Hitter values for fantasy baseball: did spring training help Cam Smith or Brett Baty?

Spring training may be winding to a close, but there are still a few position battles up for grabs. While most of the players competing for these jobs are not high-end fantasy assets, a few of them could prove to be major values in this weekend's fantasy baseball drafts if they were to find themselves in a full-time job. Below, I've gone through each of the remaining positional battles that I see out there and, with the help of Thomas Nestico's awesome playing time cheatsheet, tried to make sense of who might win the job and what that could mean for their fantasy value.

AL East

Boston Red Sox
Second Base

Rafael Devers has said that he would DH if that's what the Red Sox wanted him to do, and Alex Bregman has started no games at second base this spring, so it feels like a good bet that Bregman is the starting third baseman in Boston. That leaves Kristian Campbell, David Hamilton, and Vaughn Grissom to battle for second base. Campbell has, unfortunately, had a bad spring, going 5-for-33 (.152) with 13 strikeouts and five walks. While he's one of the top prospects in baseball, he did start the 2024 season in High-A, so there's an argument that he could use more time in the minors. Had Grissom done better than hit 6-for-32 (.188) this spring, he may have forced the Red Sox hand. Grissom did have just five strikeouts and four walks, so he's making a lot of contact, but he didn't win this job. Hamilton may have after going 10-for-40 (.250) with eight strikeouts, seven walks, and five steals. This is after a good MLB debut in 2024. I think this comes down to Hamilton and Campbell, but because Hamilton can also play short and be an elite pinch runner, he could make the team as a backup with the Red Sox giving Campbell a month or so at the beginning of the season to attempt to lock down the job. However, just know that this could be a Jackson Holliday situation. The Red Sox want to contend this season, and if Campbell doesn't hit in April, the Red Sox have options to send him down and give somebody else a shot.

Corner Outfield

I think this is settled, but for how long? Jarren Duran seems locked in as the left fielder with Ceddanne Rafaela in center field. Masataka Yoshida still is only throwing from 90 feet, so he seems likely to start the season on the IL with Devers now at designated hitter. That means Wilyer Abreu will remain in right field without much competition for now, but what happens when Yoshida is healthy or when Boston decides having Roman Anthony in Triple-A is offensive? Rafaela is also a former top-40 prospect who has made great strides this spring, so I don't think the Red Sox just push him aside, especially since he's an elite defensive center fielder, which might mean Abreu needs to be traded somewhere.

NewYork Yankees
Designated Hitter/ Centerfield

The Giancarlo Stanton injury opened up the DH spot in New York and many people, like me, would love to see Ben Rice get the job because he has been hitting the ball hard all spring, going 10-for-39 (.256) with three home runs, 12 strikeouts and four walks. However, Dominic Smith has also had a good spring, going 10-for-31 (.323) with three home runs, five strikeouts, and no walks. Yet, what further complicates this is that the Yankees love Trent Grisham's defense in the outfield, so they could start Grisham in the outfield and allow Aaron Judge to DH more often, which would help keep Judge healthy. Grisham has also had a good spring, so I feel like the most likely outcome is that Rice, Smith, and Judge all spend time at DH early in the season, which will make it hard for any of Rice, Smith, and Grisham to carve out fantasy value in shallower formats.

Toronto Blue Jays

Designated Hitter

It would seem to be best if Anthony Santander was the full-time DH and one of Joey Loperfido or Alan Roden could play left field for Toronto; however, that seems unlikely. Santander is going to play some left field and also DH, which means there needs to be somebody to fill in at each spot around him. When Santander is in left, it seems like the Blue Jays could go with Will Wagner at DH against righties and Davis Schneider there against lefties. Schneider also played five games in LF, so he could move out there and seems likely to be in every lineup against left-handed pitching. Addison Barger could also play his way into consideration here and, unlike Wagner who can only play the infield, Barger has experience in the corner outfield as well as at third base. Barger has gone 9-for-24 (.375) this spring with two home runs while Wagner has gone 4-for-28 (.250) with six strikeouts and no walks, so it wouldn't surprise me if Barger makes this team and gets an early shot at DH at-bats against right-handed pitchers when Santander is in the outfield. I've drafted Barger in a few draft-and-holds, and I would recommend adding him in AL-only formats if he makes this team.

Baltimore Orioles
Designated Hitter

It doesn't seem like there should be a spot open here with Ryan O'Hearn at designated hitter against righties and Ryan Mountcastle at first base; however, the Orioles keep saying that Heston Kjerstad deserves to get at-bats against righties, so perhaps the Orioles will make a change. O'Hearn has been solid for the last two years, but he's a .270 hitter with 15 home run power and no speed, which doesn't move the needle for a team like Baltimore. Kjerstad could push to be the regular DH, which would allow O'Hearn to fill a role as a bat off the bench or a trade candidate. I like taking late fliers on Kjerstad in case it takes him a couple of weeks to get the job, like Colton Cowser last season.

