Spring Training battles are always interesting. Half of the time they are meaningless, just a way for writers to create some buzz around camp where there isn’t much or just a way for the team to motivate their players to prepare as hard as they can before the season starts.
However, the other half of the time the battles actually mean something… but half of this half of the time (hopefully I’m not getting too Brian Fantana-y here) the position battles are for negligible roster spots in fantasy, such as the 26th man, lefty bench bat, last man in the bullpen. Rather than waste important brain space on all of these position battles, we are going to focus on the most important spring battle on every MLB team for fantasy baseball, including some runner-ups on some teams with especially open camps right now.
Keep in mind at the time of this writing (March 6th, 2024), we still have some unsigned free agents who could play major factors in altering the lineups or rotations of these teams. We are going to start off by kicking it around the NL West because everyone always likes to start with the AL East.
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Spring Training Battles (2024 Fantasy Baseball)
Arizona Diamondbacks
Position Battle: Ryne Nelson vs. Tommy Henry and darkhorse Cristian Mena (5th SP)
League Size: 15 Team
Details: Ryne Nelson spent most of 2023 in the rotation underwhelming our expectations after a solid 2022 18 1/3 IP debut and excellent 2021 minor league numbers. Nelson was a second-round pick and despite running five pitches deep, he gives up too many hard flyballs and has not punched out enough guys. Through two spring starts, he’s looking like the strong lead to win the job.
Henry doesn’t have the pedigree, the velo or the stuff for this job really, but seemed to be a tad more stable or predictable than Nelson in 2023.
Mena is the real dark horse here after the D Backs traded Dominic Smith for him. He’s only going to be 21 years old this year though and has to fight control issues. He’s young for the levels he has pitched at, which makes him intriguing as a possible AJ Smith-Shawver type in 2024, but the D-Backs are probably better off keeping him in the minors until he can control the zone a little better.
Colorado Rockies
Position Battle: Rockies vs. Rockies
League Size: Theoretical
Details: The Rockies named Sean Bouchard as the starting RF, a 28-year-old journeyman when they have guys like Sterling Thompson, Jordan Beck and Yanquiel Fernandez waiting in the wings, which is fine, but they also have Hunter Goodman and Drew Romo getting buried along with Elehuris Montero, who they don’t provide consistent playing time. This AAAA franchise is a bit of an enigma and while some like to play the Rockies at home game, I don’t think the juice is worth the squeeze.
Los Angeles Dodgers
Position Battle: Evan Phillips vs. Kenley Jansen (Closer)
League Size: 10 Team
Details: Reports state the Dodgers nearly traded for Kenley Jansen already this offseason and in saves leagues that would be a death sentence to a guy like Evan Phillips while opening up a whole world of possibilities for a guy like Chris Martin in Boston. Keep an eye on this trade market, I’m staying away from Evan Phillips myself in saves-only leagues (even though I like him) because the Jansen back to LA rumors are too strong to not have any fire amongst the smoke.
San Diego Padres
Position Battles: OF and Back of Rotation
League Size: 10 Team
Details: This team more than any has more mysteries to be solved this spring. Let’s start with the outfield.
Currently, LF is slated to be some sort of Jackson Merrill and Jurickson Profar platoon (with Graham Pauley lurking around), while CF is looking like Jose Azocar, but Arizona Fall League MVP Jakob Marsee is not far away. It seems like Preller really wants Merrill on this team and despite the Tommy Pham rumors, Profar and Merrill should not be playing CF, so that still could leave an opening to Marsee with a strong spring.
The back of the rotation is looking pretty pin stripey with Randy Vasquez and Jhony Brito currently slated to break camp as the starters, but former Padre Blake Snell is still hanging around free agency, Luis Patino is back in San Diego and top pitching prospects Drew Thorpe and Robby Snelling are waiting in the wings.
Duh… the closer job is also likely up for grabs between Robert Suarez and foreign imports Yuki Matsui and Woo-Suk Go.
San Francisco Giants
Position Battle: Mason Black vs. Blake Snell / Jordan Montgomery (5th SP)
League Size: 15 Team+
Details: Rookie Mason Black looks like he should break camp with Keaton Winn and Tristan Beck injuries and the injuries may also open a spot for someone like Carson Whisenhunt since Kai-Wei Teng is also on the shelf unless the Giants go out and spend some more money on pitching before the season starts.
