It's spring training, a time when we get to see players of all ilk get their hacks against major league competition. Whether it's a grizzled veteran or a young prospect, people love to see what their favorite team has to offer them after a long four-month drought from baseball. Because of this wait, many fantasy owners and casual fans love to salivate over the gaudy numbers random players put up during their spring campaigns. Sometimes, this success translates to the regular season, but more often than not, clubs get fooled by spring performance and are dumbfounded when those numbers aren't replicated in the regular season. Here are four players whose spring stats could lead owners astray on draft day.
Chris Owings (2B/SS - ARI)
Owings has been scorching hot this spring training in every facet of his game. The stolen bases have been there, as he's 8-for-9 on stolen base attempts this spring, and his bat has come alive as well. In 64 at-bats, the 24-year-old is slashing .359/.408/.547 with 10 RBI and 13 runs scored. This is a much better than what is typically seen from the middle infielder. His stats have been declining the past three seasons, with his average sinking last season to .227. He's may see a fair amount of playing time at second base depending on what the team does with Jean Segura and Nick Ahmed, but given his poor performance last season and the impending arrival of Brandon Drury, Owings is a big gamble on draft day despite the strong spring training.
Trevor Story (SS - COL)
With the off-the-field troubles surrounding Jose Reyes, Story came into camp with a chance to compete for time at shortstop with the major league club. However, he now appears in line to be the everyday starter for Colorado to start the year after posting a 1.280 OPS with six home runs and 13 RBI in 48 spring at-bats. Don't get me wrong, he's a top prospect with a lot of promise, and some prospects do succeed immediately at the major league level. That being said, it may be too risky to pick Story (where he's going now) when he hasn't appeared in the majors yet and could be usurped at shortstop by Jose Reyes once he returns.
Juan Nicasio (SP - PIT)
After five middling years in the majors as both a starter and a reliever, Nicasio has turned it on this spring. In 15 innings pitched, the right-hander hasn't allowed a single run and is sporting a 24:5 K:BB ratio. This performance has earned his a spot in the starting rotation, but there's no way he can keep this up during the regular season. Pitching coach Ray Searage does have a track record of turning careers around, but fantasy owners shouldn't expect a complete 180 from Nicasio -- his career ERA as a starter is above 5.00.
Joe Kelly (SP - BOS)
Kelly has had a strong spring, compiling a 3-1 record to go with a 2.63 ERA in six starts. He's also struck out 22 batters in 24 innings while walking eight. The right-hander has a spot in the Red Sox's rotation locked down thanks to his shining performance. Despite the impressive numbers, it hardly seems sustainable given his past statistics. Kelly's strikeout rates have been consistently low, his highest being 7.4 K/9 last season, and his ERA as a starter the last two seasons is well above 4.00. He may look good now, but give it some time; his numbers will come back down to Earth.