2023 MLB spring training: An NRI to watch on every team, including top prospects like Anthony Volpe

2023 MLB spring training: An NRI to watch on every team, including top prospects like Anthony Volpe

SS Jordan Lawlar. The top of the Diamondbacks' system is nearly unmatched, yet Lawlar is an easy call here. Outfielder Corbin Carroll and catcher Gabriel Moreno (who is technically no longer rookie-eligible despite limited MLB experience) are already on the 40-man roster, and outfielder Druw Jones, Andruw's son and the No. 2 pick in last summer's draft, is rehabbing from shoulder surgery and won't be in big league camp. Lawlar was the No. 6 prospect in the 2021 draft and he managed a .401 on-base percentage while reaching Double-A as a 19-year-old. Prospects don't get much more exciting.

LHP Jared Shuster. Trades and graduations have left the Braves with a thinned out farm system, and considering the quality of their MLB roster, I don't think they mind one bit. Atlanta is loaded. None of their top three prospects will be NRIs this year, so Shuster, the No. 25 pick in the 2020 draft, gets the nod almost by default. He reached Triple-A last year and the Braves had him pitch to their hitters as part of their preparation for last year's NLDS. Shuster is behind a few others on the rotation depth chart, but he's not far away from helping Atlanta.

SS Jackson Holliday. You won't see many 19-year-olds strutting around big league camp in spring training, but Holliday is not the typical 19-year-old. The No. 1 pick in the 2022 draft (but only Baltimore's No. 3 prospect) is the son of former All-Star Matt Holliday, and a gifted all-around player with a chance to be the sport's No. 1 prospect come the end of 2023. The Orioles have a very bright future and Holliday represents the next wave of talent now that Gunnar Henderson and Grayson Rodriguez are poised to join Adley Rutschman in Charm City this summer. (Henderson and Rodriguez are the No. 1 and 2 prospects in the system, though they're on the 40-man roster and will be in big league camp automatically.)

IF Matthew Lugo. The Red Sox might have another NRI announcement coming. As of this writing, their NRI list includes only 15 names (including zero outfielders), which is 8-10 fewer than the typical NRI list. It's not uncommon to announce NRIs in dribs and drabs, or maybe Boston is just planning a small camp. Either way, Lugo is the most interesting name of the bunch. The 2019 second rounder had a big season in High Class-A last year and reached Double-A. He has no shot at winning a big league roster spot, which means spring will be the last time Red Sox fans get to see him for a while.

OF Pete Crow-Armstrong. Acquired in the Javier Báez trade two years ago, Crow-Armstrong is arguably the best defensive outfielder in the minors, and he hit a tidy .312/.376/.520 at two Single-A levels last year. His offensive ceiling is up for debate, but no one doubts the glove. Crow-Armstrong still has minor league seasoning ahead of him and Cody Bellinger will get a long look in Wrigley this summer, so spring training will likely be your last chance to see the 20-year-old on a field with big leaguers until next spring training.

OF Oscar Colas. The White Sox will have shortstop Colson Montgomery, their No. 1 prospect, in camp as an NRI, though I'm more interested to see Colas, their No. 3 prospect. The 24-year-old reached Triple-A last season and slashed .314/.371/.524 with 23 home runs at three minor league levels. Chicago's right field situation can best be described as