Baseball is season arriving like a bullet train without brakes as players began showing up to spring training the day after Super Bowl 57.
While MLB Opening Day isn’t until March 30, the World Baseball Classic returns on March 7 for the first time since 2017, meaning competitive games are just weeks away.
That also means it’s time to start plotting out fantasy baseball strategies.
A number of rule changes go into effect for MLB this season (a ban on the shift and pitch clocks, most notably) and while they may not have a major impact, it’ll be imperative for fantasy managers to keep an eye out on how players are adjusting.
With all of that in mind, we’ve got five players for managers to monitor during spring training. A mix of familiar names as well as prospects who could find their ways into everyday jobs in the big leagues.
Let’s get to it.
Joey Gallo, OF, Minnesota Twins
Let’s start with an obvious contender from the “what on Earth can we expect this season?” category.
Gallo signed a one-year deal with the Minnesota Twins in December which could work out well for both sides in that it’s low-risk for the club and gives the outfielder a chance to prove he’s still a star. And with MLB banning certain defensive shifts, the slugger should become more valuable in fantasy this year, right?
Not quite. Per MLB.com’s Mike Petriello:
[Gallo’s] been shifted on 90% of his plate appearances, the third-highest rate of anyone. Yet our data says he’d have gained 0 extra hits in 2022. How? Because he strikes out a ton (40% last year) and walks a lot (14%), and that’s already half his plate appearances without contact being made.
The key this spring is to see if Gallo changes his approach much— if at all — now that he and his coaches know the defense can’t overcorrect for where the lefty typically sprays the ball. Maybe it’s a harbinger of an overall change among other players who were shifted against the most, maybe it’s nothing. But Gallo is worth paying attention to. Especially if he can continue to mash 20+ home runs per year.
Mike Soroka, SP, Atlanta Braves
Mike Soroka is overdue for some good luck. The 2019 All-Star hasn’t pitched in the big leagues since 2020 thanks to three surgeries on his right Achilles tendon, the most recent coming in 2021.
The right-hander was healthy enough to make it back to pro ball last year, however, appearing in six games and tossing 25 innings. The fact that he made it to the offseason healthy is huge news. Now it’s time to find out if he can regain the dominance he showed during his All-Star season when he won 13 games for Atlanta with a 2.68 ERA and 152 strikeouts in 174.2 innings.
Soroka will battle with Ian Anderson for the fifth spot in the Braves’ rotation, but even if he doesn’t break camp with the team that doesn’t mean he won’t get his opportunities in Atlanta.
Either way, we already know Soroka has the talent to completely baffle Major League batters. That makes him a potential sneaky grab in later rounds in deeper fantasy leagues.
Kodai Senga, SP, New York Mets
The Mets gave the Japanese star a five-year, $75 million deal to bolster their rotation with a fastball that reportedly tops out at 101 miles per hour.
No one is expecting the 30-year-old to replace Jacob deGrom, but his numbers are encouraging to say the least. Last year he tossed 144 innings with a 1.94 ERA, 156 strikeouts and just 27 walks.
Now to find out how his arsenal — and command —hold up in the Majors.
Elly De La Cruz, INF, Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds aren’t going to contend in the National League Central this year. That’s a near lock. So can they at least give Elly De La Cruz a crack at developing his game at the next level?
After Oneil Cruz had a season full of highlights for the Pittsburgh Pirates last year, there’s no reason the Reds shouldn’t go down the same path. The 6-foot-6 switch hitter tallied 47 steals and 28 home runs between High-A and Double-A last year. If he looks to be anywhere remotely close to breaking into The Show this year, the MLB Pipeline No. 10 overall prospect is worth stashing.
Oscar Colas, OF, Chicago White Sox
We don’t have time to get into all the ways the White Sox offseason was so awful. The one certain bit of good news for fantasy managers, however, appears to be the fact the team will give Oscar Colas a strong chance to win the job in right field.
The 24-year-old lefty slugger from Cuba signed with Chicago in January 2022 with plenty of potential. MLB Pipeline rates him the No. 85 prospect overall, but sees some notable upside:
“Yet another potential Cuban star in the organization, he impressed in his U.S. debut by batting .314/.371/.524 with 23 homers and getting better at each level while rising from High-A to Triple-A.
“Colas is an aggressive hitter who combines a quick left-handed stroke and impressive strength to create well-above-average raw power, with most of his home run pop going to his pull side. Yet he also shows adaptability at the plate, using the entire field and toning down his approach with two strikes and also against left-handers. He worries less about power in those situations and just lets his hands work, and he batted .362 versus southpaws last year.”
If Colas appears on the way to an everyday role in Chicago over the next few weeks, go ahead and put him on your draft list.
