This Dodgers NRI could actually crack Opening Day roster after spring domination

The Dodgers invited 25 non-rostered players to spring training, but it immediately seemed unlikely that any of them except Roki Sasaki (who is really only an NRI on a technicality) would have a shot to break the Opening Day roster, given there were already 10+ players on the 40-man who were destined to start the season in the minors.

However, the way some Dodgers have been playing through their first few spring training games makes it look like there might actually be some room for an unlikely candidate to break through. While there's no doubt about who the Dodgers' core nine hitters will be, the bench is far from fortified.

While Chris Taylor, James Outman, Andy Pages, and Hyeseong Kim floundering so far in camp, one NRI has blown them out of the water. Former Cubs star and fan favorite David Bote has been the Dodgers' most productive hitter, by far. He's been in six out of eight Dodgers lineups (as of Feb. 27) and is hitting .533 with a 1.430 OPS.

The Dodgers carried a 31-man roster to Seoul last year for their Opening Series (though whittled down to 26 after two exhibition games); if that's the case again for Tokyo, Bote could have a real shot at making his Dodgers major league debut early — and against his former club, at that.

David Bote's hot bat in the first week of spring training could earn him a spot on the Dodgers' Tokyo Series roster

Only Hunter Feduccia is putting up better numbers than Bote, but he's also played in two fewer games. While spring training lineups are far from previews for in-season lineups (at least for the Dodgers), Bote's continual presence in the majority of them could mean that the Dodgers want to give him as many looks as they can. Even with how low-stakes spring games are, NRIs can break out of camp; Jason Heyward (another former Cub, funnily enough) did it in 2023 and went on to having his most productive season since 2019.

With Kim and Taylor struggling, the strategy for the very last bench spot is unclear. Of course, Miguel Rojas and Kiké Hernández can play second, but if none of Taylor, Outman, Pages, nor Kim manage to cut it, the Dodgers could tab Bote, at least for an interim period.

Even if the Dodgers stick to their guns and keep Taylor (cue a million eyerolls), Bote is at least making himself an easy guy to turn to if injury hits any of the Dodgers' infield options throughout the season.