With spring training, a month away, here is a list of potential prospects to keep an eye on. Regardless if you are a fan of fantasy, prospects, or both, this article is a ‘must’ read for any baseball fan!

AL East

BALTIMORE ORIOLES

2B/SS: Terrin Vavra: Came from the Colorado Rockies, as part of the Mychal Givens trade. The former Minnesota Golden Gopher could be knocking on the Rockies doorstep soon, and should get looks for a rebuilding club once spring training rolls-around.
The bat is the stadnout tool here. Through 2019 in A ball he posted .318 AVG, .350 BABIP, .409 OBP, .489 SLG, .407 wOBA, and 160 wRC+. While his defense could use a little work, he offers versatility with the ability to play both 2B and SS, and learning to also play 3B and CF, provides an added bonus to the offensive package.
While prospects like Adley Rutschman, Grayson Rodriguez, and Heston Kjerstad get a lot of hype, and rightfully so, Vavra could be a ‘dark horse’ candidate to watch for both fantasy owners, and fans of the rebuilding Orioles.

BOSTON RED SOX

C/INF: Connor Wong: One of the players the Red Sox received in exchange for Mookie Betts, Wong was lost in the shuffle as one of the lesser names in the deal. But he shouldn’t be a complete afterthought. Since 2019, a season he played the most games of his minor league career, he posted the following offensive and defensive numbers: .350 OBP, .556 SLG, .389 BABIP, .396 wOBA, 147 wRC+, 37% Caught-Stealing Percentage, and .984 Catcher Field Percentage.
These are all solid numbers. While he does not have the cleanest swing mechanics, and might not become a plus defender behind the dish, there could be some untapped potential to go along with average arm and fielding. Wong’s hitting and versatility impressed evaluators at the alternate training site.

NEW YORK YANKEES

RHP: Miguel Yajure: The Yankees are a team that are looking to develop some home-grown pitching talent that can pitch near the top or middle of a starting rotation alongside Gerrit Cole. While there is hype made about young arms like Clarke Schmidt and Deivi Garcia, the Yankees might have a ‘sleeper’ lurking in the minor leagues that received a cup of coffee in 2020 —Miguel Yajure.
While there are some parts to his game that could use some work, like his ability to command pitches more consistently, he has a fastball that averages between 92-95 mph and has at least three other offerings in his pitching arsenal, like a changeup, cutter, and curveball that he can go to in outings.
In 2019, he posted some key combined statistics from both A+ and AA, a 2.14 ERA, 2.23 FIP, 1.04 WHIP, 2.0 BB/9, 8.7 K/9, 19.1% LD%, 45.1% GB%, 35.9% FB%, 16.9% IFFB%. The Yankees will surely watch how he pitches in spring training because depending on how the rest of the off-season progresses, he could factor into the opening day roster.

TAMPA BAY RAYS

RHP: Seth Johnson: A former shortstop, Johnson gave pitching a try when he transferred to Campbell University for his junior year and the Rays selected him 40th overall in the 2019 MLB Draft.
While he is new to pitching, might take some time to develop, and had limited action in the lower minor leagues, he has the ingredients that you like to see, in the potential making of a solid pitcher. He has both a clean and sound delivery, fastball ranges between 93-95, tops out 98, and he also features a slider, curveball, and changeup that are at least average, or better. In limited action in the minor leagues, he has posted solid stats, with a 2.12 ERA, 2.18 FIP, 1.24 WHIP, 1.6 BB/9, 8.5 K/9, 35% FB%, 40.7% GB%, and 13.9% IFFB%.
These stats are all above or at-least average stats for a pitcher. This is a great sign to see, especially from a draft pick that is fairly new to pitching. He was a part of the 60-man player pool in 2020 and the Rays believe in his potential.

TORONTO BLUE JAYS

RHP: Eric Pardinho: The young Brazilian will be making his way back from Tommy John Surgery, and could be a sleeper candidate to bounce back in 2021. Before the procedure, his fastball ranged in the low 90s, but topped out at 96 mph with a slider, curveball and changeup. Also, for his age, he featured a repeatable delivery, velocity seemed to come naturally with little effort, with good control and command.
Through his career, thus far, he has posted a 2.57 ERA, 3.41 FIP, 1.10 WHIP, 10.2 K/9, 20.9% LD%, 33.8% FB%, 52.4% GB%, 13.6% IFFB%. All those numbers are great for a 20-year-old pitcher. Entering spring training, if he can show signs of regaining similar velocity he exhibited, before his procedure, to go along with a repeatable delivery, then his ceiling could begin to trend in the right direction again, and be a potential buy-low candidate for fantasy owners.