Spring Training 2024 is in full-swing, and we have already seen a slew of highlights. There are players rocking new (see through?) threads, hyped up prospects getting their first taste of the Bigs, and wily vets ramping up for the long season. From the Dodgers to the Nationals, here’s a look at some of the best stories so far from Spring Training.
Dodgers Crush Padres to Open
When we saw Dodgers @ Padres as the only game on the schedule to open up Spring Training, many tuned in for what they thought would be an interesting affair. Boy, were we wrong. After a 4-pitch walk to Mookie Betts to start, Joe Musgrove seemingly had no control of his pitches. A first pitch single, a first pitch hit batsman, followed by a first pitch ground rule double signaled the end of his day after just 7 pitches.
Following another couple first pitch RBI hits to open it up to 6-0 in the first inning, Kevin Padlo stepped up and did this.
Padlo crushed it over the left field fence and opened it up to 8-0, and the Dodgers never looked back. Finishing with 12 hits and 9 walks, the offense powered them to a 14-1 victory. The pitching was also excellent- a sign of things to come for Los Angeles.
Colton Cowser Walks It Off
We got to see the first walk-off homerun of the season just 3 days into Spring. In a back-and-forth matchup, the Red Sox led the Orioles 3-2 going into the ninth inning. They then handed the ball to minor-leaguer Nathan Tellier to close it out. After a first pitch single, and a first pitch ball, Tellier threw a cookie to O’s prospect Colton Cowser.
The high fastball just got over the left-center field wall. Cowser came in at #20 in the first ever Fantom Sports Industries Top 100 Prospects. He’s a big left-handed bat who has plenty of room for growth at 23. We will most certainly see him at the big-league level this season, adding on to the Orioles’ embarrassment of riches in terms of young studs.
Rafael Devers Crushes One Over Mini-Monster
The crack of a bat in Spring can get any baseball fan excited for the regular season. Listen to the sound of this mammoth shot off the bat of Rafael Devers.
I think it’s safe to say he got all of that one. While the batting average was a bit down last year for “Raffy”, nobody is worried about his ability to hit the ball over the wall. Coming in at #7 on our Top 10 Third Baseman for the 2024 Season, Devers’ ceiling is ultimately capped by his inability to defend. However, his offensive output has always been generous- enough to make up for the lack of defense.
Juan Soto’s HRs with NY
Juan Soto likes wearing pinstripes. In just 9 at-bats, Soto already has 6 hits and 3 homers. Including this shot against the Detroit Tigers.
The Yankees acquired Soto from the Padres in a 7-player trade back in December. With the highlights he’s been putting forth so far in Spring Training 2024, Yankees fans are rightfully excited about the duo of Soto and Aaron Judge. If Giancarlo Stanton can summon his past power, the Yankees could be the team to beat in the AL this year. Off the back of a few years of GM Brian Cashman being on the hot seat, it seems as though he’s bought himself some time for now.
Shohei Ohtani Homers in First Game
After a wild offseason in which Shohei Ohtani signed the biggest contract in sports history, it was finally time to show Dodger fans a glimpse of what they’re getting. Funny enough, Ohtani started out the day with a 3-pitch strikeout and a first pitch double-play ball. Fans around the league jokingly started to call the deal a “flop”, until Shohei quickly reminded us of what he’s all about.
We also have to remember Ohtani already had his Tommy John surgery back in 2023, tabbing him to return to the mound in 2025. While some thought the injury would be too painful for him to hit with, a doctor explained why the injury won’t stress the arm because he’s a left-handed hitter. With this in mind, we should see plenty of offense from Shohei in 2024.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s Debut
The very next day after Ohtani’s first game, we got to see the new Japanese-pitching-sensation, Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitch his first 2 innings in Dodger-blue.
Yamamoto is looking like he’s worth his $300 million contract already. The poise and control he showed on the mound was spectacular. The splitter is also looking like everything it was hyped up to be. If Yamamoto can lock-in early Spring, who knows the dominance he could be showing in April-May. This is a rookie who could be competing for a Cy Young.
James Wood Keeps Mashing
Of all the highlights from Spring Training 2024, James Wood’s are among the most impressive. A Fantom Sports #10 Prospect, Wood has been crushing baseballs since arriving in Florida. The sound off his bat is crazy to hear.
The headline prospect of the Juan Soto trade back in 2022, Wood has big shoes to fill. But he’s more than big enough to fill them. Coming in at 6’6″, 234-pounds, he has natural power that will play at the MLB level.
The Nats second overall pick last year, Dylan Crews, has also been turning heads. Manager Davey Martinez has expressed his excitement about the two and has made it clear that they could make the opening-day roster. While there’s not much to look forward to for Washington fans this year, the youth movement could be something to cling to for the near future.
Jackson Holliday vs. Paul Skenes
A matchup between the last two #1 draft picks? Yes, please! But no TV crew was at the game to cover the matchup. This was about as easy of a matchup to advertise as it gets, and many fans would’ve tuned in live to watch. Having to watch this insane bout through a phone in the crowd is ridiculous quite honestly.
Shota Imanaga K’s Freddie Freeman
While he didn’t make as much of a splash as Yamamoto, Shota Imanaga also signed from the NPB with the Chicago Cubs. At 30, the lefty is a bit older compared to Yamamoto at 25. Even so in his first outing he showed that he could be a steal at $13 million a year. He worked 2.1 innings with 5 strikeouts, highlighted by a strikeout of Freddie Freeman.
Elly De La Cruz’s 470 Foot Dinger
Why can’t all of these games be televised?
Regardless, Elly De La Cruz set the league on fire last year with his electric power-speed combo. He’s an athletic freak who should terrorize opposing teams this season. Elly got his Spring started with a 470-foot catapult into the right-field seats.
After logging only 98 games with the Reds last year, Elly is set up to start as many games at shortstop as he can this year. And even though he only had an OPS+ of 89 with a WAR of 0.8, there’s plenty of room for growth at the ripe age of 21.
Vladdy Jr’s First HR
New MLB The Show cover athlete, Vladimir Guerrero Jr, is back to hitting tanks.
“Vladdy” is looking to get back to his dominant ways this year. The 3-time all-star has still been doing his part the past 2 seasons. Yet compared to his 2nd place MVP finish in 2021, Vladdy has taken a small step back offensively. If he can get back to his 48 homer, 111 RBI, 167 OPS+ ways, then the Blue Jays could have a shot at winning the AL East.
And that just about covers all of the highlights from 2024 Spring Training so far. Make sure you follow Fantom Sports on Twitter to keep up with the latest happenings from around the league. With just over 3 weeks until opening day, there will surely be more stories to come.
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