2015 Spring Training Position Battles: Top 10 to Watch

The Fantasy Alarm 2015 MLB Draft Guide is a must own. It’s loaded with tons of information, from player profiles and rookie reports to in-season strategy articles and pitching and hitting targets to seek out on draft day. But the one thing we were not able to track and cover in the magazine is the abundance of position battles we’ll be watching this spring between now and Opening Day. Whether it’s an up-and-coming rookie looking to break into the majors or a recently signed free agent coming in to challenge an incumbent, these battles are incredibly important for fantasy owners to watch.

After running the Mock Draft Army, it is very evident that there are a number of players who fantasy owners are assuming will open the season in the starting lineup and are drafting them as if their anticipated breakout is more fact than conjecture. While that may be the case for some, or even for all for that matter, there are no guarantees and their performance this spring will determine where they open they year. So for the first installment of this series, we’re going to look at the 10 most high-profile battles fantasy owners should be intently watching over the next month and a half.

Tampa Bay Rays: Right Field

Brace yourselves, people. The fantasy community, particularly the saber-junkies, is jumping all over Steven Souza. In just two short weeks, he’s gone from mock draft afterthought to an outfielder people are jumping all over somewhere between the 12^th and 15^th round depending on the number of teams in your league. Best known for the catch that saved Jordan Zimmermann’s no-hitter, Souza was dealt to the Rays as part of the Wil Myers deal. He is currently penciled in as the starter in right field and fantasy owners are salivating over the 20-20 potential that Steamer projections have provided. But few people are acknowledging Souza’s excessive strikeout rate in both the minors and during his short stint in the majors and unless he changes that this spring, the door should open a little wider for Kevin Kiermaier who may not have the developing power potential, but certainly has stronger plate discipline and comparable defensive skills. Souza is expected to win this battle, but you need to keep the possibility of him not quite being ready for full-time duty in the back of your mind when drafting.

Boston Red Sox: Center Field/Right Field

When the Sox acquired Hanley Ramirez and announced that he would be their starting left fielder, the battle for the other two spots in the outfield just got more intense. Rusney Castillo and Mookie Betts are the fan-favorites and the players being drafted highest thus far, but it would be foolish to just dismiss Shane Victorino, Jackie Bradley, Allen Craig and Daniel Nava. All four of them have the potential of pushing the less experienced yet higher-profiled Castillo and Betts into more of a platoon situation. Victorino is in the final year of a three-year, $39 million dollar deal and while he may be out and injured more than he’s playing, the team isn’t going to spend that type of money for a benchwarmer. Nava, Craig and Bradley are also capable of pushing themselves into a platoon situation, so while Betts and Castillo are the expected starters, a cold spring could put a serious damper on things.

Los Angeles Angels: Second Base

Anyone who has fallen for the Josh Rutledge hype before should know better than to assume that the starting job at the Angels’ keystone is in the bag. The guy has lost the job each year over the last three seasons in Colorado because he holds a block of cement inside his glove whenever he takes the field. His range is also a bit suspect and he was moved from shortstop to second because of his no-better-than-average arm. Enter Grant Green. For those not familiar with Green, he was a toolsy prospect in the Oakland system who was dealt to the Angels at the non-waiver trade deadline in 2013. While he did a decent job filling in for an injured Howie Kendrick that season, his path to full-time duty was still blocked. He increased his versatility and learned the outfield in an effort to get more playing time, but will now fight for a spot in the infield this season. Given Rutledge’s perpetual shortcomings, this battle could go either way right now.

Arizona Diamondbacks: Third Base

Everyone is making some pretty ballsy assumptions that Cuban sensation Yasmany Tomas has the third base job locked up in Arizona and it’s just not true. At least not yet. With the current roster structure, the Diamondbacks would love for Tomas to try out and win the third base job and will give him every opportunity to do so. But there are certainly risks to take into account. First off, he may not be strong enough defensively to hold the job. That would push him into the outfield and a potential platoon situation depending on how well he hits this spring. He’s got tremendous raw power, but he is simply not as polished a hitter as fellow countrymen Jose Abreu and Yoenis Cespedes. Working in Tomas’ favor is the lack of established talent competing with him. Jake Lamb has strong power potential and a passable glove, but sometimes lacks the plate discipline needed to play consistently in the majors. From there, it’s a hodge-podge of names like Danny Worth, Cliff Pennington and Brandon Drury, none of whom are going to light it up. But Tomas needs to earn this spot and who’s to say that the team doesn’t go out and acquire someone a little more stable should he fall short of expectations?

