Spring training has arrived. Camps across Arizona and Florida are opening this week, and next week Cactus League and Grapefruit League games will begin. I can’t wait. I am so ready for this slog of an offseason to be over.
Spring games are meaningless but they are fun in their own way, mostly because they allow us to see players we usually don’t get to watch during the regular season. Top prospects, reclamation project veterans, and many other minor leaguers will rub elbows with the big-league team during exhibition games before heading to the minors at the end of March.
Over the last few weeks, the 30 MLB clubs announced their non-roster invitees (NRIs) to spring training. Those are players who will be in big-league camp despite not being on the 40-man roster. Some NRIs are top prospects, some are journeyman veterans, and others are somewhere in between. The big-league coaching staff will get a look at all of them.
Some NRIs are more interesting than others. Paul Skenes won NL Rookie of the Year and finished third in the NL Cy Young voting after being an NRI last year. Two years ago Brandon Pfaadt went from NRI to starting a World Series game. Inevitably, a few NRIs will make an impact in 2025. And, inevitably, some will have a big spring and then show it was a fluke in April. That’s baseball.
With spring training arriving and exhibition games on the horizon, let’s examine each team’s most interesting NRI. As a reminder, all players on the 40-man roster will automatically be in big-league camp, a group that includes top prospects like Colson Montgomery (White Sox) and Emmanuel Rodriguez (Twins). Here now are the top NRIs to watch.
Once one of the most exciting prospects in the minors, legal trouble and subsequent visa issues kept Robinson out of baseball from 2020-22. He resurfaced in 2023 and last season slashed an underwhelming .214/.337/.350 in a full season at Double-A. Still, Robinson is only 24 and has shown big time exit velocity while controlling the strike zone well enough. He still has a chance to be a big leaguer, perhaps even a good one. Robinson stands out on a D-backs’ NRI list that includes more journeymen than standout prospects.
Last year’s No. 4 overall pick, Kurtz was better than expected after signing, slashing .368/.520/.763 with more walks than strikeouts in 12 games split between High Class-A and Double-A. He then tore up the Arizona Fall League. Kurtz is the A’s best prospect, and while it’s unlikely he will win a job in spring training, he could make his MLB debut sometime this summer. It won’t be long until the Athletics have to figure out how to squeeze Kurtz, Tyler Soderstrom, and the recently extended Brent Rooker into two lineup spots (first base and DH). Rooker might be playing a good bit out of outfield in the future.
The Braves do not have the most interesting NRI list. So many of their top prospects are on the 40-man roster already (Nacho Alvarez, AJ Smith-Shawver, Hurston Waldrep, etc.) and will be in big-league camp automatically. They’re bringing a lot of journeymen to camp with an eye on stashing them in Triple-A as depth. Baldwin, 23, is the headliner here. He slashed .276/.370/.423 between Double-A and Triple-A a year ago, and his path to being Sean Murphy’s backup runs through fellow NRIs Curt Casali and Sandy León. Baldwin has a real chance to break camp with the big-league team this spring.
Samuel Basallo is Baltimore’s top prospect and he’ll be in big-league camp as an NRI, though I’m more interested to see Bradfield, a speedster and the No. 17 overall pick in the 2023 draft. Bradfield hit .272/.358/.371 with only four homers in 469 plate appearances between High Class-A and Double-A a year ago, though he also went 74 for 87 (85%) stealing bases. On top of that, he’s a terrific defensive center fielder. Elite speed and elite center field defense make for exciting baseball. Bradfield looks like the future in center for the O’s as Cedric Mullins enters his free-agent year.
Relatively easy call here even though the Red Sox have a prospect-laden NRI list that includes infielders Kristian Campbell and Marcelo Mayer. Campbell, Mayer, and Anthony all rank among MLB’s top 10 prospects. Anthony is the sport’s consensus No. 1 prospect, however, so he’s our pick. The 20-year-old authored a .291/.396/.498 line between Double-A and Triple-A last year, and has 30-homer potential. Boston’s outfield is already crowded, especially with lefty bats (like Anthony), though it’s not completely out of the question that Anthony forces the issue in spring training and wins an Opening Day roster spot.
The Isaac Paredes trade opened up third base, and while Chicago has Rule 5 Draft pick Gage Workman as a safety net, the job is essentially Shaw’s to lose this spring. The Cubbies selected Shaw, their top prospect, with the No. 13 pick in the 2023 draft, and last summer he rocketed to Triple-A thanks to a .284/.379/.488 slash line with 21 home runs. The Cubs have a fun group of NRIs this year — catcher Moises Ballesteros, infielder James Triantos, and righty Cade Horton are among their better prospects and will also be in camp — though Shaw is most interesting. He could leave camp with the big-league roster spot.
