Spring Training is not just a time for players to get back into game shape. It’s also a time of opportunity.
Though teams already have a good idea about their Opening Day lineups, the full rosters usually aren’t completely set when players report to camp in Florida or Arizona. That gives some players a chance to impress and earn a spot on the big league roster when teams break camp.
With help from MLB.com’s beat writers, here’s one dark horse candidate to make each team’s Opening Day roster.
It’s hard to call a Rule 5 pick a dark horse, but it’s a little easier when that pitcher has thrown 14 2/3 career innings in the Minor Leagues. Miles is already 25, but back surgery and Tommy John have kept him from building any sense of momentum since he was drafted in 2022. The Blue Jays have some room for a true bullpen competition for the final spot or two, though, and if Miles is missing bats and throwing strikes, he’ll get a long look. Remember, last season the Blue Jays opened the year with Richard Lovelady and Jacob Barnes in the bullpen. This group will change all season long, so if Miles tempts the Blue Jays enough, they could carry an extended look into early April. — Keegan Matheson
The O’s bullpen is a bit weaker on the left side, with only Keegan Akin among the locks to make the team. Dietrich Enns is a front-runner to do so, while Grant Wolfram is also in the mix. But one non-roster southpaw to keep an eye on is Torres, who has shown some impressive stuff on the backfields in the early days of camp. The 26-year-old has never pitched above Triple-A — where he posted a 9.44 ERA in 32 outings in the Angels’ system across the 2023 and ‘24 seasons — but he was lights out in the independent American Association last year (a 1.59 ERA in 39 games) and then in the Puerto Rican Winter League (23 1/3 scoreless innings over 20 appearances). — Jake Rill
The Rays acquired Vilade in a minor trade with the Reds on Nov. 3, an early and under-the-radar move to land a player with only 28 games of Major League experience. But Tampa Bay was intrigued by the 27-year-old, a second-round pick in the 2017 Draft, after seeing him slash .290/.378/.511 in Triple-A last season. Vilade is out of Minor League options, and he presents some defensive versatility. He will play first and second base and right field this spring, so he could be a right-handed complement to starters Jonathan Aranda, Gavin Lux and Jake Fraley in those spots. — Adam Berry
Though the Red Sox seem to lead the universe in utility infield depth, Romero has a chance to beat out the field with a strong camp. A first-round selection by Boston in the 2022 Draft, Romero continues to get unprompted mentions from manager Alex Cora. In particular, Romero has impressed team evaluators with his physicality, as he is at last back to 100 percent after spending his first couple of pro seasons bogged down by injuries. Splitting last season between Double-A and Triple-A, Romero belted 17 homers. With Romy Gonzalez (left shoulder injury) appearing unlikely to be ready for Opening Day, that creates a possible opening for Romero and several other players in camp. — Ian Browne
Bird allowed seven runs (six earned) in two innings after being acquired from the Rockies last July, then spent the rest of the year in Triple-A. That wasn’t the best first impression, but the 30-year-old looks different early in camp, crediting a full offseason working with the Yankees’ pitching department. If he continues to generate ground balls and whiffs, Bird could be a nice bullpen find. — Bryan Hoch
The Guardians have many outfield options in camp, but don’t sleep on Fairchild, a non-roster invitee who could bring a few key attributes to the table. He bats right-handed, has a good track record against lefties (career .746 OPS), and can play each outfield spot. Cleveland has only four right-handed hitters on its 40-man roster, and it struggled against lefties in 2025 (.647 OPS). Fairchild could be a complementary piece in the outfield picture, and his versatility would fit in well on a team that embraces and leans upon it. — Tim Stebbins
The Royals’ bench competition is wide open, and it’s a mix of homegrown younger players and several veteran non-roster invitees. The club is also considering all its options when thinking about the bench, including handedness, skillset at the plate and positional versatility. Newman is a former first-round pick and has been a Major Leaguer for eight seasons, including five with the Pirates. He can play all around the infield, including second, shortstop and third. The attraction here is shortstop; on the rare day that Bobby Witt Jr. is DH or is fully off, the Royals could plug Newman in there while keeping Maikel Garcia at third base. Plus, Newman is right-handed, which complements all the lefty batters the Royals have on their roster. — Anne Rogers
Signed out of indy ball in 2024, Seelinger was a bit of a revelation in the Tigers’ farm system last year, striking out 75 batters over 65 2/3 innings of relief between Double-A and Triple-A. He dominated right-handed hitters last year, allowing a .197 average with 38 strikeouts over 139 plate appearances. If A.J. Hinch decides to top off his bullpen with an extra right-hander on Opening Day against a Padres lineup that features righty hitters Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr., Xander Bogearts and Nick Castellanos, Seelinger is an intriguing option. — Jason Beck
Klein, who hails from the Twin Cities, is a big guy who throws hard and misses bats. He struck out 128 in 106 1/3 innings last year between Double-A and Triple-A, and that was while largely pitching on the Twins’ hybrid four innings, every four days plan. It’s easy to see how his stuff could play up in a pure relief role, and while there are fewer openings in the bullpen than there were a couple of weeks ago, it wouldn’t be shocking for Klein to force his way into the picture. — Matthew Leach
