Spring Training Recap: February 23, 2025

Saturday gave us a full slate of Spring Training games and it feels like baseball is officially back! Everyday we will feature the Spring Training recap, breaking down everything you need to know that happened on the field.

Spring Training brings a lot of noise, but what is legit and what isn’t? This article should help you out everyday with what the important takeaways are.

February 22 Spring Training Recap

Clay Holmes, RHP, New York Mets

Holmes threw a perfect three innings in his Mets debut, striking out three batters. He debuted his new kick-changeup while also showing a new cutter. The arsenal looks quite deep now, as Holmes threw a four-seam, sinker, cutter, slider, sweeper, and the kick-change.

The sinker sat 95 mph, but from the few four-seams Holmes threw, they averaged closer to 97 mph with 17 inches of IVB. The cutter sat 92 mph with a solid movement profile, and the changeup was around 89 mph with 15 inches of fading action.

I don’t want to overreact, but Holmes arsenal looks like high-end starting pitcher stuff.

Triston McKenzie, RHP, Cleveland Guardians

Jumps in velocity are sometimes to be taken with a grain of salt, especially in small spring samples. But with someone like McKenzie, seeing his velocity up early is important.

On 17 fastballs, McKenzie averaged 94 mph and topped at 95.4 mph. That is a mark he has hit just twice in the last two years. In 2020, McKenzie averaged 92.8 mph on his fastball, which is the highest mark of his career.

Keep an eye on McKenzie this spring. Seeing the velocity and an average of 20 inches of IVB is worth talking about.

Landen Roupp, RHP, San Francisco Giants

Roupp didn’t generate much talk from his performance, but it was a good one. Two scoreless innings with one walk and three strikeouts don’t jump off the page, but Roupp’s arsenal is what caught my eye.

The sinker averaged 19 inches of horizontal movement while sitting near 95 mph. The curveball averaged 3000 rpm of spin with 18 inches of sweep and -8 inches of IVB. Roupp’s changeup sat in the 88-89 mph range with good depth and 16 inches of fading action.

Roupp is a name to keep an eye on for the Giants rotation.

Jack Leiter, RHP, Texas Rangers

Leiter tossed two scoreless innings, allowing two hits and walk, while striking out one batter. What is notable about Leiter is he debuted a new sinker, which sat 98 mph while his four-seam averaged 98.8 mph.

While the sinker lacked depth and averaged 14 inches of IVB, while his four-seam was around 18 inches, the sinker had twice the horizontal movement, averaging 15 inches of arm-side run. While the four-seam and slider are both very strong offerings, the sinker gives him a solid out-pitch.

While some have given up on Leiter, this could be a solid addition to his arsenal and pay dividends.

Zebby Matthews, RHP, Minnesota Twins

Matthews saw a huge tick-up in velocity in his start on Saturday and while it was a small sample, it was eye-opening. After topping at 97.1 mph last season, Matthews hit 97 seven times in his two scoreless innings of work.

The entire arsenal of pitches saw at least a one mph increase of velocity, while the fastball average velocity was up 1.7 mph. The slider shape changed a bit and was now more of a gyro offering and his curveball had more depth to it.

Keep an eye on the velocity and pitch shapes as spring progresses.

Miguel Ullola, RHP, Houston Astros

We got the full Miguel Ullola experience on Saturday, as he struck out two batters, but also walked two in an inning of work. The fastball averaged 21 inches of IVB from a 5’8” release height and had a -4.1 VAA. The issue was that Ullola landed just 56 percent of pitches for strikes.

The slider/cutter sat around 87 mph with carry and seven inches of sweep.

Right now, the biggest question is control, though it has improved. Ullola threw strikes at a 62 percent clip in 2024, which is below average but still solid. He misses bats at respectable clips, striking out 171 batters, suitable for a mark north of 30 percent. The walk rate of 14 percent was a major issue, though.

Bryce Eldridge, 1B, San Francisco Giants

110.4 mph off the bat and 450 feet. Yep, this should not surprise you if you know anything about Eldridge. The guy can mash. He is also only 20 years old and will be all season.

Few prospects had the meteoric rise that Eldridge made in 2024. The talent level has been long known since he was selected 16th overall in the 2023 MLB Draft. Selected as a two-way prospect, Eldridge gave up pitching immediately and then shifted from outfield solely to first base in 2024.

Moving from Single-A to Triple-A by season's end, Eldridge even went to the Arizona Fall League, where he dominated for ten more games. Between all stops, he mashed 23 home runs and added 27 doubles and two triples. The slash of .292/.374/.516 stands out for a 19-year-old, and Eldridge only made improvements all year.

Spencer Jones, OF, New York Yankees

Jones did not swing and miss at any of the 13 pitches he saw, which is a huge positive and he hit a 104.5 mph home run.

