Fantasy Baseball Spring Storylines: March 4 (Wright, Pence, and More)

With Spring Training games in full swing out in Arizona, there are plenty of storylines worth noting and position battles brewing.  Let’s take a look at what’s going on:

1. Sure, it came against a 27-year-old pitcher who has toiled in the Minor Leagues since 2003 (and at Triple-A since 2006) in Evan MacLane, but fantasy owners still have to like seeing David Wright open his spring with a home run.  He went 1-2 with 1 HR, 2 RBI, 2 R, and 1 SB.  Take it with a grain of salt, but it certainly is nice to see.
2. Hunter Pence opened his Spring going 3-3 with 2 HR, 4 RBI, and 2 R (his other hit was a double).  He’ll turn 27 in April.  Could this be the year he puts everything together?
3. Rickie Weeks led off for the Brewers, going 2-2 with 2 RBI, 1 SB, and 1 walk.  Could this be the year?  I’m not holding my breath, but if he stays healthy, you never know.
4. Kyle Drabek got hit hard, giving up 2 runs on 3 hits and 2 walks, striking out 3, over 2 innings of work.  The strikeouts are nice, but the other numbers are not.  He’s got the potential to crack the Blue Jays rotation at some point in 2010, so we’ll have to monitor his performance as the preseason progresses.
5. Pedro Alvarez went 0-4, striking out in his first three plate appearances.  That’s certainly not what anyone wants to see, but rest assured that he should get an opportunity at some point for the Pirates at 3B.  He’s one of the premier prospects in the game and should certainly be on the radar for keeper league owners.
6. Chris Carter didn’t start for the A’s, but he went 1-1 with 1 HR, 1 RBI, and 1 R upon entering the game.  Could he ultimately win the 1B job?  Stay tuned, but it’s going to take a lot more than this to avoid starting the year at Triple-A given the depth of options the team has.
7. Jarrod Saltalamacchia went 2-3 with 1 HR, 3 RBI, and 1 R starting at catcher for the Rangers.  He had surgery on his shoulder in September, so his ability to hold down the job is in question (he did commit a throwing error).  Still, the early word is that he and Taylor Teagarden are going to battle for the starting job, so this is definitely a battle worth watching.  If Saltalamacchia proves he can hit, he’s going to find himself earning plenty of playing time.  Those in 2-catcher formats should definitely be paying attention.

Which of these storylines interests you most?

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