MLB Spring Training: 10 Players with the Most to Prove in 2012

As the 2012 Major League Baseball spring training season opens, several players show up to camp trying to either meet the expectations of a new team, prove that a poor 2011 was an aberration or show that a new contract signed in the offseason was money well spent.

You will note that these 10 players come from many different teams and are all at different points in their careers.  But each, in his own way, recognizes that 2012 is his opportunity to answer questions and quiet critics.

Alex Rodriguez

After 13 straight seasons with at least 30 home runs and 120 games played, 2011 was an injury-plagued disappointment for Alex Rodriguez.  In fact, "A-Rod" had the lowest totals in virtually every statistical category since his 1995 season. 

In spite of those results, New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi has indicated that Rodriguez will remain the cleanup hitter for the 2012 campaign, according to the New York Daily News. This shows the manager's high expectations for a rebound performance as well as his loyalty to an aging veteran.

Rodriguez himself also looks for a much better year.  In an interview with Joel Sherman for the New York Post, A-Rod said he expects to be the player he's been in the past. 

He and Yankee fans know that returning to his 30-home-run, 100-RBI years is critical to the team's success if he is going to be hitting from the fourth spot in the order. 

If he doesn't meet those expectations, it could be a long season for Girardi and the Yankees.

Yu Darvish

On December 19th, 2011, the Texas Rangers' bid of $51.7 million was accepted for the right to negotiate a contract with the premier pitcher in Japanese baseball, Yu Darvish.  On January 18th, 2012, Darvish signed with the Rangers for $60 million over six years. 

That's $111.7 million for a pitcher who had yet to throw a pitch in Major League Baseball.

The Rangers were criticized for allocating so much money to an unproven commodity.  In fact, the history of pitchers signed from Japan is littered with mediocrity and outright failure (Daisuke Matsuzaka, Kei Igawa, Hideki Irabu, et al.).  So, to say this is a risk for the Rangers would be an understatement.

The loss of C.J. Wilson to free agency (he signed with the division rival Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim) thrusts Darvish to the front of the rotation for the upcoming 2012 season. 

If the Rangers are to once again be American League champions, they will need Darvish to prove that Japanese stardom on the mound translates into Major League stardom in Texas.

Adam Wainwright

In 2009 and 2010, Adam Wainwright finished third and second, respectively, in Cy Young Award voting.  In fact, he led the National League in wins, games started and innings pitched during the 2009 season. 

His 1.051 WHIP in 2010 was as good as a pitcher gets, especially when throwing over 230 innings. 

Wainwright's 2011 season was derailed before it even started as he underwent season-ending "Tommy John" surgery at the end of February.  For most teams it would have crushed postseason hopes, but for the St. Louis Cardinals, it just meant they had to dig deeper.

By piecing together a rotation mainly composed of Chris Carpenter, Jaime Garcia, Jake Westbrook and Kyle Lohse, they fought their way into the playoffs and won the World Series.

Wainwright must now use 2012 to prove that he has returned to the ace form of 2009-2010.  If he does, the Cardinals may have the strongest rotation in the National League and may be poised for yet another title run.

Ryan Braun

Normally, MVPs don't have anything to prove.  Their award represents the supreme recognition of outstanding individual efforts. 

Unfortunately for Ryan Braun, the National League MVP of 2011, the offseason left him with things to prove and questions to be answered.

Braun's failed test for performance-enhancing drugs, subsequent appeal of an impending 50-game suspension (ultimately overturned) and resulting press conference are well-documented.  What is not known is how he will "recover," given the underlying doubts and questions surrounding his guilt.

With Prince Fielder no longer protecting him in the lineup, will the defending National League MVP be able to use his immense talent to carry the Milwaukee Brewers to another NL Central crown, or will the magnified coverage of his every move prove to be too large a burden to bear?  

Only Ryan Braun can answer that question in 2012.

Carl Crawford

On December 10, 2010, the Boston Red Sox officially signed Carl Crawford to a seven-year, $142 million deal.  He was coming off a season in which he hit .307, scored 110 runs and had 90 RBI, making him one of the top free agents of that offseason. 

The Red Sox were touted as the "winners of the 2010 winter meetings."

For both Red Sox Nation and Carl Crawford, the 2011 MLB season would be a bitter disappointment.  Crawford would only play in 130 games (after playing in 156 and 154 the previous two seasons) and would hit .255, a drop of 52 points from his 2010 effort. 

In an article by Nick Cafardo for The Boston Globe, Carl expressed his disappointment in the 2011 campaign:

"

Last year was one of the toughest things I had to go through. For whatever reason, I struggled. It was really hard to deal with. I had a lot of time to think and make corrections and I think it’ll be better. I watched tape, worked with the hitting coach more. Just try to clear your head and put last season behind. That was bad. The main thing was to let that go and try to start over and do what you normally did.

"

The 2012 season will give Crawford a chance to redeem himself and prove that he has put the previous year's disappointment behind him.  Should he do so, he could provide the spark in the lineup the Red Sox need to get back to the top of the AL East.

A.J. Burnett

Before the 2009 season, the New York Yankees signed free-agent pitcher A.J. Burnett to a five-year, $82.5 million contract.  They were banking on the promise the Blue Jay pitcher had shown the year before, as he posted an 18-10 record with a respectable 4.07 ERA in 2008. 