There have been past moments when the left-handed hitter has looked like the sixth pick overall in the 2018 Draft that he was, but the White Sox want greater consistency across a full season from Kelenic. They believe their squad is the right fit, with Kelenic working with Ryan Fuller, the team’s director of hitting, during much of the offseason. He’s in a battle to make the active roster but could be a significant contributor if he does. — Scott Merkin
The Angels signed Siri to a Minor League deal to compete for a spot in the outfield, as they wanted to improve their center field depth. Mike Trout said he wants to move back to center field this year after moving to right in 2025, which could help solve a crowded outfield situation that also includes Jo Adell, Josh Lowe and Jorge Soler. Siri is expected to compete with Bryce Teodosio for an extra outfielder role, as they are both considered elite defensively but struggled with the bat last year. Siri, though, hit 25 homers with the Rays in ’23, so he has had some success offensively in the Majors. — Rhett Bollinger
The Astros’ No. 1-ranked prospect got his feet wet in the big leagues last year and single-handedly won a series in Arizona by hitting three homers in two games and starting a game-ending double play, winning over his teammates. Drafted as a shortstop, Matthews has gotten reps at second, third and center field in the Minors and came to camp this year scheduled for playing time at shortstop and center. The Astros’ infield is jammed and Jake Meyers is an elite defender in center, so Matthews could be better served playing every day in Triple-A to begin the season. — Brian McTaggart
Sidelined for all of last year after undergoing Tommy John surgery in August 2024, Medina is healthy again as camp begins and being looked at as a reliever this spring. Between a fastball that can routinely touch 98-99 mph and a filthy slider, Medina has the arsenal to potentially thrive in a high-leverage bullpen role. He’ll have to shake off some rust in the Cactus League, but a strong showing could push him to the top in a crowded bullpen picture. — Martín Gallegos
Seattle made a last-minute addition to its non-roster invite list when bringing in Garver on a Minor League deal the day before Cactus League games began. And he’ll be given every chance to reclaim the role he held the past year and a half as Cal Raleigh’s backup. Yet, the situation is a little more complex, given that the club already signed Andrew Knizner for the gig on a one-year, $1 million contract that’s guaranteed. Garver’s isn’t, though he’ll earn $2.25 million if he’s in the big leagues at any point in ’26. — Daniel Kramer
It’s hard to say that a big league vet is a “dark horse,” but Canha was released by the Royals late last season and was even contemplating whether he would continue playing. He would particularly be a helpful addition to a Rangers lineup that is left-handed heavy at the moment. He complements the Texas lineup perfectly to give himself a chance at the Opening Day roster. — Kennedi Landry
Injuries have lessened the likelihood of a big surprise. But the fact Farmer signed a Minor League deal a couple of days before the start of camp makes him somewhat of a dark horse. Carrying Farmer gives the Braves a versatile fielder who would give manager Walt Weiss late-inning options when he needs to pinch-hit for Mike Yastrzemski against a lefty or when he wants to use Jorge Mateo as a pinch-runner. — Mark Bowman
Miami intends to build up Janson Junk for a starter workload, but he sustained a mild right ankle sprain and might not be ready in time. Since Junk projects more as a swingman, Gusto could fill that role after doing the same for the Astros in 2025 before coming over to the Marlins in the Jesús Sánchez trade. The Marlins could also forego a traditional long man and instead use someone like Michael Petersen. — Christina De Nicola
When the Mets signed Tauchman after the official start of camp, it added depth to their right-field competition. The people’s choice to win that job is No. 2 prospect Carson Benge, who has a real chance to make the team. But Benge also has just 24 largely unsuccessful games of experience above Double-A. If he falters in Grapefruit League play, it will thrust the door wide open for the 35-year-old Tauchman to win the gig. — Anthony DiComo
Last Spring Training, Brad Lord rode the momentum of a single-season ascension in the Minor Leagues to make the Opening Day roster out of the bullpen (and eventually earned a spot in the rotation). Cornelio, 25, could be on a similar trajectory. Last season, Cornelio advanced from High-A to Triple-A and was named the Nationals Minor League Pitcher of the Year. After Cornelio led their farm system in ERA (3.28), opponents’ batting average (.205) and starts (26), they protected him from the Rule 5 Draft. He is in camp as a member of the 40-man roster. — Jessica Camerato
Phillies manager Rob Thomson has said that ideally he would like a third left-hander in the bullpen. The most likely candidate is sidearmer Kyle Backhus, whom the Phillies acquired in an offseason trade with Arizona. Cabrera pitched for four teams last season, so there’s no question that teams see something in him. The Phillies do, too. If Cabrera can recapture his form from 2021-24 — 3.94 ERA in 240 appearances — perhaps he can make one of the final two bullpen jobs available. — Todd Zolecki
