Spring training stats usually don’t really matter because in spring training, some players try to prove their skills to play in the big league and for some players, spring training just allows them to prepare for the new season. However, there are several players who had a bad spring. The 2021 season has begun. Do they do well in the first week of the regular season?
Three-time All-Star Matt Carpenter had a rough spring training, he played 17 games and had only 2 hits in 37 at bats. His batting average was only .054. Last season, Matt Carpenter only batted .186/.325/.314 and he’s looking to bounce back in 2021. Nonetheless, Carpenter is currently looking for his first hit of the season.
Jeff McNeil made his MLB debut in July 2018. In the last three seasons, he batted .319/.383/.501. In particular, he was an All-Star in 2019. But, in the 2021 spring training, McNeil was hitting only .109/.255/.239 with 3 doubles and 1 home run. McNeil’s first hit in the 2021 season was a clutch home run to help the Mets even the game in the bottom of the 9th inning.
Jurickson Profar had a good season in 2020. He slashed .278/.343/.428 and he had 7 home runs last year. Nevertheless, Profar only had 5 hits in spring training and all hits were singles. However, Profar let us know that spring training numbers don’t matter. He’s off to a good start in 2021, currently batting .294/.364/.412.
Eddie Rosario played 6 seasons in Minnesota. In these 6 years, Rosario batted .277/.310/478 with 119 home runs and 388 RBI. Last season, Rosario slashed .257/.316/.476 with 13 home runs. He was non-tendered by the Twins and signed a one-year deal with the Indians. In spring training, Rosario’s OPS was only .374 and he had 8 hits, but Rosario didn’t hit a home run. However, Rosario has been fine so far, posting an OPS of .788 with 1 home run.
Jose De Leon made 5 relief appearances last season, posting an 18.00 ERA and a 2.83 WHIP. His performance was shaky and he’s looking to do a better job this season. In spring training, De Leon made 4 starts and 1 relief appearance, posting an 8.64 ERA and a 1.62 WHIP. He just made his first start in the 2021 season and De Leon tossed 5 innings with 9 strikeouts while giving up 2 runs.
Caleb Smith was traded to the Diamondbacks last August. Last season, he only tossed 14 innings. In his first spring training with the D-backs, Smith made 6 starts and threw 21 innings. His ERA was over 8 and his WHIP was 1.76, the numbers didn’t look good. Smith already made 1 start and 1 relief appearance, giving up 4 runs (3 earned) in 5 innings.
Jeff Hoffman was a top pitching prospect for the Rockies, but things didn’t go well when he was in Colorado. He was traded to the Reds last November. In his first spring training with the Reds, Hoffman made 5 starts and 1 relief appearance, giving up 17 runs (all earned) in 18 innings. However, in his first start of the season, he threw 5 innings and only allowed one run. He took the win to begin the season.
Triston McKenzie was called up last August and his first season in the big league went well. He threw 42 strikeouts in 33.1 innings and batters only hit .179 against him. Nonetheless, he had some problems in spring training. He gave up 12 walks in 19.1 innings and his WHIP was 1.91. McKenzie already made 1 relief appearance, tossing 3.2 innings with 5 strikeouts and 4 walks.
German Marquez’s WHIP was 1.84 in spring training. However, the Rockies believe that Marquez is their Ace and named him as the opening day starter. Marquez already made two starts so far and in 10 innings pitched, he threw 7 strikeouts and gave up 8 walks.
Casey Mize was the first overall pick in the 2018 draft and he made his MLB debut on August 19, 2020. In 7 starts, he gave up 25 runs (22 earned). In the 2021 spring training, Casey Mize made 5 starts and 1 relief appearance, having a 7.23 ERA and a 1.77 WHIP. In the 2021 season debut, Mize pitched 4 innings and gave up 1 run.
Reading spring training data is very interesting. We can see that some players have a very bad spring, but play very well during the regular season. Meanwhile, some players couldn’t adjust well and they still underperform during the regular season. Matt Carpenter didn’t hit well in spring training and had limited opportunities so far. However, at this moment, the Reds pitchers Jose De Leon and Jeff Hoffman show us that spring training numbers don’t matter and when it’s regular season, they are ready.
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