Tampa Bay Rays
Designated Hitter

Eloy Jimenez has made the most starts at designated hitter this spring, and it's clear that the Rays want him to earn a role; however, he's gone just 8-for-34 (.235) with one home run, nine strikeouts, and one walk. Unfortunately for him, Curtis Mead has been one of the stars of the spring, going 19-for-33 (.576) with one home run, one steal, five walks, and three strikeouts. Mead is a below-average defender at most positions, so he would likely need to be in the lineup at DH if he's going to be in the lineup. That also means he would have to push aside presumed favorite Jonathan Aranda, who has gone 9-for-36 (.250) this spring with 13 strikeouts and three walks. For a few years now, the Rays have not wanted to give Aranda a shot at full-time at-bats, possibly because of his poor defense, so it wouldn't be a shock for them to give Mead a shot before Aranda.

Shortstop
The Rays need to find somebody to play shortstop with Ha-Seong Kim out, and the early favorite appears to be Taylor Walls, who started 10 games at short this spring. That's not going to move the needle much for fantasy purposes. We'd probably rather it be Jose Caballero, given his plus speed, but he only made five starts there this spring so it feels unlikely he gets more than a few starts a week per week.

AL Central

Cleveland Guardians
Right Field

While everybody assumes Jhonkensy Noel is going to man right field because he hits the ball hard, it's never that simple with the Guardians who value contact and versatility. Noel has gone 11-for-39 (.282) this spring with two home runs; however, he has also struck out 16 times and not walked once. That's always going to be the big issue with him. Meanwhile, Will Brennan has almost as many starts in right field at Noel this spring and has gone 9-for-31 (.290) with two home runs, four strikeouts, and one walk. Brennan is a better defender and is a left-handed hitter, so he could get the majority of the starts in right field against right-handed pitchers with Noel mixing in against lefties and getting starts in favorable matchups. I feel like Brennan is underrated in deeper formats.

Detroit Tigers
Third base

The Tigers sent Josh Jung down to the minors this week, which means they need somebody else to claim the third base job until Matt Vierling returns. They did play Javier Baez at third base a few times this spring, and he has looked better with a new swing and a potentially clean bill of health. The Tigers have a lot of money tied up in Baez, so they may give him a shot. At least against right-handed pitching. Against lefties, I'd expect Andy Ibanez to get the vast majority of starts, but I'm probably avoiding all in fantasy formats.

Designated Hitter

With the Tigers managing the injury to Vierling and also Parker Meadows, they don't have a clear option at designated hitter. It's typically a spot they will use to get usual starters a day off from playing the field; yet, that wouldn't be the case to start the year because they don't have enough healthy hitters. That could mean that Spencer Torkelson gets another shot after a solid spring that saw him go 10-for-35 (.286) with four home runs, nine strikeouts, and two walks. It's worth a gamble in most formats to give Torkelson a chance since he hit 31 home runs in 2023, but he doesn't seem like a vastly different player to me, so I'm not sure he will stick as an everyday player when Vierling and Meadows return.

Minnesota Twins

Third Base/ First Base / Designated Hitter

The injury to Royce Lewis is going to lead to some shifting in the Twins' infield, but it's not as if they're unaccustomed to that. Jose Miranda could slide to third base, as he did for a chunk of 2024, but he graded out poorly there defensively, so it's more likely that Willi Castro or Brooks Lee could see a chunk of playing time there, which would allow Miranda to fill in as the primary designated hitter. That's good news for Miranda because he's had a solid spring but has also been outplayed by Ty France, who is hitting the ball well and was likely to be the starting first baseman. This would allow all of Miranda, France, and Castro to get regular playing time at the start of the season. France is more of a deeper-league play in my eyes given his limited power upside as a first baseman, but I'm happy to take a late-round flier on Miranda, who was hitting the ball well before his back injury last year.

Second Base
With Willi Castro sliding over the third base, that would mean that Brooks Lee and Edouard Julien would battle for second base. Unless Lee takes over a third base and then Castro and Julien share second. Confused yet? Lee is a switch-hitter and a far better defender than Julien, so he certainly has a leg up. He's also gone 8-for-39 (.256) this spring with two home runs, six strikeouts, and one walk, so he hasn't exactly pulled away from the competition too much. Lee would pick up 2B/SS eligibility or SS/3B eligibility and was a prospect of note coming up, so he's worth a gamble. I'm just not sure his skill set is entirely fantasy-friendly in shallower formats.

