Spring Training Recap: February 27, 2025

Baseball is in full swing, Spring Training at least! Every day, we will feature the Spring Training recap, breaking down everything you need to know that happened on the field. From the top prospects performers to players with pitch mix changes and more, I break it down.

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 26 Spring Training Recap

Will Warren, RHP, New York Yankees

Warren was electric again in his second Spring Training outing, tossing three perfect innings with four strikeouts. While we are looking at a couple of small samples, Warren is now up to five scoreless innings with seven strikeouts this spring.

Leading with his sinker, Warren sat 93.5 and topped at 95 mph. The sweeper was lethal again as Warren registered up to 22 inches of glove-side movement and averaged 3061 rpm of spin.

Warren’s four-seam fastball was actually where he missed his bats, though, generating three whiffs on five swings as he located them very well up in the zone. The mid-80s changeup and his new-look 78 mph curveball looked good as well.

It is a small sample, but I am buying into what Warren is doing this spring. He has long been a strong arm who hit some bumps in the road in 2024. It looks like his offseason work paid off as the early returns are good.

Agustin Ramirez, C, Miami Marlins

Ramirez scorched a ball 115.1 mph for a single on Wednesday, catching the eyes of many. It is a real possibility that Ramirez spends the majority of the season in Miami just given their catcher situation with Nick Fortes and Liam Hicks, who likely is returned as a Rule 5 pick. Sure, the Marlins could opt to keep him in the minors for service time games, but whats the point? Ramirez is 23.5 years old and has ample Minor League experience with good results.

Ramirez was one of the hottest hitting prospects in baseball over the first few months of the 2024 season, mashing home runs in what felt like every other game. The trade deadline rolled around, and we saw Ramirez be moved to Miami as part of the Jazz Chisholm trade. Ramirez settled in nicely to his new Triple-A home in Jacksonville over the final month of the year.

Overall for the 2024 season, Ramirez mashed 25 home runs and had 53 extra-base hits while posting a strong .267/.358/.487 slash line. He struck out in just 18 percent of his plate appearances and posted respectable contact rates of around 75 percent overall and 84 percent in-zone. Ramirez walked at a rate north of 11 percent, chasing just 26 percent of pitches out of the zone.

The power is legitimate, and the exit velocity data backs it. Ramirez posted a 90th percentile exit velocity near 107 mph and hit some impressive home runs. The biggest issue is the swing can get a bit flat at times, leading to far too many ground balls. The air percentage was just 52.5 percent this year, but when Ramirez lifted the ball to the pull-side, it went a long way. Around 44 percent of his pulled batted balls were in the air.

Max Meyer, RHP, Miami Marlins

It is hard to take much away from a 13-pitch outing, but it was what we got from Meyer, and the results were good. Meyer hit 97.7 mph on his fastball, which is the first thing to note, but again in such a small sample it is hard to get overly excited about the velocity increase yet.

The release point was different, and naturally, Meyer saw increased horizontal movement. The slider was sharp and sat in the low-90s and Meyer also threw his new sinker, which registered 17 inches of arm-side run.

Meyer’s new curveball was thrown just once, but at 87 mph with ten inches of sweep and less depth than your typical curve. Meyer should have a rotation spot locked down in Miami, making him an interesting arm to follow in 2025.

Gavin Williams, RHP, Cleveland Guardians

Williams was sharp in his return to the mound, firing two perfect innings with three strikeouts. After a strong rookie season in 2023, injuries limited Williams in 2024 and the results were quite sub-par.

The stuff looked fully back on Wednesday though as Williams averaged 97 mph on his fastball with increased IVB and actually less extension. Williams also completely reworked his slider to now have much more depth and sweep, almost playing like a slurve. It generated three whiffs on five swings.

The curveball was similar to what we had previously seen, and Williams threw just one changeup, which generated a whiff. Year three for Williams might be the charm in Cleveland, especially if he is healthy.

AJ Smith-Shawver, RHP, Atlanta Braves

Smith-Shawver dominated his first spring outing across two innings of work as he struck out three batters and did not issue a walk against the Pirates. His fastball worked 95-96 mph and he showed a beautiful looking changeup and slider.

Another Braves pitching prospect that people want to write off, but remember, he is just 22 years old. Atlanta rushed Smith-Shawver to the bigs in 2022, which seemingly hurt his development path. In 2024, an oblique injury cost him nearly two months between May and June and affected him upon return as well.

Smith-Shawver relies heavily on his four-seam fastball, but for good reason. The pitch sits at 95 mph, but can reach the upper 90s with an average of 18 inches of IVB. Its spin efficiency and low VAA make it an excellent pitch that is easily plus. It missed bats at a good 25 percent rate, and it plays up even more, given his 6’8” extension on the offering.