Chicago Cubs: Second Base/Third Base

What do you mean this is a position battle? Javier Baez and Kris Bryant, right? Well, maybe. But maybe not. First off, there’s the whole Super-Two free agent deadline crap that fantasy owners need to endure with top prospects in their rookie year. Both could start their 2015 seasons in the minors and not come up until May. No one wants to see that, but given the team the Cubs are building for the long-haul, it’s more than just a possibility. Then, of course, there’s the talent. Neither is short on it, but with the way Baez has been whiffing in winter ball and the strikeout rate Bryant has posted throughout his minor league career, both could lose out on their starting spots if they are incapable of making consistent contact. The alternatives for the Cubs aren’t exactly brimming with the same gifts of talent, but Arismendy Alcantara, Tommy LaStella, Mike Olt and Chris Valaika could certainly hold down the fort until the Cubs are satisfied with the performance of their rookies. Watch closely this spring as both Bryant and Baez could end up over-drafted in regular re-draft leagues.

Los Angeles Dodgers: Catcher

The assumption that Yasmani Grandal is the new starting catcher for the Dodgers is going to burn a lot of fantasy owners this season. Once traded for Anthony Rizzo, Grandal has had to overcome a lot of issues, from injuries to a PEDs suspension and has yet to live up to any of the hype. But since leaving San Diego, everyone just assumes that he’s going to finally break out this year. But let’s pump the brakes here, people. First off, moving from Petco Park to Chavez Ravine is not really an upgrade. Both stifle power. Secondly, his defense and ability to handle a top-rated pitching staff has to not only match, but exceed that of incumbent backstop, A.J. Ellis. With established hurlers like Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke and Hyun-Jin Ryu having worked closely and succeeded with Ellis behind the dish, Grandal has to step in and prove that he is the better option – not just to management, but to the pitchers as well. Those just assuming that that he’s got the job and will become a strong No. 1 option could be in for a rude awakening.

Pittsburgh Pirates Shortstop

So much focus is falling on the Cuban imports that many are overlooking Korean infielder Jung-ho Kang. The Pirates were very happy to win the right to negotiate with him and were eager to get a deal done. He’s most known for his power as he smacked 40 home runs last year, though that level of play overseas is more comparable to Double-A ball in the States. But he’s also got tremendous versatility and is said to be able to play a mean second and third base as well. That could hold him back into more of a utility role, but should he outperform Jordy Mercer this spring, he could land the starting gig. Mercer is a solid glove, but his work at the plate has been a little inconsistent. His plate discipline numbers are right around league average, but he doesn’t have much in the way of power. Should Kang match him in the field and out-hit him at the plate, Mercer could find himself as the utility guy instead.

Philadelphia Phillies: Third Base

We were all waiting on Maikel Franco last season but it was Cody Asche who ended up being the starting third basemen for the Phillies in 2014. The two will battle it out this spring and if you ask most fantasy baseballers their preference, you’ll probably get a 95-percent approval rating for Franco. The 22-year old prospect has solid power potential and he doesn’t strike out too often. However, he can’t draw a walk to save his life and his ground ball rates do not inspire us to believe that a 20-homer season is coming anytime soon regardless of the raw power. Asche seems to be the better glove at the moment but he does strike out a little too often. He also doesn’t have the same power potential. Both are young (Asche is 24-years old), so it’s going to come down to who develops the fastest and with the most consistency.

New York Mets: Catcher

Let the record show that when the Mets traded Jose Reyes to the Blue Jays and Travis d’Arnaud was part of the return package, the expectations were that he would soon be the stable force behind the plate, day in and day out. Injuries have derailed that dream so far, but after a strong second half in 2014 that included more power and a batting average of .313 for the month of September, there are high hopes coming into this season. But what about Anthony Recker? Despite a horrific strikeout rate and batting average bordering on the pathetic, Recker has solid skills behind the plate, good power potential and seems to be well-liked behind the plate by the coaching staff. The hope is obviously that d’Arnaud takes the job and runs with it, but should Recker find a way to rein in the excessive whiffs and d’Arnaud not perform entirely up to task, the two could end up in more of a straight-platoon which would take away some valuable fantasy potential.

San Diego Padres: Shortstop

One of the first moves by the Padres this offseason was the addition of Clint Barmes as their solution to replace Everth Cabrera. Not many were fond of the move as Barmes is considered barely mediocre, but now that the Padres crushed it on the free agent and trade market, the door has opened for Alexi Amarista to compete for the starting gig at short. Both players have lousy contact rates and don’t show much in the way of batting average. Amarista has speed and Barmes has power, though neither dazzles in either department. The two will duke it out this spring to see who wins the job, though it should also be noted that an in-season cold streak for the winner could easily trigger a change.