Projecting 10 MLB Players with the Most to Prove in 2015 Spring Training

In a big-picture sense, spring training doesn't mean anything. In fact, here's a helpful analogy: Spring training is to meaningful baseball what Adam Dunn's career ERA is to meaningful pitching.

But on an individual level...OK, fine. That's where spring training can actually matter. Though most players come into spring training simply looking to get ready for the upcoming season, others come needing to prove something.

When spring training for 2015 starts up next month, there will be plenty of those types of players worth monitoring. Even when you get past all the young players and career part-timers vying for jobs, you have the guys locked in position battles and guys coming off injury-wrecked and/or horribly unproductive years.

But we're going to focus on just 10 guys who, for a variety of reasons, have the most to prove in spring training. And because they must be ranked, we'll rank them in order of how big the spotlight on them is going to be.

Note: Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com and FanGraphs unless otherwise noted/linked.

10. Mat Latos, SP, Miami Marlins

The Miami Marlins enjoyed a respectable season in 2014 mainly on the strength of their young talent. Rightfully, that spurred them to prioritize adding veteran talent for 2015.

One of the pieces they added was Mat Latos, who looks like a good get on the surface. He's been an above-average pitcher, even at the homer-infested death zone for pitchers that is Great American Ballpark. And even though he's only 27, he's old enough to be a veteran presence in a young rotation.

Thing is, though, that such presences are only useful when they're also productive. And with Latos, what the Marlins should be worried about is whether the radar gun will have the final say about that.

Though Latos pitched to a solid 3.25 ERA in 2014, it's a stretch to say it was a positive year. He missed a lot of it with injuries and struggled mightily to overpower hitters thanks to a huge velocity drop. At FanGraphs, Jeff Zimmerman wrote he's not sure that heat will be coming back. It it doesn't, Latos is going to have trouble being the top-of-the-rotation guy the Marlins see him as.

A lot of pitchers will be facing velocity questions this spring. But knowing what the Marlins stand to gain or lose on Latos' velocity, his radar-gun readings will be of special importance.

9. Jung-ho Kang, SS, Pittsburgh Pirates

Richard Heathcote/Getty Images

Here's a fun fact: No hitter has ever made the transition from the Korean Baseball Organization to Major League Baseball.

On that note, meet one hell of a test case: Jung-ho Kang.

The Pittsburgh Pirates paid $5 million just to secure Kang's negotiating rights and another $16 million to sign him to a four-year contract. Knowing that Kang is a 27-year-old shortstop who hit 40 home runs with a 1.198 OPS in the KBO last season, a mere $21 million sounds like a steal.

But in light of how juiced offensive numbers are in Korea and how funky Kang's swing mechanics are, nobody's projecting him to be a star-level hitter. There are also doubts about whether he can play shortstop. In the opinion of Baseball America, he projects as a mere utility player.

Kang, however, doesn't think so, per Jeeho Yoo of Yonhap News: "One thing Kang did say: he's confident he can outplay Jordy Mercer if given consistent opportunities to play; and he'd like to play shortstop."

So then. Kang's a guy trying to be the first KBO hitter to succeed in MLB, a guy who's trying to prove his bat and glove are better than advertised, and a guy with eyes on a shortstop gig for a contender.

Sounds fun. Also difficult.

8. Yasmany Tomas, 3B, Arizona Diamondbacks

Koji Sasahara/Associated Press

Simply by virtue of being the latest in a progression of expensive Cuban defectors, there are going to be eyes on Yasmany Tomas this spring. Everyone wants to see what Arizona's new $68.5 million man can do.

To this end, most everyone already knows Tomas has light-tower power. Ben Badler of Baseball America put his raw power at 70 on the 20-80 scale, which is essentially 30-homer territory.

But while that's nice, Tomas has question marks pretty much everywhere else.

One of the biggest is a swing-and-miss tendency and, as one scout noted to ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick, an unfamiliarity with good velocity. Since everyone in MLB throws hard these days, spring training may turn that question mark into a red flag.

Tomas will also have another challenge on his plate: third base. Though the consensus would appear to be that Tomas profiles as a corner outfielder, Arizona's plan is to see if he can hack it at the hot corner. Which, as you well know, is not an easy position.

Spring training will be Tomas' first step from "unknown" to "known." He'll need to make it a good one.

