What to watch for (24 Feb)

Another full slate of Spring Training games across the Cactus and Grapefruit Leagues. There’s plenty of intrigue on the mounds today. Lets break down the must-see starters today.

Reynaldo Lopez (Braves)

Following a stellar 2024 All-Star campaign, right-hander Reynaldo López entered 2025 looking to solidify his spot in the starting rotation but saw his season immediately derailed by a right shoulder injury. He ended up having surgery and missing most of the 2025 season. This is a significant game for Lopez as its the first time in 11 months he will be pitching in a game. The Braves desperately need him to be healthy, given their injury woes. Look for his fastball velocity. In camp its been sitting around 93-94 mph. In 2024, his fastball velocity was around 95-96 mph. I’m not expecting him to hit that in this game, but you would want to see his velo sitting around 93-94 mph with good command. To be honest, you just want to see him look healthy and then build from there.

Enmanual De Jesus (Tigers)

The lefty is coming off two solid seasons in Korea, where had a 3.81 ERA and 343:88 K:BB over 335 innings. How can he translate this to the MLB. He’s a non-roster invite battling for a spot in the bullpen, perhaps. A key to his success will be whether he has quality secondary pitches, especially the changeup, which has been a pitch he reportedly wanted to refine.

Joe Boyle (Rays)

Joe’s stuff is elite but volatile. He is known for a triple-digit heater that has touched 102 mph in the past, averaging 97.7 mph last season. Today, we want to see if he can maintain high-90s velocity while keeping the ball in the strike zone—his primary hurdle.

Under the watchful eyes of the Rays’ coaching, Boyle added a splitter as an offspeed pitch in 2025. We will be looking for increased usage and better “feel” for this pitch today, as it is seen as a crucial tool for his transition to a full-time starter.

Lastly, lets see some whiffs. In his last 2025 starts, Boyle got 15 whiffs!

Christian Macleod (Twins)

The southpaw pitching prospect will be hoping to regain some form that once made him a high draft prospect. He struggled in Triple-A last season, where control was a huge issue for him. Watch today whether he can limit the walks. This will be critical for him if he hopes to make it to the bigs. Macleod also struggled with a dip in his fastball velocity. He will want his fastball to be operting in the low 90s rather than the high 80s.

Mason Barnett (Athletics)

Barnett had a tough debut in 2025 (7.56 ERA), so this Spring is huge for him as he fights for a spot in the rotation. Specifically look for his command and control. He walked 9 batters in 16.2 innings. during his 2025 call-up. We need to see him throw strikes early and avoid deep counts. Lastly, his slider could be nasty. We want to see it being effective. If so, we could be looking at a breakout candidate.

Angel Zerpa (Brewers)

Zerpa is an excellent reliever. He posted a 1.47 ERA last season with a high-powered arsenal. The Brewers are looking at stretching him out to see if he can be a starter. Can he handle the workload?

Enjoy the show!