The changeup was a positive development for Smith-Shawver in 2024. It had the highest whiff rate of any offering at 44 percent, and he used it at a near 25 percent mark, up from six percent in 2023. It sits around 84 mph with 11 inches of fade and six inches of carry. Very low spin rates make it deceptive.

The slider is a wipeout pitch between the mid and upper-80s. It has the potential to be a true strikeout pitch, thanks to the late biting action. The curveball he added in 2023 continued to have success as well, having -14 inches of IVB and 11 inches of sweeping action. The Braves added a sweeper to Smith-Shawver’s repertoire but then had him stop throwing it in August and beyond.

I believe Smith-Shawver could pitch in this Atlanta rotation for most of 2025.

Ryan Bergert, RHP, San Diego Padres

A former sixth-round pick in the 2021 draft out of West Virginia, Bergert has been a consistent performer throughout his time in the Padres org. While his results on paper don’t stand out in 2024, posting a 4.78 ERA with a 1.35 WHIP in 98 innings, Bergert showed some good skills.

While the strikeout rate dipped to a career-low 21 percent, he also walked a career-best 7.9 percent of batters. The FIP of 3.70 showed that he pitched better than the results might have indicated, as Bergert ran a .322 BABIP and a low 61 percent strand rate.

On Wednesday, he pitched a perfect two innings with two strikeouts. The high-riding fastball sat near 95 mph with nearly 18 inches of IVB from a 5’10” release height. Bergert creates a super flat plane and had a -4.1 VAA, which is near elite.

He missed a ton of bats at the top of the zone and then dropped in a gyro slider in the mid-to-upper 80s that kept hitters on their toes. The changeup is firm is, sitting north of 90 mph but has heavy arm-side fade. Bergert also mixed one sweeper in with 13 inches of horizontal movement.

If the improved strike-throwing in 2024 sticks, Bergert can be a starter long-term. The stuff is good, and if he can get back closer to the 27-30 percent strikeout rate he showed in 2022 and 2023, it would bode well for his long-term outlook. There are openings in this rotation, so don’t be surprised if you hear Bergert’s name called early in 2025.

Sean Burke, RHP, Chicago White Sox

Burke tossed two innings on Wednesday with one unearned run allowed, but allowed just one hit and walk a piece, while striking out two. The most notable thing was Burke throwing 40 pitches and landing 28 of them for strikes. Sure it was a small sample, but something that is going to be very important for Burke to be a viable starting pitcher.

Throwing a new sinker that sat 95 mph and has 11 inches of arm-side run, it gives Burke another out pitch. The arsenal is five pitches deep and also worth noting that Burke led with his slider.

Burke missed the early parts of 2024 due to a shoulder injury. After returning to Triple-A in late May, Burke pitched quite well considering the home ballpark in Charlotte and the hitter-friendly International League. Posting a 4.62 ERA across 64 innings won't impress anyone, but a handful of rough starts skewed the ERA a bit. After getting the call to the majors, Burke was rather impressive, posting a 1.42 ERA across 19 innings with 22 strikeouts.

With a strike rate slightly below average, Burke walked 13 percent of hitters in Triple-A, but the zone there is fairly tight with the ABS system. The four-seam fastball is Burke’s primary offering, sitting around 95 mph with over 18 inches of IVB from his 6’2” release height. The pitch gets heavy extension near seven feet and has high spin rates, which allow it to play well up in the zone.

The slider is a gyro-shape, sitting 85-87 mph and missing bats at a high clip. It pairs well with his change, which sits in a similar velocity band and has a heavy arm-side movement of 14 inches. The changeup and slider have slightly lower release points than the fastball and curveball.

Burke’s curveball has impressive depth, around negative 16 inches of IVB, and is in the upper 70s. It has an 11-5 shape and nearly 40 percent whiff rate in 2024.

Noah Schultz, LHP, Chicago White Sox

Schultz tossed a scoreless inning in his Cactus League debut on Wednesday, but showed off an impressive arsenal of pitches. He generated three whiffs on three swings and even showed a new cutter to pair with his sinker. It was just eight pitches, so there was not a ton to take away, but Schultz showed why he is one of the best pitching prospects in the game.

After being selected 26th overall in the 2022 MLB Draft, Schultz has done nothing but dominate as a professional. The 2023 season saw him pitch just 27 innings due to an arm injury, but the results were stellar. The 2024 season was arguably better as Schultz tossed 88.1 innings between High-A and Double-A. Upon his promotion to Double-A, Schultz posted a 1.48 ERA in 61 innings.

