In the modern era, large, guaranteed contracts force teams to set most of their roster before Spring Training begins. But there are still some occasions where players wage an old-fashioned battle for a specific role, relying on their Spring Training performance to impress their coaching staff and the front office.
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Here are several positions that will be hotly contested in Florida and Arizona this spring. Please note that I omitted closer competitions, as those battles could fill an entire article on their own.
Position Players
Baltimore Orioles RF: Dylan Beavers vs. Tyler O’Neill
Although Beavers wasn’t dominant in a late-season trial with the Orioles, he did just enough (.775 OPS) to be considered for an Opening Day lineup spot. The 24-year-old has a respectable mix of power and speed, and his premium plate patience is his main calling card. Meanwhile, O’Neill, one of baseball’s most inconsistent and injury-prone players, is coming off a disappointing season in which he logged three injured list stints and hit .199 in 54 games. But O’Neill still has two seasons remaining on a significant contract and is just one year removed from producing 31 homers and an .847 OPS in his lone season with the Red Sox.
Prediction: Money talks, which means that O’Neill will get a second chance to make a first impression with the Orioles. He will receive most of the early-season opportunities, with Beavers either working as a reserve player or returning to Triple-A to receive regular playing time. O’Neill is an excellent late-round dart throw in deep formats.
Tampa Bay Rays LF/RF: Chandler Simpson vs. Jake Fraley vs. Jonny DeLuca vs. Justyn-Henry Malloy vs. Jacob Melton
What a mess. The Rays grabbed Fraley off waivers in November, traded for Melton in December and purchased Malloy from the Tigers in January. Those three will throw their hats into the ring against DeLuca, who has a meager career .648 OPS, and Simpson, who could hit .300 and lead the majors in steals but has no power and is a subpar fielder.
Prediction: Simpson is the only draftable member of this group, and he will be overvalued unless he is working out of the leadoff spot. Melton will be the odd-man out, but by July, he will have returned from Triple-A and will earn more playing time than all the others in the second half. Keep an eye on Malloy in AL-only leagues, as the Rays will value his ability to draw walks.
Pittsburgh Pirates SS: Nick Gonzales vs. Konnor Griffin
The No. 1 prospect in most publications, Griffin is ready to join Paul Skenes as the future of the Pirates. Truthfully, there is no battle here – the Pirates simply need to decide if Griffin is ready to start his clock. His 2025 slash line (.333/.415/.527) says yes. His age (19) says no. Gonzales is merely an innocent bystander who will either play shortstop or work as a utilityman.
Prediction: Normally an extremely cautious organization (see: Bubba Chandler, 2025), the Pirates will get as wild as they can, and promote Griffin in May, a few weeks after he turns 20. I hope I’m wrong, but those who wisely stash this generational prospect will need to wait about six weeks before they reap the rewards.
Detroit Tigers SS: Kevin McGonigle vs. Zach McKinstry
A top-five overall prospect in virtually every publication, McGonigle has a career .922 OPS in the minors but has not reached Triple-A. He could skip that level and replace McKinstry, who is coming off his best season (.771 OPS) but has a lifetime .680 OPS and profiles more as a utility player.
Prediction: The Tigers open the season with McKinstry and give McGonigle one month in Triple-A before calling him up in May. The 21-year-old is worth stashing in most leagues.
New York Mets LF: Carson Benge vs. Tyrone Taylor
Mets fans are excited about Benge, as the 2024 first-round pick has emerged as the organization’s top prospect and is knocking on the door to debut. His main competition is Taylor, who is a capable fielder and has a respectable career .706 OPS. Brett Baty, who has not played the outfield in the majors but was pushed into a utility role over the winter, could also factor into the mix.
Prediction: Mets fans won’t like this one. Unless Benge becomes the biggest story of camp, he will open the season in Triple-A, with Taylor and Baty sharing left field. Benge will be one of the hottest waiver wire options when he debuts in May.
Cincinnati Reds 1B/LF: Sal Stewart vs. JJ Bleday vs. Spencer Steer
The addition of Eugenio Suárez tied up the DH spot, which leaves first base for either Stewart or Steer. If Stewart wins the job, Steer will either work as a utility player or claim left field at the expense of Bleday, who was released by the Athletics after struggling last season.
