Spring Scouting: AL West Non-Roster Invitees
Who is going to make a splash this Spring?
Introduction
Welcome to my third installment of “Spring Scouting” which aims to highlight any intriguing Spring Training players or storylines. This article will cover AL West 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!
AL West
Athletics
Zhong-Ao Chuang Chen - RHP
Zhong-Ao Chuang Chen remains one of my favourite pitching prospects and he is severely underrated by the industry. His stuff won’t knock your socks off, but the depth of his arsenal and ability to throws strikes prop up his floor to the point where I can see him being an MLB calibre backend starter as soon as 2026. Injuries has stalled his development since his move to North America, but with a full offseason to recover I am hoping we see an amped up Chuang Chen this Spring (with Statcast!).
I wrote more about Zhong-Ao Chuang Chen here.
Nick Kurtz - 1B
Nick Kurtz was selected 4th overall in the 2024 MLB draft and promptly tore through MiLB pitchers in his pro debut. His combination of contact skills and power give him an incredible floor to build upon and he pairs it with a good eye and above average defense at 1B. Kurtz looks to be on the fast track to the Majors and this Spring will be a taste of his potential.
Colby Thomas - RF
Colby Thomas is a batter of many extremes. He is one of the most aggressive hitters in the minors which complements his tendency to pull fly balls. On the flip side, he has a massive chase problem and struggles immensely with making contact. It is a boom-or-bust profile that will simultaneously be very fun and frustrating to watch.
Houston Astros
Miguel Ullola - RHP
Miguel Ullola tosses one of the nastiest fastballs in MiLB and he showed a much better feel for his cutter in 2024. Command and a shallow arsenal are still a biggest question marks for him, but with a fastball this good, he should be an effective weapon out of the bullpen. I am still optimistic that he can stick as a SP long term and the changes he made over the offseason will be very telling for his future.
I wrote more about Miguel Ullola here.
Cam Smith - 3B
Cam Smith was selected with the 14th pick in the 2024 MLB draft and directly terrorized pitchers in his pro debut. He was the key prospect shipped to the Astros as part of the Kyle Tucker trade and our first look at him in an Astros uniform will be later this month. It wasn’t a large sample, but his obliteration of the lower minors indicates that he should have gone a lot earlier than 14th in the draft.
Los Angeles Angels
George Klassen - RHP
George Klassen is one of the most electric pitching prospects in baseball thanks to his elite velocity and disgusting breaking balls. His stuff is gaudy and he showed a much better ability to throw strikes compared to his time in college. Watch for him to light up radar guns this Spring.
Read my George Klassen scouting report here.
Christian Moore - 2B
Christian Moore looked to be on the fast track to MLB in the same vein as Schanuel and Neto, but his pro debut was cut short after an injury held him to just 1 game in September. Moore hit the ground running with a 184 wRC+ across 110 PA while showing plus power, but he struggled to limit strikeouts despite the blistering slash line. Moore will likely benefit from an extended look in the minors, but the Angels may want him in Anaheim after Spring.
Seattle Mariners
Logan Evans - RHP
Evans thrived in an aggressive assignment to AA in his first full pro season. He wields a 6-pitch arsenal, highlighted by a high-spin 82-84 MPH slider which averages 15” of horizontal break. His deep arsenal makes his future development as a starter encouraging but lacks the bite on his fastball to project more than a back-end rotation option. We’ll get some very intriguing pitch data from Evans throughout Spring Training.
Colt Emerson - SS
Colt Emerson ranks amongst some of the best prospects in baseball, and it’s easy to see why. He has an advanced approach with great bat control at a premium position. At 19, Emerson has plenty of room to fill out and tap into more power. He is still a ways away from making his MLB debut and Spring will be a good test against higher level pitching.
Cole Young - SS
Cole Young pairs with Emerson to create a dynamic duo up the middle for Seattle in the future. Young is in line to make his MLB debut this season where his great eye will buoy his OBP no matter the level of pitching.
Lazaro Montes - RF
Lazaro Montes is a behemoth of a man who possesses some of the best raw power in the minors thanks to his incredible bat speed. He struggled with strikeouts following his promotion to Hi-A, but the power was still exceptional. Watch for Montes to hit some bombs in the Spring.
Texas Rangers
Abimelec Ortiz - 1B
Abimelec Ortiz broke out in 2023 after he launched 33 HR in 454 PA across Lo-A and Hi-A. His power output diminished in 2024, but he made a lot more contact. The benefits of this trade-off do not seem very optimistic, but there is some hope he can tap back into his raw to develop into a prototypical slugging 1B.
Sebastian Walcott - SS
Sebastian Walcott is one of the most electric prospects in baseball. He oozes high end tools and made impressive strides to be a more all-around hitter in 2024. This kind of power from an 18-year-old is ridiculous and he supports it with plus speed and a promising glove. Strikeouts will likely remain a problem throughout his career, but you can’t really ask for much more from a young batter.
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