6 days agoBaltimore Orioles catcher
Adley Rutschman slugged two home runs in Thursday's 12-2 drubbing of
Jose Berrios and the Toronto Blue Jays. The 27-year-old went 3-for-5 with three RBI and three runs scored in the contest, picking up where he left off Grapefruit League play, where he slashed .357/.438/.595 with three home runs in 16 games. The former first-overall draft pick started strong last season, earning his second All-Star nomination, however, he struggled mightily in the second half. Hopefully this performance sets the switch-hitter up for sustained success throughout the entire 2025 season, and he lives up to the 60th-overall fantasy draft price.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
6 days agoChicago White Sox starting pitcher
Sean Burke impressed on Opening Day, tossing six shutout innings, allowing three hits and no walks while striking out three on the way to earning the win in the 8-1 victory over the Angels. The righty didn't have a great spring, pitching to a 6.75 ERA with a 9:8 BB:K, but looked more like he did last season when he was put into the rotation in September. In those four September starts, the 6-foot-6 hurler posted a 1.42 ERA (3.32 FIP), 1.00 WHIP, and a 19.7 percent K-BB%. The former third-round draft pick had command issues in the minors (12.5 percent BB%), but always had strong strikeout rates (29.4 percent K%), so if he can limit the walks like he did on Thursday, then he could be a solid back-end pitcher for redraft and DFS when the matchup is favorable. Speaking of which, Burke's next start should come next Wednesday at home against the Twins, who struck out 11 times as a team on Opening Day.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
6 days agoLos Angeles Dodgers third baseman
Enrique Hernandez (illness) could be available off the bench on Friday, according to Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. He was unavailable for Thursday's contest and has been ruled out of starting on Friday, but manager Dave Roberts said his bench availability for Friday is to be determined. He already got off to a hot start in the Tokyo Series, launching a home run and driving in three runs in the Dodgers' March 18th victory over the Cubs. He figures to be a useful platoon player against left-handed pitchers but will only be fantasy-relevant in the deepest of leagues.
--Jeremy Heist - RotoBallerSource: Fabian Ardaya
6 days agoCleveland Guardians first baseman
Kyle Manzardo carried the offense on Thursday, going 3-for-4 with a homer, a triple, and a double. This was an extremely encouraging start for the former top prospect, who possesses massive raw power but looked overpowered by his first taste of major league pitching in 2024. He did hit all five of his home runs last season in September, and it certainly looks like he's carrying that momentum straight into 2025. He is in line for everyday playing time at DH in the heart of the Guardians' lineup and has the potential to be a must-start fantasy player if everything breaks right.
--Jeremy Heist - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoHouston Astros relief pitcher
Josh Hader picked up the save on Thursday, closing the doors on the Mets in a 3-1 victory. It wasn't a flawless inning by any means, as he allowed one run on two hits and one walk. Early season rust aside, Hader should continue to be one of the game's most dominant closers. In 2024, he collected 34 saves while posting a 3.80 ERA and 0.96 WHIP in 71 innings. He did need 35 pitches to finish the frame, so don't be surprised if he is unavailable out of the pen for the next game or two.
--Jeremy Heist - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoHouston Astros starting pitcher
Framber Valdez was dominant on Thursday, tossing seven shutout frames while striking out four. There was never any real danger for the ace, as he scattered four hits and two walks throughout the game. He is coming off of a 2024 season where he posted a 2.91 ERA and 1.11 WHIP with 169 strikeouts in 176 ⅓ innings. He may not give you the strikeout upside of some other aces, but his reputation as a workhorse pitcher is becoming a rare occurrence in today's game. He is a true innings-eater who will provide great ratios as a matchup-proof option for fantasy.
--Jeremy Heist - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoHouston Astros rookie right fielder
Cam Smith wasted no time at all in collecting his first career MLB hit, slapping a single to the opposite field on the first pitch he saw from
Clay Holmes, finishing 1-for-3 in Thursday's 3-1 victory over the Mets on Opening Day. It has been a meteoric rise for the 2024 first-round draft pick, progressing from Single-A to Double-A in his first taste of professional baseball last season, to making the Astros' Opening Day roster after a blistering spring in which he slashed .342/.419/.711 with four home runs in 38 at-bats. The 22-year-old batted seventh in the order on Thursday, but as long as he's getting regular at-bats, he should at least be a viable bench option in most fantasy leagues until he proves otherwise.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: MLB
6 days agoCincinnati Reds relief pitcher
Ian Gibaut blew the save chance and suffered the loss in a 4-6 loss to the Giants on Thursday. He allowed four runs on three hits and a walk. The Reds were entering the season with a suspected closer committee, but Gibaut was interestingly not on anyone's radar for the role.
