MLB.com: D-backs’ Jake Lamb primed for a breakout

Spring training is a time for optimism.

Good teams are looking forward to another season of competing. Teams that struggled the previous season are granted a clean slate of hope.

It’s also a time for projections, as in which young players will make the jump to the next level.

MLB.com’s Chad Thornburg put together a list of 30 players — one from each team — who are primed for a “spring forward” in 2016.

Thornburg mentioned Arizona Diamondbacks’ third baseman Jake Lamb as a candidate.

The D-backs’ second-year third baseman appears ready to put it all together this year. Lamb spent the entire 2015 season in the big leagues and learned quite a bit about the mental approach it takes to be successful at that level. That combined with his physical gifts could lead to a big 2016.

Lamb, 25, played in 107 games for Arizona last season — his first full season in the big leagues. He put up a line of .263/.331/.386 in 350 at-bats, but didn’t show the power the D-backs were hoping for. Lamb hit six round-trippers and had 15 doubles while driving in 34 runs.

The youngster did suffer a foot injury last April and ended up missing six weeks of action. Before the injury, he was excelling at the plate, putting up a .414/.514/.690 line in 29 at-bats while posting three multi-RBI games.

So far this spring, Lamb has performed well at the plate, batting .350 (7-for-20) with three doubles, a home run and three RBI.

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