Pick your lefty, Schultz or Hagen Smith? Smith was the No. 5 overall pick in last summer’s draft after striking out 161 batters in 84 innings at Arkansas. Schultz is Chicago’s top prospect and one of the very best pitching prospects in the game, and he could reach the big leagues as soon as this summer. The only question is how the White Sox will manage his workload after throwing 88 ⅓ innings in 2024. Catcher Kyle Teel, the prize of the Garrett Crochet trade with the Red Sox, will also be in camp as an NRI.
Pick your Chase, Petty or Chase Burns? Burns was the No. 2 overall pick in last summer’s draft, though Petty is exciting too, and he’s closer to the big leagues, so he’s our pick. Cincinnati acquired Petty in the Sonny Gray trade with the Twins and the 21-year-old reached Triple-A last year. Armed with two big fastballs (four-seamer and sinker) and good strike-throwing ability, Petty has a chance to help the Reds as soon a this summer. So too does Burns, and really, it doesn’t matter who we pick here. Reds fans will get to watch both this spring.
Surprisingly, the Guardians did not bring infielder Travis Bazzana, last year’s No. 1 overall pick, to spring training as a NRI. They could always add him to their NRI list later, or simply bring him over from minor-league camp for a few games each week, but I expected to see him with the MLB players this spring. With no Bazzana, DeLauter is the pick. Injuries, specifically a series of foot injuries, have limited him to 96 pro games since being the No. 16 pick in the 2022 draft. DeLauter can hit though, and the Guardians are in perpetual need of outfielders who can hit. If he manages to stay on the field, we could see DeLauter in the big leagues at some point in 2025.
The “correct” pick is righty Chase Dollander, Colorado’s top prospect and one of baseball’s best pitching prospects, but we can’t say no to Yan. He is a winter ball legend with a knack for over-the-top celebrations. Please enjoy:
Delightful. Yan, 28, had a 3.84 ERA with 75 strikeouts in 63 ⅓ innings with the Seibu Lions in Japan last year. The former Angels and Marlins minor leaguer will have a chance to win a spot in the Rockies’ bullpen this spring. If he does, let’s hope his celebrations go with him to the show, and there’s no bad blood or benches-clearing incidents. Let’s just enjoy things.
Disappointingly, the Tigers are not bringing tippy top prospects Max Clark or Kevin McGonigle to spring training as NRIs. That’s understandable though — Clark and McGonigle are both only 20 and have yet to play above Single-A. In that case, the nod goes to Liranzo, the headliner in last summer’s Jack Flaherty trade with the Dodgers. Will Liranzo catch long-term? That’s unclear at the moment, but the kid can hit, and he posted a .378 on-base percentage as a 20-year-old in High Class-A last year. Detroit broke through and returned to the postseason last year, and they still have a wave of high upside prospects on the way, led by Liranzo (and Clarke and McGonigle).
The prize of the Kyle Tucker trade (well, other than Isaac Paredes), Smith was the No. 14 overall pick in last summer’s draft, and he slugged seven homers in 32 games after signing. He immediately took over as Houston’s top prospect. It’s not clear Smith will stay at the hot corner, what with Paredes under control through 2027. A corner outfield spot could be his ultimate destination. That’s not something to worry about now. Spring training will be the first time Astros fans get to put eyes on the team’s new top prospect.
Although the Royals have expressed an openness to developing Caglianone as a two-way player, he will focus on hitting in 2025, which takes a little fun out of it. The No. 6 overall pick in last summer’s draft has enormous power, arguably the most in the minors, and the hope is he will tighten up his plate discipline now that he can focus full-time on hitting and not worry about pitching.
As talented as he is, it’s hard to imagine Caglianone making his major league debut in 2025, let alone breaking camp with the MLB team. Spring training figures to be the best chance to see the team’s top prospect take his hacks without an MiLB.TV subscription until next spring.
The Angels promote their prospects very aggressively — outfielder Nelson Rada, another NRI, played a full season in Double-A as an 18-year-old last year — so I assume 2024 first-rounder Christian Moore will be up sooner rather than later. Spring training won’t be our last chance to see him in 2025. I’m more interested in Cortez, the No. 45 overall pick in last year’s draft. He’s a hard-throwing sinker/slider guy who ran that sinker up to 101 mph at Texas A&M last year. The Angels are going to give Cortez a chance to start in the minors this year, though there’s a chance he’ll factor into their bullpen mix later this summer.
