All 30 MLB Teams' Biggest Surprise, Disappointment at Spring's Midway Point
With the halfway point of spring training upon us, the time to take a look around baseball at each team's most pleasant surprises and biggest disappointments has arrived.
Every team has its own needs and expectations of the players it invites to camp, and how those individual storylines play out ultimately helps those clubs make their final roster decisions before Opening Day.
From highly touted prospects to established veterans and, in some cases, players most fans have never heard of, there's a wide variety of talent that has helped to change the narrative in their respective camp, for better or for worse.
One thing to keep in mind: Injured players were not eligible to be deemed disappointments. It seems incredibly unfair to blame a player for something that is largely out of their control. So while Jhonny Peralta's thumb injury is disappointing, you won't find him as St. Louis' biggest disappointment.
Who has impressed—and depressed us the most thus far? Let's take a look.
Arizona Diamondbacks
1 of 30
Biggest Surprise: UTIL Rickie Weeks Jr.
Don't be fooled by the "junior," for this is the same Rickie Weeks that spent the better part of his 12-year career manning second base in Milwaukee—the same Weeks that hit only .167 with a .513 OPS over 37 games for Seattle last year.
Trying to make the Diamondbacks as a non-roster invitee to spring training, the 33-year-old has performed admirably, hitting .500 (10-for-20) with four doubles, eight runs scored and a 1.300 OPS. If he can continue to produce at the plate, Weeks could crack the Opening Day roster as a super-utility player.
Biggest Disappointment: RHP Shelby Miller
Arizona paid a huge price to obtain Shelby Miller from Atlanta. So far, the 25-year-old has done nothing to make critics of the move regret bashing the club for doing so.
While he's never been a huge strikeout pitcher, Miller has yet to send a batter down on strikes while walking two in five innings, surrendering three earned runs and nine hits along the way. Miller is locked in as the team's No. 3 starter, and the D-Backs will hope for better things—and more missed bats—when the regular season begins.
Atlanta Braves
2 of 30
Biggest Surprise: OF/3B Hector Olivera
Hector Olivera's MLB debut with Atlanta was largely unimpressive, with the 30-year-old Cuban import hitting .253 with seven extra-base hits and a .715 OPS over 24 September games. But when you consider he played for seven different teams in 2015 (including minor league affiliates) and was trying to acclimate himself to life in the United States, those numbers are actually pretty remarkable.
He's been far more comfortable—and confident—this spring, and it's shown in his performance. His .438 batting average is the third-highest among qualified National League players, while his 14 hits put him in a three-way tie for the most in all of baseball.
Biggest Disappointment: RHP Kyle Kendrick
Had things worked out, Kyle Kendrick would have provided Atlanta with an experienced back-of-the-rotation innings-eater, one that could take pressure off the team's young arms and provide some veteran leadership.
Instead, the Braves parted ways with the 31-year-old after two starts, during which he allowed nine earned runs, 14 hits and saw the opposition hit .538 against him.
Baltimore Orioles
3 of 30
Biggest Surprise: OF Alfredo Marte
He's not on Baltimore's 40-man roster, so it's a stretch to think that Alfredo Marte will break camp with the Orioles. But the 26-year-old has been the team's most consistent left field bat this spring, hitting .368 (7-for-19) with a .979 OPS and playing quality defense, things that weren't lost on manager Buck Showalter.
"He came with some unknown about him defensively," Showalter told the Baltimore Sun's Peter Schmuck. "He had a misplay the very first game he played and since then he's played really well out there. I was telling you all along, he takes a quality at-bat just about every time he goes up there."
Marte may start the season at Triple-A, but he'll be among the first names Showalter looks to add should left field become a problem in the early part of the regular season.
Biggest Disappointment: RHP Miguel Gonzalez
Words like atrocious and dreadful don't seem to be powerful enough to describe how poorly Miguel Gonzalez has looked this spring. In three starts, spanning 5.2 innings, the 31-year-old allowed 14 earned runs and 18 hits—including three home runs—as the opposition has hit a robust .529 against him.
Could it be a slow start? Maybe. But that's hard to believe when you think back to how Gonzalez finished the 2015 season. In 10 second-half starts, he pitched to a 6.14 ERA and 1.66 WHIP. Those numbers increase to a 7.45 ERA and 1.86 WHIP over his final eight outings, of which Baltimore won only one.
Boston Red Sox
4 of 30
Biggest Surprise: RHP Matt Barnes
While he pitched to an unsightly 5.44 ERA and 1.65 WHIP, Matt Barnes finished the season strong, allowing only one earned run over nine September relief appearances with eight strikeouts in 10.1 innings of work.
It looks like whatever adjustments he made in September have paid off, as the 25-year-old continues to look lights out in a relief role. He's allowed only two hits over 4.2 scoreless innings, walking one and striking out seven.
The Red Sox certainly didn't envision Barnes as a reliever when they selected him 19th overall in the 2011 draft, but it looks like the team's patience with its former first-round pick is finally starting to pay off.
