Fantasy Baseball 2018: 3 Takes from the first week of spring training

What can we make of the early action in Spring Training and will it have any fantasy impact this season?

Every year I repeat the mantra of “don’t overrate spring training stats,” but every year I get a little bit excited by exploits of one or two players.

Last season, Greg Bird was a stud. He tied Bryce Harper for the most home runs. Both of them had pretty good seasons.

This year Yankees’ rookie Miguel Andujar is leading with four home runs in five games. The 23-year-old is making it tough for the Yankees to send him down. Andujar has the potential to break camp as New York’s primary third baseman with new acquisition Brandon Drury starting at second base and top prospect Gleyber Torres given time to add polish to his skills in Triple-A.

Andujar posted .806 OPS in Triple-A last season with 17 home runs and five stolen bases, and you can draft him with a pick just outside of the top-300.

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Throughout his Minor League career, Rockies’ outfielder Raimel Tapia hit for an excellent average (.322 AVG) with 25-30 stolen bases. His 2018 spring training campaign on the base paths has started off inauspiciously having been caught three times in three attempts.

Tapia has on-base and contact skills which make him an ideal leadoff candidate, but the Rockies already have one of the best in the game in Charlie Blackmon. There are more openings for playing time in the Rockies’ outfield since the departure of Carlos Gonzalez to free agency, so there is a real opportunity for Tapia to make an impact in deeper fantasy leagues from his 467 ADP.

There is a spring training battle for the Giants’ rotation behind Madison Bumgarner, Johnny Cueto and Jeff Samardzija. One of the contenders, Ty Blach, made 24 starts with 4.78 ERA (4.42 FIP) and a strikeout rate of 10.5%; the lowest in the majors.

In his first five spring training innings, Blach recorded seven strikeouts, helped by an improved tightening of his slider. Although strikeout levels are typically higher in the first weeks of spring as hitters work on their timing, Blach’s 12.60 SO/9 with no earned runs and no walks is an encouraging sign for the 27-year-old left-hander.

Black gets a boost if you play in a league which values starting pitchers with RP-eligibility.

Three players with varying fantasy interest are off to hot starts with three homers in eight or fewer at-bats. Jason Kipnis was subject of trade speculation and knows the Indians can shift Jose Ramirez over to second base if he doesn’t hit, so it is good to see him flashing the power. Surprisingly, Ian Happ is not on the Cubs’ projected starting lineup but is 2B/OF-eligibility and power/speed combo will get him regular at-bats.

For deeper leagues, Kyle Jensen is a non-roster invitee at Giants camp and is 4-for-7 with eight runs, five walks and has gone deep three times.

Next: Wait on outfield to win your league

While Opening Day is still weeks away, it’s important to see which players are struggling or dominating in the early days of spring training. Things can change on a dime between then and now. These next few weeks are important to your draft strategy.