- The final rotation spot should come down to Bert Blyleven, Atlee Hammaker, and Wade Miller.
- While Walter Johnson has struggled a bit, he, Dizzy Trout, and Smokey Joe Wood are still in the front of the rotation. Pascual Perez, however, may lose his spot, with Miller, Blyleven, Hammaker, and Jerry Koosman all in the mix.
- Portland’s SP continues to be quite strong, with the biggest surprise being Johnson’s continued struggles. Right now, Koosman, Wood, Miller, and Mike Cuellar would join him in the rotation, but Miller and Cuellar are under pressure form Trout, Perez, and Blyleven and even Fontenot could make an argument. Hammaker’s ERA is nearly 8, but his secondary stats are good, so he’s still in the mix as well.
- While Walter Johnson has struggled a bit, he, Dizzy Trout, and Smokey Joe Wood are still in the front of the rotation. Pascual Perez, however, may lose his spot, with Miller, Blyleven, Hammaker, and Jerry Koosman all in the mix.
- The most likely bullpen competition will be between Elmer Brown and Ray Fontenot.
- Randy Myers has struggled, but is still the leading candidate to close. Jim Kern, Brown, Johan Santana, and Frank Williams have all been excellent, while Fontenot has probably pitched himself out of contention.
- Myers–assumed to be the closer–is on his way to AAA with Santana likely to take over. Kern and Brown will be the setup arms.
- Randy Myers has struggled, but is still the leading candidate to close. Jim Kern, Brown, Johan Santana, and Frank Williams have all been excellent, while Fontenot has probably pitched himself out of contention.
- C is wide open, with 2 of Joe Mauer, Devin Mesoraco, and Ivan Rodriguez making the opening day roster.
- Rodriguez has had an excellent Spring, with Mauer close behind.
- It’s still up in the air, with Mauer looking the likely starter at this point.
- Rodriguez has had an excellent Spring, with Mauer close behind.
- Buddy Bell has a shot at unseating Adrian Beltre at 3B, but it’s a longshot.
- Beltre has done very little, allowing not just Bell but also Harmon Killebrew to move into the mix. Greg Litton, who can fill in at 3B, SS, and 2B has been called up as well.
- Litton is pounding the ball, which is unlikely to continue, but it does put Connie Ryan‘s roster spot in jeopardy.
- Beltre has slipped behind both Bell and Killebrew, to the point where he has been moved to AAA to try to gain some clarity.
- Beltre has done very little, allowing not just Bell but also Harmon Killebrew to move into the mix. Greg Litton, who can fill in at 3B, SS, and 2B has been called up as well.
- 1 of Don Baylor, Marty Cordova, and Kiki Cuyler is likely to make the roster, with either Gary Pettis or Kirby Puckett potentially forcing their way into the conversation with a stellar Spring.
- Cordova has been great, Pettis has not, and there’s not much else to go on after 10 games.
- Pettis, George Browne, and Baylor look likely to move to AAA unless they catch fire. Ruben Sierra has been recalled.
- Cordova has been great, Pettis has not, and there’s not much else to go on after 10 games.
- 1B has become crowded. The favorite, Gil Hodges, has been fine, but Rafael Palmiero and Kent Hrbek have been outstanding. Similarly, Hughie Jennings has closed the gap with Jim Fregosi at SS.
- 1B is still a logjam. Hodges and Hrbek are pounding the ball, and Palmiero and Killebrew are just a hair behind them.
- Jennings has gone ice cold while Fregosi has been on fire, moving into the lead at SS.
| Near Definite | Likely | Possible | Long Shot | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Pitchers | Walter Johnson Smokey Joe Wood | Jerry Koosman Mike Cuellar Wade Miller | Dizzy Trout Bert Blyleven Atlee Hammaker Pascual Perez | Ray Fontenot |
| Middle Relievers | Frank Williams Bob Porterfield | |||
| Setup | Jim Kern Elmer Brown | |||
| Closer | Johan Santana | |||
| C | Joe Maurer | Ivan Rodriguez Devin Mesoraco | ||
| 1B | Kent Hrbek Gil Hodges | Rafael Palmiero | ||
| 2B | Fred Dunlap | Greg Litton | Connie Ryan | |
| 3B | Buddy Bell Harmon Killebrew | |||
| SS | Jim Fregosi | Hughie Jennings | ||
| OF | Bobby Murcer | Jeff Burroughs Harry Hooper Kirby Puckett | Marty Cordova Kiki Cuyler | George Browne Gary Pettis Ruben Sierra Don Baylor |