MLB Spring Training 2026: 30 Must-Watch Players – Prospects, Bounce-Backs & Breakouts (Ohio Edition!)

As of mid-February 2026 — spring storylines can shift fast with injuries and roster moves (looking at you, hamate bone wave!).

Spring training is back, and so is baseball’s favorite ritual that doesn’t count: overreacting to everything that happens in March.

Every club has a couple of big names, but there’s usually one player in each camp who really tells you where that franchise is headed. Some are blue-chip prospects trying to kick down the door, others are stars hunting a reset, and a few are “wait, he’s there now?” wild cards who can flip a division race.

Here’s one must-watch player for every MLB team — with extra Ohio love for Kyle Manzardo and Elly De La Cruz.

American League East

Baltimore Orioles – Samuel Basallo, C/1B

With Jackson Holliday out weeks beyond Opening Day after hamate surgery, the focus shifts to 21-year-old Samuel Basallo — a consensus top-10 prospect and near-lock to impact the roster.

What to watch:

• Young but advanced at-bats: walks, deep counts, few ugly chases.

• Real catcher work while mixing in 1B — and power showing in games, not just BP, to lock him in as a middle-order force.

If he handles the spotlight vacuum, Baltimore’s youth movement doesn’t slow down at all.

Boston Red Sox – Triston Casas, 1B

Casas has the swing to be Fenway’s next lefty monster; now it’s about durability and repetition.

What to watch:

• Disciplined at-bats that force pitchers back over the plate.

• Loud contact to left-center rather than living on pulled fly balls.

If he’s locked in from the jump, Boston’s lineup suddenly has a clear identity.

New York Yankees – Jazz Chisholm Jr., INF/OF

With Soto gone to Queens, Jazz becomes the pure X-factor in the Bronx.

What to watch:

• How often he’s at 2B vs. CF/OF — and whether one spot becomes “home.”

• A full, clean camp without the nagging injuries that have stopped his momentum.

If the bat is steady and the defense finds a home, he can be a tone-setting chaos engine for a star-heavy roster.

Tampa Bay Rays – Junior Caminero, 3B/INF

Caminero is a top-5 prospect and the next Rays bat ready to break something.

What to watch:

• Classic Rays test: are his average exit velos and line drives screaming big-league ready?

• How much third base he plays vs. shuffling around the infield.

A loud spring makes it very hard for Tampa Bay to stash him for long.

Toronto Blue Jays – Alek Manoah, RHP

Still one of baseball’s biggest “which version do we get?” questions.

What to watch:

• Fastball velocity and movement at the top of the zone.

• Slider bite and ability to get whiffs, not just foul balls.

If he looks like even 80–90% of his peak form, Toronto’s rotation and Wild Card outlook brighten fast.

American League Central

Cleveland Guardians – Kyle Manzardo, 1B/DH

Cleveland has needed big-boy power behind José Ramírez for years. Manzardo might finally be the answer.

What to watch:

• Air contact: fly balls and liners to right-center, not just pulled grounders.

• Big-league-caliber approach — spoiling tough pitches, refusing pitcher’s pitches.

If he barrels major-league arms in March, the Guardians’ lineup stops feeling so one-dimensional.

Chicago White Sox – Colson Montgomery, SS/3B

Rebuild means opportunity, and Montgomery is at the heart of Chicago’s next phase.

What to watch:

• Calm at-bats vs. better breaking stuff.

• Steady, no-panic defense on the left side.

If he looks like “just another big leaguer” in the best way, he’ll be in the picture soon.

Detroit Tigers – Riley Greene, OF

When Greene is healthy and right, the Tigers look legitimately dangerous.

What to watch:

• Handling velocity up and in — a past trouble spot.

• Easy gap power and smooth actions in the outfield.

A fully online Greene plus Detroit’s arms is why they’re a popular sleeper.

Kansas City Royals – Bobby Witt Jr., SS

Already a star; now a legit MVP threat.

What to watch:

• Zone control: hunting pitches he can drive instead of chasing.

• Extra polish at short on tough plays, not just the routine ones.

If he shows another level this spring, the Royals are real AL Central threats.

Minnesota Twins – Brooks Lee, INF

The Twins’ infield is crowded, but Lee screams “big-league ready.”

What to watch:

• Consistent barrels from both sides.

• Competent defense wherever they put him.

If he looks ready from Day 1, their “good problem to have” gets very real.

American League West

Houston Astros – Hunter Brown, RHP

The next Astros pitching wave has to hit; Brown is step one.

What to watch:

• Attacking the zone with his power arsenal instead of nibbling.

• Quicker innings that keep his pitch count down.

A sharper Brown helps extend Houston’s contention window.

Los Angeles Angels – Zach Neto, SS

The Angels need young, inexpensive everyday players who hit. Neto is the prototype if he keeps developing.

What to watch:

• Less chasing of sliders off the plate.

• Enough extra-base pop to keep pitchers honest.

If he nails down short, the Angels at least lock in one key position for the long haul.

Oakland Athletics – Mason Miller, RHP

One of the filthiest arms in the game — the role is the only question.

What to watch:

• Velocity and command beyond one or two innings.

• Ability to throw strikes without max-effort every pitch.

If he can start without breaking, Oakland has an ace-level talent in-house.

Seattle Mariners – Julio Rodríguez, OF

Julio is the engine; spring is where he sets the RPM.

What to watch:

• All-fields power instead of pure pull-mode.

• Controlled aggression on the bases — impact without recklessness.

If he looks locked in now, the Mariners are right in the AL West title picture.

Texas Rangers – Wyatt Langford, OF

The champs can be patient, but Langford’s bat might not allow it.

What to watch:

• At-bats vs. legit front-line starters.