One World Series and three years of mediocrity later, the Yankees have abandoned their hopes for Burnett and traded him to the Pittsburgh Pirates. 

Prior to that breakout year of 2008, Burnett was never much more than a .500 pitcher for the Marlins and Blue Jays (compiling an unspectacular 69-66 record).  With the Yankees, he returned to that norm.  Unfortunately, the Yankees had planned on seeing more of what the American League had seen in 2008.

In an interview with Bill Brink of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Burnett said that he has worked hard in the offseason and has dedicated himself to being "unstoppable."

While the Pirates did not have to give up much or eat much of his salary, they are putting Burnett near the top of their rotation with the hopes that he can help the team begin moving in a winning direction.

For Burnett, this team signals a new beginning and a chance to prove that 2008 was no fluke.

Carlos Beltran

In time for Christmas, the St. Louis Cardinals signed free agent Carlos Beltran to a two-year, $26 million contract.  Immediately, the pressure was put upon Beltran's shoulders to fill the shoes of a Cardinal legend, Albert Pujols. 

Unlike others on this list of players with the most to prove in 2012, Beltran is coming off of a productive year.  He hit a combined .300 with 22 home runs and 84 RBI for the Giants and Mets. 

By joining the Cardinals, he moves into a lineup where he will have some quality hitters behind him (Matt Holliday, Lance Berkman), so it makes sense that the team is looking for an even better year from the slugger.

What Carlos will need to prove to the Cardinals and their fans is that there is life after Pujols, and that their "Christmas present" will help to ease the loss of a future Hall of Famer.

Kendrys Morales

In 2009, Kendrys Morales had his most productive year to date.  He hit 34 home runs and drove in 108 while batting .306 for the Angels.  In 2010, it appeared that Morales picked up where he left off, hitting .290 and slugging 11 home runs in 51 games (a 35-home run pace). 

Then, on May 29th of that season, he suffered a catastrophic leg injury while leaping on home plate after hitting a grand slam against the Mariners.

Morales would miss the remainder of 2010 and the entire 2011 season with the injury, and while it has been a long rehab for him, it would appear that he will be ready for the opening of the 2012 season.

With Morales in their lineup, the Angels have the opportunity to provide Albert Pujols protection with a legitimate power hitter. 

If Kendrys can prove that he is all the way back, the threat of having Pujols and Morales back-to-back in the Angels' order may give the team what it needs to make a legitimate run at the AL West crown.

Joe Mauer

Joe Mauer is the only catcher in major league history to win three batting titles.  He is the 2009 American League MVP and has a lifetime .323 batting average.  Yet, Mauer still has something to prove.

Following the 2010 campaign, a season in which he hit .327 for the Minnesota Twins, Mauer had minor surgery on his left knee.  Little did he know that it would mark the beginning of a 2011 season he'd rather forget.

As the 2011 season opened, Mauer experienced weakness in both legs, landing him on the disabled list. That would be just the start of a series of problems throughout the season, which led to him playing in only 82 games and hitting a career-low .287.

In an interview for the Twins, Mauer said, "This is the best I've felt in a long time" and that he is excited about the upcoming year.

If he is back to full strength there is no reason that Mauer cannot once again battle for another batting crown, and the Twins offense will get a much-needed shot in the arm.  All eyes will be focused on whether Mauer can prove that he is back.

Johan Santana

Following a stellar eight years with the Minnesota Twins, Johan Santana signed a six-year, $137 million contract with the New York Mets in 2008.  He immediately established himself as the "ace" of the Mets staff by leading the league with a 2.53 ERA and 234.1 innings pitched, finishing third in the Cy Young vote.

Toward the end of the 2010 season, a season in which he had thrown 199 innings and recorded a very respectable 2.98 ERA, Santana left a game early with what was thought to be a pectoral strain.  Further investigation revealed a shoulder injury that would require surgery.  That ended the season for him as well as caused him to skip the entirety of 2011.

With the Mets cautiously watching his progress, Santana is looking toward an Opening Day return in 2012.  If he is able to prove that he has stepped back into his 2008-2010 form, he will provide much-needed veteran leadership at the top of the Mets rotation. 

MLB Spring Training: Other Players with Something to Prove in 2012

One would think that a team coming off of a 97-win season that captured the highly-competitive American League East division crown would not have many players with something to prove the following season.  The New York Yankees are the exception to the rule.

The list of "other" players with something to prove is littered with current and former Yankees.  Among them are:

Phil Hughes: Can he rebound from a season in which he came to camp out of shape and suffered a dramatic loss in the velocity of his fastball?

Michael Pineda: Will he adapt well to his new ballpark, and can he show better consistency in 2012?

Derek Jeter: Can the Yankee captain prove that he still belongs at the top of the order despite hitting for the highest ground-ball percentage in the league over the last two seasons?

Jesus Montero: Will he show the Yankees that they were wrong to give up on him so early in his career and prove that he can be a legitimate major league catcher?

There are also plenty of players with no ties to the New York Yankees with things to prove in 2012. Players such as:

Andre Ethier: Can he put his nagging injuries aside and fulfill the potential he has shown flashes of?  Will his power return?

Josh Beckett: Will he put the off-field issues in his rear-view mirror and continue to anchor a questionable Red Sox staff?

As you can see, 2012 is shaping up to be a deciding year for many of baseball's biggest stars.  Each comes into the season with challenges that will prove, one way or another, whether they can live up to expectations.