What to Watch For in Spring Training: Fantasy baseball starting pitchers

Spring Training is off and running. We've already seen velocity spikes and spin rate changes and new pitches. Twitter is aflutter, but how much of it really matters? We certainly don't want to overreact to one or two starts, but we do want to keep an eye on some notable new developments, so below I'll walk you through the things I'm watching for this spring training when it comes to starting pitchers. Think of this as your offseason cheat sheet for starting pitchers.

This article will focus mainly on specific pitchers who could be relevant in 2024 redrafts leagues and are working on something or working towards something this spring. I won't be focusing too much on rotation battles since I wrote a lengthy article covering every possible rotation battle, which you can read in the Rotoworld Online Draft guide. That means I won't be covering too many prospects here, but I will mention some prospects who I believe could be relevant for most types of redraft leagues.

If I've already written an article that discusses somebody in detail, I'll link to that as well, and keep an eye out for my weekly series "Pitchers With New Pitches and Should We Care" where I do detailed breakdowns of pitchers who are adding pitches to their repertoire to see if it should make a meaningful impact.

All of it is to help you sift through the nonsense to find the gems of the preseason, so hopefully it helps with your drafts.

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AL East

Baltimore Orioles
Grayson Rodriguez is working on adding a two-seamer. He was electric when he came back from the minors in the second half of last season, so I'm curious how this new pitch looks and how it fits into his overall arsenal. In addition to just wanting to see Corbin Burnes in an Orioles uniform, he also has added a new curveball. How often is he going to use it? Will it be more of a strike pitch or a swing and miss pitch? Cole Irvin, who now appears to be firmly entrenched in the rotation after the Kyle Bradish injury, is adding a sinker. He was also throwing much harder in his first spring training start and mixing in a cutter more as well. Will these changes stick around and can that make him viable in deeper leagues? Which also leads to the simple fact that I'm watching Kyle Bradish's recovery as well. I can't see myself drafting a pitcher with a non-surgically repaired UCL, but I'm curious to see how his rest and ramp up process goes.

Boston Red Sox
There is so much to watch here for Boston. Part of why they signed Lucas Giolito was that pitching coach Andrew Bailey apparently had a clear idea of how to fix his mechanics. Giolito has been raving about his work with Bailey so far, and he looked pretty good in his first spring start, so we need to see if we can notice any clear difference. Brayan Bello also introduced a sweeper at the end of the season that was inconsistent but showed the making of a plus swing-and-miss pitch. He's been working on it all winter, so we need to see how much command he has of it. It could be a real weapon for him. Similarly, Garrett Whitlock added a sweeper last year but was hurt and never got comfortable with it. After another offseason, does Whitlock come into camp with better command of the pitch? If he does, he could win that final rotation spot. After the first start, it also seemed like Whitlock was throwing a harder/tighter slider for strikes and a bigger sweeper for swings and misses. That could be an interesting development.

New York Yankees
I'm pretty much just watching health when it comes to the Yankees' starting pitchers. How do Carlos Rodon and Nestor Cortes look? Is the velocity there? Can they command their arsenal. I also want to see if Clarke Schmidt is adding anything to help with his splits issue. He struggled with lefties last year, so we need to see if he can remedy that before we draft him this year.

Tampa Bay Rays
After the Rays traded for Aaron Civale, they started to mess with his slider, adding horizontal movement. The changes weren't an immediate success, but perhaps he's continued to toy with it in the offseason. Have the Rays also done anything to alter Ryan Pepiot's pitch mix after trading for him this offseason? I also want to see if the Rays have altered Taj Bradley's pitch mix at all. He was inconsistent last year, but showed some flashes that suggest he could be in for a much better 2024, if he can be more consistent. Shane Baz likely won't make the rotation out of camp, but is he healthy? It's been so long since we've seen him; how does he look? I also want to see Japanese veteran Naoyuki Uwasawa, who Tampa signed this offseason. He's a command specialist, but does he have the arsenal to push for a rotation spot?

