Spring Training: Fantasy Players to Watch in the NL West
By Brad Kelly
With spring training now upon us, there are numerous players that fantasy owners should be monitoring. Who in the NL West should owners be focused on?
Pitchers and catchers report this week, initiating the start of the 2018 season. There are still a ton of free agents on the market, storylines to be fleshed out, and more, but this is what every fantasy owner has been waiting for. Fantasy titles are won and lost during the spring as breakout stars, potential busts show themselves.
A hot start can excel fantasy stocks, look at Greg Bird last season, or tank others. Injuries will arise as well, so it is just a matter of paying very close attention.
In this article, we will look at players from every MLB club that fantasy owners should be watching this spring, focusing on the NL West.
AL Spring Previews: East, West
NL Spring Previews: East
There is not a lot to criticize with Cody Bellinger’s tremendous breakout season in 2017. He posted a .267/39 HR/97 RBI/10 SB/.933 OPS/87 R line over 132 games. If not for debuting in late April, he would have easily posted a 40 HR/100 RBI stat line, an unbelievable line that no one would saw coming.
Bellinger did not skip a beat for the most part after his debut, yet did have to battle a twisted ankle in Aug. He also battled keeping on weight throughout the season as well. In the long haul of a 162 campaign, he has made it a point to keep the weight on in order to last this offseason.
He added muscle in the offseason, but fantasy owners should be monitoring him for a few reasons. The added bulk to his frame will hopefully not affect his swing at all. He was brutalized in the World Series as well by the Astros, so there is a small bit of concern that their blueprint would be common use. He is worth keeping an eye on this spring, yet should be a top-5 pick producer at first either way.
Honorable Mention: Yasmani Grandal
Grandal and Austin Barnes are in a weird spot. Grandal had a solid year power-wise, yet Barners supplanted him as the starter and even got most of the starts to close the year. If Grandal gets off to a slow start this spring, Barnes could find himself the starter, and not just versus lefties.
Colorado Rockies: David Dahl
Dahl has had a hell of a time since his stellar .315/7 HR/24 RBI line over 63 games in 2016. Last season, back pains and a myriad of other injuries, cost him all of last year. Now healthy again, his spring training will prove whether or not he gets a starting spot again. Only Charlie Blackmon is locked in, and Ian Desmond announced himself that he will see most of his time in the outfield in 2018.
That leaves, Dahl, Desmond, and Gerardo Parra, to fight it out for three spots. Parra went under the knife in early-Feb., further opening the door for Dahl to have a strong spring and cement himself as a starter.
The mini-breakout he had in 2016 offered plenty of positives, and if he can show that same power and approach this spring, he shapes up to be one of the best mid to late-round gambles this spring.
Honorable Mention: Ryan McMahon
As it seems that Desmond is focused on the outfield, McMahon looks to be in line to get the first nod at first base. He was stellar at AAA last season but did not fare well once at the majors. If he can get off to a solid spring, look for him to gain a lot of fantasy buzz.
Arizona D’Backs: Ketel Marte
The term “post-hype sleeper” is thrown around a lot for players that have failed fantasy owners, yet could salvage their reputation. Ketel Marte certainly fits that bill. He looked like a possible breakout star in 2015, yet fell on his face when given the starting job for Seattle.
He was shipped to Arizona, spent most of 2017 in the minors before injuries opened the door for him to get back to the majors. All Marte did was impress once back in the bigs. The most impressive sign though, was that he increased his BB rate by nearly 3%, and showed a newfound patience and advanced approach at the plate.
While Nick Ahmed and Chris Owings are in tow, Marte looks to be the starter at short heading into 2018. Owings is banged up, and Marte is just a better player than Ahmed. Fantasy owners should keep an eye Marte though because a slow spring could derail his fantasy value. Pay close attention.
Honorable Mention: Taijuan Walker
He took a major step forward last season, making 28 starts and posting a 3.49 ERA. Fantasy owners should be paying a close eye on him just to make sure he avoids any injury flare-ups and continues to show the same adjustments that has him on the right course.
San Francisco Giants: Johnny Cueto
There are no sure things in fantasy, but Johnny Cueto would seem as safe as it got. Unfortunately, Cueto proved that he was human in 2017, limping through 25 starts to post a 4.52 ERA. He battled blister issues, and more importantly, a flexor strain in his elbow. The blisters are an annoyance, but the flexor strain is very concerning given that he has over 1700 innings on his right arm.
The Giants are already playing it safe with him this spring, and it is hard to ignore the prowess that Cueto has had during his career. The elbow strain is scary, but if he can avoid any setbacks, owners should be willing to take a mid-round flier on him. He could shape up to be a great buy-low candidate.
Honorable Mention: Closer situation
Mark Melancon came back to Earth last season as his peripherals caught up to him. Sam Dyson showed some signs of life to end 2017, and they have recently signed Tony Watson. If Melancon struggles this spring, and either Dyson or Watson excels, either could ascend back to being closers.
San Diego Padres: Hunter Renfroe
The signing of Eric Hosmer had the biggest fantasy impact on Hunter Renfroe, who is now tasked with beating out multiple candidates for one spot in left field. He set a Padres’ rookie record with 26 HR, yet the team was not happy with his plate approach nor discipline. He struck out 140 times to only 27 BB, a huge fantasy worry that came to fruition.
Now that Hosmer is at first, and Wil Myers is back in the outfield, owners will have to monitor if the changes in his swing motion will allow him to secure the job for good If he falters, his K rate and platoon splits are just too hard to ignore, making him someone no better than a late-round flier. Keep a close eye.
Honorable Mention: Carter Capps
Once promising reliever has battled his way back from injury. But, with his funky motion being tweaked and his arm injury, fantasy owners have to keep an eye on him. He easily has the best stuff out of any in-house RP candidates, making him still such an intriguing arm.
The Dodgers are certainly atop the division, but the D’Backs and Rockies continue to be interesting squads. Arizona and Colorado will make noise once again in the playoff race.
The Giants and Padres have made moves to him themselves get back on track as well. But, it will remain to be seen if they have the horses to keep up in what should be an uber-competitive playoff race. There are still a ton of interesting players and storylines to watch this spring in the west.