Biggest Disappointment: 3B Pablo Sandoval
Forget about the fact that Pablo Sandoval arrived to spring training heavier than the Red Sox would have liked—that's the least of the team's worries with its high-priced third baseman.
Sandoval, 29, has been a non-factor at the plate this spring, managing only four hits in 21 at-bats (.190 BA), though three of them were extra-base knocks, including a home run. But he's also been a defensive liability at the hot corner, committing three errors in nine games.
If there's a silver lining to Sandoval's struggles, it's that he could ultimately find himself platooning with Travis Shaw, who has had a strong camp and continues to push for more regular playing time.
Chicago Cubs
5 of 30
Biggest Surprise: RHP Spencer Patton
Few paid attention to the November trade that brought 28-year-old Spencer Patton to Chicago from Texas, and for good reason. The owner of a 6.75 ERA over parts of two major league seasons, he was organizational depth and nothing more.
Or so we thought.
Patton has thrown five innings of scoreless ball this spring, scattering two hits and striking out nine, holding the opposition to a .118 batting average in the process. While he's likely headed to Triple-A to start the season, Patton has made a strong case to be included in the Opening Day bullpen.
Biggest Disappointment: LHP Rex Brothers
Chicago was hopeful that a change of scenery would help Rex Brothers rediscover the form that saw him pitch to a 2.82 ERA while averaging more than a strikeout per inning from 2011 to 2013 as a member of the Colorado Rockies.
Sadly, that wasn't the case, as the Cubs released Brothers, 28, after only three spring appearances, during which he allowed three earned runs, walked three, struck out four and threw four wild pitches.
“We just didn’t see him fitting in right now and thought it would be the most fair to him to get him out there earlier, which would then permit him to work out the best deal (elsewhere),” manager Joe Maddon told the Chicago Tribune's Paul Sullivan. “Of course he struggled with command, but he’s got a big arm.”
Chicago White Sox
6 of 30
Biggest Surprise: SS Jimmy Rollins
Coming off the worst season of his 16-year career, it looked as if Jimmy Rollins' baseball journey was about to come to an end. But the 37-year-old signed a minor league deal with the Chicago White Sox just as spring training was getting underway and has made the most of his opportunity.
"Jimmy's been great for us on the field and in the clubhouse," White Sox general manager Rick Hahn told Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal, while a scout remarked "he's playing like he's 28."
Considering his numbers—a .304 batting average (7-for-23) with a pair of home runs and a .884 OPS in eight games, coupled with solid defense at a premium position—it's hard to argue with either of those assessments. It's not a stretch to think Rollins could be Chicago's everyday shortstop in 2016.
Biggest Disappointment: LF Melky Cabrera
Melky Cabrera hit .305 in his first spring training with Chicago, then proceeded to hit only .241 with a .557 OPS over the season's first two months. So perhaps a slow start to camp this year will result in a hot start to the regular season.
At least that's what the White Sox have to hope, as Cabrera, 31, has gone 3-for-23 (.130) with a .330 OPS in his first nine exhibition games, failing to record an extra-base hit. While he's not going to lose his starting spot in left field as a result, Chicago can't afford for his bat to slowly awake once again.
Cincinnati Reds
7 of 30
Biggest Surprise: LHP Cody Reed
Cincinnati is purposely limiting the number of innings that Cody Reed throws this spring, as manager Bryan Price explained to C. Trent Rosecrans of the Cincinnati Enquirer, but the 22-year-old has arguably been the Reds' best starting pitcher this spring.
He's allowed only one earned run in eight innings of work, scattering five hits and striking out seven batters without issuing a walk. While he'll start the season at Triple-A, it won't be long before Reed becomes a permanent member of the team's rotation.
Biggest Disappointment: 2B Brandon Phillips
After vetoing a pair of offseason trades that would have helped the Reds' rebuilding process, the least Brandon Phillips could have done was outplay his in-house replacement, Jose Peraza, in spring training.
Instead, Phillips has struggled to contribute, hitting .182 (4-for-22) with a .497 OPS, while Peraza has hit .385 (10-for-26) with a .946 OPS. Entering his age-35 season, the Reds can only hope his sluggish start to the spring isn't a sign of things to come during the regular season.
Cleveland Indians
8 of 30
Biggest Surprise: OF Tyler Naquin
Cleveland manager Terry Francona isn't ready to anoint 24-year-old Tyler Naquin the team's Opening Day center fielder, but he's not going to rule it out as a possibility, either. "He's having a really good spring," Francona told Cleveland.com's Zack Meisel. "It's 20 at-bats, but I don't want to downplay it, either."
Hitting .417 (10-for-24) with four extra-base hits and a 1.107 OPS, Naquin has outplayed the competition for the job—primarily veterans Rajai Davis and Will Venable—by a wide margin.
Biggest Disappointment: OF Lonnie Chisenhall
Expected to open the season as part of a platoon in right field, Lonnie Chisenhall has opened the spring in a 1-for-21 slump (.048 BA), striking out six times. Entering his age-27 season, Chisenhall is still in the prime of his career, and the Indians lack significant outfield depth, so his job is probably safe.
