With Spring Training wrapping up and the end of March looming, that can only mean one thing — the MLB regular season is on deck. After varying levels of spring success, the MLB Pack Pros look ahead with the ultimate goals of playing meaningful October baseball and lifting the World Series trophy when all is said and done.
Carlos Rodón, New York Yankees
It was a rocky spring for Rodón and the Yankees as a whole. Not only did the southpaw pitcher put up a disappointing 5.40 ERA across only 10.0 innings of work, but word emerged of Yankees ace, Gerrit Cole, needing Tommy John surgery which ended his 2025 campaign before it even began.
Because of Cole’s injury, Rodón has now found himself as the Yankees ace, earning the opening day start for just the second time in what is about to be his 11th season in the MLB.
Although he hasn’t put up “ace numbers” in his first two years wearing the pinstripes — posting a mediocre 4.74 ERA during this time — this season offers a fresh start in a new role for Rodón. He’ll need to quickly adapt, however, because if the Yankees fan base doesn’t see stellar results for the $162 million the team paid for, there are sure to be boos coming Rodón’s way.
Trea Turner, Philadelphia Phillies
After signing a massive 11-year, $300 million contract back in 2023 with the Phillies, Trea Turner has seen many ups and downs during his time in the city of Brotherly Love.
In 2023, Turner started the season struggling to find his groove, but after receiving a standing ovation from Phillies fans in August of that season, Turner quickly found his stride and helped lead the Phillies to an NLCS appearance. Last season however, Turner returned to all-star form, earning the award for the third time in his career and putting up an impressive .295 batting average.
Like Rodón, it was a spring to forget for the Phillies shortstop. Posting an ugly .176 batting average with only one home run this spring, Turner didn’t look like his usual All-Star self. Although he’s not in danger of having to compete for a roster spot like a few of his other teammates, having such a vocal and intense fan base is incentive enough for Turner to improve upon his dismal offensive numbers from this spring.
It remains to be seen just how successful Turner’s third season in Philadelphia will go, but it goes without saying that the 31-year-old is still one of the best shortstops in the MLB.
Andrew Kninzer, Washington Nationals
Last season was not one catcher Andrew Knizner had hoped for. After signing a one-year, $1.825 million deal with the then-reigning World Series champions Texas Rangers, Kninzer looked to be slated for yet another year of backup catching, this time for Jonah Heim.
Although he had previously shown signs of life offensively at the dish, last season was certainly not one of them. In his 35 major league games with the Rangers, Knizner posted a measly .167 batting average and an even uglier .183 on-base percentage, showcasing his inability to not only make contact with the ball but also draw walks.
This dismal performance proved to be enough for the Rangers front office as they optioned him to their AAA affiliate, the Round Rock Express, just after the All-Star break, ultimately designating him for assignment not even two weeks later.
Although he was picked up by the Arizona Diamondbacks just two days after his initial DFA, he spent the rest of his season in the minors, hitting .263 and amassing 12 RBIs for the Diamondbacks’ AAA affiliate, the Reno Aces.
At the start of the year, Knizner was signed to a minor league contract with the Washington Nationals and given a Spring Training invite with the opportunity to compete with catcher Riley Adams in hopes of backing up the Nationals’ primary catcher, Keibert Ruiz.
Once again, Kninzer’s offensive glooms emerged as he posted an even worse .125 batting average across the spring. Because of this, Knizner will most likely begin the season with the Nationals’ AAA affiliate, the Rochester Red Wings, in hopes of making a return to the big leagues later this season.
Patrick Bailey, San Francisco Giants
Following an impressive sophomore season for the Giants’ catcher, where he earned the National League Gold Glove for the backstop position and put up a respectable .234 batting average, Patrick Bailey hopes to build off this success heading into the 2025 campaign. Although the Giants organization has most certainly already been impressed by Bailey’s tools, the former first-round pick has only given them more to be happy with after what he has been able to do this spring.
This spring, Bailey hit an impressive .294 across 14 games and 37 plate appearances. Although these values come from significantly smaller sample sizes than what is seen throughout the regular season, the increased offensive production, especially from a catcher, is sure to make any organization smile.
Nonetheless, Bailey prides himself on being a strong defensive presence behind home plate as last year he threw out 26 runners attempting to steal and had a fielding percentage of 0.997 which placed him second and third in those categories amongst NL catchers respectively.
Bailey has set himself up well for a strong third year in the league, and as one of the younger Pack Pros at 25 years old, he certainly still has tons of untapped potential to possibly reach the likes of his legendary predecessor, Buster Posey.
