Spring training is awesome. It marks the dawn of a new season where every team has a chance, at least in theory, to reach October glory. Fans flock from across the nation to watch stars and prospects intertwine on fields that shine of green and smell of summer. As great as spring training is, the stats that it produces are, for the lack of a better word, crap. I'll be checking in now and again on some spring action and try to make logical sense of the numbers, or lack thereof, which show up in the box scores each day.

From the games on 3/13…

The Tigers top prospect list is littered with pitching prospects. The organization is thin on impact bats, but the parent club isn't exactly in need of much thump. The fifth starter role is to be determined, and many of the prospects on this list could end up getting a crack at securing the gig for themselves.

Instead of continuing to produce our composite rankings, over the next couple of days we will each post our individual positional rankings. Honestly, it just came down to time and I just didn't have enough on top of other commitments to do the composite ranks anymore. However, I believe this method might actually be better where each writer can easily answer any questions you the reader might have. Enjoy!

Key Stats: Giancarlo Stanton smacked 34 home runs as a 21-year-old last year. I’d say he’s earned the chance to go for a new name. The numbers that he had last season at the age that he had it is worth comparing (see the peer comparison), but ignore the age. Stanton was 9^th in home runs last year, but trailed only Curtis Granderson and Jose Bautista in isolated power (both of those guys led baseball).  The average distance of a ball off his bat went 322 feet – best in all of baseball. Stanton could lead all of baseball in home runs this season at age 22.

Skeptics Say: There’s still a lot that remains to be seen. Stanton struck out 27.6% of the time last year. That was second worst among qualifying outfielders. Obviously that impacts batting average where Stanton was a liability last season. And while I respect Jack McKeon’s baseball acumen, Stanton stealing 30 bases is out of the question. no comments

Key Stats: There is currently only one other third baseman in baseball who is the 5 category threat that David Wright can be, and he has a total of 171 plate appearances in his career. The strikeouts may be a concern, but last year in only 104 games he still hit 14 HR's and gave us 60+ Runs and RBI. In 2010 he was a 5 category monster with a triple slash line of .283/.354/.503. At the top of his game David Wright is a .300 batter that can threaten 30 HR, 100 RBI, 80 Runs and steal 20 bags. The fences are moving in at Citi and it's not going to be the pitchers haven it used to be. 

Key Stats: The 160 innings that the Nationals have set as a hard innings cap on Stephen Strasburg has thrown a wrench in this ranking. When I originally developed these rankings back in October, I had assumed that Strasburg would be throwing somewhere closer to 180 or 190 innings which is still less than a number one or two starter. What the Nationals are doing obviously make sense though. Strasburg has only been a pro for two seasons (really it's closer to one factoring in the time he missed with TJ Surgery) and given that the most he's thrown in any one season is 115 innings the Nationals plan would appear to make sense. 

Skeptics Say: We've seen pitchers with phenomenal talent before who just couldn't stay on the mound every fifth day. Strasburg has more hype and talent than even Mark Prior did coming out of USC, but that doesn't mean that his career is going to take a different path than Prior. Hopefully for baseball and fantasy sake, this guy can stay healthy because from what we've seen so far he can be the most exciting player in baseball. There's nothing to question when he is on the mound, but getting there is the issue that will force people to think twice before selecting him this season. 

The Royals system graduated two blue chip prospects in 2011 in Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas. Others in the system took a slight step backwards in development. Still, the system has a lot of potential fantasy talent, and added to that talent in the first round of the 2011 amateur draft. no comments

Key Stats: Tim Linecum did not finish with a winning record last year despite having an ERA under 3.00. It’s unusual, but far from unprecedented. Since 2000, there have been 92 pitchers that have had an ERA under 3.00 and qualified for the ERA title. Six of them (including Lincecum last season) have had a losing record. The others were Doug Fister (2011), Jake Peavy (2008), Kevin Millwood (2005), Ben Sheets (2004), and Curt Schilling (2003).

Lincecum had 7 quality starts result in losses and also had three no decisions that he gave up 1 or fewer runs.

Skeptics Say: For the third straight season the cumulative strikeout total dropped for The Freak. He still has a strong strikeout rate, but that has also dropped four straight years. His average fastball actually was 1 MPH quicker last year and his average change up did not change. It would appear he had the stuff to get more strikeouts, but the numbers didn’t work that way. Hitter adjustments and pitch movement are likely reasons, but in any case Lincecum doesn’t possess first round stuff anymore with his K rate where it is. no comments