February 28 will mark the end of the first full week of Spring Training baseball. For fantasy baseball players, spring is important for a couple of reasons, namely to see some of the game’s best prospects and to cross fingers for good health. So, what should be the takeaways from what’s happened to this point? Here are our five takeaways from the first week of 2024 Spring Training, from a fantasy baseball point of view.
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Sho-time is Back
Dodgers DH Shohei Ohtani made his Cactus League debut on February 27 and the reigning AL MVP left off right where he ended 2023. Ohtani blasted his first home run of the spring off an inside pitch he muscled out to the opposite field.
Look, Ohtani won’t pitch in 2024. Thus, his value in leagues where he can pitch and hit without separate versions is limited. However, the slugger finished fourth in the league in home runs (44) despite missing nearly all of September.
If he’s healthy, Ohtani is a top-two-round talent.
Rodon and Manoah Make First Outings — with Uneven Results
Two high-prized fantasy starters from two years ago, Carlos Rodon and Alek Manoah, bottomed out last season. However, both Rodon and Manoah have undergone physical transformations — or weight loss, to be more specific — and will look for better in 2024.
Rodon did make it through 2.2 IP in his first outing. However, the velocity was down, as his fastball sat mostly in the low 90s. As for Manoah, the velocity was up. But, he gave up three hits and four earned runs over 1.1 IP.
Both Rodon and Manoah were two of the best fantasy starters two years ago. And heading into 2024, Rodon still ranks highly in some formats. However, the early results — and early has to be emphasized — from the two in their first outings were mixed.
Mixed Results from Relievers-turned-Starters
This spring, several relievers are looking to move to the rotation.
White Sox lefty Garrett Crochet hasn’t started since his college days but he’ll look to win a rotation job this spring. The hard-throwing lefty struck out two over 1.2 IP. However, he’s unlikely to be a viable fantasy option aside from in AL-only leagues for obvious reasons, namely command and a subpar overall White Sox team.
A.J. Puk, though, could be a sleeper name to watch over the coming weeks. Puk’s fastball sats in the mid-90s throughout his first start and looked good. Puk in the rotation would be a coup thanks to several injuries, so his first outing was a positive sign.
Jordan Hicks, meanwhile, struck out four over 1.2 IP in his first Cactus League start with the Giants. However, he gave up two runs thanks to a Mitch Garver home run.
Padres’ Closer Job Needs to be Monitored
With Josh Hader gone, the Padres’ closer job is up for grabs. Yuki Matsui, who was a dominant closer in Japan, put his best foot forward with three strikeouts in his first outing of the spring.
However, back inflammation has temporarily shut down the new Padres lefty.
New manager Mike Shildt declined to name a closer a few weeks ago before the spring. The Padres have options, whether it be Matsui, Woo Suk Go, Wandy Peralta, or even Steven Wilson.
Several Prospects Steal the Show
For prospects, Spring Training is a proving ground. And thus far, several prospects have garnered a lot of attention over the first week.
One name is James Wood, acquired by the Nationals in August 2022 through the Juan Soto trade. Wood, one of the top prospects in all of baseball thanks to above-average power and speed, belted two home runs in his first week of the spring.
Wood is a name to watch. The same can be said for Yankees prospect Spencer Jones, who we profiled last year. Jones belted a 470-foot home run in his first spring game and went 5-7 in his first three games.
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