Bryce Harper, 1B (PHI)
Scary moment for the Phillies as Bryce Harper was hit on the arm by a pitch in Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Blue Jays. It was his first game of the spring as he missed time with an illness. The good news is the Phillies training staff is categorizing the injury as a triceps contusion and don't intend to send the slugger for X-rays. Philadelphia will undoubtedly play it very safe with their superstar first baseman, but he shouldn't miss more than a couple games if it indeed isn't serious. Harper is coming off his fifth 30-homer season, reaching 550 at bats for the first time since 2019. Moving from the outfield to first base has paid dividends in keeping him healthy and a full season also allowed Harper to demonstrate improvements in plate discipline. He stole the fewest bases of his career, but he's still capable of double-digit thefts and consistently maintains a high batting average. Harper as a second-round pick is a magnificent pairing with a five-category stud in the middle-to-end of the first round.
Davis Martin, SP (CWS)
Martin already did enough to lock up a spot in the extremely underwhelming White Sox rotation. Manager Will Venable said Martin will join Martin Perez and Jonathan Cannon in the starting five. The other two spots will likely be left to Sean Burke, Jairo Iriarte and Bryse Wilson to battle. Martin made 10 starts in 2024, finishing 0-5 with a 4.32 ERA and 47 strikeouts in 50 innings. The 28 year old has a five-pitch mix, led by a slider that comes in 10 miles-per-hour slower than his four-seam fastball. He is incorporating a kick changeup, too. It wasn't very good in 2024, but a full offseason could prove better. Martin walked too many batters in his return from Tommy John Surgery, but that wasn't a major problem throughout his minor league career, and so more time removed from the surgery will probably demonstrate improved control. Look, the White Sox are terrible and Martin doesn't have extraordinary upside, but he could be a capable pitcher that could offer K/9 statistics and he can be selected deep in drafts.
Matt McLain, 2B (CIN)
McLain had three extra-base hits on Wednesday, including his first spring training home run. It's encouraging to see following last year's injuries that forced the talented young slugger to miss the entire season. McLain had a 10.8% barrel rate as a rookie in 2023 en route to a fantastic season where he slashed .290/.357/.507 with 14 stolen bases. He should be right near the top of a talented Reds lineup where he can score a lot of runs and possibly steal a bunch of bases. The status of his reconstructed shoulder is becoming less of a concern as McLain plays his way back into an everyday role. There is some risk here, but at a position with questionable depth, McLain could turn into a draft-day steal.
Davis Martin, SP (CWS)
Martin already did enough to lock up a spot in the extremely underwhelming White Sox rotation. Manager Will Venable said Martin will join Martin Perez and Jonathan Cannon in the starting five. The other two spots will likely be left to Sean Burke, Jairo Iriarte and Bryse Wilson to battle. Martin made 10 starts in 2024, finishing 0-5 with a 4.32 ERA and 47 strikeouts in 50 innings. The 28 year old has a five-pitch mix, led by a slider that comes in 10 miles-per-hour slower than his four-seam fastball. He is incorporating a kick changeup, too. It wasn't very good in 2024, but a full offseason could prove better. Martin walked too many batters in his return from Tommy John Surgery, but that wasn't a major problem throughout his minor league career, and so more time removed from the surgery will probably demonstrate improved control. Look, the White Sox are terrible and Martin doesn't have extraordinary upside, but he could be a capable pitcher that could offer K/9 statistics and he can be selected deep in drafts.
Tony Gonsolin, P (LAD)
Gonsolin made his second spring training appearance, following up a one-inning scoreless appearance with a two-inning outing on Wednesday. He gave up one hit and struck out one batter in the two innings. Gonsolin is returning from Tommy John surgery, but he was one of the best pitchers in baseball in 2022. He could start in the Dodgers rotation, but he may not be there long with Shohei Ohtani eventually sliding in and Clayton Kershaw coming back. Dustin May, Bobby Miller and Justin Wrobleski are all options to start, too. Gonsolin may find himself in a non-fantasy relevant role, simply because he's on the deepest roster in baseball. However, there is still plenty of upside here if he could nail down a more defined role.