Toronto Blue Jays
The biggest thing is obviously Alek Manoah's health and performance. He's come to camp noticeably slimmer and his first two MLB seasons were great. He also allegedly was battling some arm issues at the end of the season, so I'll be watching him to see if he appears healthy and handles the rhythm of the pitch clock better than he did last year. Top prosect Ricky Tiedemann has new muscle but does he have the same injury issues? Do we have any sense of improved health or command? Bowden Francis is also the talk of early training camp, so I want to see what all the fuss is about. Also, new signee Yariel Rodriguez really took off when he was moved to the bullpen in Japan. Is he really a starter or more of a bulk reliever?

AL Central

Chicago White Sox
The White Sox brought Erick Fedde back from Korea and he's armed with a brand new arsenal. Will it play in MLB action? I wrote a deeper breakdown of him here. The White Sox also claim they're stretching Garrett Crochet out as a starter, but should they be? He looks the part of a dominant reliever, but can he hold up over longer stretches? Nick Nastrini, who the team acquired in the Lance Lynn trade last year, is reportedly turning heads early on. Does he have enough to push for a rotation spot? Lastly, is Michael Soroka back? It's been while since we've seen him healthy, but he has a long leash here in Chicago to show that he can be his old self. Deivi Garcia has also apparently looked great so far. He was a prospect of note with the Yankees before, so maybe he can recapture that magic.

Cleveland Guardians
Shane Bieber went to Driveline this offseason and has allegedly added velocity. Can he sustain it because it's made a clear difference in his career. He's just 28-years-old and set to become a free agent, so could this be a major bounceback for him? The Guardians rotation is also littered with second-year starters Tanner Bibee, Gavin Williams, and Logan Allen. Have any of them made meaningful changes over the offseason? Lastly, is Triston McKenzie healthy? I'm watching for his velocity and curveball shape/command.

Detroit Tigers
The big news was Tarik Skubal adding velocity last year. Now we hear he's hit 100 mph in a bullpen and is tweaking his slider. Can he build on last year's breakout. Casey Mize back and is adding iVB on his fastball plus bringing back the older version of his splitter. Will he start on the IL? If he does, does that mean Reese Olson has a rotation spot and does he have a pitch for left-handed hitters?

Kansas City Royals
Cole Ragans added a two-seamer this offseason. How does it look and can it help him sustain last year's breakout? The velocity in his first start was also impressive, hitting 101 with added vertical movement on his fastball. Ragans may have top ten upside. Daniel Lynch is back but is he bringing added velocity with him? Brady Singer also allegedly spent the offseason fixing his four-seamer and sweeper, so did he do that? Will that make him relevant in deeper leagues this season?

Minnesota Twins
Chris Paddack is healthy and people are excited, but what does his arsenal look like? He's apparently adding a cutter/slider, but he's never had a consistent third pitch before. Louie Varland seems to be on the outside looking in for a rotation spot, but this offseason he added a sinker and a slider. Can that help him to beat out Paddack and Anthony DeSclafani? Joe Ryan was great in the first half before his splitter was electric, but then he lost the feel for it and the wheels fell off. Is the splitter more consistent? Did he add anything else?

AL West

Houston Astros
I'll be watching the continued recovery of Luis Garcia and Lance McCullers. They should be back over the summer and could be a big boost to Houston if they are. Hunter Brown tweaked his slider a bunch during the year last year, so what has he come with in 2024? Can he control whatever version of the slider he's throwing? Similarly, last year Framber Valdez threw a much harder cutter and it got hit hard. Is he going back to his 2022 cutter?

Los Angeles Angels
Reid Detmers apparently fixed his mechanics and worked on his slider in the offseason. Is this the year he could really break out? Chase Silseth changed his slider in the middle of the season last year, and it looked like a true plus pitch for him. Is it back in 2024? Can he pair the slider and splitter and be a useful fantasy asset? Griffin Canning stayed healthy for most of last season; does he look healthy again in 2024? How's the rest of his arsenal besides that slider.

Oakland Athletics
Ross Stripling is adding the "deathball" to his arsenal this offseason. Will it have a meaningful impact? JP Sears showed flashes last year, but I need to see that slider be as consistent as possible. Joe Boyle is on the outside looking in for a rotation spot, but he showed much better command in his first spring start and added a sweeper in the offseason. He could push into the rotation and has some real upside if he does. I also want to see if Luis Medina is still sinker/slider focused. When he made that change to his arsenal last year, he had a few really strong starts in a row.

