Appeared on www.mlb.com, Monday, February 9
After a long and busy offseason, in a matter of days, all 30 clubs will have their full Spring Training squads on hand and the official push to Opening Day will begin.
With all that in mind, it’s a good time to take stock of where everyone stands. To warm us up for the weeks ahead, here’s one key Spring Training storyline for all 30 clubs.
Atlanta Braves: Are they healthy?
Can Ronald Acuña Jr. regain some his 2023 NL MVP form now that he has a second surgically repaired knee? Can Reynaldo Lopez and Grant Holmes be relied upon as starting pitchers? Is this the year Austin Riley finally stays healthy enough to add yet another 30-homer season to his resume? Can Chris Sale avoid the freak injury that denied him a chance at a second straight Cy Young Award? Will Spencer Strider return to form another year removed from elbow surgery? The potential for significant success is present, as long as most of these questions are answered affirmatively.
Baltimore Orioles: The arrival of the Polar Bear
The O’s made their largest offseason splash of the Mike Elias era in mid-December, when they signed slugging first baseman Pete Alonso to a five-year, $155 million deal. He is now the star player at the center of a mostly young core, a group that should benefit from Alonso’s presence. How will Alonso look in an Orioles uniform? How will Baltimore’s lineup look with him at the heart of it? How will the 31-year-old emerge as a leader in the clubhouse? All eyes will be on the Polar Bear this spring.
Boston Red Sox: How will the OF logjam be handled?
The Sox have four starting-caliber outfielders in Roman Anthony, Jarren Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela and Wilyer Abreu. Either manager Alex Cora will get creative and find a way to keep everyone satisfied with their at-bats, or chief baseball officer Craig Breslow will trade one of his outfielders as part of a package that could bolster another part of the club, such as offensive production in the infield. If all four outfielders stay, the DH slot can be used to rotate players in and out. But where does that leave Masataka Yoshida, who has two years left on his contract?
Detroit Tigers: Does McGonigle make a push for Opening Day roster?
Assuming Tarik Skubal is not a Spring Training trade candidate and opens his contract year in Detroit, the biggest question in Tigertown becomes when Kevin McGonigle might join him. MLB Pipeline’s No. 2 overall prospect is a non-roster invite to big league camp and has yet to play above Double-A, but his combination of impact hitting, strong fundamentals and intense work ethic give him a chance to win over Tigers staff, especially if he shows he can handle shortstop. He could be a Rookie of the Year candidate.
Houston Astros: Who fills out the rotation?
The Astros’ emphasis in the winter was adding pitching after a 2025 season that decimated their rotation, including three starters having Tommy John surgery. The club added starters Nate Pearson, Ryan Weiss, Mike Burrows and Japanese star Tatsuya Imai, who will slot into the rotation behind ace Hunter Brown. Cristian Javier and Spencer Arrighetti, both of whom were injured most of last year, and veteran Lance McCullers Jr. will be among those counted on to fill innings in Houston’s rotation this year.
Miami Marlins: How will the rotation shape up?
The Edward Cabrera and Ryan Weathers trades opened up two rotation spots for Miami, who still have Sandy Alcantara and Eury Pérez. Max Meyer and Braxton Garrett will be returning from surgery, so spring will be their first game action. Rounding out the depth are Janson Junk, Bradley Blalock, Adam Mazur and Ryan Gusto. Top prospects and non-roster invitees Thomas White and Robby Snelling can use camp as a stepping stone in their development.
Minnesota Twins: Who pitches where?
The front of the rotation is set with Pablo López, Joe Ryan and presumably Bailey Ober. After that, somewhere between five and eight pitchers will be vying for spots – Simeon Woods Richardson, Taj Bradley, Zebby Matthews, David Festa, Mick Abel and perhaps prospects Kendry Rojas, Marco Raya and Andrew Morris. Some will start. Some will go to Triple-A. Some will pitch in relief. Sorting it all out is the biggest story of camp.
New York Mets: Will Carson Benge make the team?
