Non-roster invitees often have significant roles during major league spring training as well as the ensuing MLB regular season. That wasn’t particularly applicable in 2022—because the lockout ran deep into March, exhibition games had to be sacrificed and teams prioritized the players who they already knew intimately. However, 2023 is shaping up to be The Year of the NRI.
The key difference between this spring and the previous handful is the World Baseball Classic. The tournament is taking place for the first time since 2017 and participation among MLB players is high. Although the games themselves are jam-packed into a two-week span, participants will also be absent from spring camps for an indeterminate period prior to that in order to familiarize themselves with their temporary coaches and teammates.