The National League Central feels like a wide-open division. The Brewers won it last year but suffered the loss of both Willy Adames and Devin Williams this offseason. The Cardinals and Cubs are the two highest-profile teams but both are coming off disappointing 2024 seasons. Then, there are the Reds and Pirates who are filled with young superstar talent but have yet to take the next step. Each one of these teams is worth paying attention to this Spring Training. This article dives into which position battle from each NL Central team could have the biggest impact for fantasy baseball.
NL Central Spring Training Battles to Watch for Fantasy
Cincinnati Reds – Starting Pitcher Slot
Pitching in Great American Ballpark is not the ideal place for fantasy purposes. One of the most hitter-friendly parks in baseball makes it difficult to get consistent fantasy production from Reds’ pitchers. Even still, they have several guys who have caught the attention of fantasy managers in recent years, most notably Hunter Greene. Cincinnati added to their pitching staff this off-season by bringing in Brady Singer and resigning Nick Martinez with the plan to use him as a starter. With Greene, Singer, Martinez, and Nick Lodolo seemingly locked into rotation spots, that leaves one up for grabs. Andrew Abbott likely has the inside track but 2023 first-round pick Rhett Lowder is sure to provide competition.
Andrew Abbott has thrown 247.1 innings over the past two seasons for Cincinnati and figures to win the job out of Spring Training. However, after dominating the Minor Leagues with elite strikeout rates, Abbott’s numbers at the Major League level have been underwhelming. Last season, he struck out just 19.5% of the batters he faced. His 3.72 ERA will likely secure him a spot in Spring Training but fantasy managers should proceed with caution. Abbott’s FIP was 5.04 last season. With low strikeout rates and suspect underlying stats, there is little appeal to fantasy managers if Abbott wins the battle.
Rhett Lowder meanwhile is a bit more unknown. The 2023 first-round pick from Wake Forest worked his way quickly through Cincinnati’s system. He made six starts for the Reds last season with a sparkling 1.17 ERA. While his ERA and 3.10 FIP are exciting, Lowder struck out just 17.2% of batters he faced with the Reds. Despite good results in college, the Minor Leagues, and even the Major Leagues, Lowder’s four-seam fastball grades out as below average in terms of velocity and movement. Lowder’s best fastball is his sinker which he pairs nicely with his changeup and slider. The sinker is a great pitch for Lowder’s real-life profile but limits his strikeout potential for fantasy.
If fantasy managers are going to pick a side to root for, the easy answer is Lowder. Abbott’s sample size is big enough that we know who he is at this point. He handles lefties well but does not have the strikeout upside he touted in the Minor Leagues. His control gets him in trouble and is too inconsistent to rely on for fantasy. Meanwhile, Lowder at least profiles as an innings eater at worst and is still early in his development. With under 140 professional innings under his belt, Lowder could continue to develop his fastball and already has the secondaries to be a solid pitcher. Fantasy managers should temper their expectations for Lowder in 2025, but he is the clear option to root for in this Spring Training battle.
Milwaukee Brewers – Third Base
With Willy Adames departing for San Francisco, Milwaukee appears poised to fill this position internally. With budget restrictions coming down from ownership, this team has consistently found productive players without spending much. That is what they are once again hoping for here. With one open lineup spot, the battle for third base is wide open. Olver Dunn and Tyler Black both got playing time with the big league club last season and will factor into the battle. Then there is top prospect Brock Wilken who could force his way onto the roster with a strong Spring Training. Finally, Caleb Durbin was added to the mix following the trade of Devin Williams to the Yankees. His strong AFL performance could vault him into the Opening Day job if he performs well this spring.
Although Oliver Dunn is the Roster Resource projected starter, there is really no reason to believe Milwaukee wants to hand him the job. A career Minor Leaguer prior to last season, Dunn struggled to produce offensively in 41 games with the Brewers. He hit just .221 with a 38.5% strikeout rate. His defensive versatility is valuable for the Brewers in real life but does not help fantasy managers. With no fantasy value, Dunn is an easy player to bypass in fantasy drafts.
Tyler Black was a popular prospect heading into last season. Black has shown off excellent speed and plate discipline throughout his professional career. While his home run numbers have been solid in the Minor Leagues, his batted ball data does not support a prolific power hitter. Then, there are his defensive deficiencies that will likely prevent him from being an option at third base. Considering Black hit 14 homers with 23 steals in 120 professional games last year, there is fantasy appeal. However, he will need to show significant improvements to his defense to win the third base job in Spring Training.
Brock Wilken seems like a long shot to make the roster considering he hit under .200 in Double-A last season making it more and more likely Caleb Durbin wins the job. Durbin is undersized (5’6”), but has a great hit tool. He walked more than he struck out with excellent contact skills in Triple-A last year. His speed is another plus for fantasy managers and he could steal 25+ with regular playing time. The issue is a lack of power. Durbin’s average exit velocity was 83.8 mph in Triple-A last year and he does not profile to hit many home runs. Of the three realistic candidates, he offers fantasy managers the most upside in terms of average and steals. However, he is far from a sure thing to produce in the Major Leagues.
