the two-way dream alive – which should be aided by the fact that the Angels plan on incorporating a six-man rotation to start the year. That extra rest, combined with probably not pitching for more than two full turns through the batting order, might be just what the doctor ordered for him. A lot has been said about how the Angles need a better starting staff if they want to achieve the impossible of helping Mike Trout win a playoff game, so after whiffing on Trevor Bauer and other targets, 20 quality starts from Ohtani would be a boon. He’ll also want to put a disappointing season at the plate last year behind him if he wants to keep all the DH at-bats away from Pujols and company, but hey, it might be unfair to ask him for a Cy Young and Silver Slugger season.
Oakland Athletics – Elvis Is in the Building
Marcus Semien, Bay Area native and longtime A’s shortstop, left town after receiving an insultingly low offer of just $2.5 million in 2021 with a further $10 million deferred. He found a much more appealing $18 million deal with no deferred money from Toronto, and Oakland suddenly found themselves with no shortstop. They ended up addressing the opening in a surprising way, trading for longtime Ranger Elvis Andrus. What remains to be seen is whether the A’s will lose a lot of production at short, or just a little. While Semien had a phenomenal 2019 season where he put up a 138 wRC+ and 7.6 WAR, it was the only season of his career to date where his wRC+ was north of 100. Andrus, for his part, has been well below-average at the plate in each of the last three seasons and isn’t getting any younger, but has had a nice career up until now and may be rejuvenated a bit by a move to a competitive club. Khris Davis, who departed for Texas in the Andrus trade, was a popular figure with A’s fans and will be missed, but the move for another player who plays a premium defensive position seems to be a prudent one at first blush. If Andrus can recapture some of his youthful form, it would go a long way towards helping the A’s capture a winnable division crown.
Seattle Mariners – Can Jarred Kelenic Force His Way to Opening Day?
Team president and CEO Kevin Mather went off on an ill-advised tirade that cost him his job in which he admitted that Kelenic’s promotion would be delayed so the Mariners would gain an extra year of club control over him. Kelenic remarked that he was offered an extension similar to the one Evan White received nearly 14 months ago, and the only reason he hasn’t debuted in the big leagues to this point is because he refused to sign it. His agent Brodie Scoffield agreed that “It was made crystal clear to Jarred — then and now — that the decision not to call him up is based on service time.” Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto did provide a convincing rebuttal, saying “I’m not sure how you construe a service-time manipulation with a 21-year-old player who has played (21) games above A-ball.” The terrible press this situation has given the team will force them to choose between one of two options regarding how they should proceed with Kelenic. Option number one would be to carry him on the Opening Day roster to try and win back some goodwill with fans and distance themselves from Mather’s comments, even though he doesn’t have very much experience in the upper minors yet. Option number two would be to delay his promotion for much longer than the three weeks or so necessary to gain an extra year of control over him, so that it doesn’t look like they’re manipulating his service time. If Kelenic wants to control his own destiny, he has to tear the cover off the ball this spring to prove he belongs in the big leagues right now.
Texas Rangers – Is Willie Calhoun on the outs?
Willie Calhoun is a guy who seemingly never got a fair shake. He played in 48 games between 2017-18 and performed poorly in that limited time, but he slugged 21 homers in just 83 games in 2019. It seemed as if he was finally about to settle in as a productive big leaguer, and then last spring training Julio Urías hit him with a fastball that broke his jaw. How good of an explanation that is for the season he’d go on to have is debatable, but his 2020 numbers in the 29 games he managed to play in were absolutely brutal. He put up a .190/.231/.260 slash line (32 wRC+) with -0.8 WAR. It seems that poor showing was enough to convince the Rangers front office to begin making alternate arrangements. They brought former Rockie David Dahl on board to become the starting left fielder, and Khris Davis (the return from the Elvis Andrus trade) figures to get the lions’ share of DH at-bats, leaving Calhoun without an obvious path to playing time. If he’s going to have a future with the Rangers, it’s time to put up or shut up. He’ll need to have a very good spring to keep from becoming an afterthought in Arlington.