Chicago White Sox
Shortstop/ Second Base

With the White Sox sending Colson Montgomery down to the minors, they need a starting shortstop. Jacob Amaya has played the most games there this spring, but Chase Meidroth is right behind him, and Meidroth, who the White Sox got in the Garrett Crochet deal, is more interesting to me. He's only 3-for-28 this spring, but he has eight walks and six strikeouts, so the plate discipline numbers have been pretty good. He was good for the Red Sox in 2024 and played the entire 122-game season at Triple-A, so he may not have much left to prove. With Josh Rojas battling a fractured toe, that could allow Lenyn Sosa to start the season at second base. He's gone 9-for-32 (.281) this spring and could have earned himself another shot.

Left Field

The White Sox outfield is incredibly banged up with both Austin Slater and Andrew Benintendi set to start the season on the IL. The team signed Travis Jankowski just the other day and also has Michael A. Taylor as a reserve outfielder. So far, Taylor has split his eight starts between left field and center field and he does make more sense as a starter than Jankowski. However, Jankowski is a left-handed hitter, so maybe Chicago would prefer that platoon split. Regardless, neither would move the needle outside of deep AL-only formats.

AL West

Houston Astros
Right Field

This is probably the most discussed position battle in spring training because it involves rookie Cam Smith, who has gone 11-for-26 (.423) in 11 MLB spring training games with three home runs, six strikeouts, and five walks. He certainly looks the part; however, we should note that he hasn't faced many MLB pitchers this spring. That said, he was a highly-regarded prospect and he played some outfield in the Cape Cod league before being drafted, so he has the athleticism to make the transition. Do the Astros want him to make that defensive change on the fly while also learning to hit MLB pitching? It's a lot to ask. They could instead go with Zach Dezenzo, who is just 24 years old, worked out in the outfield in Triple-A last year, and is hitting 13-for-35 (.371) this spring with two home runs, nine strikeouts, and two walks. Dezenzo can also play 1B and 3B, which would add some extra depth if the Astros want to get left-handed-hitting Ben Gamel in the outfield for some games. My personal opinion is that it makes more sense for the Astros to give Dezenzo the shot and let Smith adjust to the outfield while facing Triple-A pitching for a month or so, but I'm not sure that's what Houston will do. UPDATE: Dezenzo got hurt on Tuesday night while diving for a ball at first base, so that could change how this plays out.

Second Base

With Jose Altuve moving to a more primary outfield role, that leaves second base for Mauricio Dubon or Brendan Rodgers. So far this spring, Dubon has started nine games and second and only two games at other spots, so even though we think of him as a super utility player, and he kind of is, the Astros have been using him mainly at second base. Rogers has eight starts at second and has played no other positions this spring. Rodgers had gone 8-for-28 (.286) this spring and brings no speed and average defense, so it's unclear if he will even make this team. The Astros would give themselves more flexibility by using Dubon at second, knowing that they can also bring Altuve in to play there at times. Then they can keep Luis Guillorme as the backup infielder since he's a plus defender at all infield spots.

Los Angeles Angels
Third Base / Second Base

The recent news that Yoan Moncada has a thumb injury that could result in an IL stint shakes up this infield a bit. The Angels could decide to use J.D. Davis as their starting third baseman, but he's just 10-for-40 (.250) this spring with 19 strikeouts in 20 games and has been an average MLB hitter for a while now. The Angels could instead slide Luis Rengifo over to third base and open up second base for Tim Anderson, who is 11-for-40 (.286) this spring with six strikeouts, three walks, and five steals. I'd rather take a gamble on the 31-year-old Anderson becoming an MLB average hitter again because he can play strong defense up the middle and even played some outfield this spring.

Seattle Mariners
Second Base

This is a battle between Ryan Bliss and Dylan Moore. Bliss has started 11 games at second this spring, and Moore has started nine. Bliss has also gone 9-for-28 (.321) with six strikeouts and two steals in those games, while Moore has gone just 2-for-32 (.063) with eight strikeouts. This may be a situation where the Mariners prefer the younger player, Bliss because Moore can also fill in at most spots on the diamond, which makes him a valuable bench piece. Both bring speed upside, and Bliss has stolen at least 50 bases in the last two minor league seasons, so he could be worth a late dart throw if you need speed in your drafts.