Noah Schultz, SP (CWS)
Schultz tossed a scoreless inning in relief in his spring training debut on Wednesday. The 2022 first-round pick is highly unlikely to make the White Sox' Opening Day roster, but there is a distinct possibility he could get the big-league callup at some point this season. Schultz touches the high-90's with his sinker, but it's his low-to-mid 80's slider that has him ranked among the best prospects in baseball. He is an enormous human being at 6'9", reminiscent of Randy Johnson, and he has done a good job of limiting walks in the early part of his pro career. There is still plenty of development necessary for Schultz to become a major league ready pitcher, but the potential is as enormous as his reach. Schultz should be a top target for those in dynasty drafts and could even become an impact player in 2025.
Masataka Yoshida, UT (BOS)
Yoshida was cleared to take live batting practice as the veteran is still committed to being available for Opening Day. Yoshida is coming off offseason shoulder surgery and his ability to play the outfield is in doubt. There is seemingly an opening at designated hitter, although the Red Sox would probably prefer Rafael Devers moves into that position. Yoshida has provided a decent floor as an everyday player, contributing a good batting average with above-average run contributions in one of the best lineups and ballparks in the league. He isn't going to provide many home runs or stolen bases, but he is a solid depth option in five-outfielder leagues.
Cory Lewis, SP (MIN)
Lewis was strong in a spring training relief appearance on Wednesday, tossing two scoreless innings, allowing a hit and a walk while striking out two. The Twins prospect features a hard knuckleball, which he threw 13 times on Wednesday, generating five whiffs. Because he missed a few months last season following shoulder surgery, Lewis only appeared in one game at AAA and the Twins reportedly want him to get more experience at that level before making the jump to the majors. How much experience is needed is an open question, and it means the big right-hander could be pitching for Minnesota sometime this summer. Because of his unique arsenal, Lewis is the type of rookie that could flummox major league hitters and is worth a dart throw in AL-only or deeper mixed leagues when he eventually makes his MLB debut.
Owen Caissie, OF (CHC)
As expected, Caissie will open the season in the minor leagues. The Cubs prospect was optioned to AAA-Iowa after dealing with a groin injury to start the preseason. He didn't really have a path to a role with the Cubs anyway so he will continue to get at bats in Des Moines before possibly moving to the big league club sometime this summer, either if there's an injury or he forces the organization's hand by playing well. He is coming off two excellent seasons where he hit for a high batting average and demonstrated decent power. He is a strong athlete with a lot of raw power, but it hasn't really translated to elite game power, and there's no certainty it ever will. He isn't a great fielder and doesn't make very good contact so his best bet for playing every day is likely the ability to develop his decent power into elite power. Until then, Caissie is nothing more than a dynasty wild card.
Trey Sweeney, SS (DET)
The Tigers are making it sound like Sweeney is still competing for the starting shortstop job with Javier Baez. It's hard to imagine Baez has a chance to get a regular role after two of the worst seasons among major league regulars. Sweeney earned a spot with Detroit late last season, and while he didn't necessarily tear the cover off the ball, he showed upside. In particular, he hit the ball hard with a decent spray chart. Sweeney doesn't offer much in terms of batting average but he has 20/20 power/speed potential, which is what the Tigers hoped they were getting from Baez. Neither Sweeney nor Baez is a high value fantasy draft pick, but Sweeney offers the biggest chance to overperform his slot.
Lucas Erceg, RP (KC)
Erceg allowed one run on two hits and a walk in his spring debut on Wednesday, although he did strike out a pair of batters in an inning of work. The 29 year old looked like the favorite to win the closer's job in Kansas City before the Royals signed Carlos Estevez to a free agent contract. Estevez has more closing experience than Erceg and also has a bigger contract. Estevez is a flyball pitcher and benefits from playing in more spacious stadiums, which he will get in KC. Erceg, on the other hand, doesn't give up a lot of fly balls and relies primarily on grounders and strikeouts. It sets up where the Royals will use Erceg in high-leverage situations when they need a double play or strikeout and reserve Estevez for the 9th inning. Erceg could still nab a few saves, but his pre-Estevez fantasy outlook is not as rosy.