Chicago Cubs
Position Battle: Michael Busch vs. Garrett Cooper vs. Michael Tauchman
League Size: 15 Team+
Details: It looks like the Cubbies want PCA to get a little more seasoning in the minors before he comes up from the break this year, and the SP battle in the rotation where incumbent Jordan Wicks is battling Javier Assad and Caleb Killian is more of a formality than a legit battle. The real battle starts with Busch, who the Cubs traded a decent amount for – he has to out-hit Garrett Cooper or Cooper could take the DH or 1B job. On the other hand, if Tauchman drops off he will get replaced with either PCA or Bellinger in CF, opening up 1B for one of Busch or Cooper. There are a lot of moving pieces here, including Morel and one of them will be left out in the cold.
Cincinnati Reds
Position Battle: Jonathan India vs. Christian Encarnacion-Strand (DH)
League Size: 12 Team
Details: I find it hard to believe the Reds will just give up on a solid bat like Jonathan India and the guys most likely to lose playing time in my mind are Noelvi Marte and CES, with the biggest lean on CES. I’m not a fan, as he is all power and not much else, and there’s a little too much Matt Mervis in here for me to be full boar on him.
Another interesting one to watch is Will Benson vs. Left-Handed pitchers. If Benson can hit lefties and gain full-time reps in the OF, watch out. The power/speed potential is crazy.
Milwaukee Brewers
Position Battles:
- Tyler Black vs. The Field
- Robert Gasser vs. Aaron Ashby vs. Colin Rea (5th SP)
League Size: 12 Team
Details: The Brewers already had an intriguing infield mix between Brice Turang, Joey Ortiz and Tyler Black prior to converting Sal Frelick to an infielder this spring. I like all of these guys, but who will emerge as the starters? Will Willy Adames get traded? If Frelick moves back to the outfield, what does that do to Garrett Mitchell‘s playing time? There’s a lot to watch here.
The back end of the rotation is equally compelling as DL Hall looks like a lock and is getting rave reviews and the middle of the rotation is crammed with fillers like Miley, Junis and Rea, who will likely get replaced at some point in the season with higher ceiling guys like Gasser, Misiorowski and possibly Ashby, but will the young guys overthrow the old boring guys prior to Opening Day?
Pittsburgh Pirates
Position Battles:
- Henry Davis vs. Yasmani Grandal, Jason Delay and PT (Starting C)
- Jared Jones vs. Quinn Priester vs. Roansy Contreras (5th SP)
League Size: 15 Team
Details: Paul Skenes has already been relegated to the minors to start the season, despite having maybe the best shot at rookie of the year against Yoshinobu Yamamoto, but Pirates will be Pirates.
The Pirates already announced Grandal will be the primary catcher ahead of Henry Davis, thus Davis could either be the backup catcher and RF (since Andrew McCutchen is likely to start most games at DH) or Delay could open as the C2 and push Davis to the minors with Skene to begin the season.
Jared Jones is throwing some heat this spring but has to deal with Priester (who has already started his clock) and Roasny Contreras, who was terrible last year but is showing improved velocity and mechanics this spring.
The Pirates are the type of team to delay promotions, so it wouldn’t surprise me to see Davis, Jones and Priester all begin in the minors.
St. Louis Cardinals
Position Battle: Victor Scott II vs. Dylan Carlson (Starting CF)
League Size: 12 Team
Details: Tommy Edman looks like he’s starting the season on the IL, which leaves an opening in CF. Victor Scott has looked amazing this spring and is doing everything he can to force the Cardinals to give him the full-time job over Carlson, which would probably push Matt Carpenter off the roster. They should do it, but they probably won’t because they would like to get an extra year of him.
Atlanta Braves
Position Battle: Reynaldo Lopez vs. Bryce Elder (5th SP)
League Size: 15 Team
Details: AJ Smith-Shawver is the real number five on this team, but the Braves already stated he is going to start in the pen and work his way into the rotation similar to when Spencer Strider did the same a couple of years ago, thus we are looking at a Rey Lo vs. Elder showdown and Lopez is winning as of this writing.
Miami Marlins
Position Battle: Trevor Rogers vs. Ryan Weathers (5th SP)
League Size: 15 Team
Details: Trevor Rogers could be a dude when he’s healthy, but it looks like he might not be ready to start the year as former Padre Ryan Weathers has been dealing this spring. The Marlins pitching magic may have fixed the former first-rounder as Max Meyer is shooting for a later startup similar to Shane Baz.
