Spring bats to follow, 2025

Let's continue our look at the most intriguing players to keep on your radar this spring.

Here are several overlooked bats in each league that showed intriguing skill flashes in 2024 with a focus on those who could be available in deep leagues.
 

AMERICAN LEAGUE

Ryan Bliss (2B, SEA) has shown steady speed and bursts of pop in the minors, and he'll have a shot to break camp as SEA's starting 2B. In a small data sample with the Mariners last season, Bliss hit the ball fairly hard on average (88.5 mph EV), and his excellent 21.0% Chase Rate supported his high-contact ability. A hot spring, and his 703 ADP will be sure to improve.

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Niko Kavadas (DH, LAA) will qualify only at DH in most leagues to start the season, which has eliminated any interest in him in many early drafts (751 ADP). Still, Kavadas showed some excellent batted ball quality in a small sample size during 2024 (91.7 mph EV, 27.3 LA, 11.5% Brl%). Those components make him primed to deliver power. There are big holes in his swing, which makes him risky. But his passable 11.1% SwK% in the minors last season suggests hope is not lost there.

Wyatt Langford (LF/DH, TEX) had a big second half in 2024 (.246 BA, 11 HR, 36 RBI, 12 SB in 308 PA). He also showed gains in underlying power (107 to 124 xPX) and pitch recognition (8% to 10% bb%). Nearly all of his power for the season came against lefties, so watch him in the spring to see if he's made any adjustment vs. RHers.

Tyler Locklear (1B, SEA) is an undervalued power prospect who will receive a shot to win a starting job this spring. He's got impactful raw power but struggled to make contact in a tiny MLB sample in 2024 (41% K% in 49 PA). Nevertheless, Locklear had a steady sub-25% K% in the high-minors. He's an excellent profit play at his 730 ADP.

Jhonkensy Noel (RF, CLE) had a big showing at Triple-A in 2024 (.295 BA, 18 HR, 41 RBI, 21% K% in 284 PA). His power and production potential were evident in the majors, but they were held back by some huge holes in his swing (64% ct% in 198 PA). Watch him this spring to see if he has closed them down.

Matt Wallner (RF/DH, MIN) is another pre-peak bat with 30+ HR upside. After carrying the same promise in 2024, he struggled out of the gates. Getting to it will require him to maintain a 60%+ ct% at minimum, which he was able to do in both August and September. His premium batted ball quality gives him a really high ceiling with the bat if he can make contact at even a marginal level.
 

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Luisangel Acuña (SS, NYM) paired both contact (85% ct%) and hard-hit balls (91.0 mph EV) during his MLB debut in September. He also demonstrated his SB potential (95th percentile Statcast Sprint Speed). He's got some breakout appeal if he can show in the spring that these flashes weren't flukes.

Miguel Amaya (C, CHC) is another emerging bat who finished the 2024 season on a high note. His raw power emerged (.459 Slg, 129 xPX in 2H), and the high-contact approach he flashed in the minors returned (86% ct%). He also shaved 12 points from his groundball rate after July 1. In aggregate, he showed some weird reverse lefty-righty splits, as he managed only a .256 Slg vL. That's why the Cubs signed Carson Kelly, but if Amaya can build on his late gains, he should get plenty of at-bats. Cheap (447 ADP) breakout catcher targets don't get much better than Amaya.

Alec Burleson (DH/RF, STL) looked like an impact, multi-category bat at times in 2024. He was really good against RHers (.292 BA, 18 HR, .804 OPS, 85% ct% in 453 PA). While he made good contact against southpaws (87% ct%), most of it was of the soft variety (.196 BA, .286 Slg vL). At age 26, there's another uptick coming if he can make even marginal gains against lefty arms.

Nolan Jones (LF, COL; pictured) is coming off an injury-married 2024 campaign just as he looked on the verge of cashing in on his 30-HR, 30-SB upside. Back injuries are tricky, but a healthy Jones has significant profit potential at his early market price (249 ADP).

Noelvi Marte (3B, CIN) had a miserable 2024 campaign. It started with a PED suspension, and when he did get back, he did not resemble his former top prospect self. Still, Marte tapped into his power upside over the winter, and his profile suggests he can produce across multiple areas and make contact at a high rate. He'll be a premium post-hype play if he gets himself back on track in spring training.

Thomas Saggese (2B, STL) is another young middle infielder who has legit hope of earning early playing time with a big spring. His bat delivered solid results at Triple-A in 2024 (20 HR, 75 RBI, 9 SB in 528 PA), and he has displayed a steady strikeout rate in the low-20% range at nearly every stop in the minors.  

Jordan Walker (RF, STL) struggled to incorporate the tweaks in his swing that the Cardinals wanted him to make in 2024. Early reports suggest he has gone back to his old swing, which focuses on hard contact more than loft. Watch him in the spring to see if he his adjustments resurrect his prospect profile.

James Wood (LF, WAS) displayed most of his power in 2024 against RHers (.483 Slg vR) and showed good pitch recognition against them (14% bb% vR), but he struggled to make steady contact (60% ct% vR). The opposite was the case against southpaws (77% ct%, .339 Slg vL). Ironing out these wide splits would help Wood take a big step forward in 2025.

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