Tyler O'Neill, OF, Orioles
Tyler O'Neill continued his Opening Day dominance, going 3 for 3 with a home run, two walks, three runs, and three RBI. It's shockingly the sixth straight Opening Day that O'Neill has homered on, which sounds like an impossible feat. Injuries have been his downfall in recent years, but he was elite in 2024 when he was on the field, blasting 31 home runs in only 113 games. His .480 xSLG ranked in the 90th percentile, and his 17.3% barrel rate ranked in the 98th percentile. He moved to Baltimore this offseason, but luckily for him, they moved the left field wall in to a more reasonable distance. His power will still play, and he is a must-start hitter for the time being.
Tyler Soderstrom, 1B, Athletics
Tyler Soderstrom started off the season hot, blasting two solo home runs on Thursday. As if that isn't impressive enough, they were playing in the pitcher-friendly T-Mobile Park, and one of the two homers was against Logan Gilbert. Soderstrom was a popular source of late power in drafts this offseason, and he wasted no time delivering it. Although he only played 61 games in 2024 and hit 9 home runs, his underlying metrics jump off the page. He posted an excellent 14.6% barrel rate, .480 xSLG, and 91.9 mph average exit velocity. His biggest weakness was his 24.9% strikeout rate, but that is manageable for players with his type of raw power. He is definitely a name to watch early this season because he could turn himself into a fantasy difference-maker if he takes another step forward in the strikeout department.
Mackenzie Gore, SP, Nationals
Mackenzie Gore turned in the most impressive performance of the day, striking out 13 batters over six shutout innings against the Phillies. He looked absolutely unhittable, inducing 20 whiffs on 50 swings over 93 pitches. That was good for a 40% whiff rate and 39% CSW%. His slider was particularly effective, with 8 whiffs on 10 swings. Gore was a popular breakout candidate heading into 2025 after posting a 3.90 ERA and 1.42 WHIP with 181 strikeouts in 166.1 innings in 2024. He has typically been an extremely volatile pitcher, but he can look like an ace when he can keep things working for an extended period of time.
Vinnie Pasquantino, 1B, Royals
Vinnie Pasquantino started as the DH in Thursday's game after his Opening Day status was put into jeopardy by a grade 1 hamstring strain. Luckily, he was healthy enough to play and looked just fine at the plate, going 2 for 4 with a home run and a double. He was one of the best young first baseman in the game in 2024, slashing .262/.315/.446 with 19 home runs, 64 runs, and 97 RBI in 131 games. He featured above-average quality of contact metrics, with a 46.5% hard-hit rate (80th percentile) and 91.0 mph average exit velocity (78th). His biggest strength is his plate discipline, though, with a 14.5% whiff rate and 12.8% strikeout rate that both ranked in the 96th percentile. He should be a solid top-10 first baseman for 2025 with the upside for more and could be even more valuable in OBP and points leagues if he gets back to walking at an 11.7% clip like he did in 2022.
Justin Slaten, RP, Red Sox
Justin Slaten picked up the save on Thursday for the Red Sox, pitching a scoreless ninth inning with one strikeout. This came as a surprise to many, with Aroldis Chapman the favorite to handle the closing duties. Chapman pitched the eighth instead, and it worked out well for Boston who shut the door on the Rangers for the win. With Liam Hendriks placed on the IL, it figures to be a mix of Slaten and Chapman in the 9th inning for the time being, although one of them could eventually pull ahead. Slaten would be a very useful fantasy option if he does see consistent save chances, as he posted a 2.93 ERA and 1.01 WHIP with 58 strikeouts in 55.1 innings in 2024.
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