Prediction: After posting a .905 OPS across Double-A and Triple-A last season, Stewart has nothing left to prove in the minors. He will play first base, as the Reds need his powerful bat in the lineup. Steer and Bleday will share left field, but it won’t be a straight platoon split. Expect both players to earn about 350-400 at-bats, which will keep them on waivers in mixed leagues.
Rotation Battles
Boston Red Sox SP5: Johan Oviedo vs. Connelly Early vs. Payton Tolle
While the additions of Sonny Gray and Ranger Suárez grabbed the headlines, the Red Sox made a smaller trade to improve their rotation depth by adding Oviedo, who logged mixed results (3.57 ERA, 42:23 K:BB ratio) in nine starts after returning from Tommy John surgery. He will compete with Early and Tolle, who each had their moments in late-season auditions. Early fared so well that he was tabbed to start the deciding game of the Wild Card series against the Yankees last season.
Prediction: Oviedo has one minor-league option remaining, and the Red Sox will use it. Early has more upside and will get the final spot for an organization that is intent on challenging the Blue Jays and Yankees. Early is a viable final-round option in deep leagues.
Texas Rangers SP5: Jacob Latz vs. Kumar Rocker
Rocker was supposed to be a star by now. Unfortunately, injuries took a toll on him, and he has a lifetime 5.45 ERA over 17 starts. Latz was solid as a reliever last year and posted a 2.72 ERA over eight starts. Set to turn 30 shortly after Opening Day, he’s the fallback option if Rocker continues to struggle this spring.
Prediction: Rocker will show just enough during Spring Training to push Latz back to the bullpen. That being said, fantasy managers can leave the 26-year-old on waivers unless he thrives in April.
New York Mets SP 3/4/5: Sean Manaea vs. David Peterson vs. Kodei Senga vs. Clay Holmes vs. Jonah Tong
With five contenders for three rotation spots, the Mets are the envy of most teams. Manaea is coming off a dreadful season (5.64 ERA) but was excellent the previous year (3.47 ERA). Over 622.2 career innings, Peterson has used a heavy groundball lean to limit the damage (4.12 ERA) of allowing too many baserunners (1.37 WHIP). Holmes’ skill set mirrors that of Peterson, and his first season as a starter went well (3.53 ERA, 1.30 WHIP). Senga was effective overall last year (3.02 ERA) but fared so poorly in his final eight starts (6.56 ERA, 1.71 WHIP) that he spent September in the minors. One of baseball’s best pitching prospects, Tong had mixed results during five major league starts last season.
Prediction: The only member of this battle who still has options, Tong has no chance of making the rotation. He will return to the minors, and if everyone is healthy, the Mets will open 2026 with a six-man rotation. These things have a way of working themselves out, and the guess here is that one of the four 30-somethings will open the season on the IL.
Baltimore Orioles SP 4/5: Shane Baz vs. Zach Eflin vs. Dean Kremer
By signing Chris Bassitt, the Orioles created a logjam at the back of their rotation. Every pitcher in this battle has warts. Baz had a 4.87 ERA last season and is the only contender who has minor league options. Eflin made just 14 starts in 2025, making him the biggest injury risk of the group, but he didn’t get $10 million from the Orioles to work out of the bullpen. Kremer has the least upside but has made more than 20 starts while logging an ERA under 4.20 in each of the past four seasons. Tyler Wells is a dark horse in this race. The 31-year-old could make a case that he’s the best pitcher of the bunch (career 3.98 ERA, 1.03 WHIP), but he has options remaining, was limited by injury to seven starts over 2024-25 and has the smallest contract of the group.
Prediction: The Orioles paid too much for Baz to put him in the minors. If everyone is healthy at the end of Spring Training, Kremer will have to open the season as a bulk reliever. A six-man rotation is also on the table in Baltimore.
St. Louis Cardinals SP5: Kyle Leahy vs. Hunter Dobbins vs. Richard Fitts
One could argue that the three pitchers who will battle for the final rotation spot are more interesting than the four who already have their roles. Leahy will get his opportunity after thriving (3.07 ERA, 80:28 K:BB ratio) as a multi-inning reliever last year. He will compete against two hurlers who came from Boston in offseason trades. Both Dobbins and Fitts have shown glimpses of ability over roughly 60 career innings.
Prediction: Leahy will get his chance, with Dobbins and Fitts opening the season in Triple-A. None of these three pitchers is worth drafting, but they can all be monitored early in the season.
