Spring Training officially kicks off today with three games which has RDBL Franchises counting down the days until the 2023 Draft. The 2023 storylines are marked by a wave of young talent hitting Active Rosters along with the celebration of the 10th season of play for the Roger Dorn Baseball League.
Here's a look at one player from each RDBL Franchise that we have our eyes on over the next five weeks.
Alamo Short Stacks: LHP MacKenzie Gore (Minors)
If you tuned out after two months last year, you may be under the impression MacKenzie Gore lived up to the hype and is no longer a sleeper of any kind. At that point, he had a 1.71 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 10.1 K/9, and his past misfires were quickly becoming a distant memory. But alas, the roller coaster ride continued. His velocity slipped, and he struggled to locate his fastball, which were the same symptoms that reduced him from the top pitching prospect in baseball to a borderline top-100 guy in 2021. It all culminated in an IL stint for elbow inflammation, and he never got a chance to pitch for the Nationals after coming over in the Juan Soto deal. A clean bill of health and strong Spring will be the key to the Stacks pulling the trigger on an Opening Day activation.
Asti Grape Stompers: RHP Hunter Greene (Minors)
The hard-throwing righty finished his 2022 rookie season on an absolute tear; he registered a 1.02 ERA with a 51:7 K:BB over his final six starts dating back to July 26. However, it was a rookie campaign filled with ups and downs, as he recorded a 4.44 ERA through 125.2 total innings. The Grapes are hopeful Greene is ready for a full-season breakout as he could take hold of the top spot in GM Terry Shelley's rotation.
Burlingame Blue Ducks: RHP Jack Flaherty (2/$1)
After finishing the 2021 season seemingly healthy, Jack Flaherty experienced shoulder soreness in spring training. He received a PRP injection to help combat the inflammation and Flaherty was shut down for a bit before ramping up with bullpen sessions. Flaherty made his debut on June 15 but mustered only three short appearances before a recurrence of the shoulder strain, sending him to the 60-day IL. Flaherty returned in September for five starts, posting a 4.00 ERA and 1.48 WHIP in 27 innings with 26 punch outs. However, control was an issue with 13 walks. Making it back and throwing all his pitches with normal velocity is encouraging, but including rehab, Flaherty has only logged 190.2 innings over the past three years. Even if healthy and effective, Flaherty's workload will likely be monitored, but that can still produce plenty of value on a $1 contract.
Cloverdale Clovers: OF Jarred Kelenic (2R/$3)
So many of the players featured here were top prospects who disappointed as rookies. Jarred Kelenic is that twice over. His second year was even worse, giving him a career slash line of .141/.221/.313 in exactly 500 at-bats. E to the gad. My presumption is that scouts simply missed on him, that they didn't see him face enough breaking balls in the minors to know how helpless he was against them. But by now, that's everyone else's presumption as well. He's still only 23, so it's possible the Mariners brought him up before he was truly ready, particularly given the development he lost in 2020. Growth remains possible, and in between his big-league struggles, he still hit .296 with a .922 OPS at Triple-A Tacoma. Given the cost, there's no harm in taking one last swing at Kelenic, particularly since that's also what the Mariners are doing.
Honolulu Hammerheads: 1B/OF Alex Kirilloff (2R/$3)
The 2016 first-round draft pick and top prospect has shown flashes of being a productive regular with the bat, but he hasn't been able to stay healthy amid continued wrist issues. His 2022 season ended in July due to a ligament tear in his right wrist that required season-ending surgery. He had soreness in the same wrist in spring training and it required a cortisone shot. When he returned from the injured list, he hit just .172 with a walk and 12 strikeouts over 10 games and was sent to the minors. He then hit .379 with eight homers and a 1.158 OPS in 24 games at Triple-A. Back in the majors in June, he hit .270 with a .715 OPS over 34 games before another setback with his wrist. He decided to have undergo season-ending ulnar shortening surgery, which he hopes will provide a more permanent fit. Amid all the wrist issues, Kiriloff struggled to hit for the sort of power in the majors that many projected during his prospect days, as he owns a .398 slugging percentage over 387 career big-league plate appearances. He also took a step back with just a 3.2 BB% and .282 xwOBA, but it may be hard to read too much into his numbers given his health. He hasn't been cleared yet for live BP, but should be a full participant by next week and will be a key player to watch this Spring for the Heads.