Scott Barlow,
Emilio Pagan, and
Tony Santillan were all more favored for save chances, yet they pitched the sixth, seventh, and eighth innings of this game. With so many options, this might be Gibaut's first and last opportunity to close a game for a while.
--Jeremy Heist - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoSan Diego Padres shortstop prospect
Leodalis De Vries has been assigned to High-A Fort Wayne to begin the 2025 campaign. The Dominican played all of last season at Single-A, where he hit .237 while displaying a blend of power (11 HR), speed (13), and patience (13.9 percent BB%) as a 17-year-old. The switch-hitter received an invite to spring training with the big league club this year, going 2-for-18 with a 3:6 BB:K, however, the 18-year-old was not expected to make the team out of camp and will now have a chance to show what he's got against High-A pitching. MLB's No. 18 overall prospect (San Diego No. 1) is still a long way from a big league debut, not expected to arrive until 2027 per MLB.com, but has the talent to arrive bit sooner than expected.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
6 days agoSt. Louis Cardinals outfielder
Lars Nootbaar launched a two-run home run as part of a 2-for-4 performance in a win over the Twins. He led off in this game against a right-handed pitcher, which is a positive sign for his future fantasy outlook. Nootbaar came into 2025 with some sleeper appeal after slashing .290/.420/.565 in September to close out last season. He posted an excellent 49.5% hard-hit rate and walked at a 12.8% clip in 2024. He has the skills to be a fantasy difference-maker if he can put it all together, and he is worth a speculative add in any leagues where he is available.
--Jeremy Heist - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoBoston Red Sox relief pitcher
Aroldis Chapman was recently named the primary closer heading into the regular season, according to manager Alex Cora. Well, there's still 161 more chances for Chapman to get a save, but he didn't get that chance on Thursday. Instead, Chapman was called upon to face left-handed slugger
Corey Seager in the eighth inning. It's worth noting that the game was tied when Chapman came in which could be part of the reason why they decided to use him in that spot. Afterwards,
Wilyer Abreu smacked a three-run home run and right-hander
Justin Slaten was called upon to close out the game. Chapman will certainly get his save chances, but this isn't quite a full-time closer role like the organization claimed it was a few days ago. Fantasy managers who have Chapman rostered should keep him as he'll likely still get a majority of the save opportunities.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: mlb.com
6 days agoBoston Red Sox relief pitcher
Justin Slaten was called upon to hold a three-run lead during Thursday's season opener against the Texas Rangers. This is an interesting development after the organization recently said
Aroldis Chapman would be the primary closer. Instead, Chapman was called upon to the face left-handed batter
Corey Seager to start the eighth inning. It's worth noting that the game was tied until
Wilyer Abreu blasted a three-run home run in the ninth inning. That being said, Slaten did get the save opportunity, but it wasn't like the team was planning to give him the ball in the ninth from the beginning of the contest. However, the Red Sox have made it known that they will play matchups and use Chapman earlier in the game if needed. That being said, Slaten is someone worth keeping an eye on right now.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: mlb.com
6 days agoBoston Red Sox outfielder
Wilyer Abreu was probably the most unlikely of heroes during Thursday's season opener against the Texas Rangers. Abreu missed a majority of spring training due to an illness, but it doesn't look like that matters. Abreu went 3-for-3 with two home runs, including a go-ahead blast in the ninth inning during Thursday's victory. He collected four RBI along the way and two walks during the 5-2 win. Abreu wasn't a popular name on draft boards, but the 25-year-old does have the potential to knock out around 20-25 homers a season. He's also someone that is surprisingly quick and could steal some bases as well, so he should be on the radar for fantasy managers.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: mlb.com
6 days agoBaltimore Orioles outfielder
Tyler O'Neill probably wishes that everyday was Opening Day. On Thursday, O'Neill homered for a record sixth consecutive Opening Day. The right-handed slugger joined the O's this offseason and is already off to a bang. He went 3-for-3 at the plate with a three-run blast and two walks in the blowout win over the Toronto Blue Jays. The O's added O'Neill this offseason in hopes that he could be a reliable source of power in the middle of the lineup. So far, O'Neill is doing a great job after a 31-homer season in 2024. His power numbers alone make him worth rostering in most fantasy formats.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoBaltimore Orioles outfielder
Cedric Mullins came ready to play during Thursday's season opener against the Toronto Blue Jays. Mullins had an ugly spring with only a .136 batting average, but this performance shows that those camp numbers might not matter too much. Mullins went 3-for-5 with two home runs and five RBI during Thursday's blowout win. The left-handed slugger is looking to bounce back at the plate after slashing .234/.305/.405 with 18 homers and 54 RBI last season. After Thursday's game, Mullins is likely to become a popular waiver wire addition.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: mlb.com
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