While most MLB teams spend the offseason attempting to address the most glaring needs on their rosters, many still arrive at spring training with a few unsettled spots. Competitions for these roles in camp — whether on the backfields under the watchful eyes of front-office officials and coaches or in front of fans in Cactus and Grapefruit League action — are often some of the most compelling storylines in the weeks leading up to Opening Day.

Here’s a look at eight position groups that promise to be highly scrutinized as they’re sorted out in spring training:

Boston Red Sox: Second base and third base

Last year’s Opening Day Red Sox lineup featured marquee free-agent signing Alex Bregman at third base, the major-league debut of top prospect Kristian Campbell at second base and the beginning of Rafael Devers’ short-lived tenure as Boston’s designated hitter. In the chaotic year since, Campbell flourished then floundered, Devers was traded in stunning fashion, and Bregman helped lead Boston to the postseason before departing in free agency. Whew.

With Bregman and Devers gone, trade acquisition Willson Contreras at first and Campbell looking to restore his value while focusing on playing the outfield, second and third base are in flux for the Red Sox. Recent reported signing Isiah Kiner-Falefa provides some versatile infield depth, but his lackluster bat leaves him better suited for a bench role. Among the candidates for the starting infield jobs, 23-year-old Marcelo Mayer is the most exciting, having been among the hyped trio of hitting prospects who debuted last season, along with Campbell and budding superstar Roman Anthony. Wrist surgery ended Mayer’s rookie campaign prematurely; is he ready to take on an every-day role, or would Boston prefer to platoon him if his struggles against southpaws persist?

The most straightforward alignment would seem to be Mayer at third and the right-handed Romy Gonzalez — who crushes southpaws — at second. But if Boston prioritizes favorable matchups and/or defense, Kiner-Falefa (RHH), speedy second baseman David Hamilton (LHH), Nate Eaton (RHH) and Nick Sogard (switch-hitter) could factor into these two spots on a rotating basis. There won’t be room for all of them on the roster, so how camp unfolds — and if another addition is made before Opening Day — will play a big role in determining Alex Cora’s infield strategy.

Houston Astros: Corner outfield

Manager Joe Espada wants Yordan Alvarez to DH as much as possible, a reasonable preference but also one that exacerbates the current logjam of corner infielders; Houston is still trying to solve how to give regular at-bats to Isaac Paredes and Christian Walker with Carlos Correa entrenched at third base. Meanwhile, uncertainty abounds in the outfield.

The Jose Altuve outfield experiment appears to be over. Alvarez’s days in the grass will be limited moving forward. Several others who have appeared in Houston’s outfield recently — Mauricio Dubón, Chas McCormick, Jacob Melton, Cooper Hummel — are no longer in the organization. Jake Meyers, an elite defender in center field, is still in the fold, despite trade rumors swirling around him. But who will flank Meyers in the corners?

Lefty slugger Jesús Sánchez arrived from Miami via trade in July but didn’t do much slugging with Houston; can he redeem his acquisition after a lackluster introductory stint? Cam Smith was the prize in the trade return for Kyle Tucker, but he faded hard in the second half of his rookie season and has a lot to prove this spring. Two homegrown hitters named Zach — Cole (LHH) and Dezenzo (RHH) — have tantalizing power but big swing-and-miss issues. Former top prospect Taylor Trammell remains on the depth chart as a more seasoned, if still unproven option. Each corner outfield candidate offers hints of optimism and a healthy dose of concerns. If the Astros want to return to October, at least one of these hitters will need to step up.

San Diego Padres: First base and second base

The Padres made one of the more interesting additions of the winter when they gave 29-year-old Korean infielder Sung-Mun Song a four-year, $15 million deal. An unremarkable role player for the first eight years of his career with the Kiwoom Heroes, Song’s 144 wRC+ ranked seventh in the KBO over the past two seasons, and his defensive acumen at multiple infield spots helped fuel his market as a major-league free agent. That versatility appealed to San Diego as it sought to backfill the void in the lineup and infield left by Luis Arraez and Ryan O’Hearn, who both departed in free agency. But Song’s exact fit remains unclear.

Primarily a third baseman in Korea, Song also has experience at first and second. And with Manny Machado still manning the hot corner in San Diego, Song’s primary role will come on the right side of the infield. The other main character in that dynamic is Jake Cronenworth, who also can handle first and second base and is coming off a sneaky stellar season. Defensively, that gives new manager Craig Stammen flexibility to deploy Song and Cronenworth however he sees fit on the right side.