Sacramento Athletics
Left Field

While there was some initial belief that Seth Brown was the favorite to start in left field, spring training usage would indicate that Miguel Andujar is the leading candidate to take that job. He has made 10 starts in left field with the next closer player being Esteury Ruiz, who made seven starts but was sent to the minors already. Brown has started seven games at first and four games in right field and figures to be a left-handed bat off the bench. Meanwhile, has gone 15-for-28 (.395) this spring with two home runs, five walks, and five strikeouts. This Athletics lineup is a fine lineup, and their new home ballpark should be an upgrade on the Coliseum, so taking a gamble on Andujar in deeper formats is not a bad idea. He was playing well last year before getting hurt.

NL EAST

New York Mets
Second Base

Wil Jeff McNeil sidelined for up to a month with an oblique injury, the Mets have an opening at second base. It would appear that Brett Baty has the inside track at the job since he has gone 12-for-39 (.308) this spring with two home runs, five strikeouts, and four walks. Baty only has made five starts at second base this spring, but he has made two of them since McNeil went down. Luisangel Acuna has also made five starts at second base this spring, hitting 9-for-34 (.265) with three steals. He provides more defensive ability than Baty, but the Mets may opt for Baty's offense since he has been a long-time prospect of note and might need one more chance before the Mets decide to keep him or trade him away.

Atlanta Braves
Catcher

We know that Sean Murphy will start the season on the IL, so the question is whether or not the Braves immediately turn to Drake Baldwin or not. It seemed like Baldwin was a lock to be on the Opening Day roster, but then the Braves went out on Monday and signed James McCann to a minor league contract. It seems unlikely that McCann would be ready for Opening Day in a little over a week, but it's at least an option should the Braves not want to start Baldwin's clock when Murphy is not far from returning.

NL Central

Milwaukee Brewers
Third Base

With Joey Ortiz moving to shortstop, the Brewers are looking for a new third baseman. So far this spring, Oliver Dunn has started 11 games at the position with Caleb Durbin starting eight. Dunn is a left-handed hitter who's gone 12-for-38 (.342) with two home runs, three steals, 11 strikeouts, and five walks. He was good for Philadelphia in the minor leagues in 2023 and provides an intriguing power/speed combination. Durbin, who came from the Yankees in the Devin Williams deal, has gone just 9-for-41 (.220) this spring with two home runs and four steals. The Brewers could start him at second base if Brice Turang is delayed by his shoulder injury or keep Durbin as a utility infielder, but it seems likely that Dunn gets the first crack at third base and could be a useful dart in deeper formats or NL-only leagues given he had 21 home runs and 16 steals in 2023.

Left Field/ Designated Hitter

This situation is entirely dependent on Christian Yelich. The Brewers could decide to keep him primarily at DH to help him play more games this season, which would open up playing time for Sal Frelick, who has played all over the outfield this spring and gone 14-for-36 (.389) with two home runs, four steals, two strikeouts, and five walks. Frelick was solid in his 524 MLB plate appearances last year, and I like taking fliers on him late in deeper formats because I think he can provide a solid batting average and some speed. If Yelich does slide into the outfield at times, that could open up at-bats for Mark Canha, who has struggled this spring but still has a good chance to make the roster. I like taking shares of Frelick in deeper formats because I think he has the profile to be a useful fantasy outfielder.

St. Louis Cardinals
Centerfield

Michael Siani has made 11 starts this spring with Victor Scott II making nine. It would seem to be a competition just between the two of them, but Lars Nootbaar has also started five games there and could play center if the Cardinals wanted to play Brendan Donovan and Jordan Walker out there. Between Scott and Sinai, Scott has had the better spring, going 13-for-35 (.371) with two home runs, five steals, seven strikeouts, and seven walks while Siani has gone just 4-for-35 (.114). If the Cardinals do give Scott the chance, he is worth a shot late in drafts because we know that he can steal bases, and his performance this spring suggested he could at least put up a passable batting average. However, he should be limited to a late-round flier so that you can just cut him without fuss if he looks overmatched again in the first two weeks of the season.

Second base

The Cardinals have said they're going to give Nolan Gorman a long leash at second base, but he's gone just 9-for-46 (.196) with 12 strikeouts in 16 games. Brendan Donovan has made the most starts at second base this spring, but he has also struggled, going 6-for-32 (.188) with six strikeouts and three walks. Donovan has the better MLB track record, but the Cardinals like to use him all over the field, so it seems likely Gorman will start at second base, but the Cardinals could make the swap soon if he continues to struggle.

