Spring Scouting: AL East Non-Roster Invitees

Who is going to make a splash this Spring?

Feb 13, 2025

Introduction

Welcome to my first installment of “Spring Scouting” which aims to highlight any intriguing Spring Training players or storylines. This article will cover AL East Non-Roster Invitees (NRI) ranging from Top Prospects to potential breakout candidates heading into the 2025 season.

To help with my research, I created a Shiny App that generates the Spring Training Roster (including NRI) for each team

Let’s get started!

Baltimore Orioles

Samuel Basallo - C

Samuel Basallo cemented himself as a consensus Top 10 Prospects in baseball in 2024 after a breakout season in 2023. Basallo’s power is his driving tool, and at just 19-years-old he stormed his way to AAA while playing to the toughest position in the sport. Adley Rutschman’s presence will force Basallo into a 1B in the short-term, while Basallo’s own defensive capabilities may force him to stay their long-term. We got a glimpse of Basallo’s power during his short stint in AAA last season, and with a full offseason to develop he is a very intriguing bat to follow in Spring Training.

Enrique Bradfield Jr. - CF

Enrique Bradfield Jr. was selected in the 1st round of the 2023 MLB draft and has steadily climbed his way through Baltimore’s system. His elite speed and plus defense give him clear path to be the Orioles future CF and he has more than held his own with the bat. Although the power will be limited, Bradfield Jr. will turns some heads this Spring with his lighting quick feet.

Boston Red Sox

Jovani Moran - LHP

Jovani Moran was shipped to the Red Sox in a minor trade this winter to bolster their minors bullpen depth. Moran missed the entire 2024 season following Tommy John Surgery, but when he is healthy, he throws a nasty changeup. In 2023, the offering returned a 50.9 Whiff% while effectively inducing weak contact. His biggest flaw is his fastball which had putrid results across the board. The Red Sox have been at the forefront of phasing out fastballs, and I am really interested to see how they tweak Moran’s usage this Spring.

Kristian Campbell - OF

There really isn’t much more to say about Kristian Campbell than what has already been said. He catapulted up prospect ranks this season on the heels of excellent results and fantastic underlying metrics. Campbell will be fighting for a roster spot this Spring, but without a clear defensive home here’s hoping his bat will force the Red Sox’s hand.

Roman Anthony - CF

Roman Anthony is the #1 hitting prospect in baseball. His combination of contact, patience, power, and speed give him an incredible ceiling, and he’ proven that he is simply too good for AAA. Given the Red Sox OF depth, it is unlikely he makes the opening day roster, but get ready for Anthony to light up the scoresheet.

Marcelo Mayer - SS

Prospect fatigue hit Marcelo Mayer almost as hard as any other prospect, but he proved in 2024 that he is deserving of his top prospect status. Across 335 PA he recorded a 142 wRC+ before having his season cut short due to a back injury. Injury concerns continue to put a damper on Mayer’s outlook, but the tools are all there to have an effective Spring.

New York Yankees

Chase Hampton - RHP

Chase Hampton broke out during 2023 after a dominant showing in Hi-A and AA, but an elbow injury and subsequent Tommy John Sugery held him out until the back half of the 2024 season. Understandably, Hampton came back rusty. His velocity was significantly down and his breaking balls didn’t have the same bite to them. With a full offseason to ramp up, here’s hoping that Hampton can find that 2023 magic.

George Lombard Jr. - SS

George Lombard Jr. is the latest shiny Yankees prospect that Yankees fans should be really excited about. The results weren’t world breaking, but the underlying metrics were excellent for a 19-year-old in their first full season of pro-ball. He displayed strong plate discipline and aggression while consistently making hard contact. Lombard Jr. is one of the youngest players invited to Spring Training which will give Yankees fans a taste of the future.

Spencer Jones - CF

Spencer Jones has been a NRI to Spring Training since 2023, and each time he produced well thanks to his incredible power. His 2024 showing was notable because he was making a lot more contact that usual and rarely chasing at pitches outside the zone. Despite the strong Spring, Jones failed to maintain his improved contact rates and ran a 36.8 K% at AA in 2024. There has been chatter about Jones tinkering his swing this offseason, and we will get our first in-game look this Spring.

Roderick Arias - SS

Roderick Arias made an intriguing pair with Lombard Jr. in Lo-A in 2024, as his power and speed carried him to 13 HR and 37 SB in 124 G. Arias is a switch hitter with a very aggressive approach and pretty large contact woes. The exit velocities were very encouraging from a young bat, but I would like to see his K% trend in the right direction, and hopefully we can observe some meaningful changes this Spring.

Tampa Bay Rays

Alex Cook - RHP

Alex cook was cruising though Hi-A last season before an injury limited him to just 37.1 Innings. He was very effective in that time frame thanks to his plus-fastball and improved ability to throw strikes. His arsenal is shallow, which may limit his role to the bullpen, but it will be great to see how his stuff grades out.

Xavier Isaac - 1B

Xavier Isaac is divisive the prospect community. Isaac possesses an absurd amount of power from the left side of the plate, but his biggest deterrent is his poor contact rates. I err on the side of caution with type of profile, but I cannot deny the strength at such a young age.

Bob Seymour - 1B

Bob Seymour matches up with Xavier Isaac’s profile very well, other than the 6-year age gap. Seymour has a ton of power, but an absolutely putrid hit tool which may prevent him from ever being an impact bat in the Majors. He’ll be given a shot to flash his loud bat in the Spring, and it will be very loud.

Carson Williams - SS

Carson Williams in the Rays top prospect and their SS heir apparent. He pairs plus-plus defense with above average power and solid speed to complete one of the tools-iest prospect in baseball. His hit tool is the biggest knock against him, but the foundation is here for a star bat up the middle.

Toronto Blue Jays

Lazaro Estrada - RHP

Lazaro Estrada isn’t the most well-known name in the Blue Jays pipeline, but he has the stuff to provide reinforcements out of the bullpen as soon as this season. His fastball gets a ton of ride from a lower slot and he pairs it with plus-slider that fools MiLB batters. He showed better command of his arsenal last season, and should be plenty of opportunities to flash his talent in Dunedin.

Alan Roden - RF

Alan Roden continues the long line of older Blue Jays bats that blasted their way through MiLB, and he may be the most intriguing one! His ability to make consistent contact is great and he optimizes his average power by pulling a ton of fly balls. His approach is sound and I would not be surprised if he forces his way onto Toronto’s Opening Day roster with a productive Spring.

Josh Kasevich - SS

Josh Kasevich falls in a similar group as Roden as both are more unknown prospects that have excelled throughout their MiLB career. In Kasevich’s case, his production is buoyed by elite contact skills and strong eye. He won’t hit many home runs, but he’ll put the ball in play a ton and provide defensive flexibility when needed.

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