When spring stats matter

When it comes to spring training statistics, there are so many problems with the data -- small samples, inferior competition, hilariously small ballparks -- that the numbers generally are just not worth even looking at. In most cases, March numbers can simply be thrown away without a second thought.

However, there are a few instances where spring training performances might actually tell us something. Most famously, Jose Bautista finished the 2009 season with a surprising burst of power, and he carried over that surge into spring training in 2010. The continuation of his revamped approach and swing in spring training could have helped clue us in to the fact that Bautista had undergone a dramatic transformation.

That doesn't mean you should start reading too much into every player's results over the next few weeks, but there are a few players worth keeping an eye on as the spring training games get under way.