The Mets left a spot wide open for Benge, their No. 2 prospect, to begin the year starting in left field. But Benge has played just 24 career games above Double-A and mostly struggled in them. The Mets also have alternatives in Tyrone Taylor, an excellent defensive outfielder, as well as converted third baseman Brett Baty and free-agent addition MJ Melendez. While president of baseball operations David Stearns has made it clear that he’d like to give young players real opportunities, Benge is going to have to earn this one.
New York Yankees: Much is the same. So what will be different?
The Yankees believed their 2025 roster was ready to win a championship – so much so that they’re running most of the same group back for another shot. Consider this: they led the Majors with 849 runs scored and have three-time MVP Aaron Judge still in his prime. Gerrit Cole will return in May or June, they’ll get a full year of Cam Schlittler, and the bullpen was remodeled at the Trade Deadline last July.
Philadelphia Phillies: Will the prospects seize their opportunities?
The Phillies are going to give Justin Crawford (MLB Pipeline’s No. 53 overall prospect) every opportunity to secure the starting job in center field. They’re confident that he’s more than ready for the big leagues after a strong 2025 season with Triple-A Lehigh Valley, and the outfield – with newcomer Adolis García in right and Brandon Marsh in left – could certainly use a boost. Meanwhile, Andrew Painter (No. 28 prospect) will look to pitch his way into the Opening Day rotation – especially if Zack Wheeler isn’t ready to start the season – after an up-and-down 2025 season in the Minors.
Pittsburgh Pirates: Will the new additions bring hope?
The Pirates last finished above .500 in 2018. But they’ve been aggressive this offseason after a 71-win campaign in 2025, most notably trading for All-Star second baseman Brandon Lowe and signing a two-year deal with All-Star 1B/OF Ryan O’Hearn. Spring Training will offer the first hint of whether on-paper improvements could portend on-field results. If the early returns are positive, Pirates fans will have good reason for optimism.
St. Louis Cardinals: Is JJ Wetherholt ready for his closeup?
Even if St. Louis hadn’t traded Brendan Donovan, there might still have been a shot for Wetherholt to make the club out of Spring Training. Now, with Donovan in Seattle and second base wide open, there is little doubt that MLB’s No. 5 prospect will open the year in the big leagues. He might even bat leadoff, which would be appropriate for someone who could be the face of this new era of Cardinals baseball.
Tampa Bay Rays: A rare camp with competition
The Rays usually enter Spring Training with their roster mostly set, with a few exceptions and room to improvise if needed. This spring could be different. They have more outfielders and relievers than one roster can hold. Assuming Shane McClanahan is ready, there’s still a spot in the rotation to claim. Top prospects Carson Williams and Jacob Melton have a shot to show they’re ready for regular roles. They’ve talked all offseason about making their roster more “functional” as they get closer to Opening Day. The countdown is on.
Toronto Blue Jays: José Berríos and the crowded rotation
Berríos ended last season on the IL for the first time in his MLB career and was “not happy” with being left off the postseason rosters, GM Ross Atkins said, so there’s a human element to this, too. The baseball side of this is a stacked rotation already featuring Dylan Cease, Kevin Gausman, Shane Bieber, Trey Yesavage and Cody Ponce. These things have a way of working themselves out naturally, but if the Blue Jays still have six healthy starters by the end of camp, Berríos could be in an awkward spot. How the Blue Jays manage five spots for six projected starters is their biggest internal decision over the next six weeks.
Washington Nationals: A new chapter in Nats baseball
The Nationals are entering their first season with a new front office and coaching staff. They have the youngest president of baseball operations (Paul Toboni, 35), general manager (Anirudh Kilambi, 31) and manager (Blake Butera, 33) of any team in the Major Leagues. The Nats head into camp having made two major moves this offseason: trading ace MacKenzie Gore to the Rangers in exchange for five prospects, and acquiring top catching prospect Harry Ford from the Mariners for reliever Jose A. Ferrer.