Idaho Taters: 1B Spencer Torkelson (2R/$3)
Spencer Torkelson is a cautionary tale that prospect hype doesn't always translate to immediate MLB success. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 draft made his much-anticipated debut on Opening Day 2022 but never really got going for the Tigers. He batted .190 in April with a 33.8 percent strikeout rate, which set the tone for the rest of his rookie season. Torkelson was optioned to Triple-A Toledo in July to help get him back on track, and he returned to Detroit in September. He was marginally better over the final month of the season, batting .219 with a 21.7 percent strikeout rate. Overall, it was a disappointing campaign for the 23-year-old in his activation season, but GM Mike Friedrich will remain patient. Torkelson was regarded as an elite hitter during his time at Arizona State, and prospects sometimes just take a little longer to get comfortable in the majors. The Tigers are also still very much in rebuilding mode, so they should have plenty of playing time available for Torkelson in 2023 but a hot Spring Training will go a long way towards easing the mind of Taters fans that Torkelson isn't a bust.
Lake Merced Goutfish: SS/OF Fernando Tatis, Jr. (3R/$5)
Fernando Tatis may possibly be the biggest fantasy wildcard of 2023. He will be coming off an 80-game suspension for PEDs that will end earlier than initially projected since the Padres went deep into the NL playoffs. Tatis is now projected to be back on the active roster in late April, but he has also undergone two different surgeries this winter. He finally had that troublesome shoulder operated on as well as his left wrist. You add in the complexity of missing the entire 2022 season with his off-the-field antics leading to injury, the suspension and two surgeries, and we are left with the question of how early someone will take the risk on a top-five talent in a draft. The upside remains huge even with him slotted to miss the first month, but GM Ryan Atkinson would love to see him pick up where he left off in 2021 with a dominant Spring.
Las Vegas Aristocrats: OF Garrett Mitchell (Minors)
It was a tale of three seasons for Garrett Mitchell. The 6-foot-3 center fielder was dreadful for his first 29 games at Double-A, logging a .676 OPS and 32.3 K% before suffering an oblique injury. He returned in mid-July and tallied a .356/.419/.515 slash line with three home runs, 10 steals and a 20.3 K% in 34 games between Double-A and Triple-A. The big difference seemed to be that Mitchell reverted to his approach from UCLA, where he was working more as a table setter than someone who was regularly looking to put his plus raw power to use in games. Milwaukee diverted from their attempts to unlock that power in games and just let him be the most effective version of himself. That approach earned him a late-season call-up. In the majors, Mitchell's 41.2 K% and .548 BABIP scream regression, but he nonetheless managed to be worth a full win above replacement while hitting .311 with two home runs and eight steals in 28 games. The Brewers have an uncertain outfield depth chart, but Mitchell will be given a chance to win the starting center field job in spring training which could lead to an Opening Day activation.
Lunatic Fringe: RHP Grayson Rodriguez (Minors)
Grayson Rodriguez exited his 11th Triple-A start June 1 with a Grade 2 lat strain last season. Up to that point, the revered 6-foot-5 righty logged a 2.09 ERA, 0.84 WHIP and 80:14 K:BB in 56 innings. By all accounts, Rodriguez would have made his big-league debut in June had he stayed healthy. He missed exactly three months and returned for a rehab assignment and three more Triple-A starts to close the season. Understandably rusty, Rodriguez posted a 4.12 ERA, 1.42 WHIP and walked as many batters (14) in 19.2 innings as he did in the 56 innings before he got hurt. At full health, Rodriguez's arsenal is beyond reproach, boasting several pitches that grade as at least plus. The shoulder injury and subsequent middling performance to close the year represented his first major road bump as a pro. A dominant Spring Training could put him firmly in the Orioles Opening Day rotation plans, further complicating an already crowded group of starting pitcher options for GM Tony Guglielmi.