Pittsburgh Pirates
First Base

The early injury to Spencer Horwitz created an opening at first base. The Pirates have spent all spring moving plenty of guys around at that spot. DJ Stewart has the most starts with six, while Nick Yorke has made five and both Darick Hall and Jared Triolo have made four. Stewart, as a left-handed hitter, could be in the lead since he has gone 9-for-32 (.281) this spring with one home run and one steal. Yorke could be used at first and also second, but he didn't show well in the outfield this spring and has gone 7-for-29 (.241) with 10 strikeouts in 11 innings, so he may not have done enough to win himself a job.

Second Base

If Yorke didn't win the second base job then it likely locks up the job for Nick Gonzales. However, we should note that Adam Frazier has also made six starts at second base. Frazier hasn't been good this spring, so it's unlikely that he won the job.

Cincinnati Reds

Third Base

This seems like Gavin Lux will start the year at third. He's made nine starts, and the Reds did bring him in this offseason because they like what he can bring to the table. We just need to note that Jeimer Candelario can play third base and has started five games there this spring, so the Reds could also play Christian Encarnacion-Strand at first base and move Candelario to thirdif they wanted to get somebody like Stuart Fairchild in the lineup or Tyler Stephenson when he's back or Spencer Steer when he's healthy. It all seems a bit chaotic here, but I will say that Candelario is going too late in drafts right now. He struggled in his first year in Cincinnati last year after signing a big contract and while battling injuries, but he's a very capable hitter in a good home park, and he's going to get a lot of at-bats.

NL WEST

Colorado Rockies
Right field

Coming into spring, it seemed like Jordan Beck was the favorite to win the right field job, and he has made seven starts there this spring, which is the most of anybody. However, Sean Bouchard has also made seven starts, and Zac Veen has made five, so this could be up for grabs. Beck has gone just 8-for-43 (.186) this spring with 15 strikeouts and five walks, which is not exactly what he needed to do to win this job. Meanwhile, Bouchard has gone 14-for-37 (.378) with three home runs while Veen has gone 13-for-41 (.317) with two home runs, six steals, 12 strikeouts, and five walks. Given that Veen struggled in the minors last year, the Rockies could just let Bouchard handle right field and allow Sam Hilliard to act as the fourth outfielder.

San Diego Padres
Designated Hitter

The bottom of this Padres lineup is a little bit of a mess, and that's where you'll find all of these players we're going to discuss. Right now, I can't tell you with any confidence who will be the designated hitter for the Padres. It could be any of Gavin Sheets, Oscar Gonzalez, Jose Iglesias, Jason Heyward, Eguy Rosario, Connor Joe, or just a rotation of regular starters. I will say that Sheets has done the most to claim the job, going 14-for-45 (.311) with six home runs, four walks, and 11 strikeouts in 19 games. Sheets has had intriguing batted ball data in the past, so he might deserve a chance to see what he can do outside of the White Sox lineup. Gonzalez has also had a solid spring, going 19-for-50 (.380) with nine strikeouts, and three walks in 19 games, but he hits right-handed and has less positional flexibility than Sheets, so it's hard to see him making he team over him, and I can't see both making it. Iglesias is likely battling Tyler Wade for the backup infielder role while Heyward, Rosario, and Joe will factor into the next position battle.

Left Field

The Padres' plan was to have Jason Heyward play left field against righties and Connor Joe play against lefties. Joe can also play first base, so he makes sense as a bench bat who will start against left-handed pitching. I don't think his spring training results should change that plan; however, Heyward really hasn't done much of anything to feel like he should be the regular left fielder despite getting 13 starts there this spring, which is more than Joe's four and Tirso Ornelas' five starts. Heyward has gone 3-for-25 this spring, will be 36 years old this season, and hasn't been an average MLB hitter outside of a break stretch in 2023 with the Dodgers. That could open the door for Ornelas, who has gone 13-for-45 (.286) this spring with one home run, six walks, and six strikeouts in 20 games. He hit .297 with 23 home runs and seven steals in Triple-A last year and might deserve a chance to play over Heyward and I'd be drafting shares of Ornelas in draft-and-hold formats.

Catcher

If we go just by spring starts, then the two catchers on this team are Elias Diaz and Martin Maldonado, who have both started 10 games while Luis Campusano has started five. I should also note that Campusano has one minor league option left, while Diaz and Maldonado do not. That means, the Padres can send Campusano to Triple-A without releasing him, but they would have to put Diaz and Maldonado on waivers if they didn't make the Opening Day roster. Teams love catching depth, so it's hard to see the Padres intentionally losing an MLB-caliber catcher and Maldonado certainly is that if you're involving his defense into the equation. Diaz has not been great this spring, going 4-for-25 (.160) with seven strikeouts and one walk, so there is a world where the Padres start Campusano and cut Diaz, but I'm still not sure that's how I'd bet it goes. Regardless, this is a situation to avoid in fantasy.