Fantasy Baseball Today - Top Position Battles During Spring Training! (2/21 Fantasy Baseball Podcast)
Episode Date: February 21, 2026Frank Stampfl and Chris Towers highlight five position battles to watching during spring training, including the Pirates shortstop job, Mets right field, Red Sox SP5, Reds SP5 and Mariners second base...man! Subscribe to our YouTube channel: youtube.com/FantasyBaseballToday Download and Follow Fantasy Baseball Today on Spotify: https://sptfy.com/QiKv Follow our FBT team on Twitter: @FBTPod, @CPTowers @CBSScottWhite, @Roto_Frank Join our Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/fantasybaseballtoday Sign up for the FBT Newsletter at https://www.cbssports.com/newsletters/fantasy-baseball-today/ For more fantasy baseball coverage from CBS Sports, visit https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/baseball/ To hear more from the CBS Sports Podcast Network, visit https://www.cbssports.com/podcasts/ To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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Five position battles to watch this spring.
Up next on Fantasy Baseball Today Express.
Welcome in to FBT Express on Saturday, February 21st.
I am Frank Sample, joined by Chris Towers.
There are a lot of spring battles to watch this throughout spring training,
but we're going to highlight five in particular here,
and we'll predict a winner of each.
Up first, Pirates Shortstop.
We have Nick Gonzalez against the top prospect in baseball, Connor Griffin.
earlier this week, Chris,
Pirates manager Don Kelly said,
quote, it would be a tough ask.
Keep in mind, he's only had a handful of at-bats
at AA.
Of course, he was referring to Connor Griffin.
So while we're all very excited about Griffin
at some point this season,
not so sure that he has a chance here.
Oh, he's got a chance for sure.
Small chance.
I don't, I would put it at 51-49, personally.
that and the 51 is that he makes the team and maybe that's just me being overly optimistic but
it is clear that everyone agrees Connor Griffin is a special talent um the fact that he's even in
the discussion as a 19 year old he won't turn 20 until a couple weeks after opening day I'm pretty
sure uh is a sign that he's truly special whether he actually makes the opening day roster
unclear, but here's the problem for the pirates.
They've got a couple of problems here.
One is two years ago, they waited until May to call Paul Skeens up, right?
Paul Skeens wins Rookie the Year, gets the full year of eligibility of club control already.
That's the rule.
If you win rookie the year or I think finish top three in MVP, something like that,
you get a full year of service time,
regardless of when you get called up.
If Connor Griffin's as good as the pirates and everyone else seems to think he is,
waiting until May, waiting until June,
there might not be any benefit to waiting to that long to call him up.
And two, when they did that with Paul Skeens,
because they didn't call him up in the first two weeks of the season,
he wins rookie the year, he wins the Cy Young the second year.
The pirates don't get the extra,
draft pick compensation that was negotiated in the new CBA.
So if your top prospect gets called up and wins rookie the year and you called them up on opening day or within the first two weeks,
you get draft pick compensation.
The Pirates didn't do that.
Then last year they played the service time games with Bubba Chandler.
He ends up falling apart midseason.
They don't call him up until August or September.
That caused problems for both Bubba Chandler and apparently within their locker room.
I just don't really think the pirates can get away with playing this kind of service time shenanigans
with another top prospect three years in row.
I just think it's too big of a hit in the locker room.
So look, if Connor Griffin falls on his face this spring, okay, then he's not going to be on the team.
If Connor Griffin looks like he belongs and the pirates don't call him up to open in the season,
I think it's going to be a big backlash.
And I think they're going to try to avoid that.
So yes, it's asking a lot for a 19-year-old.
We haven't had a 19-year-old debut as a position player since Juan Soto.
I think it's 100% within Connor Griffin's control if he makes the team or not.
I think if he's good, he's going to be on the team.
I think Nick Gonzalez is going to win this position battle, unfortunately.
I mean, there's just so much smoke with this quote here from Don Kelly.
And for everything that you just said, I think you are giving the pirates benefit of the doubt there.
And I think that there's a chance as crazy as it is to say, we might not see Connor Griffin's like August.
of this year, which I know it's crazy, but...
I think that is more likely at this point than him making the opening day roster, as much as it means to be.
I'm going to stick with it. I'm going to say Connor Griffin opened a shortstop for the Pittsburgh Pirates as a 19-year-old.
Let's talk about the Mets right field job, which is currently between Brett Beatty, who is kind of learning the position.
He's played a little bit of outfield in the minor leagues. One of their top prospects, Carson Benj.
There's Tyrone Taylor, and they signed M.J. Melendez, so I guess he's kind of in the mix here.
but Chris, who do you think will wind up winning this Mets right field job?
So I think what Benj has going against him is that he was not great at AAA last season.
He only played about 20 games there.
It was, I think he had like 180.
It was all low batting average.
His plate discipline was very good.
He walked 9% of the time, struck out at a below average clip.
92.1 mile per hour average exit velocity at AAA for Carson Benj.
and I think the move of Juan Soto from right field to left field is kind of a tell here
because right field is the tougher position in the outfield
Brett Beatty does not have very much experience in the outfield
he's played about 30 games there I think predominantly in left field
I think they would have just left Juan Soto in right field
if they were planning on playing Brett Beatty as an everyday outfielder
I just think that would be easier so again Carson Bench could struggle in spring training
and make it a moot point but I think if he holds his own it's Carson Benj
his job in right field for the Mets.