Still, it's fair to wonder whether his breakout 2014 campaign, when he hit .270 with 43 extra-base hits (13 HR), 59 RBI and a .770 OPS, was more a result of Chisenhall getting lucky rather than him actually figuring things out at the plate.
Colorado Rockies
9 of 30
Biggest Surprise: LHP Jason Gurka
With Boone Logan dealing with elbow issues, the Denver Post's Patrick Saunders believes 28-year-old Jason Gurka could start the season in Colorado's bullpen. Even without Logan's balky elbow, Gurka certainly deserves a shot.
He's allowed only three batters to reach base in four scoreless innings of relief, striking out 10 batters along the way. That's a huge step forward from his short stint with the club last season, when he allowed eight earned runs and 17 hits in only 7.2 innings.
"We're seeing a pitcher with a lot more confidence than he had last year," Rockies manager Walt Weiss told Saunders. "He knows he belongs, and he's just a lot more comfortable. He's on a nice little run."
Biggest Disappointment: C Nick Hundley
Nick Hundley's first season in Colorado was a successful one, with the veteran catcher hitting .301 with 35 extra-base hits (10 home runs) and a .807 OPS. While those numbers were heavily influenced by the Coors Field effect, the 32-year-old's park-adjusted 103 wRC+ was slightly above league average.
Which makes his 3-for-18 start to the spring a bit concerning, especially with the Rockies lacking an experienced backup to fill in should his bat falter during the regular season.
Detroit Tigers
10 of 30
Biggest Surprise: C Bryan Holaday
Tabbed as the starting catcher on our All-Spring Training team, Bryan Holaday continues to swing a hot bat and make a strong case for inclusion on Detroit's Opening Day roster.
The 28-year-old is hitting 10-for-17 (.588) with seven extra-base hits (three home runs), nine RBI and a 2.023 OPS. A career .251 hitter over parts of four seasons, a trade elsewhere still seems to be the most logical result of his torrid start, as he's out of minor league options and No. 3 on the team's depth chart.
Biggest Disappointment: RHP Bruce Rondon
Bruce Rondon's spring got off to a good start as he allowed only one earned run in his first 3.1 innings of relief, striking out five without issuing a walk and touching 100 mph on the radar gun. But things have soured quickly for the oft-maligned 25-year-old.
He's allowed four hits and five earned runs over his last two relief appearances, issuing two walks while striking out only one, and has certainly fallen behind the competition for the final two available spots in the Tigers bullpen.
Houston Astros
11 of 30
Biggest Surprise: 1B/3B Tyler White
While fellow prospect A.J. Reed has gotten most of the attention, Tyler White put together his own stellar 2015 campaign and has emerged as a serious contender to open the season as Houston's starting first baseman.
In fact, general manager Jeff Luhnow, during an interview on the team's website, said the 25-year-old White is the leading contender to be the team's Opening Day first baseman. He's certainly performed well enough to earn the job, hitting .345 (10-for-29) with three extra-base hits (one home run), six RBI and a .904 OPS this spring.
With a track record of success as he's steadily progressed through the team's minor league system, the Astros have everything to gain—and nothing to lose—by giving White a crack at the everyday job.
Especially when you consider the team's biggest disappointment.
Biggest Disappointment: 1B Jon Singleton
Jon Singleton entered the spring as the presumptive favorite to open the season as Houston's first baseman. But the former top prospect has once again struggled to do anything worthwhile against big league pitching, going 3-for-29 with nearly as many strikeouts (12) as games played (13).
"Certainly we haven't lost any faith in Jon," Luhnow told the Houston Chronicle's Brian T. Smith. "(He) was a top-50 industry prospect. Sometimes those guys succeed immediately in the major leagues. Sometimes it takes them longer."
But with White set to break camp as the team's starting first baseman and Reed waiting in the wings for his opportunity, Singleton, 24, is now in danger of becoming irrelevant in the team's long-term plans.
Kansas City Royals
12 of 30
Biggest Surprise: LHP Scott Alexander
With a dominant bullpen trio of Kelvin Herrera, Joakim Soria and Wade Davis, Kansas City doesn't necessarily need to carry a left-handed specialist on its roster. But 26-year-old Scott Alexander has made a strong case to fill that role, though he's shown he can be much more than a one-batter pitcher.
Alexander has tossed 6.1 innings of scoreless relief this spring, allowing only three baserunners (two hits and a walk) while striking out five.
With Louis Coleman now with the Los Angeles Dodgers and both Tim Collins and Mike Minor working their way back from injury, Alexander looks to have the inside track on serving as the team's second left-handed reliever alongside Danny Duffy.
Biggest Disappointment: OF Brett Eibner
Brett Eibner turned a lot of heads last spring, hitting .500 with 11 extra-base hits (six home runs), 10 RBI and a 1.765 OPS in 16 games. With right field a position in flux for the Royals, another strong spring could have landed Eibner on the team's Opening Day roster.
