2025 Spring Training Updates: Spencer Torkelson, Trevor Story, and Christian Encarnacion-Strand
In this story:
Here's a look at some trending bats in spring training, along with one player's approach that is fading:
1B Spencer Torkelson, DET
- At Bats (AB): 20
- Batting Average (AVG): .350
- Home Runs (HR): 3
- On-Base Plus Slugging (OPS): 1.181
Fantasy Update: Torkelson is doing his best to make the Detroit Tigers' opening-day roster. He has a 30-home run season on his major league resume, highlighted by his final 239 at-bats in 2023 (.243/40/17/42/1). His price point is free in almost every draft, making him an easy stash this draft season.
SS Trevor Story, BOS
- At Bats (AB): 21
- Batting Average (AVG): .476
- Home Runs (HR): 2
- Runs Batted In (RBI): 5
- On-Base Plus Slugging (OPS): 1.405
- Extra-Base Hits (XBH): 5 (includes 3 doubles and 2 home runs)
Fantasy Update: When healthy, Story has been a top-tier fantasy shortstop due to his combination of power and speed. Injuries have been a significant issue since arriving in Boston, leading to him falling below his potential in drafts. His spring training success suggests that Story is the right kind of gamble for a fantasy team willing to cheat the first base position.
1B Christian Encarnacion-Strand, CIN
- At Bats (AB): 20
- Batting Average (AVG): .300
- Home Runs (HR): 3
- Runs Batted In (RBI): 5
- On-Base Plus Slugging (OPS): Approximately 1.118
- Extra-Base Hits (XBH): 4 (including 3 HR and 1 double)
Fantasy Outlook: For those who missed my breakout/sleeper first basemen article, Encarnacion-Strand is my breakout hitter of the year. I love the power ceiling of his bat, and I expect a middle-of-the-order opportunity over the long haul in 2025. His hot start in spring training and an injury to Spencer Steer points to plenty of starting at-bats out of the gate in April.
1B - Paul Goldschmidt, NYY
- At Bats (AB): 22
- Batting Average (AVG): .182
- Home Runs (HR): 1
- Runs Batted In (RBI): 4
- On-Base Plus Slugging (OPS): .545
- No walks and 10 strikeouts
Fantasy Outlook: Goldschmidt's uptick in strikeouts during spring training is a concern, especially when adding no walks. His bat faded in 2024, but he is a professional hitter with a long resume of success. At the very least, continued struggles in spring training could lead to him sliding a round or two in drafts late in March.
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With 20+ years of experience in the high-stakes fantasy market, I aim to research and compete at the highest level in baseball and football each season. I've contributed as a writer/analyst for Sports Draft Daily, ScoutPro, Scout Fantasy, Fulltime Fantasy, FFToolbox, and Sports Illustrated Fantasy. I'm honored to be in the National Fantasy Baseball Championship Hall of Fame. My drafting philosophy is risk-averse yet open to betting on potential game-changers. I approach player selection with a neutral perspective, acknowledging that fantasy sports are inherently unpredictable due to injuries, performance dips, and managerial decisions. My work focuses on these main areas: - Season-long fantasy baseball and football - BestBall Baseball and Football Events - Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS): DraftKings, FanDuel, and Underdog - Long Shot Player Prop Parlays for NFL I participate in various leagues and contests, including NFBC, NFFC, RTSports, FFPC, DraftKings, Underdog Fantasy, FanDuel, and FFWC, with the goal of leveraging my extensive experience and research for success in each game format. A fantasy follower can expect in-depth profiles of NFL and MLB players, along with season-long and weekly projections for each fantasy football season. In addition, I have many strategy articles to help develop fantasy players' learning curves.
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