Five Key Players to Watch this Upcoming Spring Training
With Spring Training right around the corner, now is the perfect time to look at prospects who could make a big splash during the next month and find their way on the opening-day roster. To start there are a few honorable mentions with Seattle Mariners Harry Ford, Colorado Rockies Chase Dollander, Philadelphia Phillies Andrew Painter, and lastly Cleveland Guardians Chase DeLauter. Ford has recently changed positions from Catcher to play all over the field, including right field, making him a promising choice for a team that lacks offense, he just might not be fully ready as of opening day. Dollander comes in as a highly touted prospect within the Rockies organization, however for where they are it is hard to see them rushing up the 6 ‘2 right-hander. Painter is quite the opposite, as the Phillies enter the season in “win-now” mode. While the rotation could use someone like Painter (A Fastball thrower with great command) there seems to be no room for the club’s top-5 prospect as it stands…for now. Just missing the list is Chase Delauter who is blocked as of right now on the Guardians roster with players such as Steven Kwan, Will Brennan, and Lane Thomas locking down the outfield. Now onto the list.
#5…Jakob Marsee (OF, 23, Marlins)
The Miami Marlins come into the 2025 season with not much to look readily forward to seeing. A team that lacked talent got even worse this offseason, trading away pitcher Jesus Luzardo to the National League East enemy Phillies for two young prospects (Starlyn Caba and Emaarion Boyd). As shown by the offseason moves and this past deadline mass selling off of assets, it isn’t hard to see that the team is looking to the future, where Jakob Marsee comes into play. Acquired in the Luis Arraez deal last season, Marsee is a twenty-three-year-old outfielder who could easily plug in on the opening-day roster. Batting .200 between three different teams last season, Marsee showed growth throughout the season, with an average of .275 coming at AAA, pairing contact with a wicked left-handed swing. Due to the lack of talent on the Major League roster, Marsee could see himself slotted right in at either Centerfield or Right Field for the Marlins if he can show his own this spring training against MLB pitchers.
#4…Drake Baldwin (C, 23, Braves)
Although the Atlanta Braves had a disappointing season in 2024, it is hard to blame anything other than the surplus of injuries especially those to stars Ronald Acuña Jr. and Spencer Strider. An injury that mostly flew under the radar for the Braves however was that of Catcher Sean Murphy, this is where Drake Baldwin comes into play. Murphy isn’t old by any stretch of the mind (30) but he isn’t exactly young either while also playing a very physically demanding position. Baldwin had an outstanding 2024 in the minor leagues, batting .276 with 16 home runs over two levels (AA and AAA) while also showing enough consistent defense behind the dish. If Baldwin can show more consistent hitting and defense during Spring Training, he should be poised to take over the backup catcher role from Travis d’Arnaud who left for the Los Angeles Angels in free agency. Overall, Baldwin has a very strong chance to be on the opening-day roster for a team that has heavy World Series aspirations.
#3…Quinn Mathews (SP, 24, Cardinals)
The St. Louis Cardinals have had one of the loudest offseason’s while also doing next to nothing. A lot of older players of the team have either moved on (Paul Goldschmidt to the Yankees) or are sitting around in free agency waiting for a shot (Lance Lynn and Kyle Gibson) either way this team has lost lots of veteran presence in the past few months. It was also revealed early on that the Cardinals would be looking to move Nolan Arenado, fully embracing the youth movement idea that has been slowly seeping in for years. Enter Quinn Mathews, the left-handed pitcher from Stanford who came in and immediately made an impact in the minor league during the 2024 season. Over 143.1 innings, Mathews held a 2.76 earned run average while pairing this with a ridiculous 12.68 (!!!) K/9 or strikeouts per nine innings. While his weakest outings came while at the highest level (ERA of 6.48) he also spent the least amount of time there, only pitching 16.2 total innings in AAA. Using his 6’5 frame, Mathews can get great movement on his pitches, especially his changeup and slider. For a team that does not have immediate World Series aspirations, a solid Spring Training could be enough for Mathews to be in the starting rotation, especially when factoring in the players lost in free agency. The high strikeout rate and projectable frame make Quinn Mathews a key prospect to watch over the next month plus.
#2…Jacob Misiorowski (SP, 22, Brewers)
Coming off of a season in which the Milwaukee Brewers won 93, the team had a pretty uneventful offseason. While this isn’t too out of the norm, they still made some moves, especially one that opened up the door for MLB top-100 prospect Jacob Misiorowski. After trading closer Josh Hader to the San Diego Padres in 2022, the former rookie of the year Devin Willaims stepped up to become the closer for the Brewers, a spot where he thrived. In a shocking move this offseason, the Brewers traded away closer Devin Williams (who is in the last year of current deal) to the New York Yankees. This is where Misiorowski comes into play, setting him up to be the closer to the future. The 6 ‘7 right-hander started his career as a starting pitcher in the Brewers system before ultimately moving to a bullpen role due to his ability to throw strikes and serve fastballs in the zone that touch 100 consistently. In 97.1 innings pitched during the 2024 season, Misirowoski was able to pitch to a 3.33 Earned Run Average. He was also able to strike out 11.74 per every nine innings to make him a well-rounded pitcher. He uses his big frame and strong arm to make hitters work, especially later in games. Misiorowski needs to keep his upward trajectory going to make the opening-day roster however it is hard for people not to be bullish on someone with his talent and a team that has a great track record with pitching prospects, leading him to possibly be the 2025 closer for the Brewers.
#1…Matt Shaw (3B, 22, Cubs)
Lastly, Coming in at the top spot is top-20 MLB prospect Matt Shaw. The Chicago Cubs made one of the biggest surprises of the offseason when they acquired Houston Astros outfielder Kyle Tucker in exchange for current third baseman Isaac Parades, third base prospect Cam Smith and lastly swingman pitcher Hayden Wesneski. After trading away their current third baseman as well as a third base prospect it is obvious the North Siders need a third baseman for the 2025 season, which is where Matt Shaw comes into the picture. Drafted thirteenth overall in 2023 as a shortstop out of Maryland, Shaw has spent the last few years moving around the diamond to find exactly where the 5 ‘9 hitter will stick. With current shortstop Dansby Swanson being on a long-term deal there is no room for him there leading to the next logical spot being at the hot corner taking over from a platoon of players in 2024. Shaw has had a meteoric rise in rankings due to his keen eye in the batter’s box and high walk rate while striking out at a good rate as well. Many have compared Shaw to Boston Red Sox’s legend Dustin Pedroia as he comes in at a small size compared to many others yet doesn’t let that limit his contact skills and still gets quite a large amount of power from someone of his stature. To many the third base job is Shaw’s to lose, making him a very compelling watch this Spring Training as he attempts to lock down the spot once and for all. In 2024 Shaw batted .284 with 21 home runs over two different levels, showing his high bat-to-ball powers that should immediately make him a positive in the big leagues for a team that goes into 2025 as a “Must-win” season, making Shaw the biggest player to watch this Spring Training.
