It feels like most years, there will be a player in Spring Training who comes out of (seemingly) nowhere, turns in an impressive performance, and captures the fancy of the fans.
Usually, this is a young player yet to reach the major leagues, giving us a glimpse of potential. Occasionally, it will be a nondescript quad-A veteran who sparks talk that “all he needed was a chance.”
Usually nothing becomes of these flashes, mostly because Spring Training performance is notoriously unpredictive, especially in the early going when players are facing minor leaguers or future grocery baggers. For instance, Dylan Cozens’ big Spring in 2019 did not portend him being the next power hitting star.