Ah yes, spring training is winding down, and the regular season is quickly approaching. Anybody else having a hard time waiting for opening day against Kershaw and the Dodgers? Before we get to the regular season, however, the Diamondbacks have 6 more days of ST. Here are the players who have been on fire this spring…
OF Kyle Lewis
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Gabriel Moreno have seemingly taken the spotlight when it comes to offseason acquisitions; maybe we aren’t getting excited enough to watch Kyle Lewis play in 23’. In 20 at-bats this spring, Lewis has 10 hits, 3 of those being doubles, and 2 being HRs. He also has 9 RBIs and 4 runs scored. Lewis has a career .761 OPS and looks to be a key figure in the D-backs outfield rotation.
C Gabriel Moreno
Speaking of Moreno, he has been lights out this month. In 20 ST at-bats, Moreno has 8 hits, 1 double, and 2 HRs; owning a 1.250 OPS. Trading for him this offseason seems even more vital now that Carson Kelly has suffered a forearm fracture. Moreno will be called on to fill some big shoes and hold down the catching duties until Kelly returns. I think most D-backs fans have a lot of faith in Moreno, count me as one of those fans.
RP Kevin Ginkel
Kevin Ginkel hasn’t just been good this spring training, he has dominated. In 8.2 innings pitched, he has surrendered 3 hits and 0 earned runs. He has also struck out 6 and walked 1. In 2022, Ginkel went 1-1 with a 3.38 ERA, mainly relying on a 4-seam fastball and a slider. Ginkel has a nasty slider that a season ago recorded a -2 run value. Let’s see if he relies on it more than 35% of the time in 2023.