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Cam Smith, OF, Astros: The Astros saw an immediate return on their investment in Smith. Acquired in the trade that sent Kyle Tucker to the Cubs, Smith pounced on the first pitch of his big league career for single off Mets starter Clay Holmes. The 22-year-old played 32 games in the minors before cracking Houston’s Opening Day roster. He got the start in right field, although he was drafted as a third baseman, and went 1-for-3 in his debut.

Kristian Campbell, 2B, Red Sox: Campbell’s ascension in the minors has been well-documented. Now, his ability is on display to the general MLB audience. Batting sixth and starting at second base for the Red Sox, Campbell collected his first Major League hit by smoking a ninth-inning slider from Rangers pitcher Luke Jackson with a 102.2 mph exit velocity. Campbell's single advanced Trevor Story to third base and set the stage for Wilyer Abreu's dramatic three-run homer that give Boston a 5-2 win. Campbell was Baseball America’s Minor League Player of the Year in 2024, propelled by his .330/.439/.558 slash line, 20 home runs and 24 steals in 115 games across three levels.

Sean Burke, RHP, White Sox: Despite having just three career big league starts entering 2025, Burke impressed this spring and won the Opening Day starter job to front a depleted White Sox rotation. The 25-year-old rewarded that decision on Thursday. The righthander twirled six shutout innings against the Angels, allowing just three hits. He got Jorge Soler and Tim Anderson on back-to-back strikeouts in the first inning, generated eight whiffs in his outing and threw 49 of his 73 pitches for strikes. Burke's fastball averaged 94.2 mph and touched 96.5 mph in the outing. He also mixes in a 12-6 curveball, a slider that generates ground balls and a changeup with slight armside fade.

Alan Roden, OF, Blue Jays: Roden muscled his way into the Blue Jays' Opening Day lineup after his .407/.541/.704 slash line this spring that was too good to be ignored. The 25-year-old batted ninth and started in right field for Toronto. His first hit wasn’t fancy, but it was a moment that he would never forget. Roden softly slapped a sinker from Orioles pitcher Zach Eflin that snuck past diving second baseman Jordan Westburg in the sixth inning for his first hit. Roden finished the game 1-for-2 with a walk in Toronto's 12-2 loss. Roden was recognized as one of the Blue Jays’ best contact hitters in the system in 2024 and his power also ticked up, as he hit 16 home runs between Double-A and Triple-A.

Max Muncy, 2B, Athletics: A late injury to Zack Gelof opened the door for Max Muncy to break camp with the A’s. The 22-year-old found his way into their Opening Day lineup, batting eighth and playing second base. While he did not record a hit, Muncy became the youngest Opening Day starting second baseman for the A’s since Shooty Babitt in 1981, and the seventh-youngest overall debut in club history. He also recorded an inning-ending double play with Jacob Wilson, his teammate at Thousand Oaks High School (Calif.), in the second inning. Muncy went 11-for-33 during spring, but his polished defense and infield versatility made him an appealing addition to the A's roster, per manager Mark Kotsay.

Editor’s Picks

Grapefruit League Standouts: Geoff Pontes identifies impressive prospects from his time in Florida at spring training. Read more…

Matt Shaw on Opening Day: We chatted with the Cubs third baseman about his whirlwind spring. Read more…

Baseball America Helium Pick Of The Day

Each day, we’ll pick a prospect that has our attention.

Connor Prielipp, LHP, Twins: Prielipp was a Friday night starter at Alabama, a staff ace lefthander who pitched the first game of a weekend series. After Tommy John surgery, plus another operation to add an internal brace to his elbow, Prielipp may be a Friday starter in the Twins’ system this season, too. Here’s how the Twins plan to deploy their rising lefty this season.

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