What to look for as MLB spring training gets underway

Baseball is here. Spring training camps are opening in Florida and Arizona.

It’s a new season, and all 30 teams hope this will be a special year. Of course, that tends to change once the games start to count.

Yet no need to dampen the enthusiasm yet, so here are some things to look for in spring training:

World Baseball Classic

The World Baseball Classic returns, an event that continues to grow in popularity among players and fans. This year’s tournament begins March 5 with pool play, then concludes on March 17 with the championship game at loanDepot Park in Miami. Other cities hosting games are Houston, San Juan and Tokyo.

Defending champion Japan will be led by Los Angeles Dodgers two-way sensation Shohei Ohtani, who memorably struck out the United States’ Mike Trout to end the previous WBC in 2022. Team USA’s roster includes New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge and reigning Cy Young Award winners Paul Skenes of the Pittsburgh Pirates and Tarik Skubal of the Detroit Tigers.

New faces, new places

One of the fun aspects of spring training is seeing players who were traded or signed as free agents during the offseason wearing their new uniforms.

Coming off back-to-back World Series championships, the Dodgers added two prime free agents in right fielder Kyle Tucker and closer Edwin Diaz. Pete Alonso, the New York Mets’ career home run leader, is now with the Baltimore Orioles. The Mets hope Bo Bichette can help replace the production lost with Alonso’s departure after helping the Toronto Blue Jays reach the World Series last year.

Third baseman Alex Bregman jumped from the Boston Red Sox to the Chicago Cubs. Then there is the best homecoming story of the spring as Justin Verlander returns to the Tigers eight years after they traded him.

New managers

Eight teams have new managers this season. The brightest spotlight will be on the Washington Nationals’ Blake Butera and the San Francisco Giants’ Tony Vitello.

Butera is 33 years old and the major leagues’ youngest manager since Frank Quilici was guiding the Minnesota Twins in 1972. Vitello is making the jump from college baseball after establishing himself as a premier coach at the University of Tennessee, where he won a College World Series.

Just two of the new skippers have previous MLB managerial experience — the Texas Rangers’ Skip Schumaker and the Twins’ Derek Shelton.

ABS

The automated ball-strike system goes into effect this season in the major leagues, with pitchers, catchers and batters being able to challenge ball-strike calls through video review. MLB experimented with the system last year during spring training, but teams figure to take things more seriously this year in Grapefruit League and Cactus League games.

Lockout

Not to put a damper on one of the best times of the year for baseball fans, but the collective bargaining agreement between the owners and players expires on Dec. 1. Recent history suggests the owners will lock the players out of camps, and spring training won’t start on time in 2027.