Instead, the 27-year-old has hit only .143 (2-for-14) with a .543 OPS and looks destined to start the season back at Triple-A.
Los Angeles Angels
13 of 30
Biggest Surprise: OF Daniel Nava
Among outfielders who made at least 160 plate appearances in 2015, none posted a lower OPS than Daniel Nava (.560), who struggled mightily with both Boston and Tampa Bay in a reserve role. So it's understandable why expectations were low heading into spring training.
But the 33-year-old has shown new life this spring, hitting .611 (11-for-18) with three doubles, five RBI, six walks and no strikeouts. While Nava isn't going to continue this kind of play during the regular season, the gaping hole the Angels have in left field won't be quite as big if he's able to prove 2015 was a fluke.
Biggest Disappointment: SP Matt Shoemaker
With Tyler Skaggs, Jered Weaver and C.J. Wilson all likely to start the season on the disabled list, Matt Shoemaker's importance to the Los Angeles Angels only increases. And while his 9.00 spring ERA is bloated by one lousy outing in which he surrendered seven earned runs, Shoemaker has been anything but sharp.
The 29-year-old has struggled with his command, issuing six walks—including four his last time on the mound—and served up five home runs, the most in baseball. Coming off a season in which his ERA (4.46) was nearly a run-and-a-half higher than it was in 2014, the Angels need Shoemaker to take a step forward.
Instead, he appears to be treading water, if not regressing.
Los Angeles Dodgers
14 of 30
Biggest Surprise: RHP Louis Coleman
Signed to a one-year contract just as pitchers and catchers began to report to camp, Louis Coleman has pitched his way into Los Angeles' bullpen plans for the regular season. He's allowed only one baserunner in four innings of work, striking out six.
Designated for assignment by Kansas City after the Royals signed Ian Kennedy, Coleman, 29, owns a career 3.20 ERA and 1.25 WHIP over parts of five seasons.
Biggest Disappointment: LHP Scott Kazmir
Scott Kazmir's velocity is down—significantly—and, as Bill Shaikin writes for the Los Angeles Times, that's not a good thing:
"For the last two years, Kazmir's fastball has averaged 91 mph, according to Fangraphs. On Monday, his fastball sat in the 86-89 mph range. The last time his fastball was so slow, in 2011, the results were so bad that the Angels released him, and it took him two years to recover the arm strength necessary to return to the major leagues.
"
Per Shaikin, Kazmir insists that his arm feels fine and he's just working to build arm strength, while Dodgers manager Dave Roberts doesn't believe the 32-year-old needs to throw 90-plus mph in order to find success on the mound.
But the Dodgers can't help but be disappointed with his performance thus far. Kazmir has allowed seven earned runs and 12 hits over 3.2 innings, walking two and striking out three. While the team has depth, much of it is unproven in the majors. They can ill afford for Kazmir's struggles to carry over to the regular season.
Miami Marlins
15 of 30
Biggest Surprise: IF/OF Miguel Rojas
A .230 hitter over parts of two seasons, 27-year-old Miguel Rojas has two things going for him this spring.
First, Miami's new manager, Don Mattingly, was Rojas' old manager with the Los Angeles Dodgers before he was included in the seven-player trade that bought Dee Gordon to the Marlins. More importantly, Rojas has swung a hot bat, hitting .391 (9-for-23) with a .783 OPS over 10 spring games.
Versatile enough to play around the infield and a corner outfield spot, Rojas could easily break camp as the team's super-utility player.
Biggest Disappointment: RHP Edwin Jackson
Miami was effusive in its praise of Edwin Jackson heading into camp, with the team's president of baseball operations, Michael Hill, telling the Miami Herald's Barry Jackson that the veteran hurler's "“stuff hasn’t diminished at all," ignoring the 5.58 ERA and 1.54 WHIP he posted as a starter from 2013 to 2014.
Jackson, 32, was annihilated in his first (and, thus far, only) appearance of the spring for the Marlins, allowing five earned runs and eight hits over two innings of work. Yet it's impossible to rule him out of a spot in the rotation (or on the roster), as the Marlins have a tendency to do things other teams wouldn't consider.
Like carry Jackson into the regular season.
Milwaukee Brewers
16 of 30
Biggest Surprise: C Jacob Nottingham
If there was any doubt that Jacob Nottingham was on track to be Milwaukee's catcher of the future, the 20-year-old's strong showing in his first taste of big league camp helped to ease those fears.
"He had an excellent camp, and he was the youngest player here," manager Craig Counsell told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Tom Haudricourt and Todd Rosiak. "And he's a catcher. More gets put on those guys and he handled it with flying colors. He's off to a good start."
Nottingham hit .429 (3-for-7) with a pair of doubles and was solid behind the plate, albeit in a very small sample size. Already optioned to minor league camp, he'll look to have a strong season at Double-A and contend for a permanent role in Milwaukee next spring.
