It is officially February, and now that the Super Bowl is over, it means it is almost time for baseball to start. This spring training, there is a lot to watch out for.

The biggest headline going into spring training is the slow offseason. Over 80 free agents are still unsigned going into the last three weeks of the winter. This could lead to a boycott of spring training by the players. As of now, the players union says it’s unlikely, but not out of the question. This could also eventually lead to a league shut down, which would be the first since 1994.

“I am looking forward to spring training, I feel that there will be lots of competition for many spots across the league up for grabs. As a Dodgers fan, I am looking forward to see if Cody Bellinger will show signs of the great season he had in 2017. I am really also curious to see some the [Dodgers] big time prospects like Alex Verdugo show their skills,” sophomore Tommy Flores said.

Like every spring, each club has their 40 man roster up with the club, as well as usually 20 to 25 non-roster Invitees. This usually brings a good feel of competition to spring training, and this spring should be no different. For the Yankees, top prospect Gleyber Torres will try to crack the opening day roster, Braves top prospect Ronald Acuna, 19, will try to lock down the teams left field job. As for the Cardinals, it seems like the roster is mostly set, but there could be holes. One or two bench spots and potentially a bullpen sport or two could be decided by players who have strong spring trainings.

“It’s always interesting to see what non roster players get a chance to break the opening day roster, I am looking forward to watching for that this spring,” said sophomore Adam Polly.

Some other big storylines going into the spring involve certain players and their abilities. Shohei Otani will have his first crack at facing major league talent, and the Angels will start figuring out how to use him as an outfielder and a pitcher. A similar situation goes for Anthony Gose, a former outfielder for the Tigers and Blue Jays, who converted into a pitcher. The Astros took him in the Rule 5 draft, meaning they have to keep him on the roster all season, or return him to his former team.

The Yankees will show off their new talented outfield, one that includes breakout star from 2017 Aaron Judge, and newly acquired Giancarlo Stanton. On top of that, there will be many other faces in new places, including Marcell Ozuna for the Cardinals.

Spring Training is very much a mix of everything. Some players are getting back into the swing of things and getting ready to play a full 162 game season. Others are getting ready to compete for their spots on their teams opening day roster, and others, are getting their first taste of major leaguers playing against them.