Spring Training Mega Thread

[CubinNY]

Let’s get it going. Pictures of guys in the best shape of their lives. BP HRS! I can’t help but get excited.

 

 

 

[CubinNY]

[CubinNY]

[CubinNY]

[CubinNY]

[CubinNY]

[PackLandVA]

[Cubswin11]

[CubinNY]

[fromthestretch]

Anyone planning on going to any spring training games? I've got my tickets for March 16-17.

[CubinNY]

If Madrigal, Morel, Velazquez, and McKinstry all end up in Iowa to start the season, they are going to be loaded. Not to mention all the pitchers.

[Cubswin11]

If Madrigal, Morel, Velazquez, and McKinstry all end up in Iowa to start the season, they are going to be loaded. Not to mention all the pitchers.

I don’t think there’s any scenario all 4 start in Iowa. I think Madrigal and Morel are near locks to make the OD roster and Mckinstry or Mastrobuoni should make it too. I think Velazquez starts in Iowa though

[David]

If Madrigal, Morel, Velazquez, and McKinstry all end up in Iowa to start the season, they are going to be loaded. Not to mention all the pitchers.

 

i know i've been a bit checked out on the team (esp the bottom end of the roster) but i can't imagine any permutation of this team where none of those guys are on the big league club, particularly the first two.

[Bertz]

If Madrigal, Morel, Velazquez, and McKinstry all end up in Iowa to start the season, they are going to be loaded. Not to mention all the pitchers.

I don’t think there’s any scenario all 4 start in Iowa. I think Madrigal and Morel are near locks to make the OD roster and Mckinstry or Mastrobuoni should make it too. I think Velazquez starts in Iowa though

 

Yeah I think it's a Pick 2 for Madrigal, Morel, and Mckinstry to make the MLB bench. Mckinstry would have the inside track on a spot being lefty and lacking options.

 

That said either way Iowa looks quite strong. I would say best it's been since KB and Russell got the bump to MLB, but that's such a low bar I think that understates it. Any of Davis, Mervis, and Madrigal/Morel could reasonably be up by Memorial Day, and each has enough prospectiness to potentially give you a 2-3 WAR performance. Amaya and Canario are of that caliber as well, though probably not options til July or later. Nelly, Perlaza, and Mastrobuoni are reasonable bench options.

 

It's one of the primary reasons I'm pretty excited about this season. Even if the OD roster flops in the early part of the season, we'll start seeing a line change to the kids sooner rather than later.

[CubinNY]

[PackLandVA]

Anyone planning on going to any spring training games? I've got my tickets for March 16-17.

 

I hope to drive up to Mesa/Phoenix Metro a couple of times in the next 6 weeks. Better ticket prices at some of the away games. I’ll be in Galena The weekend you're going.

[CubinNY]

We are at the PFP stage

 

[CubinNY]

[PackLandVA]

Still holding out hope that Heuer is the gem in the Kimbrel trade.

[Bertz]

 

One thing that does make me think this could really work is that Tommy La Stella was able to get himself up to adequate at 3B, and he has an even weaker arm than Madrigal.

 

They should keep working on this 3B experiment, and also give Nick some run in LF and CF. His bat becomes a lot more fun if he's a more legit utility option defensively. Open the year at Iowa and we'll see you around Memorial Day.

[Cubswin11]

 

One thing that does make me think this could really work is that Tommy La Stella was able to get himself up to adequate at 3B, and he has an even weaker arm than Madrigal.

 

They should keep working on this 3B experiment, and also give Nick some run in LF and CF. His bat becomes a lot more fun if he's a more legit utility option defensively. Open the year at Iowa and we'll see you around Memorial Day.

He shouldn’t be on he roster, he horsefeathering sucks. Dramatic recreation of him throwing to 1B from 3B. It makes no sense to put all this emphasis on defense only to have a midget play 3B who needs to have a relay throw to get the ball to 1B.

 

[Ding Dong Johnson]

[CubinNY]

[Bertz]

 

Includes a bit about why the Yankees, who are all in on the sweeper, didn't already try this if it's such a good idea:

 

“I went into ’21, I got traded right before spring training,” Taillon said. “It’s hard for them to throw much at me then. We’re trying to get familiar with each other. I make 29 starts, hurt my ankle and have surgery that offseason. Then the lockout happens so it’s not like they could really mess with much or teach me anything then. I was hamstrung with what I could do and how creative I could get.”

[Bertz]

 

While Wesneski wasn’t going through a velo program or anything this winter, his primary competition for that final rotation spot was looking to gain a few ticks. The idea was broached during his exit interview with the staff and Sampson said he almost immediately started training with plyo balls.

 

“I was doing that all offseason,” Sampson said. “My first live BP, I was a little ahead of where I usually am. I was like 91-93, I think. So I was pretty happy about that. The results are starting to show a little bit so we’ll see how it goes the rest of the spring training.”

 

According to Statcast, Sampson averaged 92.5 mph on his four-seamer last year and 91.9 on the sinker. That he’s already there in the third week of February has to be encouraging. Sampson said he still wasn’t sure exactly how he’d incorporate the plyo work into his daily routine over the course of the summer but figured it would be a part of his work three or four days a week. Beyond that, he wasn’t too concerned about whether there would be an actual jump in his velocity.

 

Sampson's fastball is exactly one MPH below the league average for a SP, so any extra velo he could wring out of his arm would be pretty impactful.