It's always dangerous to make decisions and judgments about a player based on small sample sizes, such as those afforded to us in the Arizona Fall League or one of the Caribbean Winter Leagues.
Some players are simply exhausted by the time they reach offseason play, having played more baseball than they've ever played before during the regular season. Others may be looking to simply continue working on one aspect of their overall game, unconcerned with statistics.
But others are able to either maintain the high level of production they showed during the regular season or, in some cases, raise their games to another level altogether, opening the eyes of team executives and talent evaluators in the process.
While a number of players have done just that this winter, those who follow not only stood out from the field, but look as if they're ready to make an impact in the big leagues.
Lewis Brinson, CF, Texas Rangers
Lewis Brinson's breakout regular season, which saw him hit .332/.403/.601 across three minor league levels, continued in the Arizona Fall League, where he hit .300/.408/.575 with six extra-base hits and five stolen bases in only 11 games before departing for winter ball in Puerto Rico.
"During that time, the No. 65 overall prospect was arguably the best player on the field in terms of his athleticism, tools and overall capacity to impact a game," wrote MLB.com's Mike Rosenbaum.
An elite defender with the kind of power/speed combination that teams dream of, Brinson's continued improvement at the plate—MLB.com's Bernie Pleskoff notes that "the conversation has changed from swings and misses in his game to loud extra-base hits and home runs"—has him on a faster track to the big leagues than anyone anticipated heading into the season.
Blocked in Texas by Delino DeShields Jr. and a crowded outfield, Brinson figures to start the 2016 season back with Double-A Frisco. But it's only a matter of time before the Rangers will have to find a place for him on the roster.
Nick Burdi, RP, Minnesota Twins
Power arms are all the rage in baseball (and have been for a few years), but time and time again, we've seen those pitchers struggle to adjust when the velocity begins to go. The transition from thrower to pitcher is never an easy one to make.
So it's encouraging that 22-year-old Nick Burdi, with an arm that routinely delivers triple-digit fastballs, has begun to make that transition while maintaining his elite velocity, becoming a more effective—and dangerous—pitcher in the process.
Burdi was absolutely filthy in Arizona, allowing a total of three batters to reach base (two hits and a walk) while striking out 11 over eight shutout innings. His midseason decision to pitch from the third base side of the rubber (as mentioned in the above video) continues to pay dividends.
A future closer, Burdi could easily pitch his way into Minnesota's bullpen next spring given the Twins' need for relief help.
Chad Pinder, SS/2B, Oakland Athletics
While he has the arm strength to stick at shortstop, Chad Pinder's range and mechanics in the field—not to mention Oakland's belief in Marcus Semien as its everyday shortstop—figure to push the 23-year-old over to second base.
His bat will play at either position. After hitting .316 with 15 homers and 86 RBI in 117 games for Double-A Midland this year, Pinder collected seven extra-base hits (four home runs) and nine RBI over 13 games for Mesa in Arizona Fall League action.
Currently blocked by Jed Lowrie at the keystone in Oakland, Pinder will start the regular season at Triple-A Nashville. But he'll be one of the first players the A's call upon if and when they need another infielder.
Unless otherwise noted, all statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com and MLB.com.
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