The Brewers begin the spring with fewer question marks than recent years, but one of the big unknowns is how they’ll fill out a pitching staff that is short of candidates to log 30 starts and 200 innings, and long on multi-inning bullpen options who will be critical to covering the middle innings. Aaron Ashby and DL Hall are known commodities in that role, but manager Pat Murphy also mentioned Crow as a possibility after the 25-year-old was added to the 40-man roster last fall. Acquired from the Mets in December 2023 for Tyrone Taylor and Adrian Houser, Crow missed extended time last season with hip and flexor injuries. — Adam McCalvy
The Cards are still hoping to add an outfielder with pop — preferably one who hits right-handed — before the start of the regular season. Velázquez, who is in camp as a non-roster invitee, checks all of those boxes. He hit 25 homers across 117 MLB games from 2023-24 while with the Cubs and Royals. He wasn’t in the Majors last year, but he did slug 30 homers across all levels of pro ball, including 11 dingers in 51 Minor League games. No Cards hitter has exceeded 22 homers in a season since ‘23, so Velázquez’s power potential makes him a good fit for this roster. — Brian Murphy
Brown made the Cubs’ Opening Day rotation a year ago, but the current makeup of the starting staff and bullpen has the righty on the outside looking in this spring. Barring anything unexpected, the rotation projects to include Matthew Boyd, Edward Cabrera, Cade Horton, Shota Imanaga and Jameson Taillon. A sixth option, veteran Colin Rea, looks ticketed for one of the few relief vacancies. This puts the hard-throwing Brown in a position where Chicago will consider sending him to Triple-A Iowa as rotation depth. That said, with his intriguing two-pitch mix (and a developing changeup), Brown has a chance to win a bullpen job this spring. — Jordan Bastian
Clevinger’s early-career glory days with Cleveland are behind him, but that doesn’t mean the 35-year-old might not have some magic left in the tank. Though injuries have limited his appearances over the past two years, his 60-44 record and 3.55 ERA across nine seasons prove he can compete in the big leagues and provide a veteran presence. The fact that he’s started and worked relief in his career also gives the Bucs the option to use him in long relief if the situation calls. Though there are bullpen spots up for grabs, this isn’t a gimme for Clevinger, who’ll need a strong spring showing to best a guy like Yohan Ramirez — who is out of Minor League options — and avoid being stashed away in Triple-A. — Dawn Klemish
In camp as a non-roster invite, Antone is working his way back from his third Tommy John surgery on his right elbow, which he underwent in 2024. So if anybody knows how to play the underdog role and make a team, it’s this guy. The reliever made the roster in ’24 in similar fashion after his second TJ surgery and has a determination to beat the odds to go with feeling good in camp. Because of his elbow problems, he has been limited to only 45 games since 2020. If Antone can make the team and have an injury-free season, he would be a runaway leading contender for the NL Comeback Player of the Year Award. — Mark Sheldon
Diaz had some command issues early last season and kind of fell off the radar a bit as a prospect. But he seemed to get things straightened out toward the end of 2025 and then followed it up with an impressive stint in winter ball. He still possesses nasty stuff and with the Diamondbacks desperate for relief help, a strong spring could land Diaz a spot on the Opening Day roster. — Steve Gilbert
While the Dodgers have the key pieces in their bullpen set, there should be some competition for the last few spots. Perhaps Kopp, who was added to the 40-man roster this past offseason, could make a good impression in his first big league camp and seize one of them. The southpaw struck out 91 batters in 57 2/3 innings between Double-A Tulsa and Triple-A Oklahoma City last year, but he also issued 42 walks. If Kopp can flash some improved command this spring, he could put himself right in the conversation. — Sonja Chen
Santos debuted with San Francisco as a flamethrowing reliever in 2021, but he appeared in only five games before he was traded to the White Sox in December 2022. The 26-year-old is now back in Giants camp as a non-roster invitee and should have a good chance to nab a bullpen spot if he can overcome his recent injury issues and regain the form he showed with Chicago in 2023, when he logged a 3.39 ERA over 60 appearances. Santos touched 100 mph during a simulated game at Scottsdale Stadium on Thursday, flashing the type of high-octane stuff that the Giants could badly use at the back end of their bullpen this year. — Maria Guardado
The Padres aren’t short on righty-hitting corner-infield bats. They’ve added Nick Castellanos, Miguel Andujar and Ty France this month already. Still, Miranda is making a strong early case to join that mix as a bench bat. He tallied five hits in his first six at-bats of Cactus League play, including a pair of doubles and a home run. A non-roster invitee, Miranda struggled in Minnesota last season. But he’s only 27 years old and posted a .763 OPS for the Twins as recently as 2024. — AJ Cassavell
With the Yankees, Rumfield won a Minor League Gold Glove in Double-A in 2024, and at the Triple-A level he led the organization in hits in ‘24 and slashed .285/.378/.447 with 16 home runs and 87 RBIs last season. He had all the credentials but lacked opportunity. Traded to the Rockies this offseason, this could be a breakthrough year. However, he is a non-roster invitee and the Rockies have other options on the Major League roster. Two are players who waited years for their chance before getting Major League time last year — Blaine Crim (Rockies) and Troy Johnston (Marlins). And there are enough multi-positional veterans to handle the job in a rotation if manager Warren Schaeffer sees fit. — Thomas Harding