7. Wil Myers, CF, San Diego Padres

Scott Iskowitz/Getty Images

Everyone got all excited when the San Diego Padres traded for Wil Myers, and rightfully so. The guy is only a year removed from winning the American League Rookie of the Year, after all.

And yet, there are questions.

As great as Myers was in 2013, he was equally not great in 2014. He hit only .222 with a .614 OPS in 87 games. A fractured wrist had a hand in both limiting his games and hurting his production and is something he'll need to show is all the way in the past.

An added difficulty will be Myers' projected defensive assignment. He fits best in right field, but San Diego's plan is to play him in center. FanGraphs' Carson Cistulli doesn't think that's a good idea, writing, "Given the calculations present here, one could reasonably expect him, as a center fielder, to concede nine more runs defensively in 2015—should he, in fact, play that position for the Padres."

To erase his question marks, Myers will surely need to work hard. That, by the way, is something he admitted to not doing last spring.

The Padres have themselves a talented player in Myers, and that bodes well for their chances of contending in 2015. But since he's a one-time spring training slacker who's coming off a bad year and who probably doesn't belong in center field, their fingers should be crossed.

6. Manny Machado, 3B, Baltimore Orioles

USA TODAY Sports

It wasn't long ago that Manny Machado was up there with Mike Trout and Bryce Harper among the game's elite young players, as he followed an exciting breakthrough in 2012 with an outstanding 2013.

But now? The Baltimore third baseman's future has drifted a bit too far into "Who knows?" territory.

Thanks to a left knee injury that required surgery, Machado's 2013 ended early, and his 2014 started late. Because the injury bug apparently can't get enough of Machado's knees, he then had his 2014 end early thanks to a right knee injury that required surgery.

For what it's worth, Machado doesn't sound worried.

"Right now, I feel like I'm ready to go come spring training. I'm ready to roll—finally have a spring training," he said this week, via The Associated Press (h/t ESPN.com). "I haven't had one in a while. That's the first thing that's on my mind. Hopefully, I'll be ready if nothing comes up."

Still, you can't help but worry. Machado isn't even 23 yet, and he already has two surgically repaired knees. Even having so much as one seemed to affect him in 2013, as the metrics say his defense slipped slightly, and there was that one time when he flipped out when his knee was put in danger.

Because the Orioles have lost a lot more than they've added this winter, they need the old Machado back to contend in 2015. Spring training will be the first indication as to whether he's up to the challenge.

5. Joc Pederson, CF, Los Angeles Dodgers

USA TODAY Sports

Officially, the Los Angeles Dodgers haven't committed to starting Joc Pederson in center field. According to President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman, via True Blue LA, he's one of several candidates.

Yeah, sure. If you say so, man.

Making room for Pederson in center field stands out as one of the motivations for the trade that sent Matt Kemp to San Diego. With him gone, Yasiel Puig can play right field and Pederson can play center. Knowing that he's a big-time athlete who had a 1.017 OPS with 33 homers and 30 steals in the minors last year, it definitely looks like a worthwhile upside play.

But because Pederson is an unproven player about to step into a starring role on a high-profile club that has World Series aspirations, yeah, it's safe to say the pressure will be on him this spring. The only way it's going away is if he shows off the array of skills that clearly convinced the Dodgers to bet on him.

If Pederson looks out of his league, however, there will be an army of columnists (likely led by Steve Dilbeck of the Los Angeles Times) burying the Dodgers' new-look and nerd-packed front office for trading Kemp and his many, many dingers.

Either way, get the popcorn ready.

4. Ryan Braun, RF, Milwaukee Brewers

Gene Puskar/Associated Press

Last year, Ryan Braun's challenge in spring training was simply getting back to normal following a season-ending 65-game suspension in 2013.

This year, Braun faces a different challenge: proving he's not a broken, washed-up slugger.

Go back to June 1, 2014, and you'll find Braun sitting on a .962 OPS and nine home runs. Not bad at all. But then the bad came in droves, as he OPS'd just .702 with 10 home runs in his final 96 games. Apparently, that's the kind of damage chronic thumb pain and numbness can do.

There's good news, however. Following surgery in early October, Braun finally feels normal.