New York Mets
Position Battle: Cohen vs. Patience w/ Prospect Call-Ups
League Size: Theoretical
Details: At this point, Tylor Megill is basically a shoo-in for the 5th SP spot, so we are looking at a team that’s more or less complete, but will likely not compete. The real position battle here is how long will Cohen be able to take losing before he wants to start calling up his prospects like Gilbert, Acuna, Vasil and Scott.
Philadelphia Phillies
Position Battle: Jose Alvarado vs. The Field (Closer)
League Size: 12 Team
Details: Alvarado was great last year when he was trading off with Kimbrel in high-leverage situations, but he’s a lefty, so will he get full run as the closer or will he be in a timeshare? There are other interesting names to compete with him like Jeff Hoffman, Seranthony Dominguez and most notably Orion Kerkering (who looks like a beast).
Washington Nationals
Position Battle: Kyle Finnegan vs. Hunter Harvey (Closer)
League Size: 12 Team
Details: This closer battle may drag into the season. Harvey is much better than Finnegan, but Finnegan is the incumbent and sometimes, especially with “bad” teams, that’s all that matters. Keep an eye on the way the Nationals set up the pen later in spring to see who they are leaning toward.
Houston Astros
Position Battle: Jake Meyers vs. Joey Loperfido (Starting CF)
League Size: 15 Team
Details: Meyers is the incumbent but has spent a ton of time on the IL the last couple of seasons and Loperfido is an underrated prospect who has been getting some nice run this spring and looked good when I saw him. The Astros also have intriguing OF prospects like Jacob Melton and Zach Dezenzo (who also plays 3B) who could push in for playing time this season.
Los Angeles Angels
Position Battle: Carlos Estevez vs. Robert Stephenson (Closer)
League Size: 12 Team
Details: I’m tempted to go theoretical here and take the Angels vs. Scott Boras for Blake Snell or Jordan Montgomery, but the big one we are all watching is if Robert Stephenson can overtake Carlos Estevez before the season starts after his fabulous stint with the Rays last year. Stephenson is a big spec buy this year and if he gets the job out of camp, his price will soar!
Oakland Athletics
Position Battle:
- Nick Allen vs. Darell Hernaiz (Starting SS)
- Joe Boyle vs. Luis Medina (5th SP)
- Mason Miller vs. The Field (Closer)
League Size: 15 Team
Details: I’m a Hernaiz guy in deep leagues this year and think he could be kind of like Zack Neto last year as a rookie; 10 homers and 10 steals with a solid average is nothing to sneeze at in deep leagues, but he has to overtake the fantasy useless Nick Allen.
Boyle is leading the charge, destroying Luis Medina early in Spring for the 5th starter role, but he walked three last time out and has to keep the control in check to win the job out of camp.
Mason Miller is easily the most electric arm in the bullpen, but the A’s have already stated they want to lead him into the closer role easily, instead of just throwing him right into the ninth. How long does it take for Miller to start seeing save opportunities?
Seattle Mariners
Position Battle: Jerry DiPoto vs. the Trade Itch
League Size: Theoretical
Details: Loaded with arms, how long does it take DiPoto to move one of his pitchers for some lineup help? The lineup is thin, Josh Rojas is starting at third and the team is relying on a bounceback from Mitch Haniger and a Luke Raley follow-up to keep them on track. Tommy Pham is a guy who could really help this team.
Texas Rangers
Position Battle: Wyatt Langford vs. Ezequiel Duran (aka Service Time Manipulation)
League Size: 12 Team
Details: Langford is clearly ready for the majors. The team almost promoted him during the World Series when Adolis was thought to be injured. This might actually be the most important Spring Training battle because if Langford breaks camp we could see a Witt/Julio rookie year impact and he’s been getting drafted way too late.
Chicago White Sox
Position Battles:
- Dylan Cease vs. the Trade Block
- Closer Mess
League Size: 12 Team
Details: Cease had a rough year in 2022, but so did every White Sox pitcher. Almost any move at this point would be positive for his value, so keep an eye on a potential Dylan Cease trade before Opening Day. If Cease is traded, one of Nick Nastrini or Jake Eder could get a shot in the 5-hole.
The White Sox closer situation is a disaster as the surmised closer Gregory Santos was traded and then Jonathan Brebbia, the next closer in line, strained his calf. So, we are left with some combo of Jesse Chavez, Garrett Crochet, Deivi Garcia and Jordan Leasure in the saves competition.