Who else could it possibly be? Catcher Dalton Rushing and outfielder Zyhir Hope, one of the biggest breakout prospects of 2024, will also be in big-league camp as NRIs, but it has to be Sasaki. The international bonus pool rules limited him to a minor-league contract, hence the NRI tag. Sasaki was the most talented pitcher in the world not employed by an MLB team prior to signing with the Dodgers last month. We got a chance to see him in the World Baseball Classic in 2023. Now we’ll get a chance to put eyes on him for the first time in Dodger blue. Sasaki will be must-watch TV this spring.
The Marlins are a year into a deep rebuild and their very best prospects are either on the 40-man roster (Agustin Ramirez) or in the low minors (Starlyn Caba, Noble Meyer, Thomas White) and thus not an NRI. Marsee is a bit of a personal favorite, albeit a player with an unorthodox profile. He takes a lot of walks, he has speed, and he’s a good defender with a knack for dives and highlight reel plays. Marsee is more fun than good, which isn’t to say he’s a bad player. The Marlins got him from the Padres in the Luis Arraez trade and he could make his MLB debut this season, with an outside chance to win an Opening Day roster spot in camp.
I thought we might see Misiorowski in the big-league bullpen last season, especially once the Brewers moved him into the Triple-A bullpen in August. That was pretty clearly a “let’s find out if he can help us in this role” move. Alas and alack, it did not happen, so Misiorowski will be in big-league camp as a non-40-man roster player this spring. The rail-thin 6-foot-7 right-hander with a triple-digit fastball and a wipeout slider can have trouble throwing the ball over the plate, but when your stuff is this good, your margin of error is awfully big. Simply put, Misiorowski is one of most electric pitching prospects in the sport.
A knuckleballer! A hard-throwing knuckleballer too, relatively speaking. Lewis’ knuckleball averaged — averaged — 83.6 mph in his Triple-A start last year, per Statcast, and topped out at 86.2 mph. An 86 mph knuckleball!
Similar to Padres righty Matt Waldron, Lewis is not a full-time knuckleballer. He throws the pitch about 20% of the time and uses it as a complement to his low-90s fastball, slider, and curveball. Regardless, there aren’t many knuckleballers remaining in baseball, but the Twins will have one in big-league camp as an NRI with Lewis.
Sproat the GOAT was one of the biggest breakout pitching prospects in the minors last year, and is a sign the Mets are starting to catch up to other top teams in pitcher development. The 2023 second-rounder struck out 131 batters in 116 ⅓ innings and reached Triple-A last summer thanks to a fastball that topped out at 102 mph, and a vicious slider and changeup. New York’s big-league rotation is a little heavy on No. 3-4 starter types. You needn’t try hard to see Sproat debuting this summer and making an impact.
The Yankees will have all their top prospects in big-league camp this year. Rather than pick one of those guys (Roderick Arias, George Lombard Jr., etc.), we’ll go with the lesser known Flores, an undrafted free agent who’s punished minor-league pitching and hit his way into the backup catcher mix. Chances are he won’t break camp with the big-league team (he’s yet to play in Triple-A), but the Yankees do not have a ton of catching depth behind AL Rookie of the Year third-place finisher Austin Wells. If Flores continues his minor-league rampage, he could be up sometime this summer.
The Phillies have a prospect-laden NRI list, with outfielder Justin Crawford (Carl’s son) and righty Andrew Painter set to join Miller in big-league camp. Those are their top three prospects. Painter, arguably the best pitching prospect in baseball, would have been the pick here had POBO Dave Dombrowski not already said they’re not planning to pitch him in spring training games as he works his way back from Tommy John surgery. “He’ll throw but not plan on pitching (in games). We’re going to push the innings back,” Dombrowski told the Associated Press in December. The plan seems designed to make sure Painter will be available to the MLB team in September and October. Anyway, Miller is a terrific consolation prize. The No. 27 overall pick in the 2023 draft managed an .812 OPS in the minors last year and reached Double-A as a 20-year-old. He’s a stud.
Even in a sneaky interesting NRI group loaded with interesting journeymen and former high draft picks, Chandler sticks out. He is Pittsburgh’s top prospect and not too far away from joining Jared Jones and Paul Skenes in the big-league rotation. Chandler can get his fastball up to 99 mph and he has promising secondary stuff. After throwing a healthy 119 ⅔ innings between Double-A and Triple-A last year, he has a solid innings base underneath him, and should be able to help the Pirates hang around the postseason race into September (assuming their offense scores enough runs to support their impressive rotation).