Seattle Mariners
Bryce Miller is adding a splitter, which I wrote about here, and I'll be watching it closely. George Kirby also said he wants to throw knuckleballs during the year, so I assume we'll see more of them in spring training? Can it be a legitimate weapon. Current 6th starter Emerson Hancock added a cutter in the offseason. I want to see if he can be a legitimate option if a spot opens up in the rotation.

Texas Rangers
The biggest thing I'm watching is health updates for Max Scherzer, Jacob deGrom, and Tyler Mahle. All are expected back this summer, and deGrom has already started throwing, but I want to see if any of them have hiccups early on. Danny Duffy has been a factor in fantasy when he has good fastball velocity. What is he bringing in 2024? Could we also see a breakout for Jack Leiter? 2023 was not kind to him, but he remains a well-regarded prospect and that final spot in the rotation is up for grabs.

NL East

Atlanta Braves
I'm not sure if you've heard, but Spencer Strider has a curveball now. How often will he throw it? Is it good and will it help him in any meaningful way? I also want to see how healthy Max Fried looks. I'm high on him this year, and I want to just confirm that the forearm is healthy. Huascar Ynoa is back from injury and has a shot to win the fifth rotation spot. How hard is he throwing? Has he added another pitch? I also want to see what prospects AJ Smith-Shawver and Hurston Wadrep look like because I think there's a chance they could push for the fifth rotation spot if they look electric.

Miami Marlins
Braxton Garrett is already a little behind with a shoulder injury, so I want to keep an eye on his health. Also, he's apparently working on his change-up, but we've heard that before with little difference, so I want to see if this time is different. Jesus Luzardo is also apparently tweaking his curveball. Will it be noticeably different? Then we have tons of pitchers competing for the fifth spot that I want to see pitch. What version of Trevor Rogers are we getting? Can A.J. Puk make the change back to a starter? Will he hold up over multiple innings? Also, Sixto Sanchez is back, but is his prospect status back? He could just be a reliever at this point. Lastly, Max Meyer is adding a hard change-up. He has relied on his slider so much so having another good pitch would be great.

New York Mets
I want to keep an eye on Kodai Senga's recovery. As of right now, they think he'll be back by June, but I want to make sure there are no more hiccups. In his place, Tylor Megill could win a rotation spot. In addition to adding a splitter, which I wrote about here, Megill is now also throwing a harder/gyro-type slider. Could this new arsenal give him both command and strikeout upside? Lastly, Sean Manaea seems to have a rotation spot locked up and is coming to camp with a new change-up and cutter. Can he reclaim some of his past magic?

Philadelphia Phillies
There's not much to watch here because the Phillies have a pretty well-established veteran rotation. Cristopher Sanchez is somebody I really like, and he's come into camp with added velocity. Will that impact the movement on his pitches? I'm also curious to watch Mick Abel because I think the prospect could start the season as the 6th starter and get a call-up pretty early on in the year.

Washington Nationals
Not a lot to watch for here. Jake Irvin seems to be in the rotation and is adding a change-up. Will it make him meaningfully better? I'm really excited to watch DJ Herz pitch. He had a strong finish to the season and looked good in the AFL. Would the Nationals give him a shot at the rotation if he looks good in the spring? Former top prospect Cole Henry is also back after 2022 Thoracic Outlet Syndrome surgery. How does he look? Can he fight back into the team's plans?

NL Central

Chicago Cubs
I'm really excited to see Shota Imanaga. His Stuff+ numbers were the best in the World Baseball Classic, and he had a better strikeout rate than Yamamoto in Japan, but nobody seems interested in Imanaga because he's 30 and doesn't light up the radar guns. I think his stuff could be filthy. Jameson Taillon spoke at length with Nick Pollack about how he tweaked his arsenal last year and the pitches really started to feel comfortable to him mid-season. Will Taillon continue to refine his arsenal? Is his command of those pitches better? Prospect Caleb Killian looked good in that first start, sitting 95-97 with sinkers in on right-handers and showing a decent slider away. Could he push Jordan Wicks for the final rotation spot or might fellow prospect Ben Brown look good enough in spring to do that.