Pittsburgh Pirates – Right Field/Second Base
This battle for playing time is flying completely under the radar. Right now, the assumption is that Nick Gonzales and Joshua Palacios will be the team’s Opening Day starters. My question is why is Nick Yorke being left for dead by the fantasy baseball community? Yorke spent time at both second base and in the outfield last season. Neither Gonzales nor Palacios have proven themselves at the Major League level making this three-way battle for two spots wide open in my eyes.
Gonzales was once a beloved prospect by myself. The former seventh-overall pick produced inconsistent results throughout his Minor League career. Injuries limited Gonzales to just 94 games with the Pirates last season but he put up respectable numbers with seven homers and a .270 batting average. His hit tool and plate discipline showed improvements as the season moved along and he has 93rd percentile sprint speed. There is fantasy appeal here but it is worth noting that his numbers were much better against lefties than righties. Palacios however is now 29 years old and owns a career wRC+ of 75. In 23 games with the Pirates last season, Palacios hit .224 with just two home runs. There is no reason to believe he has the inside track to an Opening Day lineup spot.
The person being ignored by fantasy managers is Nick Yorke. Yorke was acquired from Boston at last year’s deadline just as he was fully putting things together at the plate. Yorke, a former first-round pick himself, really developed his game power as last season moved along and his home run spike was backed up by elite batted ball data. He spent time in both left field and right field for the Pirates and has 90th percentile sprint speed on his own. Between the Majors and Minors, Yorke finished last season with 14 homers and 23 stolen bases while uprooting his life in the middle of the year. Why are we not paying more attention to this?
The outcome for fantasy managers to root for is Gonzales securing the second base role and Yorke winning the right field job. Yorke will have to prove sufficient in the field to do this but his bat should carry him into the starting job. Yorke has an especially high ceiling for fantasy managers to be aware of heading into 2025.
St. Louis Cardinals – Center Field
Everybody wanted Victor Scott to be the next big thing. An injury to Tommy Edman opened up the door for Scott to get his chance with the Cardinals early last season. Like many prospects do, he fell flat on his face upon his promotion to the Major Leagues. He wound up playing in 53 games while batting just .179 with two home runs. Now entering 2025, there is a bit of a post-hype sleeper feel to Scott in fantasy drafts. To make that late-round pick worth it, Scott will need to beat out Michael Siani in Spring Training for the center field job.
Siani enters Spring Training as the presumed favorite for the job. Siani took over after Scott was sent back to Triple-A last season and maintained the starting center field role for the majority of the year. In fact, both Scott and Sianni profile rather similarly. Neither one is a particularly advanced offensive hitter but both provide good speed and strong defense. Siani hit just .228 last year but stole 20 bases in 334 plate appearances. Where Siani stands out for St. Louis is with his glove. Siani recorded 16 outs above average despite the limited playing time he received. Over the course of a full season, Siani would have been one of, if not the, best defensive outfielder in baseball.
For fantasy baseball managers, the desire is for Scott to win the starting center field role. While Siani has speed, Scott has game-changing stolen base ability. He stole 94 bases in the Minor Leagues in 2023 and could easily steal 50+ if given everyday playing time. The Cardinals are not just going to replace Siani’s elite glove though unless Scott forces their hand. He played better down the stretch, showing an increased ability to barrel the ball. He will need to continue showing off that improved power while also deploying a more patient approach at the plate. Scott is the player with significant fantasy upside in this battle but is the underdog going into it.
Chicago Cubs – Third Base
With Isaac Paredes being shipped off to the Astros, there is once again a hole to fill at third base. The answer seems obvious: Matt Shaw. The Cubs first-round pick from 2023 enters this season as the favorite to win the job out of Spring Training. This, of course, is what every fantasy baseball manager is hoping for. However, teams rarely just hand Opening Day lineup spots to prospects who have yet to accumulate a single Major League at-bat. Shaw will need to prove he is ready for the bright lights of Wrigley Field. That starts in Spring Training.
Vidal Brujan represents the biggest challenge for Shaw. Brujan, a former top prospect himself, was acquired by Chicago this past off-season after spending 2024 in Miami’s organization. After posting big stolen base numbers throughout the Minor Leagues, Brujan has failed to hit at the Major League level. Not only have his batting averages been disappointing, but he is also only 14/27 on the basepaths in his Major League career. Brujan offers almost no offensive upside but is a versatile defender who can provide value to a Major League club. Considering Brujan is already on the 40-man roster and has Major League experience at third base, he is certainly in the mix to start at third base on Opening Day.
The other competition Shaw has is fellow prospect, Benjamin Cowles. Like Shaw, Cowles also has zero at-bats of Major League experience but he does have one big advantage. Cowles is on the 40-man roster. Acquired from the Yankees this past July, Cowles can play every position on the infield. For fantasy managers, Cowles could steal 20 bases in a season but there is swing-and-miss in his game that could lead to low batting averages. He also has below-average power. With a strong Spring Training, Cowles could win the job over Shaw if the Cubs want to give Shaw a bit more time in the Minor Leagues.
The hope for fantasy managers is that Shaw wins the job. He offers the most fantasy upside in terms of his excellent hit tool, strong power, and plus speed. He has the most to offer in terms of upside for both fantasy and real life. If he wins the job in Spring Training, Shaw could finish inside of the top 10 third basemen for fantasy baseball in 2025.
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