The Cardinals are another team with a star-prospect-studded NRI list. Their NRIs include their last three first-round picks (Cooper Hjerpe in 2022, Chase Davis in 2023, Wetherholt in 2024) and last year’s breakout lefty, Quinn Mathews. As long as he stays healthy, it is a near certainty Mathews will make his MLB debut in 2025. Despite that, we’re going with Wetherholt, last year’s No. 7 overall pick. He’s one of the very best prospects in baseball and was a candidate to get drafted No. 1 overall before a hamstring injury derailed his junior season at West Virginia. Breaking camp with the big-league team is a stretch, though Wetherholt could arrive later this year, and quickly establish himself as a centerpiece for the Cardinals.
Padres GM A.J. Preller is never shy about bringing his top prospects to big-league camp, no matter how young they are, so 18-year-olds Leodalis De Vries and Ethan Salas with both be with the MLB team this spring. Our pick here is Perlaza though, a former Cubs prospect who hit .275/.364/.486 with 24 home runs for the Hanwha Eagles of the Korea Baseball Organization in 2025. San Diego’s left field job is winnable — the primary competition is Connor Joe and late career Jason Heyward — and Perlaza, who is still only 26 and a career .284/.389/.534 hitter in Triple-A, could win it with a big spring. De Vries and Salas will be fun watches this spring. Perlaza is much more likely to help the Padres this summer.
Eldridge is one of the top power-hitting prospects in the minors which means he might hit what, 17 home runs in Oracle Park at his peak? I kid, I kid. In all seriousness, Eldridge has enormous power as evidenced by last year’s .292/.374/.516 minor-league line. He hit 23 home runs as a 19-year-old and climbed all the way to Triple-A. There’s a chance Eldridge makes his MLB debut as a 20-year-old later this year. He will definitely be in spring training as an NRI though, and there’s a non-zero chance Eldridge out-homers everyone on San Francisco’s roster this spring.
The Mariners will have just about all their top prospects in big-league camp (Colt Emerson, Harry Ford, Cole Young, etc.), as well as Feliz, the former Rangers closer. Now 36, Feliz has not pitched in the big leagues since a handful of appearances with the Dodgers and Phillies in 2021, and that was his first MLB action since 2017. He has spent the last few years as a lockdown closer in the Mexican League, including throwing 56 ⅔ innings with a 1.75 ERA in 2024. That’s in a league where the average was a 5.16 ERA. Feliz is no longer the flamethrower he was in his prime, but he is still getting outs. Blast from the past in Mariners camp this spring.
The Rays always have an interesting NRI list that includes top prospects (Xavier Isaac, Carson Williams) and intriguing veterans (Joey Gerber, Eloy Jiménez). Our pick is Simpson, arguably the fastest player in the minors. He led the minors with 104 stolen bases last season, 30 more than any other player, and he got caught only 17 times for a stellar 86% success rate. Simpson has minimal power (one career homer, an inside-the-parker), so it remains to be seen whether he’ll be an impact big leaguer or Billy Hamilton 2.0, but speed is fun, and there won’t be a player in any spring training camp with more of it than Simpson.
Walcott is what they look like. Tall, athletic, fluid movements, etc. He reached Double-A as an 18-year-old last season and the 34 doubles in 121 games suggest Walcott will begin sending the ball over the wall with consistency once he gets a little older. Simply put, Walcott is one of the best and most exciting prospects in the game. There are a few things he has to iron out, including his approach against breaking balls, but the talent is there. Although the Rangers have not been shy about aggressively promoting prospects, there’s no chance Walcott will break camp with the big-league team, so enjoy him while you can this spring.
Not the most exciting list of NRIs for the Blue Jays, who declined to bring top prospects Arjun Nimmala and Trey Yesavage to big-league camp. That’s understandable. Both are young and early in their pro careers. MLB spring training is not the place for them just yet. Kasevich, a second-round pick in 2022, is a contact/plate discipline guy without a ton of power. He slashed .295/.348/.385 between Double-A and Triple-A last year while playing mostly short, and also some second and third. Kasevich projects to be the kind of quality “tenth man” every contending team seems to have these days, and he’s pretty close to MLB-ready.
The Juan Soto trade is the gift that keeps on giving for Washington. Susana, the least heralded of the five players the Nationals received in the trade, broke out last season and struck out 123 batters in his final 16 starts and 77 ⅓ innings. The soon-to-be 21-year-old has touched 103 mph and has a wipeout slider, and could ultimately settle in as a dominant high-leverage reliever. Susana finished 2024 in High Class-A and might not be a big-league option until late next season, so spring training figures to be the last chance for Nationals fans to get eyes on him for a while.
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