A good showing in Spring Training can create momentum heading into the regular season.

Many Spring Training stats don’t matter, but for players looking to ascend or fighting for jobs, it can be indicative of good things ahead. These 10 players have helped themselves this Spring and emerged on the fantasy radar.

Hayden Birdsong, SP, San Francisco Giants
The Giants pitching staff is quietly deep, and Birdsong faced a Spring Training battle to be the team’s fifth starter. While nothing is official, Birdsong has done more than enough to win the job. He’s been electric in four outings, allowing one run in 12 innings with 18/0 K/BB. Control has long been Birdsong’s shortfall, including in his rookie season when he posted an ugly 5.4 BB/9, so the control he’s shown in March is particularly promising.

Griffin Canning, SP, New York Mets
It was an uncomfortable offseason for Canning, who was traded from the Angels to the Braves right after the 2024 season and then non-tendered. New York picked him up, and it appears their move to add depth was a smart one after a series of pitcher injuries. Canning showed potential at times in LA, but posted a 5.19 ERA and league-worst 99 earned runs last season. A new team and change of scenery could help, as Canning has likely won a rotation spot with 16/2 K/BB and one run allowed in 10 innings this Spring. After his strikeout rate plunged last year, could Canning be back on track?

Clay Holmes, SP, New York Mets
The transition from reliever to starter is going quite well for Holmes. In fact, he’s already been announced as the team’s starter on Opening Day. The groundball specialist has added multiple pitches to his repertoire, headlined by a “kick change,” and the Spring Training results have been spectacular with two runs allowed in 14 innings and 15/5 K/BB while keeping the ball in the park. New York will be leaning on Holmes heavily in March and April with injuries to Frankie Montas and Sean Manaea, but he could be up to the task as his ADP also rises.

Jack Leiter, SP, Texas Rangers
While Leiter had a breakout 2024 season in the minors, his MLB results weren’t pretty. The former second overall draft choice just didn’t have enough to trick MLB hitters, but there are signs he’s turned a corner this Spring. With an uptick in velocity, displaying +2 mph consistently as he works in the high-90’s, Leiter has allowed only five runs in 14.2 innings with 17 strikeouts. Control remains a clear concern (nine walks), but Leiter has done enough to win a rotation spot after injuries to Cody Bradford and Jon Gray.

Kenta Maeda, SP, Detroit Tigers
Maeda was a bust for the Tigers and fantasy managers last season, as he posted an ERA above 6.00 and was demoted out of the starting rotation. It certainly wouldn’t be out of the ordinary for a 36-year-old pitcher like Maeda to deteriorate to the point that he’s no longer getting outs, but he’s shown signs of life this Spring. The home run has remained an issue, but Maeda has a dominant 19/1 K/BB over 12.2 innings as he looks to lock down a rotation spot. Once again, Maeda appears to be a viable late-draft flier for fantasy managers.

Max Meyer, SP, Miami Marlins Meyer came in with some fanfare last season as he returned from Tommy John surgery and looked the part in his first three outings. Unfortunately, the Marlins were focused more on their future than 2024 and demoted the right-hander to the minors in spite of a 2.12 ERA. As he worked on his craft, Meyer struggled in the minors and the second half of the year before getting shut down in September. He’s looked like a new pitcher this Spring, regularly adding +2 mph to his fastball and allowing only four runs in nine innings with eight strikeouts. Meyer appears to be a viable fantasy pitcher again.

Cristopher Sanchez, SP, Philadelphia Phillies
For the second consecutive year, Sanchez has shown velocity progress in Spring Training as he looks to make a name for himself in the loaded Phillies starting rotation. After finishing 10th in NL Cy Young balloting last year, Sanchez has a chance to take his name to another level with the elite velocity he’s shown. The Spring Training results are staggering, with 17/2 K/BB in 11.2 innings. The blemish on Sanchez as a fantasy pitcher had been the lack of strikeouts, but throwing harder could cure his shortcoming and makes him a potentially elite fantasy find.

Gavin Sheets, 1B/OF, San Diego Padres
It’s fair to say the Padres went cheap in the offseason, filling multiple lineup holes with the likes of Sheets, Elias Diaz, Jason Heyward, and Connor Joe. Given Sheets’ mediocre MLB track record, with a career .680 OPS that has been far worse for the White Sox over the last two years, we should probably take his Spring Training performance with a grain of salt, but it’s likely been enough for him to make the Opening Day roster and then some. The 28-year-old has hit .311/.367/.756 with six homers in only 19 games.

AJ Smith-Shawver, P, Atlanta Braves
The Braves front office has long talked up Smith-Shawver’s potential, yet the MLB results haven’t matched. He also struggled at Triple-A Gwinnett last season, with a 4.86 ERA in 20 starts. Still, Smith-Shawver has never had an issue missing bats and has youth on his side as he enters his age 22 season. Fighting for the fifth starter job, Smith-Shawver has been nothing short of spectacular with 18/3 K/BB in 12 innings. Even if he doesn’t win a rotation job to open the year, Smith-Shawver has put himself back on the fantasy radar.

Daulton Varsho, OF, Toronto Blue Jays
There were big questions about Varsho all offseason following shoulder surgery, an injury that shut him down last September. While it’s still possible Varsho will need to start the year on the IL as he develops arm strength, the bat looks just fine. He’s launched four home runs over his first eight games this Spring, and the price is starting to rise as fantasy managers take notice. If you bought the dip early, Varsho looks like he could have another 20/10 season in store at a discounted rate.

--Seth Trachtman

You can find fantasy baseball analysis in the 2025 Fantasy Baseball Index Draft Kit and Fantasy Baseball Index magazine.