Yeah, I lean that way too.
And I think there's still ways for them to keep Brett Bady in the lineup as the team's
DH.
So maybe he gets sprinkled in the diamond, you know, every now and then.
But they can just play Bady at D.H and have Carson Benge in right field.
So look, it'll come down to how he performs in spring training.
But I think there is a legit, very good player there in Carson Benge.
And he is my pick to start in right field on opening day for the Mets.
Let's take a quick break.
We'll be back right after this.
Welcome back in FBT Express.
We're looking at five of the biggest spring training position battles this year.
And next up we have the Red Sox SP5.
And that looks like it's between Johan Oviedo, Cutter Crawford, Patrick Sandoval, Connolly, Early, and Peyton Toley.
It's a tough one, Chris, because the Red Sox do have some investments in some of these veteran pitchers.
They signed Patrick Sandoval last offseason.
They just traded for Johan Oviado this offseason.
But the prospects are really intriguing.
talents as well. So who do you think wins out here for the Red Sox SP5? Yeah, it's worth noting with Patrick
Sandoval in particular, they basically gave him a $19 million contract for this season. It was technically
a two-year, $18.5 million contract, but they knew he was recovering from Tommy John surgery. He's
getting paid $18 million this year, basically. And, you know, between him, Yon Oviato, who I think
they could move to the bullpen if they wanted to, you get the sense that they'd rather
stick the guys with options the guys who are prospects down in the minors just for as like a rainy
day fund kind of thing but I do think there's a chance the Red Sox roll with a six-man rotation
um sand of all is coming back from missing the entire season cutter crawford if he's in the rotation
barely pitched last season uh ranger swaris has had his issues with injuries garer crochet just through
more innings than he ever has.
And I want to say he's,
I think I saw a quote that he's skipping the world baseball classic because of that.
He wants to, you know,
avoid that competition that early.
So maybe the Red Soxucked opt to go with a six-man rotation and it's kind of a moot point
and maybe there's room for Connolly early either way.
I would lean towards one of the veterans,
probably Patrick Sandoval if he looks okay just because of the contract.
I would guess he has that edge.
But there's no guarantee there that he,
does pitch well. So I'll say
Sandoval is probably my pick, but there's a decent chance
Connolly Early is still there on opening day either way.
Yeah, I would probably lean with Oviedo. He showed some flashes
so far in his career. He's still like, he's not old by any means, obviously. And he
actually looked good at times just last season with the Pirates. So
I lean Oviedo, but I like Connolly Early and Peyton totally a lot. So
I think there's a chance that those guys really perform well this spring and
make it a tough decision. Ultimately, I think the Red Sox go
with one of the veterans.
My pick is Oviedo,
but I do think we see early,
and probably, hopefully,
Peyton Tully at some point this season.
Let's talk about the Reds SP5.
I mean, this seems crazy to me,
Chris, that we're talking about this,
but there was a report that Chase Burns is, quote,
in the mix for the SP5 job for the Reds here.
I guess we all just kind of assumed,
hey, we're penciling in Chase Burns.
He has disgusting stuff.
He's one of the top prospects in all of baseball.
But it could be semantics and like,
hey, the young kid has to earn.
it type thing. So between Chase Burns, there's
Rhett Louder, who is also a prospect in his own right?
You know, Brandon Williamson, I guess is kind of there.
But who do you think winds of winning the Reds SP5 job?
Chase Burns. This is a competition in name only.
Like, I understand wanting to keep things wide open and say,
yeah, we're not handing anything to Chase Burns.
You know, he's only had eight major league starts. He wasn't, like,
dominant as a rookie if you look at the ERA. But really,
That was just he had one bad start against Boston.
I think he gave up eight runs in two-thirds of an inning.
Take that out, and the ERA was right around three.
It was elite strikeouts.
He had four, basically four straight starts with double-digit strikeouts.
There was one start in between that was rained out.
He only pitched one inning in that one.
I don't know.
Maybe Chase Burns flops.
Pitching attrition is a thing.
Maybe there are multiple opportunities.
I would say there's like a 1% chance that Chase Burns is not in the
rotation to start the season for the Reds. He's too talented and too important for them.
Yeah, I would agree with that as well. Last one here is the Mariners' second base job.
And looks like it's between Cole Young and Colt Emerson, two young players in the Mariners'
organization here. Col Young, you know, I think they still like him a lot. He didn't do too much
last season. And Emerson, you know, one of their top prospects, who do you think wins out here,
Mariners' second base job? Yeah, Cole Young is not without his, uh,
appeal. He was at AAA last season and put up a 120 WRC plus. He's generally been a pretty good hitter throughout his minor league career. He's only 22. So I don't want to write him off entirely. And I think because he has major league experience and Cole Emerson has very limited high minors experience, I would probably give the edge to Cole Young. But this is another one where I think it mostly comes down to how good Cole Emerson is in spring training.
If he is just undeniable, I think he can win the job.
But it's asking a lot.
And I think he has to be really dominant this spring, Colt Emerson, to get the opportunity.
So a name to keep on your radar for late round targets, but I would think Cole Young still has the edge right now.
Yeah, I lean that way as well.
Colt Emerson still just 20 years old.
Only played six games at AAA last season, but he could make this a difficult decision throughout spring training.
Eileen Cole Young. We'll see what happens.
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Bye-bye.