14 Spring Training stat lines that matter

Every 12 months, there are head-turning performances at Spring Training. And yearly, we have to strive to determine which of them are going to hold over to the common season.

Let’s strive to determine which gamers’ spring stats are for actual in 2023.

We could possibly be searching for a breakout season, a bounceback season or only a star who’s going to play prefer it.

Here are 14 Spring Training stat strains that matter — seven hitters and 7 pitchers.

Stats are by March 23.

Corey Seager, Rangers
.467 BA/.510 OBP/.756 SLG, 1.266 OPS, 4 HR

After a wierd 12 months by his requirements — Seager hit 33 house runs in his first season in Texas, however his batting common dropped from .306 to .245 — the Rangers shortstop seems to be rejuvenated. Seager has extra hits than anybody in Spring Training, and that is precisely what you need to see, contemplating he was already the hitter set as much as profit probably the most from the brand new shift guidelines in 2023.

Corbin Carroll, D-backs
.368 BA/.500 OBP/.658 SLG, 1.158, 4 SB

Look at that on-base share from MLB’s No. 2 general prospect. The extra usually Carroll will get on base, the extra he’ll steal — and he may steal at will, as a result of he is the quickest participant in baseball (30.7 ft/sec common dash pace final season), and the brand new rule limiting pickoffs ought to drive base stealing up.

Jarred Kelenic, Mariners
.405 BA/.444 OBP/.833 SLG, 1.277 OPS, 4 HR

The 23-year-old Kelenic is beginning to appear to be the hitter who shot up high prospect lists earlier than struggling on the plate in his first two large league seasons. Kelenic’s early success along with his retooled lefty swing is encouraging, particularly as he is crushed the ball to all fields.

Spencer Torkelson, Tigers
96.7 mph avg. exit velo, 66.7% hard-hit charge, 16 balls hit 100+ mph

This is a Statcast stat line for Torkelson, who’s simply ripping the ball this spring. Elite contact high quality by the 2020 No. 1 general Draft choose may imply the large breakout season everybody’s ready for from Tork. The 23-year-old has the third-highest exit velo and third-highest hard-hit charge of the 173 hitters with at the very least 15 tracked batted balls this spring.

Anthony Rendon, Angels
.467 BA/.539 OBP/.800 SLG, 1.329 OPS, 91.8 mph avg. exit velo

Rendon was speculated to be the large third famous person alongside Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout, and he simply hasn’t been over his final couple of injury-plagued seasons in Anaheim. But he seems to be nice proper now, tied with Seager for the very best batting common in Spring Training (min. 30 plate appearances) with an exit velocity over 2 1/2 mph from the place it was in 2021-22 (89.3 mph).

Kris Bryant, Rockies
.321 BA/.441 OBP/.679 SLG, 1.120 OPS, 3 HR, 111.1 mph max exit velo

Bryant was productive when he was wholesome final season, however he did not play the final two months. It’s good to see that he seems to be like he is again — and he really seems to be extra harmful than earlier than. Bryant’s ripped a 111.1 mph double and 110.1 mph house run this spring. The final time he hit a ball 111 mph was in May 2019, and that was additionally the final time he hit a 110 mph homer.

Trevor Larnach, Twins
.385 BA/.448 OBP/.808 SLG, 1.256 OPS, 3 HR, 96.4 mph avg. exit velo

Larnach is slugging his manner towards the Twins’ Opening Day roster, and his underlying metrics make his monster Spring Training stat line appear to be it could possibly be the actual factor. The 26-year-old lefty has pedestrian numbers in two large league seasons, however accidents would possibly effectively be accountable, contemplating the 2018 first-round choose has had robust stretches round these accidents. Larnach’s 96.4 mph exit velocity this spring ranks seventh among the many 298 hitters with 10 or extra batted balls.

