The first full day of MLB Spring Training was a loaded one. But it wasn’t the veterans who stole the show on Saturday, as several top prospects in the game showed off their skills to baseball fans. Here’s a look at some of the more notable prospect moments from Saturday, which included a mammoth shot from “The Martian.”
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Baty Hits a Bomb
This is a pivotal spring for Mets infielder Brett Baty, as he could seize a spot on the New York roster with Carlos Correa not in the picture. One of the top prospects in the Mets system, Baty launched a two-run shot off a middle-middle fastball from Astros reliever Brandon Bielak in the first inning of his first game of the year. The 2019 first-round pick added a single in the game.
Baty — one of our top fantasy position player rookies for 2023 — has received time at both third and left field in the Minors. A good spring, and he may make things much more difficult for the roster alignment in Queens — a nice problem to have.
The Martian Hits His First
Baty wasn’t the only youngster from a New York baseball team to go deep. Yankees prospect Jasson Dominguez cranked a massive home run in New York’s 7-4 loss on Saturday against the Phillies. Per Statcast, Dominguez’s home run went 420 feet.
Dominguez reached AA for a brief cameo last year after strong performances in Tampa (A) and Hudson Valley (A+) He’s not on option for the Yankees yet, but “The Martian” could make his Yankee Stadium debut in 2023 with another strong Minor League campaign.
There’s More Where That Came From
In addition to Baty and Dominguez, two other top MLB prospects went yard in the first full day of Spring Training action. Orioles outfielder Heston Kjerstad got back on the field for the first time in over two years in 2022, and he looks ready to vault up the Baltimore system this year. The former University of Arkansas star his two bombs in the Orioles’ 10-5 win against the Twins on Saturday.
Then, there’s Garrett Mitchell. Mitchell, who made it up to the Majors for a cup of coffee in 2022, hit two home runs in the Brewers’ opening game in the Cactus League against the Dodgers.
Mitchell could start the year back in Milwaukee, but the Brewers do have a lot of depth in the outfield. Milwaukee brings back Tyrone Taylor and Christian Yelich for 2023, and new faces Jesse Winker and Brian Anderson will look to get back on track after rough seasons last year. Not to mention, Milwaukee signed veteran outfielder Tyler Naquin to a Minor League deal earlier in the week.
