Spring Training is finally here. By the time you're reading this, I should have landed in Florida and begun my tour of five Grapefruit League camps. I'll get to the Cactus League later in March.
My favorite part of the spring is watching top prospects try to grab a starting role in the big leagues for the first time. Here are five I'm monitoring closely:
Jackson Holliday, SS/2B, Orioles
He only turned 20 last December, but baseball's best prospect is one of the most advanced young hitters in recent memory. He grew up around the game as the son of seven-time All-Star Matt Holliday, so no situation is too big or too new for him. His biggest adjustment may be becoming a full-time second baseman, which seems to be his clearest path to making the reigning American League East champs despite playing just 25 games there in the Minors.
Wyatt Langford, OF, Rangers
It's kind of crazy that a player could make the defending World Series champs nine months after getting drafted, but Langford is crazy talented. The No. 4 overall pick last July out of Florida, he batted .360/.480/.677 with 10 homers and 12 steals while reaching Triple-A in his 44-game pro debut. He stands out most with his massive raw power, but he's also an advanced hitter and quality athlete.
Jackson Merrill, SS/OF, Padres
This may be the most interesting situation of all. Merrill has only played 46 games above High-A and just five in left field, where he started two of San Diego's first three exhibition games. He already has provided a couple of web gems in left and his precocious hitting ability and swing decisions have been evident. The Padres open their regular season early, March 20 against the Dodgers in Korea, they need outfield help and they're going to give him plenty of opportunity to make an impression.
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Joey Ortiz, INF, Brewers
The Corbin Burnes trade was huge for Ortiz, who faced an infield logjam with the Orioles. Not so with the Brewers, who have a gaping hole at third base. He's a no-doubt shortstop and may eventually replace Willy Adames there, and his defensive gifts also will allow him to shine at the hot corner. While he's known most for his glove, Ortiz batted .321/.378/.507 in Triple-A last year and can do some damage.
Ceddanne Rafaela, OF/SS, Red Sox
Pete Crow-Armstrong may be the best defensive prospect in baseball but Rafaela is the most versatile, capable of winning Gold Gloves in center field and providing at least plus glovework anywhere on the diamond. The Red Sox are giving him every opportunity to win their job in center, where he'd be a huge upgrade for a defensively challenged club. He's overly aggressive at the plate but also has produced back-to-back 20-20 seasons with plus speed and surprising pop for a 5-foot-9, 165-pounder.
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SMITH OBLITERATES BAZZANA, OREGON STATE |
The race for the top college pitching prospect in the 2024 Draft is wide open. We rated Wake Forest left-hander Josh Hartle as the best on our preseason Draft Top 100, and then one of his teammates stated his case in the opening week of the college season. Right-hander Chase Burns struck out 10 in six shutout innings against Illinois, averaging 98 mph and topping out at 101 with his fastball while also spinning some nasty 85-92 mph sliders.
Arkansas left-hander Hagen Smith spoke up with an even louder outing in week two against Oregon State. He struck out 17 in six scoreless innings on just 77 pitches, fanning potential No. 1 overall pick Travis Bazzana three times in three at-bats.
More amazing numbers: Smith got 25 swings and misses on his 77 pitches, including 17 on 36 sliders and eight on 38 fastballs. His slider ranged from 83-85 mph with horizontal and vertical action, while his heater worked at 94-100 with plenty of deception and riding action. Some scouts in attendance said they never had seen a more dominant college outing.
In Smith's Draft Top 100 report, we wrote: "He has better stuff than any southpaw in this Draft and could be the first pitcher selected if he can find more consistency this spring." Anyone who saw him last Friday would attest to that.
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If Merrill makes the Padres and goes on to capture the National League Rookie of the Year award, he'd be San Diego's first winner since whom?
A. Jake Cronenworth
B. Khalil Greene
C. Benito Santiago
D. Fernando Tatis Jr.
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In 1988, Washington State first baseman/left-hander John Olerud became the first NCAA Division I player to record 20 homers and 15 wins in the same season, putting him in position to challenge Louisiana State right-hander Ben McDonald to go No. 1 in the following year's Draft. But on Feb. 27, 1989, Olerud's career hung in the balance as he underwent six hours of surgery to remove an aneurysm near his brain. He had collapsed during a workout the month before and the aneurysm wasn't discovered until three days before his operation. Surgeons had to cut an opening in his skull during the surgery, which is why Olerud wore a batting helmet while playing the field for the rest of his career. He made a full recovery but wasn't at his best during his junior season, so he told teams not to draft him because he planned on returning to the Cougars. The Blue Jays gambled a third-round pick on Olerud, were careful not to put any pressure on him while he played summer ball, then signed him for a record $575,000 bonus as part of an $800,000 big league contract. They immediately promoted him to the Majors, where he went 3-for-8, launching a 17-year career that saw him win a pair of World Series and a batting title with Toronto as well as collect two All-Star Game berths and three Gold Gloves.
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C. Benito Santiago
Santiago was a unanimous winner in 1987, when he batted .300/.324/.467 with 18 homers and 21 steals. Greene came in second in NL balloting in 2004, as did Cronenworth in 2020, while Tatis Jr. placed third in 2019.
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