• Solid, not spectacular, outfield defense.

If he looks like a middle-order bat already, Texas becomes even more ridiculous.

National League East

Atlanta Braves – Spencer Strider, RHP

Healthy Strider = nightmare.

What to watch:

• Fastball sitting where it used to — plus that late hop.

• Slider bite and his willingness to attack in the zone.

If he’s right, Atlanta is once again on the short list of World Series favorites.

Miami Marlins – Eury Pérez, RHP

Eury is a human “watch this” alert.

What to watch:

• Careful build-up of innings and pitch counts.

• Feel for the changeup to keep hitters from sitting dead red.

A smooth ramp-up gives Miami a true ace at 22.

New York Mets – Juan Soto, OF

Fresh off his Yankees stint, Soto now has Citi Field and a new lineup to terrorize.

What to watch:

• Classic Soto OBP profile: walks, deep counts, zero panic.

• Fit in left field and early extension chatter.

If he’s peak Soto from pitch one, the NL East race and MVP race both change.

Philadelphia Phillies – Bryson Stott, 2B

The stars headline; Stott raises the floor.

What to watch:

• Slight bump in slug without losing contact.

• Crisp double plays and dependable defense.

If he levels up, the Phillies’ lineup depth can grind down almost anyone in a series.

Washington Nationals – James Wood, OF

Wood is the headliner of Washington’s next wave.

What to watch:

• Contact vs. premium velocity and spin.

• Calm reads and routes in the outfield.

If he looks even close to ready, the post-Soto era gets a lot more interesting.

National League Central

Cincinnati Reds – Elly De La Cruz, SS/3B

No one in baseball combines volatility and upside like Elly.

What to watch:

• Pitch recognition vs. sliders/changeups, especially late in counts.

• Willingness to take walks when pitchers won’t challenge him.

Even a modest bump in discipline turns him from “must-watch chaos” into a legitimate NL Central wrecking ball — and could push the Reds from “fun” to “favorite.”

Chicago Cubs – Pete Crow-Armstrong, OF

Gold Glove glove, to-be-determined bat.

What to watch:

• Use of the opposite field instead of trying to yank everything.

• Enough contact vs. lefties to avoid strict platoon usage.

If the bat looks steady, his defense turns the outfield into a weapon.

Milwaukee Brewers – Jackson Chourio, OF

Milwaukee has clearly decided Chourio is the guy.

What to watch:

• Swing decisions in hitter’s counts.

• Comfort in center vs. a corner as they map his long-term home.

A confident, patient Chourio adds another headache for the rest of the division.

Pittsburgh Pirates – Paul Skenes, RHP

Every Skenes outing is a show.

What to watch:

• Fastball command more than just raw velo.

• Slider tunneling off the heater to get ugly swings.

If he looks like an ace in short stints, the Pirates’ whole timeline accelerates — with names like Konnor Griffin looming behind him.

St. Louis Cardinals – Nolan Gorman, 2B/3B

The power is very real; the question is how often it shows up.

What to watch:

• Fewer whiffs up in the zone.

• Steady enough defense to keep his bat in there every day.

If the K% ticks down, he becomes a true middle-order bat.

National League West

Arizona Diamondbacks – Corbin Carroll, OF

Carroll is the D-backs’ spark plug — when he’s rolling, they’re terrifying.

What to watch:

• Explosiveness on the bases and in the outfield.

• Opposite-field damage, not just pull-side homers.

With hamate and soft-tissue scares hitting stars around the league, a fully healthy Carroll is a huge story.

Colorado Rockies – Adael Amador, INF

Colorado needs a cornerstone whose game travels.

What to watch:

• Mature, selective at-bats vs. real stuff.

• Smooth defense at both second and short.

If he looks like an everyday guy anywhere, that’s a building block that matters beyond Coors.

Los Angeles Dodgers – Roki Sasaki, RHP

After shoulder issues and late-2025 relief dominance, Sasaki’s move back to the rotation is one of the most-watched arcs in any camp.

What to watch:

• Mechanics holding over longer outings.

• Splitter baffling hitters even with MLB data now in hand.

If Year 2 Sasaki looks even more refined, pairing him with Yamamoto, Glasnow, Snell and Ohtani’s full two-way is downright unfair.

San Diego Padres – Jackson Merrill, SS/OF

Merrill’s versatility is perfect for a retooling roster.

What to watch:

• Comfort bouncing between short and the outfield.

• Line-drive, all-fields contact instead of chasing homers.

If he sticks with the bat and the glove, he’s a big part of San Diego’s next core.

San Francisco Giants – Kyle Harrison, LHP

The Giants need Harrison to become more “every-fifth-day anchor” than “flashes guy.”

What to watch:

• Getting ahead in counts and avoiding 25-pitch innings.

• Repeating his delivery from windup and stretch.

If he looks like a trustworthy rotation piece, San Francisco’s path back to relevance clears up.

Final Thoughts

Spring doesn’t tell you everything — we’ve all seen a March legend vanish by April — but it does show direction.

Prospects like Basallo, Caminero, James Wood, Chourio, and Skenes are camp headliners, while deeper names like Konnor Griffin and Kevin McGonigle could easily crash the party. And with hamate injuries sidelining Holliday, Lindor, Carroll and others early, watch how young bats like Basallo and Wood handle that sudden spotlight.

For Ohio, it’s simple:

• Kyle Manzardo in Goodyear for the Guardians

• Elly De La Cruz in Arizona for the Reds

How they look this spring will go a long way toward telling us whether Cleveland and Cincinnati are just “fun to watch” — or ready to make real noise when the games count.

Your turn: Who’s your must-watch this spring? Drop a comment with your pick — overreactions absolutely welcome.

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