Braves, Phillies and more NL spring training overreactions we’re already making

At long last, baseball is back, meaning instead of overreacting to offseason moves, MLB fans can overreact to the on-field product. This isn't to say Spring Training is meaningless, but Spring Training in late February is as meaningless as it gets. What happens in games this time of year means mostly nothing, no matter how good or bad it is.

This fact is not going to stop fans from overreacting, though. With that in mind, here are some of the biggest overreactions fans of NL teams are likely making just one weekend into games.

Drake Baldwin’s rookie year was no fluke

I'd stop short of calling the 2025 Atlanta Braves season a complete disaster, mostly because of how outstanding Drake Baldwin was. He only made the team out of spring because of a Sean Murphy injury, but he never let go of his spot. He was so good, in fact, that he won the NL's Rookie of the Year Award. Those who might've been concerned that his first season was a fluke ought to think again,, based on how he looked in his first Spring Training game on Sunday.

Baldwin got a hanging curveball from Minnesota Twins pitcher Taj Bradley and made no mistake, depositing it well over the wall in right-center field. He even tacked on a 102.6 mph single in his first at-bat of the game for good measure. There are tons of questions about the state of the Braves' pitching staff, but Baldwin continues to prove he's legit.

Justin Crawford might hit enough after all

Philadelphia Phillies fans (and even some players) are not happy at all after Dave Dombrowski elected to essentially run it back after yet another early postseason exit, but Dombrowski's counter to that claim is that Justin Crawford is expected to receive a bulk of the playing time in center field. Pessimists scoffed at that idea, based on the fact that Crawford, long one of the team's top prospects struggled to hit the ball in the air much in the Minors. If Philly's first Spring Training game was any indication, though, Crawford might very well hit the ball in the air enough to thrive in the bigs after all.

In his first at-bat of the spring, Crawford nearly went yard against a very capable left-hander in Eric Lauer. The exit velocity on that swing was 104 mph, and the ball traveled 390 feet to the wall. The 22-year-old even chipped in a single later in the game and made a brilliant sliding catch as well. Who knows what the rest of spring holds, but if Crawford strings together several games like this one, he'll be on the Opening Day roster — and be an impactful player for the Phillies in 2026.

A change of scenery could revitalize Nolan Arenado

Nolan Arenado has spent the last couple of seasons not only on losing teams, but on the trade block. The St. Louis Cardinals didn't hide the fact that they were desperate to move him for anything they could. I get that Arenado is getting older and that his best days are almost certainly behind him, but who would thrive in the kind of situation he was in? Playing on a losing team that wants nothing to do with you is not easy. Now, in a new spot, Arenado's Arizona Diamondbacks career is off to a flying start.

Arenado drilled a home run against another one of his former teams, the Colorado Rockies, in his first at-bat with his new club. He didn't get another hit in that game, but he did make hard contact in his other at-bat, which resulted in a flyout. The Diamondbacks' lineup should be quite potent once again in 2025. A revitalized Arenado would only make it better.

Matthew Liberatore is the pitching building block the Cardinals needed

The St. Louis Cardinals tore down much of their roster this offseason, notably their best player, Brendan Donovan, and the ace of their rotation in Sonny Gray. Donovan's replacement is easy to identify with top prospect JJ Wetherholt knocking on the door of being big-league ready, but who is going to step up and lead this pitching staff? Matthew Liberatore might be the answer to that question.

Liberatore took the ball for the Cardinals' spring opener and pitched extremely well, throwing two scoreless innings and striking out four batters. Liberatore had a solid first full MLB season in 2025, posting a 4.21 ERA in 29 starts and 151.2 innings of work, but he only struck out 18.8 percent of the batters he faced. He struck out 50 percent of the batters he faced in this outing.

One two-inning start against a lineup that didn't even include guys like James Wood and CJ Abrams obviously doesn't mean much in the grand scheme of things, but Liberatore did show signs that suggest he might be ready to take a step forward. If that's the case, Cardinals fans should be excited for what's to come.

James Wood, CJ Abrams have company

Like the Cardinals, the Washington Nationals are a team in full-on rebuild mode. In the eyes of many, their team consists of James Wood, CJ Abrams, and a whole bunch of non-factors. Based on how the beginning of their spring has gone, though, that isn't exactly the case.

Harry Ford, their possible catcher of the future, has gone 2-for-5 with a walk. Brady House, their projected Opening Day third baseman, has gone 2-for-4 with a pair of home runs. Robert Hassell III has an extra-base hit. Heck, even guys like Orelvis Martinez, Trey Lipscomb and Andres Chapparo, who are fighting for roster spots, have looked good offensively.

These strong performances have led the way in the team's early 3-0 start. Not only is Washington undefeated in three tries, but the Nats have outscored the opposition by a combined 24-5 in those games. 2026 figures to be a rough year for Nationals fans, but there's some hope. They might have more talent around Wood and Abrams than we thought, and that's exciting.

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