While the winter holiday season is about bringing people together, the same could be said for next year’s inaugural Spring Breakout.
And by “people,” we mean some of the game’s most talented prospects and the future stars of Major League Baseball.
The four-day exhibition series — to be held March 14-17 in Arizona and Florida — is designed to give each farm system’s top prospects a large spotlight before the season ahead. By putting them on the same field, it’s a chance to pit them against each other for the first time, and possibly to preview matchups we could see for a long time down the road.
With that in mind, here are the prospect pairings we’re most interested in seeing in next year’s Spring Breakout games:
1. Jackson Holliday, SS/2B (BAL No. 1, MLB No. 1) vs. Paul Skenes, RHP (PIT No. 1, MLB No. 3)
Come on, there could only be one matchup at the top. The two most recent No. 1 overall picks could take the same field in Bradenton, Fla., on March 14 in the Florida opener of the Spring Breakout, and while no pitcher-batter matchup is guaranteed, it sure would be a treat to see Holliday leading off against Skenes right from the jump. The Orioles infielder’s advanced approach would provide a lovely test for the Pirates righty’s triple-digit fastball and plus-plus slider. Think of it as the Breakout’s answer to last year’s Ohtani-Trout World Baseball Classic showdown.
2. Colson Montgomery, SS (CWS No. 1, MLB No. 17) vs. Cade Horton, RHP (CHC No. 2, MLB No. 29)
Chicago loves its bragging rights, so all sides of the Windy City should be keeping close tabs if Montgomery and Horton cross paths in the Arizona desert on March 15. Montgomery brings Corey Seager comparisons as a tall, left-handed-hitting shortstop with plus hit and power tools to the table, while Horton can counteract that with a 94-96 mph fastball and wipeout slider.
3. Wyatt Langford, OF (TEX No. 2, MLB No. 13) vs. Rhett Lowder, RHP (CIN No. 2, MLB No. 41)
The former Florida outfielder and Wake Forest righty never crossed paths in school. They have a chance to do so on March 14, eight months after they were selected fourth and seventh overall, respectively, in the 2023 Draft. It could be a big spring for Langford, who showed impressive swing decisions and ample power while zooming to Triple-A after signing, and he could use the Breakout as an opportunity to push for a spot in Texas as early as Opening Day. Lowder has yet to throw a pitch in pro ball, but his fastball-slider-changeup mix and plus control could be enough to keep Langford at bay if/when given the chance.
4. Junior Caminero, 3B/SS (TB No. 1, MLB No. 6) vs. Walker Jenkins, OF (MIN No. 1, MLB No. 16)
This is likely the only Spring Breakout with Caminero as a prospect, so soak it up while you can on March 16. The 20-year-old infielder, who debuted for the Rays at the tail end of 2023, has top-of-the-line raw power that he often takes into games, as proven by last year’s 31-homer campaign. Jenkins has plenty of five-tool potential in his own right, but he comes from the opposite side of the spectrum as a 2023 fifth overall pick in his first spring. Getting two high-ceiling talents on the same diamond, regardless of MLB readiness, is one of the main points of the Spring Breakout.
5. Ethan Salas, C (SD No. 1, MLB No. 5) vs. Harry Ford, C (SEA No. 2, MLB No. 39)
Catchers. Get your catchers, here. Ford knows a thing or two about making the most of the big stage after competing for Team Great Britain in last year’s World Baseball Classic and European Baseball Championship, and his above-average power could feature nicely in the middle of Seattle’s lineup. Meanwhile, this will be a nice showcase for Salas coming off his breakout age-17 season in which he climbed to Double-A. His impressive receiving skills alone would be an asset to his fellow Padres prospects.
6. Noelvi Marte, 3B/SS (CIN No. 1, MLB No. 23) vs. Kyle Manzardo, 1B (CLE No. 2, MLB No. 58)
The pair of Ohio infielders have something to prove this spring. Marte got his Reds career off to a solid start by batting .316 while hitting the ball hard over 35 games, but Cincinnati’s Jeimer Candelario signing makes the infield all the more crowded. Manzardo was still battling a shoulder injury when Cleveland acquired him last July, but he was one of the Arizona Fall League’s most productive hitters. He should be in line to compete for the Guardians’ Opening Day first-base job. Consider the Breakout more audition tape.
7. Ricky Tiedemann, LHP (TOR No. 1, MLB No. 31) vs. Spencer Jones, OF (NYY No. 1, MLB No. 73)
Two top AL East talents? Check. A power arm facing a power bat? Check. A lefty-on-lefty matchup? Check. Any way you slice this, a Tiedemann-Jones faceoff would be fun in Tampa on March 16. The southpaw’s mid-90s fastball, plus sweeper and great changeup could be menacing against the former Vanderbilt star, but keep in mind, Jones had a higher OPS (.804) against lefties than righties (.775) in 2023.
8. Dylan Crews, OF (WSH No. 1, MLB No. 4) vs. Jett Williams, SS/OF (NYM No. 3, MLB No. 78)
Like his former LSU teammate Skenes, Crews will garner plenty of attention in his first Spring Training as the face of the Nationals system, and his plus-plus hit tool and plus power could make him a Major League option as early as Opening Day. As part of its rebuild, expect Washington to keep Crews in front of fans, so expect him to start on March 15. As for the Mets, potential division rivals Luisangel Acuña or Drew Gilbert could be good foils for Crews, but we’ll go with Williams — a true up-the-middle talent with plus speed and an approach that could be a menace to Washington pitching in March and well beyond.
9. Roman Anthony, OF (BOS No. 2, MLB No. 35) vs. Hurston Waldrep, RHP (ATL No. 2, MLB No. 100)
Waldrep’s plus-plus splitter is designed to dominate left-handed hitters; it’s a big reason why the former Florida Gator struck out 21 of the 64 Minor League lefties (32.8 percent) he faced after the Braves took him 24th overall in July. But Anthony — a 19-year-old outfielder who walked 86 times and posted an .869 OPS across three levels in his first full season — could prove a fun test. The Red Sox slugger slugged .484 against righties in 2023, compared to .375 against his fellow southpaws.
10. Justin Crawford, OF (PHI No. 3, MLB No. 77) vs. Max Clark, OF (DET No. 1, MLB No. 15)
There could be a ton of speed on display in Lakeland on March 16. Crawford swiped 47 bags in only 87 games between Single-A and High-A in his first full season, second-most in the Phillies organization despite some missed time. Clark is a 70-grade runner in his own right who will be out to make waves in his first taste of Spring Training as the 2023 No. 3 overall pick. Consider yourselves warned, backstops.