Around the Spring Training Sites- Preseason Prep- March 2, 2026
Corbin Carroll– OF- ARI- Carroll is one of the hamate bone brigade who may be ready for Opening Day. He has begun swinging a bat with both hands. Carroll’s progression of baseball activity gives him a timetable to be ready to start the regular season with the Diamondbacks. His ADP of 2.03 is almost identical to his FDP of 2.02 and he looks like he will get in a full season. Carroll is projected to his .267 with 29 homers, 105 RBI, 110 runs, and 33 steals.
Jarren Duran– OF- BOS- Duran is projected to hit .267 with 26 homers, 107 runs, 78 RBI, and 22 steals in 608 ABs. He is undervalued in a lot of leagues, with a 6.12 FDP compared to his 2.11 FDP. Duran had a 91.8 EV and 46.8% HardHIt% in 2025. If he had been traded by the Red Sox his value would have likely gone down, as he slashed .289/.363/.517 at Fenway and .227/.304/.373 on the road. That was more pronounced than his career split numbers.
Thomas White– P- MIA- White will be out for the rest of spring training with an oblique strain. He was going to start the season at AAA Jacksonville, but this may delay his arrival in Miami. White is their top prospect and was expected to be promoted at some point this season. In 3 levels of the minors in 2025 he posted a 5.12 BB/9 so command is his focus to make the next step.
Chris Bassitt– P- BAL- Bassitt is an example of why ignoring spring training results can be a good thing. Bassitt approaches spring training solely as a means to build up for the regular season. He is not focusing on results. Yesterday Bassitt got tagged for 2 runs on 2 hits and 2 walks in 2-plus IP. He threw 40 pitches, which was his measure of success. Conversely, if Bassitt were to have a lights out start, it shouldn’t be paid that much attention to. He is projected to post a 4.20 ERA and win 9 games for the Birds this season and strike out 166 batters in 165 IP. His ADP of 25.11 is a bit higher than his 28.09 FDP. Keep an eye out if the projections change and not as much on his game-to-game results.
Andrew Painter– P- PHI- Painter made his second Grapefruit League start of his career yesterday. He threw two perfect innings yesterday, notching one strikeout. The first one was exactly three years prior. Painter missed two full seasons after undergoing Tommy John surgery. His return last year to the minors did not set the world on fire with a 5.26 ERA, 4.81 FIP, and 4.20 xFIP. Painter is expected to be in the rotation when the regular season starts. How long he stays there will depend on his performance and when Zack Wheeler is ready to return. Painter is projected to have a 4.54 ERA, 9 wins, and to strike out 125 batters in 150 IPs. His ceiling is high but he is just turning 23 next month and there is still some development that is likely needed.
Mike Trout– OF- LAA- Hope springs eternal, particularly in the spring. Trout has seen his sprint speed increase in camp. He hit 29.9 feet/second in a Cactus League game on Saturday. His average sprint speed had decreased from 29.5 in 2023 to 28.9 in 2024 to 27.9 last year as knee injuries took a toll. Don’t get your hopes up that Trout will start getting the steal totals he has a decade ago, even if his knee is better. Of more relevance is that he is wanting to play more games in CF, which will put his recent fragility to the test. Trout’s projections are a .256 AVG, 23 homers, 70 runs, and 56 RBI in 442 ABs. Those will be at risk the more he plays the field.
Francisco Lindor– SS- NYM- Lindor has started participating in light baseball activities, making some long toss throws and swinging the bat one-handed. Manager Carlos Mendoza thinks that Lindor will have recovered enough from his hamate bone surgery to be with the team on Opening Day. Stay aware of Lindor’s progression in activity.
Konnor Griffin– SS- PIT- The Griffin hype train keeps rolling down the track and the teenager keeps doing things to get it to pick up steam. Yesterday he hit his 3rd homer of the Grapefruit League season. Griffin’s draft stock is high, with an ADP of 16.12. That’s a bit premature for a couple of reasons. First, it is not a foregone conclusion that Griffin will make the Pirates to start the season. Second, those 3 homers are his only hits so far. Griffin is slashing .214/.267/.857 in 6 games. Long term he will likely be a star so he’s definitely on the keeper league radar. Currently Griffin is projected to hit .271 with 8 homers and 15 steals in 307 ABs. That is good, but not top tier.
