MLB Player News

Chapman could reach the next level of his development as a hitter by more consistently laying off high or outside pitches, Owen Pointdexter of Forbes reports.

Pointdexter breaks down what the already impressive third baseman could do to further improve, and better pitch selection is one area he identifies as likely critical to Chapman becoming an even more consistent hitter. It's noted Chapman's teammate Mark Canha focused on not swinging at offerings outside the zone last season and posted a breakout year, and that a similar approach by the 26-year-old could lead to both more power and a higher on-base percentage. Chapman has traditionally done only modest damage on high or outside pitches in his career.

Jung spent the offseason working on pulling the ball, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports.

Jung, who spent a week in the rookie-level Arizona League before jumping to Low-A Hickory for 40 games in 2019, made more than 500 plate appearances between Texas Tech and pro ball last year. Playing that much helped Jung and the organization recognize areas of focus for this past offseason. "He invested a ton of time on his own and with our hitting coaches learning how to properly pull the ball and continue his growth as a multi-dimensional hitter," said Rangers assistant general manager for player development Mike Daly. The team feels he can unlock more power by pulling the ball more, a crucial step for the 22-year-old after he hit only two homers in 44 games during his pro debut.

Muncy spent time this offseason working on his approach to offspeed pitches, Cary Osborne of Dodger Insider reports.

Despite making his first All-Star team last season, Muncy struggled against offspeed offerings, batting a paltry .197 against such pitches, per Statcast. That was a significant dropoff in comparison to his 2018 campaign during which he batted .268 against offspeed pitches. As a result, Muncy consulted with Dodgers hitting coaches Brant Brown and Robert Van Scoyoc in the offseason, both of whom flew to Texas to work with the slugger. Muncy also spent time addressing his defensive mechanics -- in particular his footwork -- in an effort to shore up a second self-perceived area in need of improvement. The 29-year-old is expected to play primarily at first base in 2020, though he should also see some time at second base.

Riley would likely have been on Atlanta's Opening Day roster had the regular season begun as scheduled, even if he wasn't the starting third baseman, Gabriel Burns of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

The club headed into the spring with Riley battling Johan Camargo for the starting job at the hot corner, and the loser was expected to head down to Triple-A Gwinnett to get consistent playing time. During an interview Friday, however, GM Alex Anthopoulos suggested that both had been playing so well in camp that the battle could have continued into the regular season. "Camargo, Riley were playing unbelievably well," Anthopoulos told Fox Sports broadcaster Chip Carey. "We hadn't made a decision yet of who we were going to carry. We had started to talk about - the fact that the minor-league season was scheduled to start on April 9 and we were starting March 26 - we started to talk about carrying both. There's no reason to leave them down in Florida. They'd both been playing well enough to make the team." Once games finally do resume, the duo will pick the competition back up, but if Riley can reduce his strikeouts he remains the favorite in the long run to seize the job.

Nevin has been optioned to Triple-A Albuquerque.

The Rockies have mentioned Nevin and Colton Welker as potential options at first base in the future, given that they are both close to the majors and Colorado seems likely to decline Daniel Murphy's mutual option for 2021. Nevin took advantage of the hitter-friendly conditions at Asheville and Lancaster in 2017 and 2018, but his slash line dipped to .251/.345/.399 in the more neutral conditions at Double-A Hartford.

Paredes was optioned to Triple-A Toledo in March.

The move was officially made March 10. He went 0-for-5 in three spring games for Detroit. Paredes would have likely made his MLB debut at some point this season if there were a full 162 games, but a shortened season could delay his big-league debut until 2021.

Candelario and fellow third baseman Dawel Lugo could both make the Tigers' Opening Day roster if teams get to keep more than 26 players, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.

It is expected that teams will be able to start the year with as many as 30 players. This could allow both Candelario and Lugo to make the final cut, when previously it was thought that one of the two might get waived, as both are out of options. Candelario was thought to be leading the battle for the starting third base job, but a few extra roster spots would likely remove any doubt about him having a role on the team.

Newman is expected to serve as the Pirates' primary leadoff man in 2020, though he could also slot third ahead of cleanup hitter Josh Bell occasionally, Adam Berry of MLB.com reports.

After hitting seventh at the beginning of last year, Newman took full advantage of his opportunity to bat atop the order -- the 26-year-old slashed .328/.374/.502 in 75 games as a leadoff hitter. It remains to be seen how long he'll stick at shortstop, though. He ranked 22nd of 25 with a minus-1.7 dWAR (min. 800 innings). If Pittsburgh trades second baseman Adam Frazier, then Newman could shift to second, with standout defensive prospect Cole Tucker taking over at short. Regardless of where Newman plays in the field, his ability to hit for a high batting average and steal bases -- he swiped 16 bags in 24 tries in 2019 -- gives him fantasy value in two categories.

Longoria went 5-for-25 with two doubles and four RBI in 10 games prior to the suspension of spring training.

The veteran third baseman is poised for another season starting at the hot corner for San Francisco, though he didn't find much success before Cactus League play was suspended. Longoria finished 2019 with a .254/.325/.437 slash line, 20 home runs and 69 RBI in 129 contests.

Urshela will be the Yankees' regular third baseman when the 2020 season commences, Pete Caldera of NorthJersey.com reports.

Urshela was a non-roster invitee to spring training last season and started the campaign in the minors. One year later, he is projected to have his name penciled into the potent Yankees lineup on a near-everyday basis due to an out-of-nowhere 2019 showing in which he slashed .314/.355/.534 and flashed impressive glovework. Per Caldera, Urshela's growth can be in part attributed to mechanical adjustments that have resulted in a compacted swing. Though he hit a modest .233/.361/.367 in Grapefruit League play, Urshela should have plenty of opportunity to prove that last season was not a fluke when the 2020 campaign gets underway.