Biggest Disappointment: SS/2B Orlando Arcia
There was never any chance of Milwaukee's top prospect, Orlando Arcia, opening the season in the major leagues. So it came as no surprise that the 21-year-old was among the team's first wave of cuts. What was surprising—and disappointing at the same time—was how mediocre Arcia looked at the plate before he left.
After hitting .307 with a .800 OPS at Double-A in 2015, Arcia hit .211 (4-for-19) with a .632 OPS and three strikeouts in nine spring games. Such a small sample size has no impact on his outlook—he's a future star in the making—but it offers some evidence that he may not be as close to MLB-ready as some believed.
Minnesota Twins
17 of 30
Biggest Surprise: LHP Tommy Milone
Tommy Milone, Trevor May and Ricky Nolasco were all competing for the final spot in Minnesota's rotation heading into exhibition play. Despite Nolasco's veiled threats to cause a distraction should he be relegated to the bullpen, it appears as if the job is Milone's to lose.
The 29-year-old southpaw has been outstanding, allowing only two earned runs over nine innings of work, striking out eight batters without issuing a walk. He's held opponents to a minuscule .188 batting average and, in his latest outing, held St. Louis scoreless over four innings of work.
Biggest Disappointment: CF Byron Buxton
Despite sitting with twice as many strikeouts (eight) as he has hits (four), Minnesota manager Paul Molitor believes Byron Buxton has made progress at the plate this spring.
“I think he’s seeing the ball better, [pitch] recognition’s been better,” Molitor told 1500 ESPN's Derek Wetmore. “And that’s going to be a huge part of how quickly he’s going to be able to develop offensively. I’m seeing more two-strike foul balls, which is encouraging. He looks a little bit more comfortable.”
While the Twins' top prospect is set to open the season as the everyday center fielder, it's hard not to be concerned about the 22-year-old's .200 batting average (4-for-20) and .561 OPS this spring.
New York Mets
18 of 30
Biggest Surprise: RHP Jim Henderson
Two years removed from shoulder surgery, former Milwaukee closer Jim Henderson has looked like his old self in camp with the New York Mets and finds himself on the verge of returning to big leagues.
A non-roster invitee to spring training, the 33-year-old isn't about to supplant Jeurys Familia in the ninth inning for the Mets. But he has tossed five innings of four-hit, one-run ball, issuing no walks while striking out seven batters, good enough to fill one of the club's available middle relief spots.
Biggest Disappointment: C Travis d'Arnaud
While he was limited to only 68 games in 2015, Travis d'Arnaud seemed to turn a corner at the plate, posting a career-best .268/.340/.485 triple-slash line with 12 home runs, one off his career high. His .825 OPS trailed only San Francisco's Buster Posey (.849) and Chicago's Kyle Schwarber (.842) among National League catchers.
But whatever strides he made offensively have not shown up this spring. D'Arnaud, 27, has managed only four hits in 21 at-bats (.190 BA), and three of his four RBI came via his lone extra-base hit of the spring, a double against Miami earlier this week.
If the Mets are going to successfully defend their NL pennant, they're going to need a consistently productive d'Arnaud in the lineup.
New York Yankees
19 of 30
Biggest Surprise: RHP Luis Cessa
Luis Cessa struggled badly in his first taste of Triple-A last season, pitching to a combined 6.97 ERA and 1.69 WHIP over 12 starts, split between affiliates of the New York Mets and, eventually, the Detroit Tigers after he was part of the Yoenis Cespedes trade.
Acquired by the Yankees in the deal that sent reliever Justin Wilson to the Tigers, Cessa, 23, has been stellar against advanced hitting this spring, allowing only one hit over four innings of work with three strikeouts.
Destined to start the season at Triple-A, his spring performance has undoubtedly put him in the conversation, along with Bryan Mitchell, as one of the first arms the Yankees will call upon when another starter is needed.
Biggest Disappointment: LHP Jacob Lindgren
Thought to have a chance at breaking camp with the Yankees as a middle reliever, Jacob Lindgren was among the team's first group of players optioned to minor league camp.
Coming back from season-ending elbow surgery to remove a bone spur, Lindgren, 23, struggled with his command, walking four batters in 2.1 innings of work while recording only one strikeout. He'll look to get back on track at Triple-A and, assuming he can, will find his way back to the Bronx at some point in 2016.
Oakland Athletics
20 of 30
Biggest Surprise: 3B Matt Chapman
Matt Chapman's .263 batting average and .286 on-base percentage aren't the kind of numbers that generate excitement in spring training, but the 22-year-old's power, athleticism and defense has opened eyes in camp, including those belonging to Oakland manager Bob Melvin.
"He's impressed us beyond what we expected at this point," Melvin told MLB.com's Jane Lee. "I didn't expect him to get this many at-bats, and he's earned them." Three of Chapman's five hits this spring have cleared the fences, putting him in a tie with Stephen Vogt for the team lead in home runs.
Having only appeared in one game above High-A ball, Chapman figures to spend the bulk of the season at Double-A. But he's shown this spring that he may not be as far away from the big leagues as previously thought.