Cleveland Guardians
Position Battle: Chase DeLauter vs. Kyle Manzardo (Starting Hitter)
League Size: 15 Team
Details: Manzardo was initially slated to come up and share 1B/DH duties with Josh Naylor, but now it appears the Guardians are leaning toward starting Manzardo in the minors with Chase DeLauter potentially breaking camp in the OF. It looks like only one of these higher-end prospects will break camp (if any).
Detroit Tigers
Position Battle: Reese Olson vs. Casey Mize (5th SP)
League Size: 15 Team
Details: Mize is back, healthy and throwing some heat, while Reese Olson is also dealing this spring after a very strong rookie campaign in 2023. Having too many pitchers is a good problem for the Tigers, but bad for us fantasy managers. Between Olson, Mize, Sawyer Gipson-Long, Ty Madden, Wilmer Flores and of course Jackson Jobe – the Tigers have some bullets, but it could hurt us as fantasy managers when trying to figure out who to draft.
Kansas City Royals
Position Battle: Will Smith vs. James McArthur vs. John McMillon (Closer)
League Size: 15 Team
Details: James McArthur and John McMillon sound like they could be in the IRA together, instead, they are likely backing up back-to-back World Series champ, Will Smith. Smith is a lefty and was replaced as closer by the Rangers at the end of the 2023 season, so his full-time status is always up in the air, but I would expect him to get the nod for saves early in the season.
Minnesota Twins
Position Battle: Byron Buxton, Royce Lewis, Carlos Correa, Alex Kirilloff, Chris Paddack and Anthony DeSclafani vs. Health
League Size: Theoretical
Details: There are no real position debates in Minnesota this spring as long as everyone stays healthy… as long as everyone stays healthy… healthy… Twins… good luck!
Baltimore Orioles
Position Battle: Ryans vs. Rookies (1B & DH)
League Size: 12 Team
Details: Ryan O’Hearn and Ryan Mountcastle will be battling off Colton Cowser, Heston Kjerstad and Josh Stowers who are all fighting for a lineup spot. The Orioles aren’t likely to call up Cowser or Kjerstad to ride the bench, while Stowers could come up for a 4th OF role at this point. So, Coswer or Kjerstad would have to beat out O’Hearn to earn a regular role on the team.
NOTE: I suppose there is an off chance Holliday does not make the Opening Day roster in favor of the vets, so there I would keep an eye on this too.
Boston Red Sox
Position Battle: Ceddanne Rafaela vs. Wilyer Abreu (Starting CF)
League Size: 15 Team
Details: There have been quite a few notes about Jarren Duran not being a great CF, so the Red Sox will have to decide if they want Rafaela in CF and Duran in RF, which pushes Abreu to the 4th OF role, or if they want to sacrifice the defense to keep Rafaela down for service time reasons or until they can move one of their OF glut (or until Tyler O’Neil gets injured).
New York Yankees
Position Battle: Austin Wells vs. Jose Trevino (Starting C)
League Size: 15 Team
Details: This might not matter much in the grand scheme of things, but in 2-catcher, 15-team leagues this could determine how valuable Austin Wells really is. My guess is the plate appearances end up close to a split playing time at the end of the day, but keep an eye on this because if Wells gets 60-70% of the playing time, he will be a solid value where he’s going.
Tampa Bay Rays
Position Battle: Junior Caminero vs. The Field (Starting 3B)
League Size: 15 Team
Details: Caminero’s clock already started and it’s almost a guarantee at this point he begins 2024 in the minors, but if he blasts off to end Spring Training or someone gets hurt, he could push his way onto the roster.
Toronto Blue Jays
Position Battles:
- Davis Schneider vs. Cavan Biggio and Kevin Kiermaier (2B / 3B / CF)
- Bowden Francis vs. Alek Manoah vs. Ricky Tiedemann (5th SP)
League Size: 15 Team
Details: Davis Schneider had a crazy good debut to his career that almost nobody is taking as legitimate, but he’s a solid player and is currently slated to be in some weird platoon with guys like Biggio, Isaiah Kiner-Falefa and Kevin Kiermaier amidst three positions.
Alek Manoah had so much hope, but with injury concerns and a bad debut, hope is low. Bowden Francis has started spring strong and of course, the Jays have top prospect Ricky Tiedemann waiting in the wings (though they would probably prefer to hold him back until the second half).
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