Why do we watch spring training games?
The outcomes don’t matter; in 2001, the Mariners finished 13–19 in the spring before...well, you know. The numbers have precious little predictive value; look no further than Daniel Vogelbach’s .407/.529/.926 slash line last spring, the best among all players with more than 10 plate appearances. The games themselves are far from top quality, with so many players fighting to make the roster mixed in with rusty defense and random mid-game substitutions.
No, we watch for reasons far less tangible. We watch for those flashes of excitement that get us HYPED for the season to come.