Update: MLB Spring Training Stats Leaders: March 27th | 20th | 13th | 10th
It may be March but there is baseball being played and stats to be analyzed. Spring training is a great way to get to know your favorite team’s newest acquisitions and up-and-coming prospects. It’s also a great way to do some scouting for your fantasy baseball season. Let’s take a look at some old faces and some new that are lighting it up in the early goings.
Among some of this year’s top performers in spring training are a re-surging Ryan Howard, journeyman Ryan Raburn, and a handful of prospects vying for positions on teams with rosters that are not set in stone.
Hitters:
Ryan Howard (PHI): 10/27, .370 BA, 1.215 OPS, 3 HR, 10 RBI
Howard is looking to come back from a tough injury shortened season in which he batted just .219 (.271 career hitter) and saw his AB/HR skyrocket to 18.6 (13.5 over his career). Leading the league with 10 RBI in the early going of spring training is a good way to get back on track.
Ryan Raburn (CLE): 9/21, .500 BA, 1.738 OPS, 4 HR, 9 RBI
After showing signs of promise for a few years, Raburn played just 66 games last season and batted .171. He will get the chance to start anew with the Indians after signing as a free agent and is off to a great start as he attempts to reestablish himself as a Major League-worthy player. After a strong spring for the Tigers in ’12, Raburn crashed to Earth when the regular season reared its ugly head.
Nolan Arenado (COL): 7/17, .412 BA, 1.647 OPS, 4 HR, 8 RBI, 2 2B
Arenado is a great looking third baseman and one of the top prospects in the country in each of the last four seasons. His best showing came in 2011 when he hit .298 with 20 HR and 122 RBI in the minors. He could see his first Major League action this season.
Steve Pearce (BAL): 6/11, .545 BA, 2.038 OPS, 3 HR, 9 RBI
Pearce split last season between the Astros, Yankees, and Orioles but seems to have settled with Baltimore. He is a bench player and has only had 11 at-bats this spring but has still managed to hit three homers and drive in nine to make the most of his few opportunities.
Jedd Gyorko (SD): 6/25, .240 BA, .976 OPS, 3 HR, 9 RBI, 2 2B
Gyorko is a top 50 prospect entering the season after two monster years in the minors. In 2011 he batted .333 with 25 HR,114 RBI, and 47 2B and followed it up with a .311 BA, 30 HR and 100 RBI in 2012. There is a good chance he sees plenty of Major League action this year as he skyrockets through the minors.
Shane Robinson (STL): 10/18, .556 BA, 1.675 OPS, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 8 R, 3 2B, 1 SB
Robinson played his first season in the majors last year, serving as a backup outfielder but is flashing some serious skill in the early games of spring.
Pitchers:
Jeff Francis (COL): 9 IP, 0.00 ERA, 0.667 WHIP, 5 K, 0 BB
Francis is going to need to pitch like this a lot more  after going 6-7 with a 5.58 ERA and 1.48 WHIP for the Rockies last season.
David Phelps (NYY): 9 IP, 1.00 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 3 K
Phelps is in a battle for the last spot in the Yankees rotation with fellow youngster Ivan Nova and appears to be leading since Nova has only pitched  two innings so far.
Michael Wacha (STL): 7.2 IP, 0.00 ERA, 0.652 WHIP, 11 K, 1 BB
Wacha is a quickly rising top prospect who may be up sooner than later despite only playing 11 games in the minors. He did put up a 0.86 ERA and 0.571 WHIP in those games and is playing similarly in the early days of spring.
Marco Estrada (MIL): 7 IP, 0.00 ERA, 0.571 WHIP, 7 K, 2 BB
Estrada really came into his own in 2012 putting up a 3.64 ERA and 1.14 WHIP in 138 IP last year and is off to a good start to improve on those numbers in 2013.
Homer Bailey (CIN): 3 IP, 0.00 ERA, 0.667 WHIP, 6 K, 1 BB
Although he has pitched just three innings in two starts, he has struck out two-thirds of the batters he’s faced and is looking good after putting up the best season of his career in 2012.
Simon Castro (CWS): 5 IP, 0.00 ERA, 0.60 WHIP, 8 K, 1 BB
Castro is a former top prospect who has spent seven seasons in the minors now. He has a career 4.17 ERA and 1.29 WHIP over that time but did improve considerably last season. Perhaps a good show in spring can open some doors for him.
