As Spring Training 2024 comes to a close, baseball fans are gearing up for the start of the regular season on March 28. The last day of Spring Training saw exciting matchups, with the St. Louis Cardinals facing off against the Chicago Cubs at Sloan Park. Over the course of 31 days, the writer attended 43 games featuring players from 15 Cactus League teams as well as the Florida-based Cardinals.
Several standout players caught the writer’s attention during Spring Training. Seiya Suzuki, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Shohei Ohtani, Julio Rodriguez, and Christian Encarnación-Strand all made favorable impressions with their performances. Suzuki, in particular, showcased his talent by hitting .459 with six homers and 12 RBI in 15 games. His solid performance hints at a successful season ahead with the Chicago Cubs.
Other notable players, such as Betts and Freeman, also turned heads with their strong performances during Spring Training. Despite a potential betting scandal surrounding Ohtani, the trio made a formidable combination on the field. Young prospects like Rodriguez and Encarnación-Strand also showed promise, hinting at a bright future for their respective teams in the upcoming season.
In the pitching department, players like Shane Bieber, Garrett Crochet, Jhony Brito, and Jordan Wicks impressed with their skills. Bieber, in particular, silenced doubts about his future by delivering a strong performance this spring, while Crochet and Brito earned spots in their teams’ rotations. Wicks, a first-round pick in 2021, secured a spot in the Cubs’ rotation with his impressive pitching display.
Despite the many standout performances, there were some disappointments during Spring Training. Established players like Dansby Swanson and Kris Bryant failed to meet expectations, with Bryant struggling to regain his form after a series of injuries. Swanson, on the other hand, showed signs of a slump despite being in his prime, raising concerns among fans about his future performance.
Among the younger prospects, players like Evan Carter, Jackson Merrill, Wyatt Langford, and Lawrence Butler showed promise during Spring Training. These up-and-coming players, along with others mentioned by the writer, are expected to make a significant impact in the minor leagues and potentially make their mark in the major leagues in the near future. With a wave of talented prospects on the horizon, baseball fans have much to look forward to in the upcoming season.
