Checking out possible spring training surprise candidates

Unless you're one of those who mines the minor leagues for every possible nugget of information, you didn't really know who Jake Noll was heading into 2019 spring training for the Nationals.

Maybe you knew he was a seventh-round pick in the 2016 First-Year Player Draft out of Florida Gulf Coast. Maybe you were aware that he'd followed up a .291/.341/.412 campaign between Single-A Potomac and Double-A Harrisburg in 2018 with a .265/.309/.429 log in limited Arizona Fall League play with Salt River. Perhaps you were aware of the young infielder's penchant for good at-bats. But more than likely, Noll was an afterthought to you.

Even when he reported to camp in West Palm Beach as a non-roster invite, with his locker stall clustered around other longshots, Noll appeared to be an organizational piece. But after he crafted a .314/.386/.510 line in 27 Grapefruit League games with two homers and 10 RBIs, people took notice. The way he attacked left-handed pitching made manager Davey Martinez and general manager Mike Rizzo wonder if they'd discovered a usable bench piece.

When Howie Kendrick was slowed by a left hamstring strain midway through camp, it opened the door for Noll to make the 25-man opening day roster. He debuted as a 25-year-old who went 2-for-12 in limited action over eight games, mostly as a pinch-hitter, and drew a bases-loaded walk-off walk to beat the Phillies 9-8 on April 3.

Baseball is full of feel-good stories, and each spring training brings new examples of longshot candidates who buck the odds to force their way onto the big league roster. Noll was one of them in 2018. Last year, with rosters expanded at the start of the shortened season following summer camp, veteran infielder Emilio Bonifácio earned a major league return (though he lasted only until Aug. 6 when the Nats designated him for assignment to get down to the 28-man roster limit).

So who could be a camp surprise in 2021? Who is going to open the brain trust's eyes wide enough to garner consideration for the final 26-man roster heading into the April 1 opener? Who's going to make spring training a showcase and either get an early promotion up the ladder or shed their non-roster invitation status and carve out a 40-man opportunity?

Let's look at some of the possibilities ...

The Nats are right-handed heavy in the bullpen, with only newly signed Brad Hand throwing from the port side. A second lefty would give Martinez some flexibility and allow for Hand to be saved for high-leverage spots late in games. Lefty Luis Avilán will be in camp as a non-roster invite on a minor league deal, and could force his way into the conversation. In a mostly up-and-down nine-year career, Avilán has held righty batters to a .261/344/.383 line and is more effective against left-handed hitters, who slash .203/.279/.280 off him. With relievers now required to face at least three batters, it's important that a lefty be able to defend against right-handed hitters. Avilán has always answered the call - as recently as 2018, he made 70 appearances - and he posted a 4.32 ERA and a 1.680 WHIP in 10 outings for the Yankees last season.

Maybe this is the year Tres Barrera or Raudy Read make a major step forward, but two other backstops in camp are worth watching. Veteran Welington Castillo is back as a non-roster invitee after opting out of 2020, and has strong ties to Martinez and new pitching coach Jim Hickey. Castillo, 33, has bounced around a lot since his Cubs days, but the veteran Nats starters liked throwing to him last spring. Another intriguing non-roster candidate is catcher/outfielder Blake Swihart, once a top Red Sox prospect who is now 28. Injuries have diminished Swihart's effectiveness, but his versatility could be a positive. He spent last year on the Rangers' 60-man player pool before being released in late August. Swihart has never hit for much average or power in the majors, and his injury history has forced him to learn other positions since there's not a big calling for a backstop who gets hurt a lot.

In the infield, keep an eye on Hernán Pérez, who inked a minor league deal with a non-roster camp invite with the Nationals in January. Pérez, 29, had a few effective campaigns as a utility man with the Brewers and has done everything but strap on the gear behind the plate. Most of his experience as come at third base, second base and the outfield corners. He's a high-energy guy in the mold of another Nationals bench piece, Josh Harrison, whose presence may be Pérez's biggest obstacle. Pérez hasn't had much success as a pinch-hitter - a .198/.250/.297 line in 108 plate appearances - so his glove had better be good.

Last week, the Nats added veteran infielder Jordy Mercer on a minor league deal with a non-roster invitation to camp. Mercer, 34, was the starting shortstop for the Pirates as recently as 2017, but a calf injury short-circuited his 2018 campaign. He's bounced from the Tigers to the Yankees to the Nats since then. We will soon discover whether Mercer has anything left in the tank or if he's reached the end of the line.

Noll is back, but the trade for first baseman Josh Bell, Ryan Zimmerman's return in a backup role at first and the club's decision to give Carter Kieboom another chance to prove he can play third base mean Noll doesn't have a clear path to playing time. Of course, he didn't have one in 2019 and that worked out pretty well.

Another familiar face is outfielder Gerardo Parra, who is back with the Nats after a season in Japan. Parra could claim the final roster spot as a backup outfielder and pinch-hitter. Most fans remember the 33-year-old as an outfielder, but he played everywhere but catcher and shortstop in his lone season in D.C., when he made "Baby Shark" an anthem of the team's World Series championship season.

The Nats have been circumspect about releasing their full list of non-roster invitees over the past several offseasons, and Rizzo is always on the prowl for a character guy who can fill a specific role. Chances are, sometime in the next week or two, there will be a late addition to the list of non-roster players, so don't be surprised if someone currently not on the radar uses the opportunity to create playing time with a strong spring performance.

Notes: Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association have reached an agreement on health and safety protocols for both spring training and the regular season. According to the plan, seven-inning doubleheaders and the runner on second base in extra innings will be employed in 2021. However, as of now, there will be no universal designated hitter, meaning pitchers will hit in the National League as MLB and the union hash out a new collective bargaining agreement before the 2022 campaign.

According to the New York Post, there will be a 10-team postseason in 2021.

Per The Athletic, MLB is finalizing a revised Grapefruit League schedule that will place teams in pods on the east and west coasts of Florida and eliminate cross-state travel. The Nationals would be grouped with the Astros, Cardinals, Marlins and Mets, and each team would play 24 games.