Victor Robles, OF (SEA)
Robles was hitless in three at-bats on Wednesday, but he remains the likely candidate to lead off for the Mariners this season. The 27 year old was spectacular in half a season with the Mariners after getting cut by the Nationals last June. He managed to cut his strikeouts down and capitalized on a .388 BABIP. Robles always had good speed, but he demonstrated his stolen base upside by nabbing 30 bases in only 229 at-bats with Seattle. He is unlikely to replicate the BABIP, but he should get plenty of stolen base opportunities at the top of a Mariners offense that will need to manufacture runs. The Fantistics Draft Software projects Robles for a .270 batting average with 11 home runs and 35 stolen bases. Those are stats that would undoubtedly end up on a lot of winning fantasy teams considering his late-round ADP.
Rays at Steinbrenner Field
Josh Lowe hit three home runs in 21 at-bats at Yankee Stadium in 2023. Yandy Diaz has a 118 wRC+ in 177 plate appearances in the Bronx. Danny Jansen's slash line at Yankee Stadium? .299/.396/.519! Why pay attention to what Rays players do at Yankee Stadium? Well, it is a poor way of trying to decipher how the move from Tropicana Field to Steinbrenner Field will impact the Tampa Bay offense. The Rays temporary 2025 home has the exact same dimensions as Yankee Stadium. However, the climate is obviously way different in Tampa than New York and the intangibles surrounding their 2025 abode give little reason to read into those splits. However, moving from the Trop should not be dismissed. The Trop was by nearly all metrics, a pitcher's stadium. While Yankee Stadium isn't the offensive bandbox often attributed to it, it is better than Tropicana Field and it is certainly a boost to power, particularly for left-handed hitters.
Framber Valdez, SP (HOU)
Valdez threw two hitless innings on Wednesday, walking one batter. Valdez has been one of the most consistent starters over the past five years, and yet he doesn't get talked about among the tier of SP1s. The veteran lefthander is typically drafted in the mid-teens among starting pitchers despite some gaudy numbers since 2021: 55-30 record, 3.08 ERA, 8.72 K/9. That strikeout rate is probably why other pitchers go before him, but his fantastic ratios and high win totals have become so reliable that they shouldn't be dismissed. He isn't going to strike out 200 batters, but he is always going to induce a high rate of ground balls, he doesn't walk too many batters and he constantly keeps his team in the game. Starting a fantasy pitching rotation with Valdez and another high-strikeout starter is a strong strategy.
Henry Davis, C (PIT)
Davis is an intriguing post-hype sleeper. He bombed as a rookie in 2023 and didn't offer much in just over 100 major league at-bats as a sophomore in 2024, but he continuously dominates minor league pitching and is still only 25 years old. The former No.1 overall pick was 2-for-2 on Wednesday and has a pair of doubles in his first four spring at-bats. The Pirates have a logjam at the catcher position after bringing in Joey Bart last year and Endy Rodriguez returning from injury, but Rodriguez will probably see a lot of time at first base and Davis has already demonstrated he can play the outfield, and if he can finally develop some offensive consistency in the big leagues, the Bucs will find a way to get him into the lineup, even if at designated hitter. Pittsburgh needs an offensive boost. There is plenty of risk, although that is largely baked into his ADP and the reward is still quite high.
AJ Smith-Shawver, SP (ATL)
Smith-Shawver looked good in his spring training debut on Wednesday, holding the Pirates scoreless for two innings while striking out three. He allowed two hits and didn't walk a batter. Still only 22 years old, Smith-Shawver made one appearance with the Braves in 2024, but he could see a bigger role in the majors this season. Atlanta has a lot of depth but a lot of inexperience at the backend of its rotation. Ian Anderson and Grant Holmes are far from certainties and Spencer Schwellenbach has only one season under his belt. Smith-Shawver offers some of the most fantasy intrigue due to a high strikeout rate, although he is risky based on an elevated walk rate. The Braves will certainly hope for improved control. If that happens, he is worth an aggressive FAAB bid when called up.
