Baseball is back, and it is certainly overreaction season as everyone tries to react to every pitch and every at-bat that takes place. It is important to sort through what is actionable and what is not in spring.
Each week we will look at risers and fallers from Spring Training. What players are seeing their value and chances at playing time increase, and what players may be on the verge of losing a job? Let’s dive in on the players.
*All stats current through Saturday’s games
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Spring Training Risers and Fallers
Risers
Oscar Colas has had a lot of helium all offseason with talk that he would have a shot to win the everyday right fielder job for the White Sox. In his first Minor League season in 2022, he slashed .314/.371/.524 with 23 home runs. The hype was beginning to build. Now it seems like Colas could be ready for his first taste of Major League Baseball.
So far this spring, Colas has picked up where he left off, having seven hits in 16 at-bats with just one strikeout. Colas has yet to leave the yard, but power is evident. I’m most impressed by the fact that he has just one strikeout.
If Colas shows improved plate discipline the rest of the spring and continues to hit, it is hard to imagine him not being in the White Sox lineup every day in 2023.
Brett Baty has been tearing the cover off the ball this spring and looks primed to try and take the everyday third base job in New York. Last season, the Mets’ third baseman slashed just .236/.292/.403. Meanwhile, Baty slashed .315/.410/.533 with 19 home runs in 420 Minor League plate appearances.
Baty is off to a scorching hot start this spring, slashing .471/.526/.706 with a home run in 17 at-bats. His competition at the position, Eduardo Escobar, has just two hits in 17 at-bats. Escobar struggled for much of 2022 as well. I don’t think the Mets are going to hand Baty the third base job right away, but if Escobar continues to struggle early, Baty could earn the job.
On top of the good surface stats, Baty had been hitting the cover off the ball, averaging 92.1 mph on all batted balls. Keep an eye on this battle for the rest of spring.
Reid Detmers had a fine first full rookie season, posting a 3.77 ERA across 129 innings. He even threw a no-hitter. He struck out 122 batters and walked 46. There were even significant improvements in the second half. Last year, Detmers averaged 92.3 mph on his fastball, but so far this spring, he is sitting close to 95 mph. The breaking balls are working well too.
Detmers has a 2.08 ERA and eight strikeouts through two 4.1 innings so far. It is a small sample, but if his velocity stays up, Detmers could be in for a huge season.
Fallers
Christopher Morel (2B, 3B, SS, OF – CHC)
Christopher Morel was a surprising breakout last year, hitting 16 home runs and stealing ten bases for the Cubs. That also came with a .235 batting average and a .308 OBP. Morel was labeled as a regression candidate due to his poor contact skills. He posted a 68.9 percent zone-contact percentage and an overall contact rate of 63.4 percent.
So far this spring, Morel is hitting just .154 with a .498 OPS. Considering Morel has options, it would not be surprising to see him in Triple-A to start the season. I am a bit hesitant to draft him in a redraft league.
Spencer Torkelson made his much-anticipated MLB debut last season, only to have the helium let out very fast. Torkelson hit just .203 with a .604 OPS last year with eight home runs. He was even sent down for some time to sort things out. When Torkelson returned, things were not much better, but his exit velocities were extremely good in September.
There was some hope coming into the spring that Torkelson could have a strong sophomore season. If Spring Training is any indication, he could begin the year in Triple-A. He has just a .125 batting average and a .301 OPS so far this spring. We can only hope that Torkelson gets things going as March moves forward.
When the Angels signed Carlos Estevez for two years, $13.5 million, most assumed Estevez would have the inside track at the closer’s role. Even the Angels’ general manager was optimistic about Estevez being the team’s close in 2023. Estevez is doing everything in his power to lose that role, though. In two spring appearances, Estevez has only recorded two total outs, has walked six batters, and allowed five earned runs. If things don’t improve, Estevez may be completely overdrafted.
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