The power comes easy, as you might expect from a size frame, but the long limbs create some swing and miss. The 94 mph average exit velocity puts him among the best hitters in the minors in terms of exit velocity alone. His 90th percentile exit velocity is also incredibly high, just shy of 108 mph, while topping out at 114 mph. Surprisingly, he managed just 17 home runs but added 30 doubles and six triples in 2024.

Jones’s contact rates are the issue. He struck out 37 percent of the time and struck out 200 times. His overall contact rate of 59 percent and in-zone contact rate of 67 percent are major issues. The good news is there are respectable chase rates, sitting better than average at 28 percent.

Can Jones make more contact in 2025? If he does, the upside is there.

Orelvis Martinez, 2B/3B, Toronto Blue Jays

In the back of your mind, you probably have questioned what Martinez would look like after getting suspended for PEDs last year. If you thought the power would go away, think again. Martinez scorched two balls on Saturday with exit velocities of 105.6 and 109 mph. The 105.6 mph shot was a home run that traveled 390 feet.

The power comes easily from a strong frame, a big leg kick, and explosive hands through the zone. Martinez posted a 90th percentile exit velocity of 107.4 mph, putting the power plus or better. He topped out north of 115 mph in 2024.

There is effortless 30-home run power in Martinez’s profile, and the hit tool improvements are marginal but helpful. He profiles as an everyday second or third baseman if he hits enough. The power will play.

Zac Veen, OF, Colorado Rockies

Veen grabbed the highlights for his insane bat flip that came out of his hand like a rocket. The home run left the bat at 107.7 with a launch angle of 30 degrees and just soared.

Veen looked like he was putting things together early in 2024, getting off to a strong start. Multiple injuries caused him month-long stints, and Veen accumulated just 270 plate appearances this year. Ending the year in Triple-A, Veen hit 11 home runs for the season with a .258/.346/.459 slash. He struck out in 25 percent of those plate appearances.

2025 will be a major “prove-it” year for Veen. Right now, he looks like a 15 home-run bat who can steal you 25 bases regularly. In Coors Field, that will play. Is there upside for more? It is highly possible.

Colson Montgomery, SS, Chicago White Sox

Montgomery smoked a home run to dead centerfield and off a lefty nonetheless. It was a great way to begin the spring for Montgomery, who is vying for a spot in the White Sox lineup in 2025.

Montgomery had a down year in 2024. There is no nice way to put it. Playing in a hitter's haven in Triple-A Charlotte, Montgomery has slashed just .214/.329/.381 with 18 home runs and 42 extra-base hits. A hand injury played a part and Montgomery rebounded in the Arizona Fall League upon getting healthy. It looks to be carrying over into 2025.

Zyhir Hope, OF, Los Angeles Dodgers

Hope blasted his first spring training home run, which left the bat at 104 mph and a 32-degree exit velocity. He did show some whiffs on fastball, missing on two of his three swings, but what is important to watch is breaking ball contact.

Hope missed time during the 2024 regular season due to a shoulder injury, but it did not affect him upon his return. In Single-A this year, the 2023 11th-rounder slashed .287/.415/.490 with nine home runs, 14 doubles, and eight stolen bases. The performance is impressive, but the underlying data stands out the most.

Ben Cowles, 3B, Chicago Cubs

Cowles homered and had a double in Saturday’s action. The home run was smoked over halfway up the berm in left field of Sloan Park.

After spending most of 2024 with the Yankees Double-A affiliates, Cowles received just 17 plate appearances in the Cubs org due to injuries. In 395 plate appearances, Cowles slashed .286/.372/.457 with nine home runs and 37 extra-base hits.

Lacking a true standout tool, Cowles does put a ton of balls in play and gets the ball in the air often, having an air rate north of 65 percent. The home runs come to the pull side.

Tyler Gentry, OF, Kansas City Royals

Just two singles of the day for Gentry, but he smoked one of them 107 mph off the bat. Now, 26-year-old Gentry has just five MLB plate appearances, which is an afterthought for some. But Gentry has entered camp with a chip on his shoulder to prove he deserves a spot in the Royals outfield.

The 2024 season saw him post a .251/.338/.422 slash with 16 home runs, 24 doubles, and eight stolen bases.

Nelson Rada, OF, Los Angeles Angels

Rada entered the game and took over in centerfield for Jo Adell and hit. He collected two hits, including a line drive to left and a bunt single. He also had a long flyout that scored a run.

The Angels signed a young outfielder named Nelson Rada for $1.85 million during the 2022 international signing period. The organization has been highly aggressive with him his entire career, placing him in Single-A at 17 in 2023 and then pushing him to Double-A for the 2024 season.

Rada will spend the entire season as a 19 year old in 2025 and the hope is he can take a step forward this year.