Randal Grichuk– OF- NYY- Grichuk signed a minor league contract with an invite to spring training with the Yankees. So he is in major league camp to see if he can make himself valuable as a right handed bat in the outfield. Currently the Yankees only have Aaron Judge and Jasson Dominguez (a switch-hitter) who can swing from the right side. In 2023 and 2024 Grichuk hit over ,300 against LH pitching. If it is decided that Dominguez needs some more seasoning at AAA, the Grichuk will probably break camp with the Yankees, but with a limited role.
Alex Verdugo– OF- SD- Verdugo signed a minor league contract with the Padres and headed to their minor league camp. His 2025 was a disappointment after signing with Atlanta prior to the season. Verdugo slashed .239/.296/.289 without a homer in 213 PAs before being released. His EV was 89.9 and HardHit% was 42.8%, so his underlying metrics weren’t horrible. Verdugo had a .266 xBA and .369 xSLG. If Verdugo produces at AAA he can be insurance if the Nick Castellanos experiment fails.
Lucas Giolito– P- FA- With starters getting injured as we get closer to the start of the regular season, Giolito is reportedly getting interest from several teams. With a 3.41 ERA and 10-4 record in 2025 that’s not surprising. However, with a 5.01 xERA, 4.17 FIP, and 4.59 xFIP that can help explain hesitation. His K/9 dropped from 9.36 to 7.51. If Giolito signs soon, be very careful in assessing him. He had good results after missing 2024 due to undergoing an internal brace procedure, but the underlying metrics are concerning.
Starling Marte– DH- KC- The Royals signed Marte (pending a physical) and he could fill a gap they have in RH hitting outfielders. Marte could start against tough southpaws, giving Jac Caglianone or Kyle Isbel a chance to avoid them or DH when Salvador Perez or Carter Jensen need a day off. In 2025 Marte had a .270/.335/.410 slash line with 9 homers in 329 PAs. He is projected to slug 13 homers and add 8 steals in 381 ABs this year.
Josh Jung– 3B- TEX-Jung’s career has been slowed due to injuries and he has one already this spring. He will be sidelined for 10 days with an abductor strain. Jung is projected to hit .249 with 22 homers, 75 RBI, and 59 runs in 506 ABs. His 46.7% HardHit% last year shows his power potential. Health will be the key to him realizing it. Watch Jung and see how he comes back from this latest injury.
Logan Henderson– P- MIL- Henderson has forced himself into a conversation about possibly being a member of the Brewers’ rotation this year. He did that by adding a curve and cutter to his fastball/change up menu. In 5 starts with Milwaukee last season Henderson allowed 2 ERs in one start and that was his high. He pitched 5 IP or more in 4 of those starts. Henderson had a 1.78 WHIP, 3.02 FIP, and 3.36 xFIP with a K/9 of 11.72 and BB/9 of 2.84. He had some ups and downs at AAA Nashville, but posted a 3.59 ERA, 3.77 FIP, and 3.73 xFIP with a 10.08 K/9 and 2.75 BB/9. The question about Henderson was whether hitters would adjust due to his limited repertoire. His new pitches have looked good this Spring, so he may be ahead of schedule in his return to the majors. Henderson’s ADP is a little high at 22.11 with his FDP at 25.01 but he is worth watching in his Cactus League starts to see if his role becomes more prominent.
Will Benson– OF- CIN- Benson is a power hitter well-suited to his home stadium. In 2025, as he has since joining the Reds in 2023, he hit twice as many homers at Great American Ballpark as he did on the road. Overall, Benson slugged 12 homers last season in 230 ABs. He is projected to hit 16 homers in 322 ABs this season. Benson’s value increases in particular formats of leagues. When there are daily lineups that will allow him to be inserted on games he is playing at home, the lefty hitter can give power production.