But Song’s bat is a much bigger question as he adjusts to major-league pitching. If struggles at the plate demote him to more of a bench role, the Padres don’t have any proven internal options to pick up the slack; other infielders pushing for roster spots include Will Wagner, Mason McCoy, Samad Taylor and Pablo Reyes. That puts real pressure on Song to make an impact right away if San Diego’s position-player group is going to stack up in the ultra-competitive NL West.

Toronto Blue Jays: Corner outfield

The Blue Jays were plenty busy making moves this offseason, but their highest profile pursuit — of outfielder Kyle Tucker — fell short. Chasing Tucker wasn’t about a pressing present need as much as it was seeking a long-term anchor in the outfield, as George Springer and Daulton Varsho are both slated to hit free agency after this season. And even with Varsho and Springer still in the fold, the Blue Jays have some things to sort out in the outfield in the short-term. Varsho’s big power and fantastic glove provide a strong starting point in center, but what happens at the two corner spots will depend on myriad factors.

First and foremost: Can Anthony Santander — owed nearly $70 million over the next four seasons — bounce back after an injury-riddled first season as a Blue Jay? Restoring his bat is paramount, but his ability to play competent defense in left or right field will also be important if Toronto wants to keep the 36-year-old Springer at DH. Addison Barger flashed legitimate star power on both sides of the ball during Toronto’s pennant run, but both he and the late-blooming Nathan Lukes — another key cog in October — have a lot to prove against left-handed pitching if they’re going to sustain regular roles. Davis Schneider and Myles Straw also remain as useful right-handed complements. There aren’t any top prospects on the doorstep of the majors, but keep an eye on Yohendrick Pinango and RJ Schreck, upper-level bats who could make some noise in camp.

Can this group of familiar faces — plus new Japanese slugger Kazuma Okamoto, who projects to primarily handle third base but could factor into the left field mix — backfill the void left in the lineup by departed mainstay Bo Bichette? That’s the biggest question facing Toronto’s position-player group. A lot is clearly riding on Okamoto, but there’s ample pressure on the holdovers to step up, too, especially in the outfield.

Milwaukee Brewers: Fourth and fifth starting pitchers

Milwaukee executed its traditional gambit of trading away a franchise favorite before he reached free agency, dealing Freddy Peralta to the Mets in exchange for top prospects Jett Williams and Brandon Sproat. Brandon Woodruff, the longest-tenured Brewer, remains atop the rotation after accepting the qualifying offer, but the rest of Milwaukee’s starting staff is filled with relatively new names. Two of those pitchers — breakout fireballer Jacob Misiorowski and effective trade acquisition Quinn Priester — should have firm grips on rotation roles behind Woodruff. But the two other spots look to be up for grabs, setting up a competition in camp to determine the Opening Day rotation.

Three arms will be at the forefront of the conversation. The most experienced is Chad Patrick, who emerged as an unlikely rookie contributor in the rotation during the regular season but transitioned to the bullpen for the stretch run and shined as a reliever in October. It’s tempting to watch Patrick in relief — throwing markedly harder than he did as a starter — and wonder if the bullpen is where he could make the greatest impact. But Milwaukee is flush with bullpen options, making it more likely that Patrick stays stretched out and vies for a rotation job.

He’ll be competing with two rookie-eligible right-handers, Brandon Sproat and Logan Henderson. Both pitchers showed flashes of potential in their brief major-league stints last season, and each appears in the back half of most of the recently released Top 100 prospect lists. How Sproat adjusts to his new organization and how Henderson returns from the flexor strain that ended his 2025 campaign in August will help clarify who is prepared to seize a rotation spot to open the season.

Another name worth mentioning is Robert Gasser, who had a strong initial cameo in 2024 before undergoing Tommy John surgery. He returned to the mound at the end of 2025 and will be looking to rediscover his pre-surgery form in 2026. He could provide a lefty alternative for a rotation depth chart loaded with right-handers.

L.A. Dodgers: Fifth, sixth (and seventh?) starting pitchers

It’s no secret that the reigning champs have amassed a spectacular amount of starting pitching talent. That was already true a year ago, and since then, the unit has only elevated further, with Shohei Ohtani’s return to the mound and Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s legendary October heroics. Clayton Kershaw’s retirement removed one accomplished arm from the rotation, but Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow remain as unquestioned frontline pitchers.