Considering how big Schultz is, he commands his pitches extremely well. His strike rate of north of 64 percent in 2024 was rather impressive, and Schultz walked less than seven percent of the batters he faced.

Schultz’s fastball lives in the 94-96 range, topping out at 98 with a nice armside run. He often landed it for strikes and worked both sides of the plate well. There is low effort throughout his entire arsenal, but given the frame, he could add more velocity.

The slider ranges from 79 to 83 mph and has nice sweeping action. Schultz was comfortable front- and back-dooring hitters with it and sequenced it well. It consistently gets north of 15 inches of sweep.

Hagen Smith, LHP, Chicago White Sox

Smith was utterly dominant in his Cactus League debut, striking out three batters in an inning of work and generating four whiffs. His fastball averaged 97 mph which was up from 2024, though it was just 11 pitches. The slider was disgusting and missed four bats on seven swings.

Last year, Smith’s fastball sat in the 94-96 range, generating 14-15 inches of IVB from a 5’7” release height, getting 13 inches of horizontal movement. The pitch was effective, and he missed bats when he located it well. There were times when he missed his spots, which is when he was hit around. Maybe it is fatigue from a long season or just adjusting to pro ball, but the command was inconsistent.

Smith’s slider morphed into a cutter at times, with some having -5 inches of IVB, while others having shorter horizontal and 4 inches of IVB. You can see in the video below where some had longer sweeping action, and he used the pitch efficiently against lefties and righties. The slider sat in the lower 80s while the cutter was 85-86.

He does have a splitter in the profile, but has not thrown in it pro-ball, so I will be watching that closely as the season begins in 2025.

Jordan Hicks, RHP, San Francisco Giants

Hicks struck out three batters and walked one across 1.1 innings of work on Wednesday. His fastball touched 100 mph and consistently worked 96-98 mph. After adding 15 pounds this offseason, Hicks’ goal was to add velocity and be able to handle a full season’s workload.

He did hit a batter and walk another, so it was an interesting outing. But the early results looked promising for Hicks, who was one of the best pitchers in baseball in the first half of 2024. Be may be a sneaky grab for fantasy managers.

Matt McLain, 2B/OF, Cincinnati Reds

McLain had a three-hit day, which included two doubles and a home run on Wednesday. The profile is certainly that of a 20 home run, 20 stolen base type hitter. There are concerns with swing and miss though, especially with what I saw in the Arizona Fall League. After missing all of 2024 with a shoulder injury, he looks to bounceback in a big way.

I don’t want to put much stock into one performance, but it could be a nice catalyst for McLain moving forward.

Curtis Mead, 2B, Tampa Bay Rays

Mead continues to rake early in the spring after entering camp 20 pounds heavier. He blasted his first home run of the spring and had a single to give him eight hits and a walk in his first ten trips to the plate.

Right now, Mead is doing everything he can to force the Rays’ hands and earn a spot with the team. There is still plenty of potential for Mead to have a profile that shows strong OBP skills and enough power to be a regular despite his underwhelming defense. If Mead continues to perform all spring, he may just be a regular with the Rays for some, if not all of 2025.

Garrett Mitchell, OF, Milwaukee Brewers

Mitchell homered and doubled while handling the centerfield duties on Wednesday. The home run came off a Yoshinobu Yamamoto curveball and Mitchell took him deep to dead center. He also smoked a line drive to left field for a double.

I won’t lie to you: Garrett Mitchell is probably the hardest player for me to evaluate. When on the field, he has put up good numbers, especially in 2024, though it was just 224 plate appearances. Mitchell hit eight home runs and stole 11 bases in the small sample while slashing .255/.342/.469.

The crazy thing is, since being drafted in 2020, Mitchell’s career-high plate appearances is 357 at this point. He has averaged just 254 a season in his four pro seasons. A wide variety of injuries have kept Mitchell out, so for him to break out, he obviously needs to stay healthy.

The other question mark is contact skills. Mitchell made contact on just 71.7 percent of zone swings and 65 percent overall. So, the contact skills are not all that different from Wallner, who we previously discussed. Mitchell did show a massive jump in plate discipline, seeing his heart-swing minus chase rate improve by ten percentage points in 2024.

Mitchell also has a strong bat speed of 76 mph on average. The exit velocities don’t jump off the page, and 57 percent of his batted balls were on the ground, which is also an issue. He does hit the ball much harder in the air, having a 95 mph on fly balls and 96 on line drives. While the fly balls were limited, Mitchell also pulled just 14 percent of them.

For all the questions, Mitchell has a sneaky 20-homer/20-stolen-base upside. This would likely come with a strong on-base percentage as well.