Biggest Disappointment: LHP Rich Hill
Signed to a one-year, $6 million deal after an impressive 29-inning showing with Boston down the stretch last season, 36-year-old Rich Hill has been awful through the first half of spring training. He's allowed 13 earned runs and 10 hits over 7.2 innings of work, fanning seven and walking an MLB-high 12 batters.
“It’s been a struggle for him to consistently throw the ball where he wants to,” Melvin explained to John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle. “Part of it is, he wants to impress his teammates here. There have been a couple of outings where he hasn’t. He pitched really well at the end of last year. My feeling is, he’s going to have one start where he finds his arm slot, and he’ll be off to the races.”
While Oakland has other options for the rotation, Hill's signing could go down as one of the offseason's worst if he doesn't get things straightened out before Opening Day rolls around.
Philadelphia Phillies
21 of 30
Biggest Surprise: C J.P. Arencibia
With Cameron Rupp and Carlos Ruiz ahead of him on the depth chart, J.P. Arencibia isn't likely to be part of Philadelphia's Opening Day roster. But the 30-year-old catcher, known as an all-or-nothing offensive force (either he hits a home run or he strikes out), has looked like a more complete player this spring.
He's hit .412 (7-for-17) with five extra-base hits (two home runs) and a 1.386 OPS in eight games, and while he's struck out 22 percent of the time, that's a significant improvement over his nearly 29 percent career whiff rate.
Arencibia has shown enough this spring to, at the very least, serve as organizational depth for the Phillies at Triple-A, though it's not out of the question that another team could look to carry him as its primary backup.
Biggest Disappointment: RHP Ernesto Frieri
Ernesto Frieri was the reliever on our All-Dark-Horse squad at the beginning of spring training, but the 30-year-old has done nothing to ensure his place in Philadelphia's bullpen—or any major league bullpen for that matter.
Frieri has allowed at least one earned run in each of his four spring outings, surrendering three home runs in the process. While the Phillies might be rebuilding, they're not going to carry a pitcher who can't get major league hitters out on a semiregular basis.
At this point, he seems destined for the minor leagues.
Pittsburgh Pirates
22 of 30
Biggest Surprise: UTIL Adam Frazier
Adam Frazier offers little in the way of power, but the 24-year-old's knack for making consistent contact has been on display this spring. Hitting .438 (7-for-16) with a 1.125 OPS, he's been one of Pittsburgh's standout performers at the plate.
Named the team's No. 27 prospect by MLB.com, the versatile Frazier, who can play multiple positions around the infield and center field as well, figures to start the season at Triple-A. But he's shown enough in camp to get serious consideration for an in-season promotion should the Bucs need a super-utility player.
Biggest Disappointment: LHP Jon Niese
Jon Niese's first two outings in a Pittsburgh uniform haven't gone well, with the veteran hurler allowing four earned runs in each appearance, sitting with a bloated 14.40 ERA and 2.20 WHIP in exhibition play.
Acquired from the New York Mets in the Neil Walker trade, Niese was supposed to be a reliable, innings-eating back-of-the-rotation arm who would benefit from Pittsburgh's defense, ballpark and the magic of pitching coach Ray Searage.
That may still turn out to be the case, but the 29-year-old southpaw's Pirates career has gotten off to about as inauspicious a start as it possibly could have.
San Diego Padres
23 of 30
Biggest Surprise: 2B Jemile Weeks
It's been four years since Jemile Weeks looked like Oakland's second baseman of the future and three years since he last appeared in more than 17 games in the big leagues. Yet the 29-year-old non-roster invitee looks poised to break camp as a member of the San Diego Padres.
With Skip Schumaker's retirement and Alexi Amarista struggling to produce, there's an opening on the Padres bench for a versatile utility infielder. Hitting .400 (8-for-20) with a 1.055 OPS, Weeks also offers speed off the bench, successful in all four of his stolen base attempts this spring.
If he continues to swing a hot bat, it's going to be difficult for the Padres to keep him off the roster.
Biggest Disappointment: 1B/OF Wil Myers
Slated to be San Diego's everyday first baseman and hit in the heart of the order, expectations are high for 25-year-old Wil Myers as he enters his second season with the Padres. That's what makes his sluggish start to the spring so concerning.
For Myers has looked nothing like an everyday player. He started the spring 0-for-14 before talking to his dad, after which he picked up his first two hits of the exhibition season.
"I was starting to get fed up with it. I know it's spring training, but I'm tired of making outs," Myers told MLB.com's Corey Brock. "So I talked to my dad two days ago and he told me to pretend it's Game 7 of the World Series and just to get in there and battle. I did that and had some success."
But that success was short-lived, as Myers has gone 0-for-11 since and finds himself hitting a woeful .085 with a .353 OPS. What's shaping up to be a long season in San Diego will be significantly more painful if Myers can't get himself straightened out at the plate—and soon.
San Francisco Giants
24 of 30
Biggest Surprise: OF Mac Williamson
Mac Williamson got his first taste of the big leagues last season, hitting .219 with a .517 OPS in 32 at-bats after splitting time between Double-A and Triple-A in his first season back from Tommy John surgery.