But while that quartet is as formidable as any starting staff in the world, the depth chart beyond it is also crucial. If we’ve learned anything in recent years, it’s that it takes a whole lot more than five starters to make it through a 162-game season, plus a deep playoff run, and the Dodgers know that as well as any team. Fortunately, there’s a huge group of talented hurlers beyond Los Angeles’ top four who will be jockeying for roles as big-league starters at Camelback Ranch.

Roki Sasaki begins an utterly fascinating sophomore campaign after faltering badly as a rookie in the regular season before shining in relief in October. The Dodgers are intent on returning him to the rotation, but can he make the adjustments to succeed as a starter and stay healthy while doing so? Conversely, Emmet Sheehan looked terrific as a starter in the regular season before a more uneven showing in relief during the postseason. He looks to have surpassed Sasaki on the depth chart, but he’ll need to reinforce that this spring. Several others with big-league experience — Justin Wrobleski, Ben Casparius, Kyle Hurt, Landon Knack — continue to straddle the starter/reliever line. Then there’s a couple of key injury returners in right-handers Gavin Stone and River Ryan, each looking to regain their impressive pre-surgery form. Bobby Miller is still around, too.

On paper, it’s an embarrassment of riches, but these arms also represent pivotal depth for when injuries inevitably happen. Some portion of these pitchers are bound to contribute to Los Angeles’ effort to three-peat; exactly which ones remains to be seen.

Philadelphia Phillies: Outfield

It’s rare to see a team be blatantly transparent about its intention to put a yet-to-debut prospect on the Opening Day roster. But the Phillies have not been shy whatsoever about how much they are counting on 22-year-old Justin Crawford to be their center fielder in 2026. The son of four-time All-Star outfielder Carl, Justin spent all of 2025 at Triple-A and showed an exciting blend of speed and contact resembling that of his father’s prime. Now Philadelphia appears ready to lean on him to add a youthful component to a lineup loaded with grizzled veterans.

The Phillies’ willingness to hand Crawford the starting center-field job is refreshing in an era when so many teams are overly cautious and/or prioritizing service-time considerations. But Crawford isn’t a consensus top prospect whom evaluators regard as a slam-dunk to contribute right away, let alone blossom into an impact player. That puts some pressure on Philadelphia’s confidence in Crawford to be validated quickly, especially within the context of an outfield that features uncertainty in the corners, with Brandon Marsh’s ongoing platoon challenges and the addition of Adolis Garcia coming off two wretched campaigns.

Starting a rookie in center field on Opening Day would be one thing if he were flanked by two rock-solid contributors, but that’s not the case here. There’s upside with this unit, but Crawford and Garcia will need to perform well in a hurry as the only two new faces in a lineup that has otherwise stayed the same.

New York Mets: Starting rotation

As Peralta leaves behind a Brewers rotation filled with younger pitchers, he joins a Mets staff with a wealth of veteran rotation candidates, all of whom come with major questions. While Peralta and budding ace Nolan McLean are locks to occupy the top two rotation spots in Queens, you can make a case for about six other pitchers to fill out the remaining three jobs as things stand.

Clay Holmes looks like the safest bet of this group — an unexpected sentiment, given his career trajectory — but also the one with the lowest demonstrated upside. Lefty David Peterson was fantastic in the first half of 2025, earning an All-Star nod, but awful down the stretch, posting a 6.34 ERA after the break. Sean Manaea is by far the highest-paid of the bunch, but his second season in Queens was marred by injuries, making it difficult to forecast his contributions. Kodai Senga is enigmatic from both durability and performance standpoints, and his name has floated in trade rumors all winter. If that quartet of veterans fails to produce enough reliable starters, 22-year-old Jonah Tong looms as an exciting rookie candidate. There’s also 26-year-old Christian Scott, who will be looking to make a mark in camp after missing all of 2025 following Tommy John surgery.

New York’s dramatic offseason makeover of its offense has been astonishing to watch, but recall that the team’s second-half collapse last year was largely fueled by disarray on the mound. Peralta will help, but a lot will depend on the rest of the pitchers in-house to up their games if the Mets are going to get back on track, and that should be a big focus in Port St. Lucie this spring.