It’s still plenty early in big league spring training, with three weeks between now and the traditional Opening Day.
But, thus far, it’s been Kyren Paris who’s taken a step forward and is making a case to stick with the Los Angeles Angels when they break camp later this month. Still just 22 years old, the talented infielder made a somewhat surprising MLB debut on September 1 of last year, skipping Triple-A entirely to get there. He struggled at the plate, recording just four hits over 40 at-bats, but has already matched that output this spring in just 16 AB’s.
Paris is hitting .250 thus far in Cactus League action, and has driven in two runs while stealing three bases in what is incredibly already his fourth big league spring training after being taken No. 55 overall in the 2019 MLB Draft following his standout showing with the New Balance Baseball Future Stars Series at International Week in 2018.
Grayson Rodriguez, who starred as a breakout Draft prospect at the inaugural International Week event a year prior, has made his first two starts of the spring for the Baltimore Orioles as he starts to get stretched out for what many expect to be a big year in their starting rotation.
Limited to just two innings in each of his outings — one on February 27 against Detroit, followed by another on March 3 against the Pirates — the 24-year-old power righty has struck out four batters over those four innings of work, allowing just two runs along the way.
Bo Naylor was the first Future Stars Series alum to reach the big leagues, having done so at the tail end of the 2022 season, and is coming off a year in which he’s seemingly established himself as an every day big leaguer. A fellow 2018 MLB Draft first rounder like Rodriguez, Naylor missed some time in camp this year due to back spasms, and just returned to the Cleveland Guardians lineup on Wednesday, having made just four plate appearances thus far this spring.
After a strong first half of the season in Triple-A, Tyler Soderstrom knocked down the door of the big leagues earlier than expexted last year with the Oakland Athletics. Having just turned 22 years old this off-season, he understandably struggled at the highest level last year, but did have some impressive flashes with three home runs in the big leagues. In just six games this spring, Soderstrom has already delivered two RBI, and went 1-for-2 with a run scored in his most recent contest against the Angels on Wednesday.
