Spring Training Dynasty Notes: March 6

Chris Clegg breaks down everything you need to know for dynasty leagues from March 6.

Thank you for all the great feedback on the dynasty Spring Training reports. I have enjoyed providing content that hopefully you provide helpful each day. If you missed any of the reports, go back and check them out. What was discussed a week ago, is likely still applicable today! Check out yesterday’s post below.

Spring Training Dynasty Notes: March 4 & 5

Let’s dive in on Monday’s action.

Chris Sale, LHP, BOS

Chris Sale came out dealing in his spring debut on Monday. He fired two scoreless innings, allowing just two hits and striking out two. Outside of a massive blip in 2019 when he had a 4.40 ERA in 147.1 innings, Sale’s highest ERA in a season is 3.41. But as we know, its all about health and Sale has thrown just 48.1 innings since 2019.

Outside of the good stat line, Sale commanded his fastball well and hit 96 mph and lived around the 95 range. I know it was just a two innings sample, but it was really good to see as it has been since 2018 that we saw his fastball average at least 95.

Sale’s slider also looked like he was back to the elite levels we have seen in the past. He back doored it and froze hitters. His changeup looked sharp as well. It was an impressive spring debut for Sale and it was everything we needed to see from him.

If you are a contending team in dynasty, you could probably acquire Sale on the cheap and it be worth the risk. As I stated earlier, when he pitches, he is elite.

Rob Friedman @PitchingNinja

Chris Sale, Pretty Back Door Slider. 🚪

Bryce Miller, RHP, SEA

There has been a lot of helium surrounding Bryce Miller this offseason, and for good reasons. He fired off three scoreless innings, striking out four hitters and allowing two hits and no walks. It extended his spring scoreless streak and now has six strikeouts across five spring innings with only one walk.

Miller’s fastball sat 97-98 with good location up in the zone. He also showed the ability to paint the corners when needed. His breaking balls were a bit more inconsistent and it felt like he struggled to command them well. Regardless, Miller still got the jobs done.

There is a case to be made for Miller to spend time in the Mariners rotation this season. He is ready and even though he probably won’t make the team out of camp, he could get the call by midseason.

Gravel @Gravel_sense

Every pitch from Bryce Miller's outing.

Brady Singer, RHP, KC

Everyone wrote off Brady Singer’s strong 2022 season as a fluke when he posted a 3.23 ERA and struck out 150 batters in 153 innings. Well, Singer has set out to prove that he’s back and could be better than ever. The 26 year old had another good start, firing three scoreless innings with five strikeouts and no walks. It brought his spring total to eight strikeouts in 4.2 innings.

Singer has made some tweaks to his release point on his sinker, which allows him to get less drop on the pitch. His changeup has also made improvements as well. His changeup had just a 9.1 percent swinging strike rate last season, if it is indeed improved as a swing and miss pitch, Singer could see his strikeouts really tick up.

It is easy to forget that Singer made significant improvements last year and seems to be continually evolving as a pitcher. His second half ERA was 2.53 last year and his strikeout minus walk rate ticked up 2.3 percentage points. Im buying Singer in dynasty big time!

Alec Bohm, 3B, PHI

I highlighted Alec Bohm last week but will again because I’m not sure people are actually buying into what he is doing. Bohm had another big game, going 2-3 with a home run and a double. That brought his spring home run total to three while boasting a .412 batting average.

Hitting the ball hard has never been a problem for Bohm. In fact, Bohm has had a career average exit velocity of 90.8 mph and a career hard-hit rate of 45.5 percent. The issue is that Bohm pounds balls into the ground.

This spring, that has changed. Bohm is lifting the ball well and consistently, and the results are showing. He also added 15 pounds of muscle in the offseason from eating clean and according to him “Just growing up.” Bohm could be a major buy in 2023.

David Hensley, 1B, HOU

Okay, I cannot ignore David Hensley any longer. If you aren’t familiar with the name, it’s likely because Hensley was never considered a top prospect. He was older when he was drafted in the 26th round of the 2018 draft and the lost COVID year really set him back.

In Triple-A last year, Hensley slashed .298/.420/.478 with ten home runs. He also made his debut with the Astros and had a solid showing slashing .345/.441/.568 in 34 plate appearances. Hensley is smoking the ball this spring and added his second home run to pair with a 1.247 OPS.

Maybe you question the power a bit because he only hit ten home runs last year. I will ease your mind a bit because he had a 106.6 mph 90th percentile exit velocity and a 50 percent hard-hit rate.

I am not sure where Hensley will play. He has played some in the outfield, at first base, and designated hitter. The bat will play, the question is can he find a spot in Houston?