The Dynasty Digest: March 4, 2024
Chris Clegg runs down everything you need to know for dynasty leagues from the previous days action.
After spending the weekend in Florida, I got a full dose of live Spring Training action and have a lot to discuss.
Welcome to the Dynasty Digest! Baseball is back, and so are we, with our daily reports of everything you need to know from the previous days’ action for you to win your dynasty leagues.
Spring Training is always an interesting time, as box score stats don’t necessarily matter, but I am looking for other things of note. Has a pitcher seen an increase in velo or do they have a new pitch that compliments the arsenal well? Has a hitter simplified their approach, or did they post a new max exit velocity? The little things are much more important than box score stats for Spring Training, and we are going to talk about them. Let’s break down Monday’s action.
Spring Training Standouts From March 3
Grayson Rodriguez, RHP, BAL
Rodriguez pitched two innings on Sunday and was a mixed bag of results. The first inning was shaky with his command and location, but Rodriguez settled in nicely and had the breaking ball and changeup working. He finished the day with two innings pitched, three hits allowed, one earned run, two walks and walk strikeouts.
The new sinker was featured only twice, but it had good shape, showing depth and 17 inches of arm-side run. Rodriguez’s slider generated his only two whiffs of the start but he did land several curveballs and changeups for strikes.
I still believe that Rodriguez could be in for a big season, but he will need to establish his sinker and locate it well down. The stuff is there with the secondaries and the four-seam can be a solid offering as well.
Colton Cowser, OF, BAL
Cowser continues to hit the ball hard and mashed his third home run of the spring, this time off a lefty. Yes, it was Martin Perez, but Perez actually pitched well today in his start. The biggest issue for Cowser is the lack of room in the outfield for him, with the team already having Cedric Mullins, Austin Hays, and Anthony Santander locked into spots. Maybe Cowser can supplant Hays eventually, but Hays has actually been an underrated player.
Still, Cowser is doing his best to force the Orioles’ hand here. With a strong spring performance, there is a chance that Cowser could break camp, but I don’t see the team doing that without him having a defined role. Otherwise he should be playing everyday in Triple-A.
Cade Povich, LHP, BAL
While Povich’s stat line does not look dominant by any means, he pitched very well. He allowed four hits across two innings of work and one earned run. While Jase Bowen did hit a solid double off of him, the rest of the hits were singles that found gaps.
The fastball looked good and sat 93 mph and showed good arm side run. The mid-70s curveball showed incredible depth, having 60-65 inches of drop regularly with 10 inches of sweeping action. The mid-80s changeup showed nice depth and run, while also featuring a sweeper and a cutter.
The arsenal is impressive, and he generated ten whiffs on 23 swings and posted a 38 percent CSW. He also threw strikes at a 69 percent clip, which is highly impressive. Povich stands a chance to pitch significant innings in the Orioles rotation this year.
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