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Bryant, Pederson Winning Position Battles in Spring Training

By Brody Hilgenkamp

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Hank Aaron hit .353 during the 1953 minor league season and then hit his way into the Milwaukee Braves’ lineup the following spring. It was his opening statement to stardom.

Kris Bryant is making a similar opening statement. He was an MiLB All-Star playing in the minors last season—so, you know how that went for the pitchers—and on Wednesday left no doubt he should be the Cubs’ starting third baseman with his two home runs. He has four home runs in 18 at bats entering play on Saturday.

Aaron would be proud.

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For top-billed prospects, Spring Training is often where they convince their teams they are ready to play with the best, or that they need more experience. Several prospects, like Bryant, are attempting to build similar cases to be on their team’s Opening Day roster.

Joc Pederson is making nearly as big of a splash as Bryant, hitting .421 with a homer. The Dodgers made room for Pederson to take the starting center field job, and his positive response to their vote of confidence in his abilities is a boon for the Dodgers’ World Series aspirations.

Jon Gray of the Colorado Rockies already has three impressive starts this spring. He went two innings in each start and has yet to give up a run. He struck out three batters in his start on March 8 against the Padres and two in his first start against the Diamondbacks.

The salvation of Arizona’s pitching staff– Archie Bradley, Aaron Blair and Braden Shipley— has had mixed success thus spring, as all three had solid first starts but faced differing struggles in their second starts. Bradley has pitched 4.1 innings and only given up one run. In his second start, on Tuesday, he walked two batters and hit another. Shipley threw two solid innings in his first start but gave up four hits and a run in his second start. Blair struck out two batters in two innings his first start and then gave up a home run in his second start. All three could pitch in the majors at some point this season, but it looks like they won’t be able to crack the Opening Day roster.

The White Sox’s Carlos Rodon’s chances of being on the roster out of spring increased dramatically when pitcher Chris Sale was injured earlier this spring. He responded well in his first start, only allowing one hit in two innings. His second start was a different story; five hits, three earned runs and a walk. If he struggles as a starter, he could be relegated to the bullpen.

Other prospects making bids, both good and bad: Blue Jays’ Dalton Pompey has eight hits in 24 at bats, including two doubles and a triple; the Royals’ Brandon Finnegan gave up two runs on three hits and a walk in the only two innings he’s pitched; pitcher Daniel Norris of the Blue Jays has had a rough spring—he gave up three runs in only two innings in his second start and fellow pitcher R.A. Dickey stole his famed van.

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