Storylines to Watch as Spring Training Unfolds
Pitchers and catchers have reported, marking a symbolic “baseball is back!” moment. In reality, it’s mostly tossing, warming up, and stretching. With games starting a week from Saturday, the early days will reveal truths little by little. Here are the key storylines I’ll be tracking as February slides into March—meant to give beginners a clear sense of what to look for.
- Muncy: Plan A at 3B?
Max Muncy appears set to get the first opportunity to claim third base, though the job isn’t guaranteed. Darell Hernaiz, Brett Harris, and Andy Ibáñez are all theoretically in the running for the gig.
Harris is frequently cited by insiders as a strong defensive option with solid offense around the 3B position, which fits the A’s need for solid infield defense behind an uncertain rotation. Still, when you scan depth charts from A’s insiders, Harris is often listed as a cautious “honorable mention,” suggesting Muncy’s job might be his to lose entering camp.
So I’ll watch closely to see if the Muncy who shows up next week demonstrates improved 3B fundamentals—range, reliable hands, and accurate throwing—compared with the learning-on-the-job performance from 2025.
At the plate, Muncy looked better before landing on the injured list, but metrics like exit velocity, hard-hit rate, and the rate at which he squared up the ball were not where you’d want them to be. Of course, early spring numbers can be noisy, so I’ll follow his hitting with a light touch while paying close attention to his glove work.
- Barnett: A New Angle, A Fresh Pitch?
One reason not to overreact to a young player’s early stats is that a small adjustment can yield outsized results almost overnight. Whether it’s a toe-tap, a stance tweak, a new pitch, or a shift in where he sits on the rubber, a stalled player can suddenly take off.
For Mason Barnett, the adjustment might be an altered arm angle. The A’s have indicated he shifted his arm slot last year, and progress during the season wasn’t easy to come by. Barnett joined the A’s as a solid prospect, and even baseball analyst Keith Law has pegged him with “mid-rotation SP upside.”
Barnett’s 2025 debut was rough: a 6.85 ERA over 22 innings, with 26 hits, 11 walks, and 18 strikeouts—after posting a 6.13 ERA at Triple-A. Will he arrive at camp with a refreshed or retooled arm slot that helps him fulfill the mid-rotation potential he carried as a 3rd-round pick, whose minor-league K rates ranged between 10.7 and 14.1 per 9 prior to 2025?
Having any of the A’s young arms (Barnett, Ginn, Perkins) break out would be a major boon for the 2026 club, especially early in the season while Gage Jump remains in the minors. I’m curious to see what Barnett’s new arm slot can deliver.
- Leo De Vries: Fast Track or FAST Track?
Leo De Vries isn’t likely to break camp with the big league club. Still, it wouldn’t be shocking to see him receive a midseason call-up in 2026 if he impresses.
He’s been invited to spring training, and while he’s likely to be among the early cuts, the opportunity exists to make a lasting impression.
I’ll be watching how close he looks to readiness and whether the A’s feel compelled to fast-track him to the majors, or if he still appears “talented but raw”—a typical note for a 19-year-old. His bat is widely regarded as special, but how his defense shapes up remains a key question.
Another major point is where De Vries appears on the field. So far, he’s primarily played shortstop, and there are no indications the team plans to move Jacob Wilson off that position. If De Vries gets time at second or third base, that could signal a broader plan for him, whereas a return to SS with limited infield exposure might imply the organization is keeping Wilson at SS for now.
What other storylines are you watching in these early Cactus League days? And what do you think about the three I highlighted? It’s exciting to be discussing meaningful previews again, because it means games are nearly here: nine days to go.
