MLB Hitters Excelling in Spring Training Games: Michael Busch, Jerar Encarnacion, Thairo Estrada, Junior Caminero, Vinny Capra and More

It's time to take a look at the top MLB hitters from the first several games of spring training.

I'll mention fantasy hitters of all statuses, but be sure to identify what the numbers could mean for a player's fantasy outlook this coming season. I'll use FanGraphs when discussing players' projected roles.

I'm not covering pitchers at this point, because no pitcher has over six innings pitched in spring training.

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Most Hits

Los Angeles Dodgers' David Bote and Tampa Bay's Curtis Mead lead the way with 10 hits each. Chicago Cubs' Michael Busch and Washington's Robert Hassell III are at nine hits each, while Athletics' Lawrence Butler, Cubs' Benjamin Cowles, San Francisco's Jerar Encarnacion and Colorado's Thairo Estrada and Kyle Karros all have eight hits.

Bote is a utility infielder who is a non-roster invitee this spring. The Dodgers are stacked, so it seems unlikely he'd earn a spot on the big league team, even if he continues to rake. Another team could pick him up for the start of the season though, so he's worth keeping tabs on.

Mead is another infielder who can play multiple spots, and he's projected to start the season in Triple-A. It seems unlikely that the Rays would have him on the opening day roster unless he was starting, as getting regular starts in the minor leagues makes more sense. An injury could open a starting role for Mead though, so keep close tabs on him, especially in deeper leagues.

Busch is projected to be in a platoon with Justin Turner after the latter signed with the team recently. Busch doesn't seem ready to give up his everyday role though. Busch could move to third base, but that would mean Matt Shaw likely starts the year in the minor leagues. Busch is a good deep-league fantasy option even in a platoon, but he might hit well enough to be usable in standard leagues.

Cowles is a utility infielder who isn't a highly-regarded prospect at this point. He's turning heads in spring training and could maybe steal a bench spot away from a veteran like Jon Berti or Vidal Brujan. An injury might be his best chance into the big leagues though.

Hassell was once a top-end prospect, but has faded the past two seasons. He's projected to open the season in Triple-A and probably needs an injury to occur to crack the roster, because I don't see Washington having him on the roster if he cannot start every day.

Butler is a locked-in starter atop the Athletics' lineup, so seeing him start the spring well is a good sign. He's on the FantasySP ADP list already, and could see his draft stock increase if he continues to rake in spring training.

Encarnacion was a projected bench bat when I wrote up the Giants' hitters fantasy preview just a few days ago, but Encarnacion is now a projected starter after his hot start in spring training. He's projected to be the designated hitter and bat eighth in the lineup. If he indeed cracks the lineup everyday, Encarnacion at least has deep-league fantasy value.

Estrada was already a projected starter for Colorado, so his hot start is probably making him a near lock for an everyday role. He's had some fantasy success in the past, so he's a name to keep tabs on throughout the season. He's at least a deep-league option.

Karros is a non-roster invitee who is projected to open the season in Double-A. He plays third base, so he's blocked by Ryan McMahon at the MLB level. Karros could maybe earn himself a mid-season call up if he hits well in AA and maybe AAA, but it might take a McMahon trade and or injury to get him to the bigs.

Most Home Runs

Tampa Bay's Junior Caminero, Milwaukee's Vinny Capra and Rhys Hoskins, Arizona's Corbin Carroll, Cincinnati's Elly De La Cruz, Pittsburgh's Matt Gorski, Philadelphia's Gabriel Rincones Jr. and New York Mets' Jose Siri all have three home runs.

Caminero is a breakout fantasy candidate for many people this season. He's already projected to bat third and play third for the Rays, so this is a great start for him. Caminero is also hitting .286 and getting on at a .375 clip.

Capra has hit well enough to be moved to a projected bench bat for the Brewers this spring - FanGraphs is projecting him to platoon, and because he can play the infield and outfield, a hot bat could help him into the lineup most days. He's an intriguing deep-league fantasy option to begin the season.

Hoskins is a locked-in starter at first base, and should hit in the heart of the Milwaukee lineup. He's an option late in standard league drafts, and his hot start at the plate might have him getting drafted a bit more often now. 

Carroll and De La Cruz are daily starters for their teams, so getting them going early in the spring is a good sign for their fantasy outlooks. Carroll is going at pick 14.95 on average, while De La Cruz is at pick 20.89.

Gorski is an non-roster invitee who is projected to open the season in Triple-A still. Pittsburgh has plenty of outfield options, so it probably would take some injuries or a change of scenery to get Gorski into a decent fantasy spot.

Rincones is a non-roster invitee expected to start his season in Triple-A. He'd probably need an injury to Nick Castellanos or Max Kepler to work his way onto the big league roster at the start of the season.

Siri was already a projected starter in center field at the bottom of the Mets' lineup, so his work this spring is probably solidifying that spot. He's a deep-league option to begin the season, but could work his way into standard leagues if he keeps hitting when the games start counting.

Best On-Base Percentages

Among qualified hitters, Washington's Alex Call has the highest OBP at .588.

Boston's Roman Anthony is at .500, while teammates Ceddanne Rafaela and Trevor Story are at .467 each. Boston's Marcelo Mayer is next at .438.

Washington's Hassell is at .435, while Milwaukee's Oliver Dunn and Los Angeles Angels' Matthew Lugo are at .421 each. The Cubs' Brujan is at .417 and Boston's Trayce Thompson sits at exactly .400.

Call is a projected bench bat already for Washington, so his hot start is certainly helping his cause of making the team. It will make things difficult for Hassell to make the team as well.

Rafaela is a projected starter for Boston, so his showing so far will help him lock down that spot. He's a deep-league option to start the season, but could work his way into standard leagues with a hot stretch at any point this season.

Story is another locked-in starter, and looking for a bounce back from injury-plagued seasons, so this is great to see from him. He's another deep-league option who could be a standard league keeper if he's raking at the plate.

Anthony is one of the top prospects in baseball, but is projected to open the season in Triple-A. An injury could get him to the big leagues, but there would need to be an everyday role available for him to get the nod.

Mayer is another top-end prospect who is expected to start his season in Triple-A. The shortstop is blocked by Story, so an injury to him could open the door for Mayer.

Thompson is a non-roster invitee who is projected to start the season in AAA. An injury to a reserve outfielder could change things for Thompson, but a change of scenery might be his one true way to earn a big league role this coming season.

Dunn is fighting for a big league roster spot, so his hot start is a great step in that direction. He's currently projected to platoon at third base, and could be a deep-league fantasy option in that role.

Lugo is projected to open the season in AAA. The outfielder is blocked by Mike Trout and Taylor Ward, among others, so it would probably take some injuries for Lugo to make the team out of spring training.

Brujan was mentioned before as someone who could have his bench role stolen, but based on how he's looked so far, he seems less likely to lose a spot to Cowles, or someone else. Brujan only would carve out a regular starting role if a few injuries took place.