Spring Training started out pretty cold in Arizona. Quite literally. But Arizona doesn’t stay that way for long, and the action on the diamond will help to warm things up. With Opening Day three weeks away and the World Baseball Classic in full gear, let’s check out the MLB news from the Cactus League. We also have all you need to know about the WBC and how to make a bet online there.
Kelenic Keeps Cranking
We highlighted Jarred Kelenic last week in our Cactus League update and let’s give him some love again. The 23-year-old has had two brutal stints in the majors, hitting .181 in 93 games in 2021 and .141 in 54 games last year. But he has power and is flashing it early on in Arizona with a league-best four round-trippers.
Kelenic launched that league-leading fourth dinger Sunday against Milwaukee and then notched his first walk (always notable for a guy with high strikeout totals) and stole his first base Wednesday night against the Dodgers.
The former first-round pick has plenty to prove for an intriguing Mariners squad that is -170 to make the postseason on the MLB playoff odds sheet.
Jarred Kelenic goes OVER the batter’s eye!
SHEESH! pic.twitter.com/NlYwyx9slE
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) March 5, 2023
Corbin Carroll Speed Electrifies Arizona Camp
If you haven’t seen Corbin Carroll run, then take a look at this. But don’t blink. This man goes home to third like his life depends upon it, and it’s a sight to behold. It’s also part of what makes him the favorite to win the NL Rookie of the Year.
Carroll’s early start at the plate for the Diamondbacks is encouraging. He has one stolen base, but that’s not what matters. What does matter is the fact that he has seven walks — one shy of the Cactus League lead – against just three strikeouts while hitting .333 with two doubles and a triple.
The 165-pounder had eight walks and 31 strikeouts in his cup of coffee with Arizona last year. As he gets more seasoned at the plate and finds ways to get one base, he’ll wreak havoc. Especially with the rule changes that should benefit baserunners.
Christian Encarnacion-Strand
While Carroll is a virtual lock to start for Arizona, there’s a guy in Cincinnati who is absolutely tearing it up as he fights for an Opening Day roster spot. Christian Encarnacion-Strand, who is ranked as the seventh prospect in the system, is forcing the front office to think about ways to get him aboard when the team goes north.
An Oklahoma State product who has hit .317 with power in two minor-league seasons, Encarnacion-Strand entered Thursday tied with St. Louis’ Jordan Walker for the Spring Training lead with 12 hits. Three of Encarnacion-Strand’s have left the yard (all in March) and his 10 RBIs are three more than any player in all of baseball this spring.
A third baseman by trade, Encarnacion-Strand can play first and has been there for much of the spring. He could just be the eventual replacement for Joey Votto, who has been sidelined in Arizona anyway. If Votta opens the season on the injured list, it’s time for the rookie to show what he can do and prove he has staying power.
If you’re looking for a longshot MLB bet try to find a board that has this guy on its Rookie of the Year list.
deGrom in deGroove
When Jacob deGrom had some tightness in his side upon arrival at Texas Rangers camp, there were plenty of groans. The oft-injured but dynamic righty just can’t seem to get right physically the past couple of years and many of those making MLB predictions suggested that this was just the next chapter in that saga.
Alas, deGrom seems to be back on schedule after slowly ramping back up. He threw a 35-pitch simulated outing (two innings) against a mix of hitters on Wednesday in Surprise, AZ. The two-time Cy Young Award winner was regularly around 99 mph on the gun and is confident that the session has him targeting Opening Day.
“I feel really good”, deGrom said. “It’s a big step facing hitters. I did a lot of bullpen [sessions] before I got here, so taking the four days off didn’t seem like it was a big deal. And then today to get two ups and feel really good out there, and now afterwards, so I think the plan is to see how everything recovers this week and go from there”.
Jacob deGrom throwing live BP to Sandy Leon pic.twitter.com/5QYlbXIjEz
— Jared Sandler (@JaredSandler) March 8, 2023
So Long, Fellas
Nobody making MLB picks cares about this next item, but it’s worth noting the retirements of two guys who spent loads of time in Cactus League camps over the years. Lorenzo Cain, who won a World Series with the Royals in 2015, first announced he was hanging up his cleats. Then came word that Mitch Moreland, a 2018 World Series winner with the Red Sox, would be ending his playing career.
Cain came up in the Brewers and Royals systems and then played exclusively for those two teams in the majors, so all of his 17 minor league camps took place in Arizona. Moreland was a Cactus Leaguer with Texas for a decade (including his time in the minors). He’s actually been helping out in Red Sox camp this spring in Florida.
Quality ballplayers who gave fans in Arizona plenty to cheer about over the years. Cheers!