Maltese Falcons: C Joey Bart (Minors)
Bart has already been traded twice this off-season in the RDBL and faces an important Spring Training to try and take hold of the starting job behind the plate in San Francisco. The retirement of Buster Posey opened the path to a starting role forBart, but the young catcher was unable to take advantage and had a .215/.296/.364 slash line with 11 home runs and 25 RBI in 97 games. He had a 38.5 percent strikeout rate but made strides defensively and was above average behind the plate. Barring a standout performance in spring training, Bart figures to open 2023 splitting catching duties with Roberto Perez (who signed with the Giants in January), and he'll need to significantly cut down on the strikeouts to have any real chance of maintaining an everyday spot in the lineup.
Meinert Hops: SS CJ Abrams (Minors)
If C.J. Abrams is going to live up to his potential as a top-10 prospect, which is what he was almost from the time the Padres drafted him sixth overall in 2019, he has to get on base and run. It's as simple as that. It's not his only tool, but it's his loudest one -- and the one that sold many on him in fantasy circles. The 22-year-old played 90 games in the majors last year and swiped ... seven bases. Abrams has a clear path towards a starting job for the Nationals, but will need a loud Spring for the Hops to feel confident in activating him.
Mission Viejo Maulers: 3B Nolan Arenado (3/$38)
While many on this list are facing an important Spring Training to solidify their roles, Arenado is a big March away from locking in a trade in the RDBL. He ranked fourth in scoring among third basemen while posting a .293/.358/.521 line with 30 home runs and 42 doubles in his second season with the Cardinals. The Idaho Taters, Las Vegas Aristocrats and Asti Grape Stompers remain logical fits for the star corner infielder.
Mt. Diablo Devils: OF Riley Greene (Minors)
Riley Greene appeared likely to break camp on the Tigers' Opening Day roster last season, but a foul ball off the foot delayed his arrival to the big leagues until mid-June. He would go on to slash .253/.321/.362 across 93 games as a rookie, hitting five homers while successfully stealing only one bag in five attempts. In a vacuum, these numbers are rather uninspiring, but the fact that Greene was right around league average by wRC+ as a 21-year-old speaks volumes. The fifth overall pick in 2019, Greene was considered among the top prospects in the game at the time of his call-up. The Tigers are going to give Greene every chance to succeed. When he will turn that corner will play an important factor in when GM Jason Watson feels comfortable pulling the trigger on his activation.
Spokane Fightin' Fish: LHP Martin Perez (2FA/$5)
The Fightin' Fish have executed a perfect gameplan this Winter, landing Justin Verlander and Aaron Judge while jumping back into the 1st Round by trading away Shane Bieber and Charlie Morton. The next one to go might be Martin Perez. A $5 pitcher fresh off a 495.0 point season would seem like an obvious building block, but the underlying numbers point to regression for 2023. While he might not repeat his dominance from last season, he's well worth the $5 investment and should find a home for a pitching-starved team soon.
St. Joseph Jokers: OF JJ Bleday (Minors)
It's a new era of Jokers baseball as the club is expected to have one of the youngest Keeper Rosters in the RDBL with the activations of Gunnar Henderson, Gabriel Moreno, Kyle Wright and MJ Melendez. One name could be added to that list with a big Spring. JJ Bleday was the fourth pick of the 2019 MLB Draft out of Vanderbilt, and the outfielder struggled mightily in his 65 games with the Marlins in 2022 with a .167/.277/.309 slash line along with five home runs and four stolen bases over 238 plate appearances. A left-handed hitter, Bleday has easy plus power and a quality approach at the plate, but he's struggled to make hard contact as a professional. There's still time for Bleday to tap into his potential as a 25-year-old, and Oakland's rebuild offers him a chance to earn a starting spot after acquiring him from the Marlins earlier this month.
