Any time a first baseman in college is selected as high as the 6th round, as Chad Spanberger was in the 2017 draft out of Arkansas, there are elevated offensive expectations. This is especially true for players placed in the hitter-friendly Pioneer League. Fortunately, Spanberger, who signed for slot money at $260,200, at least met those lofty expectations in his professional debut season.
Playing as a 21-year-old (he’s now 22), the 6’3” lefty hitter was a destructive force in 269 Pioneer League plate appearances. Spanberger’s .294/.368/.617 line included 19 homers in 60 games (36 extra base hits overall), good for a 123 wRC+.