"Right now, I don't feel any [discomfort], and I haven't been able to say that for two years," he said in November, via ESPN.com. "I think I've told you guys, it [bothered me] shaking hands, writing—you know, just everyday activities. Now I don't feel it at all, so I'm excited."

Under normal circumstances, this would be a cue to get super-duper optimistic. But since Braun is a 31-year-old with a recent performance-enhancing drug history who hasn't been an impact player in two years, he's not out of the skepticism woods just yet.

At least not until he backs up his confidence with lots of ropes and dingers in spring training. If he can do that, a Milwaukee Brewers team that's a bit of an afterthought at the moment will start to look like a club planning an ambush on the rest of the NL Central.

3. Masahiro Tanaka, SP, New York Yankees

Seth Wenig/Associated Press

Yeah, I know. This is a name you'd expect to find on one of these lists last year.

But let's not kid ourselves. We all know why Masahiro Tanaka is here.

Short version: His right elbow is damaged goods. The 26-year-old right-hander was diagnosed with a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament last July. And because the New York Yankees opted not to repair it with Tommy John surgery, it's still torn.

Now, Tanaka did say after his late-season comeback in September that he has "no fear" regarding his elbow. Also, B/R's Will Carroll noted last August that Takashi Saito, Tanaka's countryman, overcame a partially torn UCL with the same sort of recovery program the New York Yankees have used with Tanaka.

Still, it's fair to say that Tanaka's elbow is more at risk than, oh, 99 percent of the other elbows in baseball. The Yankees will be holding their breath with every pitch he throws this spring, hoping that he can survive to be in their rotation on Opening Day.

He better be. Otherwise, they'll be relying on an over-the-hill CC Sabathia, an injury-prone Michael Pineda and a heretofore underachieving Nathan Eovaldi. So yeah.

2. Matt Harvey, SP, New York Mets

USA TODAY Sports

At last check, there's roughly a googolplex of pitchers trying to come back from Tommy John surgery. But only a few will be good to go for spring training, and one of them has a bigger name than all the rest.

That would be this guy. Matt Harvey.

It's going to be a big event whenever Harvey takes the mound this spring. He may be just another Tommy John survivor, but he's also a New York Met who was arguably the most dominant pitcher alive the last time we saw him pitch. Through 26 starts in 2013, he had a 2.27 ERA and 6.2 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

That's a hard act to follow for any pitcher, but it's an even harder act to follow for a pitcher coming off Tommy John. Harvey will need to prove he hasn't lost his upper-90s fastball or his awesome trio of secondaries. Just as important, he'll also need to show the excellent command he had before his surgery.

And that could be the hard part. As Newsday's Marc Carig can tell you, command can be slow to return following Tommy John surgery.

If Harvey doesn't look good this spring, it will be apparent that getting him back up to speed will take a while. If he looks like himself, however...well, how about a rotation featuring a functional Harvey alongside 2014 National League Rookie of the Year Jacob deGrom and Zack Wheeler?

1. Alex Rodriguez, DH/3B, New York Yankees

DAVID KARP/Associated Press

Truth be told, I wouldn't deem Alex Rodriguez one of the Yankees' most important players. General manager Brian Cashman has already tabbed Rodriguez for the team's DH slot and has positioned the club to succeed no matter what he does in 2015.

These things being said, well, duh. More than anyone else, A-Rod has a lot of skeptics to silence.

That Rodriguez will be coming back from a year-long suspension stemming from MLB's investigation into Biogenesis is obviously the big story. And though there will surely be a lot of focus on how he's comporting himself in front of coaches and teammates, there's baseball intrigue to go with the drama intrigue.

How the 39-year-old A-Rod is going to look after a full year off is a storyline worth monitoring. It's heightened by the fact that he only played in 44 games in 2013 due to injuries, and how it's been several years since he was an impact hitter. 

But A-Rod apparently won't be just trying to prove that his bat still has some life left in it. According to Steven Marcus of Newsday, a source says Rodriguez plans on earning the Yankees' starting third base gig over Chase Headley.

It's entirely possible the whole experience will be an embarrassment that pushes the Yankees' finger a couple of inches closer to the "Oh Hell, Just Release Him Already!" button.

If, on the other hand, Rodriguez can somehow look like he's turned back the clock, we'll be able to picture the Yankees with a weapon that none of us are expecting.