6
hours
agoPittsburgh
Pirates
catcher
Henry
Davis
is
projected
to
be
the
team's
No.
2
backstop
on
the
Opening
Day
roster.
Davis
is
a
former
top
prospect
but
has
yet
to
take
the
next
step
in
the
major
leagues.
He
was
selected
with
the
first
read more...
6 hours agoKansas City Royals left-handed pitcher
Daniel Lynch IV has put himself in the competition for the final spot in the rotation. According to Anne Rogers of MLB.com, his strong showing in camp has put him in the conversation alongside
Kris Bubic, who was initially viewed as a "frontrunner." During camp, Lynch has tossed 10 innings to the tune of a 1.80 ERA and 0.90 WHIP. He has tallied nine punchouts and not served up a free pass. Last season, Lynch logged 43 1/3 innings with a 3.32 ERA and a 0.99 WHIP. He made three starts but was deployed primarily out of the bullpen. He generated an elite .213 xBA with a strong 46.2 percent ground-ball rate. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor Lynch's progression during camp as he could be a viable target to improve your WHIP ratio if he begins the season in the rotation.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Anne Rogers
6 hours agoMinnesota Twins starting pitcher
Zebby Matthews (hip) tossed three shutout frames in his return on Wednesday. Matthews allowed just one base runner (via a base on balls) and tallied five punchouts. The young right-hander was dealing with a minor hip injury but appears to be past this given his strong performance. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status during camp as he could have a chance to claim the No. 5 spot in the rotation. Last season, Matthews made his MLB debut and logged 37 2/3 innings with a high 6.69 ERA and a 1.65 WHIP. He tallied 43 punchouts while holding a strong 4.3 percent walk. In the minor leagues, he held a 2.60 ERA with a 0.87 WHIP across 97 innings across High, Double, and Triple-A. If he opens the season at Triple-A St. Paul,
Chris Paddack will likely claim the final spot in the rotation.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 hours agoPittsburgh Pirates left-handed pitcher
Bailey Falter is projected to open the season in the starting rotation. Throughout camp, he was competing for a spot in the rotation alongside prospects
Bubba Chandler,
Hunter Barco, and
Mike Burrows. In addition, right-hander
Johan Oviedo (lat) was placed on the 60-day injured list, which opened a clear path for Falter to open the season as a starter. Falter logged 142 1/3 innings with the Pirates last season and held a 4.43 ERA with a 1.29 WHIP. He tallied just 97 strikeouts and served up 45 free passes. Under the hood, he generated a high 4.81 xERA with a .267 xBA which placed him in the 16th and 13th percentiles respectively. Given his low strikeout upside, he should only be targeted in deeper NL-only formats as a low-end streaming option in favorable matchups.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Alex Stumpf
6 hours agoPittsburgh Pirates second baseman
Nick Gonzales is viewed as the team's primary second baseman. Last season, Gonzales logged a career-high 94 games at the MLB level and is poised to surpass that total in 2025. Across this stint last season, Gonzales held a .270/.311/.398 line with 19 doubles and seven home runs. He swiped five bags while holding an underwhelming 18:74 BB:K. He generated a strong .270 xBA which placed him in the 84th percentile among qualified hitters. The former seventh round selection of the 2020 MLB Draft also flashed elite speed as he placed in the 93rd percentile in sprint speed. However, from a power perspective, he posted a modest 36.9 percent hard-hit rate. Gonzales is a solid late-round middle infield option as he will have an everyday spot in the Pittsburgh lineup.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Alex Stumpf
13 hours agoColorado Rockies prospects
Adael Amador and
Drew Romo were both optioned to Triple-A Albuquerque on Wednesday. Amador was having a nice spring, going 8-for-27 (.296) with nine RBI, five runs scored, and an 8:5 BB:K. The switch-hitter is Colorado's seventh-ranked prospect and offers a blend of power and speed. Last season at Double-A, he hit 14 home runs and stole 35 bases in 100 games. Romo got off to a cold start this spring, going 2-for-17 (.118) along with a 1:4 BB:K. The Rockies' 11th-ranked prospect will head back to Triple-A, where he hit .297 with 14 home runs last season. Both had a taste of the majors in 2024, albeit with little success, but Amador offers the better fantasy profile of the two and is likelier to get back to the big leagues sooner, maybe even before summer.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: Rockies Club Information
13
hours
agoColorado
Rockies
catcher/utility
player
Hunter
Goodman
had
reportedly
pulled
ahead
of
Drew
Romo
for
the
backup
catcher
role
with
his
performance
this
spring,
and
that
became
more
apparent
on
Wednesday
when
Romo
was
optioned
to
Triple-A
Albuquerque.
Goodman
read more...
13
hours
agoOn
Wednesday,
the
Seattle
Mariners'
top
two
prospects,
infielder
Colt
Emerson
(MLB
No.
20)
and
outfielder
Lazaro
Montes
(MLB
No.
