MLB Spring Training 2015: Who's Hot, Who's Not Through 3 Weeks of Games

Most everyone knows by now not to put too much stock into spring training performances for any number of reasons. Pitchers are building up innings, hitters are getting back into the, uh, swing of things, and prospects and non-roster invitees receive a lot of playing time that they won't once the real games begin.

Regardless, it's still fun to check in every once in a while to see which players are doing well and which aren't. The statistics don't count, but they're available—and who knows, maybe some of 'em do matter even a little.

Since there are plenty of candidates for each side—hot and not—the focus here will be on players who should be on Opening Day rosters, as opposed to prospects with plenty still to prove, like Kris Bryant (.435 BA, 6 HR, 9 RBI), Joc Pederson (.433 BA, 2 HR, 6 RBI) and Micah Johnson (.444 BA, 7 R), or veterans merely looking to hang on, like Jason Marquis (14.0 IP, 8 H, 5 ER).

Same goes on the not-so-hot side for, say, Javier Baez (.100 BA, 11 K), who falls into the former category, or Jonny Gomes (.129 BA, 10 K) in the latter.

And, well, we just plain feel bad for Ezequiel Carrera at this point. Dude has gone hitless with 12 strikeouts in 28 at-bats. He's clearly not hot, but here's a group of others who are—and some more who are in Carrera's camp.

Others Considered

Lenny Ignelzi/Associated Press

Drew Pomeranz has 15 strikeouts, most among all pitchers so far this spring.

Like we mentioned, there's no shortage of hots and nots, so here's a look at some other players who fell into each category.

Hot

Nolan Arenado, 3B, Colorado Rockies: .345/.387/.759, 5 R, 6 XBH (3 HR), 10 RBI, 0 SB (31 PA)

Wilmer Flores, SS, New York Mets: .406/.412/.719, 6 R, 6 XBH (2 HR), 7 RBI, 0 SB (34 PA)

Jacob deGrom, RHP, New York Mets: 1-0, 2.45 ERA, 0.64 WHIP, 12:1 K:BB (11.0 IP)

George Springer, OF, Houston Astros: .375/.500/.708, 8 R, 4 XBH (2 HR), 5 RBI, 1 SB (30 PA)

Freddie Freeman, 1B, Atlanta Braves: .370/.485/.741, 4 R, 6 XBH (2 HR), 7 RBI, 0 SB, (33 PA)

Drew Pomeranz, LHP, Oakland Athletics: 0-2, 2.00 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 15:3 K:BB (9.0 IP)

Jose Quintana, LHP, Chicago White Sox: 2-0, 1.59 ERA, 0.62 WHIP, 11:1 K:BB (11.1 IP)

J.D. Martinez, OF, Detroit Tigers: .361/.425/.694, 8 R, 6 XBH (3 HR), 6 RBI, 0 SB (40 PA)

Not

Peter Bourjos, OF, St. Louis Cardinals: .080/.148/.200, 3 R, 1 XBH (1 HR), 1 RBI, 1 SB (28 PA) 

Norichika Aoki, OF, San Francisco Giants: .133/.257/.133, 0 R, 0 XBH (0 HR), 2 RBI, 1 SB, (34 PA)

Brett Gardner, OF, New York Yankees: .138/.265/.138, 0 R, 0 XBH (0 HR), 2 RBI, 0 SB, (34 PA)

Bud Norris, RHP, Baltimore Orioles: 0-3, 11.74 ERA, 2.35 WHIP, 4:5 K:BB (7.2 IP)

Hot: Mike Trout, OF, Los Angeles Angels

Norm Hall/Getty Images

Spring Stats: .500/.581/1.000 , 10 R, 6 XBH (3 HR), 11 RBI, 3 SB (31 PA)

This just in: Mike Trout is the best player in baseball—even during spring training.

Just when you thought he couldn't get any better, the reigning AL MVP has absolutely dominated this March. OK, so it's exhibition games, but get this: After all the "concerns" over Trout's rising strikeout total—he whiffed 26 percent of the time and led the Junior Circuit with 184 last year—the 23-year-old has just three so far.

Maybe we haven't seen the best of him yet.

Not: Ben Revere, OF, Philadelphia Phillies

Lynne Sladky/Associated Press

Spring Stats: .121/.194/.121, 2 R, 0 XBH (0 HR), 1 RBI, 1 SB (39 PA)

Ben Revere's spring showing has been the exact opposite of his center field counterpart from the Los Angeles Angels.

In his 33 at-bats, Revere has managed exactly four hits (.121)—all singles. That's not surprising from this slap hitter (.048 career ISO), but it's not a good sign, either. Nor is the speedster's mere one stolen base.

It's going to be a long year for the rebuilding Philadelphia Phillies and even longer if their spark-plug leadoff hitter can't approach the .306 average and 49 steals he totaled in 2014.

Hot: Taijuan Walker, RHP, Seattle Mariners

Rich Pilling/Getty Images

Spring Stats: 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 0.58 WHIP, 13:3 K:BB (12.0 IP)

Taijuan Walker qualifies for this because he's no longer a prospect, although with just 53 career innings in the majors, he still feels like one.

The 22-year-old righty has made four appearances this March and has yet to allow even a single run. No pitcher has thrown as many scoreless innings as Walker has. On top of that, he's fired off 13 strikeouts against just eight baserunners.

If Walker can stay hot and healthy this season while pitching behind Felix Hernandez and Hisashi Iwakuma, the Seattle Mariners are going to have an even more dominant rotation than they had last year.

Not: Jason Vargas, LHP, Kansas City Royals

Lenny Ignelzi/Associated Press

Spring Stats: 0-1, 17.55 ERA, 3.15 WHIP, 7:2 K:BB (6.2 IP)

Those numbers are downright hard to look at. But in a case like Jason Vargas', it's important to remember that this is a 32-year-old veteran of nine MLB seasons.

Sure, Vargas' finesse repertoire always has been hittable (9.2 H/9 career), but he's not really this hittable. The southpaw has maintained a league-average performance over the past five years (3.92 ERA, 1.27 WHIP).

Hot: Brandon Belt, 1B, San Francisco Giants

Ralph Freso/Getty Images

Spring Stats: .355/.459/.806, 5 R, 6 XBH (3 HR), 6 RBI, 1 SB (37 PA)

A breakout candidate at this time in 2014, Brandon Belt's season was interrupted twice, once by a broken hand from a hit by pitch and again by a concussion that lingered for weeks, limiting him to 61 games. If this spring is a sign of things to come, maybe that breakout merely will be happening a year later than expected.

Belt, 26, has been especially hot of late, smacking all three of his home runs in the past six games, and the San Francisco Giants—sans the departed Pablo Sandoval and Mike Morse and the injured Hunter Pence—will need all the power they can get as they embark upon their title defense.

Not: Edinson Volquez, RHP, Kansas City Royals

Charlie Riedel/Associated Press

Spring Stats: 1-1, 9.72 ERA, 2.16 WHIP, 4:2 K:BB (8.1 IP)

Between Edinson Volquez and rotation mate Jason Vargas, the Kansas City Royals might not be feeling all that great about their pitching entering 2015, especially with former ace James Shields now in San Diego.

The Royals inked Volquez for $20 million over two years as a way to help cover for losing Shields, but the erratic righty is a clear regression candidate after posting a FIP (4.15) more than a full run higher than his 3.04 ERA.

Could this be the onset of buyer's remorse already?

Statistics are accurate through Thursday, March 19, and courtesy of MLB.com, Baseball-Reference.com and FanGraphs unless otherwise noted.

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