MLB Spring Training: Travis Demeritte states his case
By Bill Felber
Travis Demeritte and Abraham Almonte are among the fringe players making a positive MLB spring training impression. Here’s what else we learned around the world of baseball yesterday.
Trying to make the Detroit Tigers outfield, Travis Demeritte enjoyed a headliner-type day Monday. in Padres camp, non-roster invitee Abraham Almonte continued to show big. The Braves, meanwhile, savored the blossoming competition at third base between Austin Riley and Johan Camargo.
But veteran pitcher Edwin Jackson‘s hopes of extending his major league career into an 18th season took a serious hit. And nobody’s hopes may have taken a more damaging hit than Reds outfielder Aristides Aquino. Here are the winners and losers from Monday’s games.
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Winner: Rangel Ravelo, St. Louis Cardinals, first baseman
Rangel Ravelo is the backup to Paul Goldschmidt. He’s also a rookie with only 29 games of major league experience to his credit. That means his predicted 2020 playing time in St. Louis is essentially nil. Still, Ravelo is giving Cardinal fans – and potential trade partners looking for some sock – plenty to think about.
Facing the Twins Monday, Ravelo’s second-inning leadoff double set the stage for a three-run Cardinal rally. He added an eighth-inning base hit
In 19 spring plate appearances, Ravelo now has six hits, translating to a .316 batting average. Throw in his four bases on balls and you’re looking at a .458 on-base average and .827 OPS. Numbers of that kind may not steal at-bats from Goldschmidt, but they should catch somebody’s attention.