Spring Training: Still Irrelevant

Spring Training is well underway. And one thing is in fashion every single spring training: Over hyping. Many look at Spring training and see it as a sign of things to come. They look at their favorite ballclub's record, and become either excited or disappointed. And for what? I recall one team that finished Spring Training with the best record and went onto the World Series (The Florida Marlins in 1997). If someone wants to correct me and name others, I am more than happy to be proven wrong.

Allen Iverson sums up my view of Spring Training. Many players don't go all out in Spring Training. Why? The season is a marathon, not a sprint. Why do you think that there are so many players are invited to play in spring training? Seeing a position play a full game before March 15 is usually pretty rare. Finding a pitcher that will pitch five innings this early is also rare. The point of spring training is two-fold: to allow regulars to gear up for the season, and to give other players a chance to showcase their stuff infront of the Major League Manager.

However, there is one important rule: Performance in Spring Training =/= Performance in the Regular Season. The best example I can think of is the Atlanta Braves. The team of the 90s had bad Spring Training records, and yet continuously were competitive. Players that perform well early should not be overhyped. And this is why. (Go to 6:45).

While a comedy, it does have a valid point. Many players that are invited to Spring Training are not yet ready to be on the roster, pitchers and hitters. The fact of the matter is that players are not at their peak in Spring Training, and that we, as fans, should not use Spring Training as a means to gauge how well a team or a player will perform in the coming season, good or bad.

Furthermore, many players make adjustments in the offseason, be it put on muscle, lose weight, or adjust their stance/delivery. It takes time to get used to these adjustments. Players will eventually get used to their adjustments, and perform to their abilities. Until then, we can only wait.