It’s that time of year when every player is just itching to get the season underway. After six weeks of spring camp and nearly a month’s worth of exhibition games, everyone is filled with anticipation for the start of the regular season.
But ahead of Opening Day on Thursday, let’s take a moment to reflect. Here is the most important thing we learned about each team during Spring Training.
Blue Jays: They are focused on silencing the doubters
So many of the names and faces are the same, and they all remember how 2023 ended. There’s been a tone shift in Blue Jays camp this spring as this roster embraces being doubted for the first time, something that Bo Bichette brought up early in camp. No longer the darlings of the American League nor a hot pick for the World Series, the Blue Jays want to play with the “urgency” Bichette called for in ‘23 and he’ll be at the front of this charge. Improvements will need to come internally and there’s been no grand overhaul here, but reality has come knocking, and the Blue Jays are acknowledging that the clock is ticking. — Keegan Matheson
Orioles: Jackson Holliday should be in the big leagues soon
Even though the 20-year-old infielder didn’t break camp with the O’s — getting reassigned to Minor League camp on Friday — he showed he’s “very, very close” to the Majors, as general manager Mike Elias put it. MLB Pipeline’s No. 1 overall prospect hit .311 (14-for-45) with seven extra-base hits (including two homers) in 15 Grapefruit League games. Once he gets more reps at second base and faces more upper-level left-handed pitchers, he’ll be storming through the MLB door. He’s already knocking on it quite loudly. — Jake Rill
Rays: You can never have too much depth
They have a shocking amount of quality depth, as usual, but it’s already being tested by injuries. Over the last few weeks of Spring Training, the Rays lost outfielders Jonny DeLuca and Josh Lowe, starter Taj Bradley and infielder Jonathan Aranda, all of whom are expected to play key roles for the club. None of their injuries are expected to be long-term issues, but they forced the Rays to dip into their depth sooner than expected — especially since they entered the spring knowing they’d be without Shane McClanahan, Shane Baz, Jeffrey Springs, Drew Rasmussen and Taylor Walls on Opening Day. Still, the Rays always seem to have an answer, and that appears to be the case again this year as players like Ryan Pepiot, Curtis Mead and Richie Palacios step into bigger roles. — Adam Berry
The veteran shortstop had his first healthy offseason in years and was able to add strength that could make him more productive and durable. Boston’s infield defense, shoddy last season, improves markedly just by having Story for a full season at shortstop. Look for Story to hit third in the lineup, after Rafael Devers and in front of Triston Casas. That should allow him to face a decent number of lefties late in games due to the three-batter rule, and Story feasts against lefties. — Ian Browne
Yankees: Juan Soto is going to destroy baseballs in a town near you
The 25-year-old’s offensive prowess was no secret; he’s a three-time All-Star, four-time Silver Slugger and World Series champion, among his many accolades. Yet Soto may still be underappreciated. That won’t be the case for long; an MVP award is very much in play as Soto slugs toward a staggering payday. As Gerrit Cole said earlier in camp: “I knew I would enjoy watching him. But like, I love watching him.” — Bryan Hoch
Guardians: The future is bright
Maybe the Guardians will have some hiccups as they transition to a younger roster (yet again) and attempt to try some players in new positions. But regardless of whether they get off to a hot or slow start, we got a glimpse of just how exciting this team is going to be in the near future. Cleveland’s top two prospects (as ranked by MLB Pipeline), Chase DeLauter (No. 1) and Kyle Manzardo (No. 2), were…
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