Rights (and Wrongs) Of Spring

1 DON'T TRUST SPRING TRAINING STATS For every Andruw Jones (who hit a big-league-high 10 home runs in March last year for the Braves and then led the majors with 51 in the regular season), there's a Gabe Gross (who hit eight in the spring for the Blue Jays and one during the season). But the most misleading statistic of the spring is saves. That's because most closers are on the first tee by the ninth inning of an exhibition game, having already pitched the sixth or seventh. None of the first 49 saves of this spring were earned by projected closers. Pitchers such as the Tigers' Chris Spurling and the Giants' Merkin Valdez might rack up saves now, but they won't be doing it come April.

2 SEE FOR YOURSELF Nothing beats scouting with your own eyes, and fantasy fanatics flock to Arizona and Florida each year to get a firsthand look at players. But as much fun as it is to bird-dog major league teams for a month, most folks can't afford it. So the next best thing is to surf MLB.TV, which provides online broadcasts of televised exhibition games. Not only do you see all the players in action, but you also get the insights of broadcasters who are trying to decipher the nuances of this year's teams for themselves. And because these games are more laid-back, club officials often stop by the booth and occasionally shed light on a particular position battle or the status of an injured player.

3 GRAB METEORIC RISERS Most prospects climb through an organization one level at a time, but the very best don't let minor league designations get in their way--they dominate at every stop and skip some along the way. Albert Pujols played only one year in the minors, making three stops; Miguel Cabrera jumped from Double A to the Show at age 20. So track prospects creating a buzz in spring training. Teams don't promote their top young players to sit on the bench; if they're still around on Opening Day, they'll play. Otherwise, be ready to pounce on them if they're called up during the season. Keep an eye on Braves lefthanded starter Chuck James, Orioles outfielder Nick Markakis and Indians third baseman Andy Marte.

4 STUDY ROSTER MOVES A seemingly minor transaction during the spring can have a huge impact on fantasy play, and in keeper leagues such moves can be felt for years. Take this deal that took up two lines of agate type in the newspaper last Thursday:

DIAMONDBACKS--Acquired RHP Jeff Bajenaru
from the White Sox for INF Alex Cintron

A promising righthanded reliever for a versatile middle infielder. Not much fantasy impact, right? Well, a closer look reveals that, as a result of making the trade, the Diamondbacks removed one of the major obstacles facing 2004 first-round pick Stephen Drew in his bid to become the starting shortstop. With Cintron in Chicago and projected starter Craig Counsell sidelined by a slightly torn labrum in his right shoulder, Drew suddenly has a clear path to the majors.

5 LISTEN TO GUSHING SKIPPERS As a generally hard-to-satisfy group, managers are rarely effusive in praising players, especially rookies. So whenever a skipper goes out on a limb, you know he's talking about a special player. Royals third baseman Alex Gordon, for instance, is getting such praise from his manager, Buddy Bell. After an exhibition game in which Gordon drove in two runs and made two spectacular plays in the field, Bell said he was "very impressed how [ Gordon] approached the game. He's got a great pace about him and has got a lot of presence." That's as much of a ringing endorsement as you'll ever hear.

? Get tips and analysis from David Sabino every week during the season at SI.com/fantasy.