Zack Greinke and 15 MLB Players Who Have the Most to Gain During Spring Training
Spring training will be a pressure cooker for some, and fine-tuning for others.
There are plenty of players who could get a boost from spring training. Manny Ramirez is joining a new team in Tampa Bay, Zack Greinke got his wish and left baseball's cellar in Kansas City and Chipper Jones will have the chance to get healthy and get his rhythm back.
Each remains elite and can still produce, but are in need of minor improvements.
Are there others in that category? Let's look. Here are 15 players who have the most to gain during spring training:
15. Evan Longoria, Tampa Bay
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He did hit .294 last season, but his power numbers went down from 2009 in both home runs (33 to 22), RBI (113 to 104) and slugging percentage (.526 to .507). I think he'll benefit tremendously from having Johnny Damon and Manny Ramirez in the lineup now.
14. Hideki Matsui, Oakland
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Matsui's batting average remained the same at .274, but he saw a slight drop in runs, RBIs and slugging percentage while with Anaheim. The last time Matsui had 100 or more RBIs was in 2007, when he finished with 103 for the Yankees.
13. Chipper Jones, Atlanta
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A knee injury kept Jones grounded last year, but there are reports that Jones has regained his swing in offseason workouts. Spring training will allow for momentum to build.
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12. Colby Lewis, Texas
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Lewis was arguably the Rangers' most dominant pitcher in the postseason last year. Now that Cliff Lee is gone, and Texas didn't acquire any big names like Zack Greinke or Matt Garza, Lewis will probably step into the vacancy and needs to develop confidence.
11. Jayson Werth, Washington
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The former Phillies outfielder hit .296 with 164 hits and 85 RBIs last year, but he's now with a new team, without Placido Polanco, Ryan Howard and Raul Ibanez in the same lineup and the recipient of a fat contract that drew plenty of criticism.
10. Carlos Pena, Chicago Cubs
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Like Werth, Pena's not going to have the same talent surrounding him in the lineup he had with the Rays. He had a team-high 28 home runs, but also hit .196 with 84 RBIs and a high strikeout-walk ratio (158/87).
9. Chase Utley, Philadelphia
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Utley missed 47 games with a thumb injury, but still had 20 doubles last year. In 115 games, he had 117 hits, 75 runs, 16 home runs and a .275 average. Numbers dropped across the board for Utley, who played in 155 games or more the previous two seasons.
8. David Wright, New York Mets
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His .283 average last year was his first sub-.300 season since his rookie year in 2004. He also had a career-high in strikeouts (161) and his on-base percentage (.354) was his lowest since his rookie year too. Wright is still one of the finest third basemen in baseball, so it shouldn't take much to get him back on track.
7. Chien-Ming Wang, Washington
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He once showed tremendous promise with the Yankees, winning 19 games in consecutive seasons (2006 and 2007) and finishing with a 1.35 ERA in the postseason in 2005. But in 2009, Wang struggled to a 1-6 record and 9.64 ERA in 42 innings. He didn't pitch last year.
6. CJ Wilson, Texas
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Wilson really had a breakout year as a starter in the Rangers rotation last year, but was erratic at times and could quickly get off track if he wasn't spotting his pitches. The talent is there, Wilson just needs to keep developing.
5. Carl Pavano, Minnesota
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Pavano's 3.75 ERA last year was his lowest since 2004, but watch his strikeouts. After a career-high 147 in 2009, that number dropped to 117 last year.
4. Carlos Zambrano, Chicago Cubs
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Last year was a tumultuous one for Zambrano, who fought with Lou Pinella and was banished to the bullpen. Pinella is now gone, and it will be interesting to see if a new year brings new enthusiasm to the Cubs' power pitcher.
3. Derek Jeter, New York Yankees
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The Yankees captain got a new contract, now let's see if he can clean up his defense and bring that batting average back up.
2. Zack Greinke, Milwaukee
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The former Royals ace and Cy Young winner had a rough year, but he's now with a new team and should quickly regain the form that made him one of baseball's most dominant young pitchers.
1. Manny Ramirez, Tampa Bay
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Manny's going back to the AL East, and will be on a team with plenty of talent that's become a consistent contender with Boston and the Yankees. If Manny regains his swagger in spring training, the Rays could pick up where they left off last year.
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