Now two years removed from the procedure, Williamson, 25, has been crushing the ball this spring, hitting .333 (11-for-33) with seven extra-base hits (four home runs), 11 RBI and a 1.159 OPS. While that's put him in contention for a bench spot, Williamson is likely destined for Triple-A, with Gregor Blanco, Kyle Blanks and Jarrett Parker ahead of him on the organizational depth chart.
Biggest Disappointment: RHP Jake Peavy
No matter how you spin it, Jake Peavy has gotten off to a disappointing start in 2016. While the 14-year veteran's spring numbers are skewed by a miserable first outing, when he allowed five earned runs and nine hits over 1.2 innings of work, he's been mediocre at best since.
Peavy, 34, has allowed five earned runs and 10 hits in seven innings since his spring debut, numbers that are just as ugly as they sound. With Matt Cain likely to start the season on the disabled list, the Giants need Peavy to provide quality innings at the back-end of the rotation.
Seattle Mariners
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Biggest Surprise: OF Stefen Romero
A career .192 hitter over parts of two seasons in Seattle, 27-year-old Stefen Romero was more of an afterthought than anything else heading into spring training. While he's swung a hot bat, hitting .429 (9-for-21) with a 1.121 OPS, that's likely not enough to earn him a spot on the team's Opening Day roster.
As Bob Dutton of the News Tribune points out, the Mariners can send Romero down to the minors, an option the team doesn't have with the two players he's battling with for a roster spot. Jesus Montero is out of options, while Dae-Ho Lee has an out clause in his deal if he doesn't make the team out of camp.
Still, Romero's spring effort wasn't a waste. He's gotten the attention of both general manager Jerry Dipoto and manager Scott Servais, and will certainly factor into the team's plans as the season rolls along.
Biggest Disappointment: CF Leonys Martin
Leonys Martin's athleticism, defense and speed—along with a relatively low cost—were the reasons behind Seattle's offseason trade for the center fielder, Dipoto explained to MLB.com's Greg Johns shortly after the deal was finalized.
But there's little doubt the Mariners hoped a change of scenery would find Martin, who hit .219 for the Rangers in 2015, returning to his 2013-14 form, when he hit a combined .268 with a .693 OPS. That hasn't been the case so far, as he's recorded only four singles in 21 at-bats (.190 BA).
Slated to hit at the bottom of Seattle's lineup, Martin's offense—or lack thereof—won't be a major issue. Still, it'd be nice to see some signs that last year was a fluke and not the norm for the 28-year-old speedster.
St. Louis Cardinals
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Biggest Surprise: C Carson Kelly
A converted third baseman, Carson Kelly has struggled to hit in the lowest levels of the minor leagues, boasting a .239/.298/.359 triple-slash line over parts of four seasons. Playing exclusively at High-A in 2015, he mustered only a .219 batting average and .594 OPS in 108 games.
So it's kind of surprising to find the 21-year-old crushing the ball this spring, hitting .417 with a 1.250 OPS and no strikeouts, putting the ball in play every time he's stepped to the plate. But don't count Cardinals manager Mike Matheny among the surprised.
"He can hit," Matheny told Ben Frederickson of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "I don't care what he hit last year. ...You watch what (Kelly) does, the little things he does, and you can see he is going to hit."
He'll have to prove himself at Double-A in 2016, but if Kelly can carry over the adjustments he's made at the plate to the regular season, he could arrive in the big leagues far earlier than anyone anticipated.
Biggest Disappointment: 2B Kolten Wong
While Jedd Gyorko was bought in to spell Kolten Wong at second base on occasion, the five-year, $25.5 million extension that Wong signed with the Cardinals cements his place as the team's starter for the foreseeable future.
That should find the 25-year-old relaxed at the plate. Instead, it finds him pressing, hitting only .200 (4-for-20) with a .538 OPS. Maybe he's too focused on wanting to bat leadoff—something that's not going to happen with Matt Carpenter around—or perhaps he's become too comfortable thanks to his extension.
Whatever the reason for his sluggish start, the Cardinals need Wong to take the next step in his development if they're going to fend off Chicago and Pittsburgh in a hotly contested NL Central this season.
Tampa Bay Rays
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Biggest Surprise: RHP Jacob Faria
Jacob Faria had a monster 2015, going 17-4 with a 1.92 ERA and 1.04 WHIP with 159 strikeouts over 149.2 innings of work across two minor league levels, finding himself named Tampa Bay's ninth-best prospect heading into 2016 by MLB.com.
The 22-year-old has continued to impress this spring, allowing only one hit and earned run—a solo home run by Detroit's John Mayberry Jr.—in 5.1 innings of relief, striking out seven. While he's been optioned to minor league camp, Faria could be called on during the regular season should a need in the rotation arise.
