After a headline-making off-season, the spring training finally kick-started on 22nd February 2024, marking the beginning of a new season. With players positioning themselves, a few stars are expected to give a new height to their performance. Especially these 5 players have their careers hinged on these auditions.

Be it award-winner veterans or aspiring youngsters, everyone is anticipating to let their team soar high. But there are athletes like Alek Manoah, Giancarlo Stanton, Jackson Chourio, Nolan Arenado and James Outman who have raised expectations in the MLB community. Let’s delve deep to discover the reason behind it.

This veterans-rookies mixture is up for shining bright

1. Alek Manoah

The Toronto Blue Jays put enough faith in right-hander pitcher Alek Manoah for all justified reasons. But unfortunately, their expectations fell flat when he amassed a 5.87 ERA and a 1.34 strikeout-to-walk ratio in the first 19 games in the previous season. Consequently, he was demoted to the complex league in June and returned to appear for six more games, where he showed a slight improvement but not much. Hence, after being relegated to Triple-A twice in 2023 and finishing third in the AL Cy Young Award, he is returning to spring training and is expected to deliver better performance to bolster his position in the team.

2. Giancarlo Stanton

The Pinstripes’ designated hitter, Giancarlo Stanton, intends to make a robust return in the current season. As stated by the 34-year-old veteran, “I gotta change the narrative”, indicates his determination after coming off the worst season of his career with a hitting record of .191/.275/.420 in 101 games. With three 30-homer season records, he got a strikeout rate of 29.9% earlier with the Yankees. Now, as he is brushing off the chances of injury in the current season after losing weight, fans are anticipating a trailer of his actual form in the spring training.

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Read More: Giancarlo Stanton’s Injury Bug to Impact Upcoming Season? Yankees’ Star Slugger Seeks Redemption Following 2023 Disaster

3. Nolan Arenado

With an impressive record of 10 straight Gold Glove Awards, seven seasons with 30 home runs and 100 RBIs in non-Covid-shortened seasons, Cardinals’ Nolan Arenado remains one of the most desired candidates despite his unimpressive performance in the last season. At 32, Nolan Arenado arrived at spring training transformed, dropping 4 pounds, incorporating Pilates for flexibility, and refining his swing with a new arm positioning. Therefore, for all the relevant reasons, he is expected to prove his efficacy in the Spring Training to regain his fans’ lost faith.

4. James Outman

Following his exceptional performance in the 2023 season, Outman is expected to prove his consistency in the current season. He demonstrated his ability to overcome batting challenges while simultaneously elevating his defensive play. Being the starting center fielder of the Dodgers, he is anticipated to showcase equal prowess on the defence, as in previous years.

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Rookies aren’t left behind

Similar to the pro athletes, youth stars like Jackson Chourio are up for the challenges coming their way. While preparing for the encounter with the giant team, San Diego Padres, Chourio hopes to stand firm on his team’s anticipation on Sunday.

5. Jackson Chourio

The 19-year-old center-fielder already created a record with an eight-year, $82 million contract with the Brewers without even playing a single game in the Major League. Thus, his staggering contract raises towering expectations for his Spring Training performances. The No. 2 overall prospect is about to set his feet on the field on Brewers’ Opening Day, marking his debut as the center fielder in the Major League.

As it stands, Spring Training brings a wave of competition among the players to keep themselves footed in the league as big as majors.