Who doesn’t love Spring Training?
It’s the beginning of the baseball season and means warmer weather is right around the corner. Do the statistics generated during this preseason action translate into better production during the regular season?
History tells me it generally has nothing to do with a player’s value during the regular season. But there are outliers, where a tremendous spring has turned into a surprising regular season.
So if you like Spring Training stats, here’s a few players to keep in mind when drafting in the upcoming fantasy baseball draft.
Avisail Garcia, Chicago White Sox, OF
The power-hitting outfielder is one of many White Sox players having solid springs. Based on my prediction for a much better season for the Sox, that’s encouraging for my projection.
Garcia is batting .359 with 14 RBIs and three homers in only 13 games this spring. Along with Todd Frazier and Jose Abreu, the power is on full display in the spring.
Garcia is an interesting case. He has the ability to put up big numbers and does in spurts. But there’s also times where he disappears, which is the biggest reason he’s ranked as the 89th outfielder in terms of average draft position.
He’s had limited action in his career and is only 24, so maybe this is the Garcia we should expect, opposed to the one last year that hit only .257.
Cesar Hernandez, Philadelphia Phillies, 2B/3B/SS
The versatility is crazy with Hernandez. That makes him especially valuable in my mind.
However in fantasy baseball circles, he’s completely forgotten. His ADP is 335 overall and is basically off the radar. If you care about spring, you may want to take a flier on him.
Hernandez has the third-most steals in the spring with five and with 48 at-bats already, he’s hitting .354 with an on-base percentage of .436. He also has eight RBIs to go along with 10 runs.
That’s solid numbers for a young player looking to get his footing in MLB. Last year was his first full season, and while it wasn’t earth-shattering, it did deliver a little on potential.
He hit .272 with 19 stolen bases last season. That’s enough to give him a look this season.
Danny Valencia, Oakland A’s, 3B/OF
Valencia went to Oakland last season and transformed from a journeyman left out of the power-hitting Jays lineup, to a middle-of-the-order hitter for Oakland.
That surge in production offered Valencia the everyday role as third baseman for the A’s, and he’s continuing that dominance in the spring.
He already has five home runs to go along with a .419 batting average. His on-base percentage is hovering near .500 and he’s already scored 10 runs in only 11 games.
The sample size is small, but maybe he’s turned a corner. His ADP is listed at 280 overall, so he might be a nice addition to a fantasy baseball roster late in the draft.