Biggest Disappointment: OF Mikie Mahtook
A strong major league debut, which saw Mikie Mahtook hit .295 with 15 extra-base hits (nine home runs) and a .970 OPS over 41 games wasn't enough to guarantee the 26-year-old a spot on Tampa Bay's Opening Day roster. As you'd expect, he wasn't thrilled about the idea of starting the year at Triple-A.
"Obviously it's not going to be something I'm happy about, it's not something I want to do," Mahtook told Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. "If I start the year there, that's not where I'm going to finish it. My ultimate goal is to be in the major leagues and be successful in the major leagues, and I firmly believe that I can, and I proved last year that I can."
But he's failed to prove that he belongs this spring, hitting only .182 (4-for-22) without an extra-base hit and six strikeouts. He'll have to rediscover his late-season swing if he's got any chance of rejoining the Rays as something more than a late-season addition.
Texas Rangers
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Biggest Surprise: UTIL Pedro Ciriaco
A career .268 hitter, Pedro Ciriaco has always been one of those non-descript journeymen, playing for five different teams over parts of six seasons. With the way he's swung the bat this spring for Texas, it looks as if the 30-year-old has found his sixth team.
Ciriaco has hit .429 (12-for-28) with six runs scored and a .878 OPS in 11 games, providing quality defense wherever he's been asked to play. Versatile to play all over the diamond, it wouldn't be shocking if the Rangers broke camp with him instead of Hanser Alberto, who has minor league options remaining.
Biggest Disappointment: SP/RP Nick Martinez
Nick Martinez's spring started off well, with the 25-year-old needing only six pitches to toss two scoreless innings against San Francisco. That outing reminded catcher Robinson Chirinos of Martinez's stellar start in 2015, when he allowed only one earned run over his first four starts before things went awry.
“You see that Nick and the guy who threw today, when he has his good stuff he’s one of the best,” Chirinos told the Star-Telegram's Stefan Stevenson. “He’s down [in the zone], command his breaking ball and throwing it for strikes.”
That Martinez didn't take the mound in his second start, however, as he allowed seven earned runs to the Chicago White Sox over two innings of work. He's fallen behind Chi Chi Gonzalez in the battle for the team's final rotation spot and, at this point, looks destined to start the season at Triple-A.
Toronto Blue Jays
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Biggest Surprise: SP Gavin Floyd
Tommy John surgery and a pair of broken elbows have limited Gavin Floyd to only 92 innings over the past three years, so there wasn't much fanfare when Toronto signed the 33-year-old to a one-year deal last month.
Not only has Floyd managed to stay healthy this spring, but he's put himself in contention for the final spot in Toronto's rotation. Over eight innings of work, Floyd has allowed five hits and three earned runs while walking one and fanning nine.
While odds are that Floyd opens the season in the bullpen—Aaron Sanchez has been stellar and appears to have the inside track on that No. 5 starter's job—that there's a good chance he'll be part of the Blue Jays Opening Day roster is a huge surprise.
Biggest Disappointment: OF Dalton Pompey
Toronto manager John Gibbons believes that Dalton Pompey still has a chance "to be very good," as he told the Toronto Sun's Mark Zwolinkski, but admits the Blue Jays rushed him to the majors last year and that the 23-year-old still has things to work on before he's ready.
One of those things is his ability to make consistent contact against major league pitching, something he's struggled mightily with this spring. Tied for the team lead with seven strikeouts, Pompey has managed only three hits in 18 at-bats and is destined to start the season back at Triple-A.
Pompey is still young enough to make the adjustments he needs to. But at this point, the Blue Jays have to wonder whether he ever will.
Washington Nationals
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Biggest Surprise: IF Scott Sizemore
You wouldn't expect to find a 31-year-old non-roster invitee that's made 22 big league plate appearances over the past four years to be an offensive force in spring training, but that's exactly what Scott Sizemore has been for Washington.
Sizemore has hit .421 (8-for-19) with five extra-base hits—including a team-high three home runs—driven in six runs and posted a gaudy 1.476 OPS. The versatile veteran, capable of playing second base or third base, has also flashed solid leather in the field.
While there's little chance of him breaking camp with the Nationals, he's certainly put his name on manager Dusty Baker's short list of reinforcements if and when a need arises—assuming another team doesn't try to add him to their bench before Opening Day.
Biggest Disappointment: IF Danny Espinosa
Danny Espinosa is 0-for-the spring, failing to record a hit in 14 at-bats while striking out seven times. Yet despite the presence of top prospect Trea Turner, Baker remains committed to the 28-year-old veteran as his starting shortstop—at least for now.
"I don't know," Baker said of Turner's chances of breaking camp as the starting shortstop during a recent appearance on SiriusXM's MLB Network Radio. "It's kind of an outside [chance]. Right now you've got to give an opportunity to [Danny] Espinosa. We're trying to make some changes ... on him, on his batting stance and his outlook."
It's not just Turner that Espinosa needs to worry about, as veterans Stephen Drew and Brendan Ryan have both produced far better results at the plate this spring. If he doesn't start to pick things up at the plate, Espinosa could find himself starting the season as a reserve.