Nick Lodolo, Reds
1.93 ERA, 19 K’s in 14 IP (12.2 Okay/9), 32.2% strikeout charge

Lodolo’s spring stat line backs up the stellar projections he is getting for 2023 — Steamer thinks he’ll get away as a Top 15 pitcher within the Majors and has him racking up over 200 strikeouts. The 25-year-old left-hander’s stuff seems to be nice in Spring Training — he is getting big-time break on all his pitches, similar to he did as a rookie in 2022.

Justin Verlander, Mets
2.25 ERA, 19 K’s in 16 IP (10.7 Okay/9), 97 mph max fastball velocity

The Mets imagine Verlander will proceed pitching like an ace at age 40, and the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner is simply reassuring them in his first Spring Training. Not solely are Verlander’s numbers dominant, it is clear his stuff hasn’t dropped off both. He’s been racking up strikeouts along with his slider whereas sitting 95 mph and topping out at 97 along with his fastball, and it is solely March.

Robbie Ray, Mariners
0.75 ERA, 21 K’s in 12 IP (15.8 Okay/9), 43.8% strikeout charge, 56% whiff charge

Ray took a step again with the Mariners in 2022 after profitable the AL Cy Young Award with Toronto in ’21, however he seems to be like he is stepping ahead once more. The 31-year-old lefty’s 43.8% strikeout charge is second-best of 190 pitchers who’ve confronted at the very least 40 hitters, and his 56% swing-and-miss charge ranks second of 286 pitchers who’ve induced at the very least 50 swings. Ray had equally dominant springs in ’19 and ’21, too, when he went on to strike out 235 and 248 batters, respectively.

Nate Pearson, Blue Jays
13 K’s in 8 1/3 IP (14 Okay/9), 32.5% strikeout charge, 5 100+ mph K’s

In Pearson’s new function within the Blue Jays’ bullpen, he can actually let his explosive fastball eat. Pearson is averaging 98.3 mph on his four-seamer this spring, and he is hit triple digits 11 occasions. Five of these 100-plus mph fastballs have been strikeouts, together with one at 101. He’s able to blow large league hitters away.

Mitch Keller, Pirates
20 K’s to 1 BB in 15 2/3 IP (11.5 Okay/9, 0.6 BB/9), 30% Okay-BB%

Keller has usually underperformed relative to his nice stuff, however he quietly had an awesome second half of 2022 (2.71 ERA over his last 15 begins) and he is following that up with a really robust spring efficiency that has already earned him the Pirates’ Opening Day begin. Keller’s command is manner higher than it is ever been — take a look at that 20-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio — and his stuff would possibly even be sharper than normal. His fastball velo has ticked as much as 96 mph, he is added a 91 mph cutter, and his sinker and sweeper are each breaking 17 inches … in reverse instructions.

Hayden Wesneski, Cubs
2.12 ERA, 22 K’s in 17 IP (11.7 Okay/9), 31.9% strikeout charge

The 25-year-old Wesneski impressed in a brief large league debut final season after the Cubs bought him from the Yankees, and he seems to be even nastier heading into 2023. Wesneski’s fastball has gotten as much as 97 mph on the stadium radar gun in his spring outings, manner sooner than it was final 12 months — and he says he is thrown even more durable than that. And his most enjoyable pitch is his nasty boomerang slider.

A.J. Puk, Marlins
1.80 ERA, 9 K’s in 5 IP (16.2 Okay/9), 45% strikeout charge

Puk had his greatest season for the A’s in 2022, however with a bit of luck, his change of surroundings with the Marlins will unlock the dominant efficiency we have at all times hoped for from him. The 27-year-old lefty is throwing as arduous as ever, along with his fastball sitting at 96 mph in Spring Training, but it surely’s his slider that is value taking note of. Puk has taken some velocity off the pitch, throwing it round 84 mph, however added numerous horizontal motion. Puk’s slider is averaging 10 inches of break this spring after averaging solely 3 inches final season. He may find yourself as Miami’s nearer.