Cincinnati Reds
Hunter Greene has added a new splitter and curve, which I discussed in the first edition of Pitchers With New Pitches and Should we Care. I'm far more curious to see the curve than the splitter. Additionally, Graham Ashcraft is apparently adding a changeup, which would be huge for him since all of his pitches right now are hard and move away from right-handed hitters, which is why he really struggles against them. A good change-up could be a gamechanger for him. I'm also watching the health of both Nick Lodolo and Frankie Montas who are coming off lost 2023 seasons. Does each guy look ready to go? How is Lodolo's command of his arsenal? Can prospect Connor Phillips find better command of his breaking pitches to unlock his potential?

Milwaukee Brewers
I'm excited to see DL Hall, who was the headliner in the trade for Corbin Burnes. Hall re-shaped his slider last year and really took off while working out of the bullpen for Baltimore. Is the new slider here to stay? How is Hall's command? Does it look like he can hold up for 5-6 innings?. I'm also excited to see if Aaron Ashby is healthy. He was a breakout candidate before getting hurt in 2022 and missed all of last season. Is he healthy enough to start the season in the big leagues? That could depend on how new signees Jakob Junis and Joe Ross look this spring. Are both going to be in the rotation or might Ashby or prospect Robert Gasser be able to push for the role with a good spring.

Pittsburgh Pirates
Marco Gonzales went to Driveline this offseason and added velocity; however, he's still just around 90 mph. He does seem to have a rotation spot locked up, so could he pitch well enough to be a deep league option again? Former top prospect Roansy Contreras apparently looks great this spring and has added vertical movement on his fastball. He could easily win a rotation spot if he looks good. Prospect Jared Jones might not be able to win a spot out of camp, but he looked great in his first start with a high-90s fastball that had way more vertical break than before. Could he be called up before Paul Skenes? I also want to see what role the team seems to want Josh Fleming in. The left-hander has added a cutter, which he can throw in on the hands of righties.

St. Louis Cardinals
There's not much to watch here because these are all veterans. I'm curious to see if Lance Lynn looks meaningfully different than last year. His four-seam needs to get better than it was. Matthew Liberatore showed flashes at time last year, but the velocity needs to stick around. Could be emerge are the 6th starter and next in line for a job?

NL West

Arizona Diamondbacks
Last year, Brandon Pfaadt changed where he stood on the rubber mid season to ensure he threw fewer pitches over the middle of the plate. Is that sticking around? Can he find an approach with his fastball to make it less hittable? Ryne Nelson seems to have the final rotation spot locked in, but I'd like to see better command and movement on his secondaries. Did he make any changes in the offseason? I'm also curious about new addition Cristian Mena, who is a darkhorse for a rotation spot.

Colorado Rockies
Honestly, there's nothing specific I really want to watch here. Carry on.

Los Angeles Rodgers
Obviously I want to see Yoshinobu Yamamoto against MLB hitters to see what we can expect this year. I'm also watching the health of both Tyler Glasnow and James Paxton, who are set to open the season in the rotation. Emmett Sheehan also seems likely to start in the rotation. He looked good early last year, but I'd like to see more consistency from his slider in order for him to take the next step. Did he make any notable changes in the offseason?

San Diego Padres
Michael King is now in San Diego as a starter and allegedly is adding a mystery pitch. What is it and is it something he'll actually throw? An addition to the arsenal could theoretically help him as he works deeper in games. I'm also curious to see who wins the final rotation spot. Can Randy Vasquez find a reliable breaking ball? Can Johny Brito land on a secondary pitch that supports his sinker? Is Pedro Avila more than just a placeholder? Can the Padres be to team to unlock the former potential of Luis Patino? Somebody has to emerge here.

San Francisco Giants
The Giants claim they're going to let Jordan Hicks start, but should they? He's never been able to hold up or show length as a starter. Will that change this season? Does Kyle Harrison have another pitch? He got decent results on the fastball, but the shape of the pitch is poor, and he needs more diversity in his arsenal. This rotation is banged up and not deep at all, so Daulton Jefferies could battle for a spot now that he's back to full health. His new slider was impressive before his injury, so what does the arsenal look like now? I'll also be watching Alex Cobb's recovery from hip surgery to see when he might be coming back to the lineup.