42),
were
reassigned
to
minor-league
camp.
Emerson
was
Seattle's
first-round
pick
in
2023
is
a
.290
hitter
thus
read more...
14 hours agoSeattle Mariners relief pitcher
Matt Brash threw a live batting practice session on Wednesday, the first time he's done so since having an internal brace procedure on his elbow last May. The hitters were instructed not to swing in this particular session, but Brash was pleased with how it went, with the fastball sitting mostly in the mid-90s and the breaking stuff showing good spin. The next step will probably be to throw a real batting practice session with hitters trying to make contact, but the righty is not expected to be ready by Opening Day, rather, it will be closer to the May-June timeframe. Brash last pitched in the majors in 2023, recording a 3.06 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, and 107 strikeouts over 70 2/3 innings pitched while logging four saves and 24 holds. Redraft managers who may be in need of strikeouts will want to monitor his return, although some command issues yield a high WHIP; otherwise, he'd be valuable in AL-only leagues and those that reward for holds.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: Ryan Divish
14 hours agoSt. Louis Cardinals shortstop prospect
J.J. Wetherholt was reassigned to minor-league camp on Wednesday. The Cardinals' 2024 first-round draft pick earned a roster invite this spring but will need more seasoning before returning to the big leagues. The left-handed hitter played just 29 games at Single-A last season but showed well with a .295/.405/.400 slash line over 126 plate appearances, while walking more than he struck out (16:15 BB:K). The 22-year-old was 2-for-20 in Grapefruit League play, which included a home run, plus he added three stolen bases. The keen eye was on full display as well, posting a 6:5 BB:K. If he plays well this summer, then perhaps there's an outside shot we'll see him in St. Louis by season's end, however, a 2026 debut is more likely.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: St. Louis Cardinals
14
hours
agoSt.
Louis
Cardinals
outfielder
Jordan
Walker
(knee)
made
progress
in
his
return
from
left
knee
inflammation,
according
to
manager
Oli
Marmol.
The
22-year-old
worked
on
baserunning
movement
and
did
some
work
in
the
batting
cage.
A
return
to
spring
games
should
be
around
read more...
16 hours agoHouston Astros outfielder
Pedro Leon (knee) played catch and hit in the batting cages in camp on Wednesday. Leon is finally resuming baseball activities at spring training after he was diagnosed with a Grade 1 left MCL strain early in camp. Because of all the time he's missed in spring training, the 26-year-old will not be ready for Opening Day and will most likely start the 2025 season at Triple-A Sugar Land. The Cuban outfielder made his major-league debut with the Astros in 2024 but only appeared in seven games, going 2-for-20 (.100) with two stolen bases, 10 strikeouts and two runs scored in 21 plate appearances. Per MLB Pipeline, he's Houston's No. 22 prospect. The 5-foot-9, 170-pounder can really swing the bat and has some raw pop despite his size, but he could really stand to improve his plate discipline if he wants to have an everyday role once he's in the big leagues for good.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - Brian McTaggart
16
hours
agoKansas
City
Royals
right-handed
reliever
Carlos
Estevez
(back)
threw
a
live
batting
practice
session
in
camp
on
Tuesday,
and
manager
Matt
Quatraro
said
it
went
"really
well."
As
a
result,
Estevez
is
scheduled
to
make
his
Cactus
League
debut
on
Friday
against
his
read more...
16 hours agoKansas City Royals left-hander
Sam Long (hand) returned to Cactus League action on Wednesday versus the Seattle Mariners and threw a scoreless inning while giving up one hit, walking none and striking out none. It was Long's third outing of spring training but his first since he was hit by a line drive on his left hand on March 3. The 29-year-old southpaw thankfully avoided a break in his hand and will be ready for the start of the 2025 regular season, although he's not guaranteed a spot in the Opening Day bullpen out of camp. The former 18th-round selection by the Tampa Bay Rays in 2016 out of California State University of Sacramento has four years of major-league experience and posted a career-low 3.16 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, one save, a career-high 44 strikeouts and 17 walks in 42 2/3 relief innings for KC in 2024.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - Anne Rogers
17 hours agoIt appears likely that San Francisco Giants outfielder
Heliot Ramos will be the team's leadoff hitter this year against left-handed pitchers, according to the San Francisco Chronicle's Shayna Rubin. That was the case for Ramos on Tuesday in the Cactus League game against Athletics left-hander
Jeffrey Springs. In his 123 at-bats versus southpaws last year, Ramos was dialed in with a .370/.439/.750 slash line and 10 home runs, so it makes sense on paper. The 25-year-old has hit a modest .231 (3-for-13) with no homers, one double and two steals in five spring training games, but fantasy managers should take those numbers with a grain of salt. Ramos will be San Fran's starting left fielder in 2025 and will see a boost in fantasy value with his move to the top of the order against lefties. His 20-homer power makes him worth of outfield depth in standard 12-team fantasy leagues.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: San Francisco Chronicle - Shayna Rubin
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