- Injury Updates
Bobby Witt Jr, SS, Royals
Bobby Witt was recently hit in the forearm with a pitch in Spring Training and left the game. After getting tested, it was determined it was nothing serious, just a bruise. This is a relief for any fantasy manager who has already drafted, as they likely had to use a top-three overall pick on him. He is coming off of a 32 home run, 31 stolen base season while hitting for a .332 average. He is a true five-category superstar, and everything about his underlying profile backs that up. His .557 xSLG ranked in the 98th percentile, and there are really no worries about any part of his game at this point. At only 24 years old, it's hard to view anyone but him as the best player in fantasy for dynasty formats, with only Ohtani and Judge possibly ahead of him in redraft formats.
George Kirby, SP, Mariners
George Kirby has been shut down from throwing and will begin the season on the IL with shoulder inflammation. There weren't any more serious issues found, so this shouldn't be something that sidelines him for a majority of the season, but it's yet to be seen if he will miss only a couple of weeks or the entire month of April. He had another excellent season in 2024, posting a 3.53 ERA and 1.07 WHIP with 179 strikeouts and 23 walks in 191 innings. He was being drafted as a top-12 pitcher before the injury, but this will surely send him plummeting down draft boards. He shouldn't be considered now until all of the other aces and near-aces are off the board, which would put him in the 25-30 range of starting pitchers.
Spencer Strider, SP, Braves
Spencer Strider is reportedly on track to make a late-April debut. This is huge news for the flamethrower, and it means he probably hasn't been being drafted high enough in drafts. It's important to acknowledge the risk in drafting pitchers attempting to recover from injuries, but it's hard to overstate just how much of a difference-maker Strider was at the position when healthy. In 2023, he posted a 3.86 ERA and 1.09 WHIP while striking out 281 batters in 186.2 innings pitched. That is a strikeout rate that is simply unmatched, and he was drafted as the consensus number one overall pitcher in 2024 drafts. He has had plenty of time to recover from his procedure and is looking good in his progress during spring. You should start thinking about drafting Strider after the first 20 starting pitchers are off the board, and he could be a league winner if he returns to being the best pitcher in the sport.
Ronald Acuna, OF, Braves
Ronald Acuna hopes to debut in early-to-mid-May. He is coming off of an ACL tear, the second of his career. The fact that missing the first month and a half is the best-case scenario isn't encouraging to hear, as any delay could have him suddenly pushed back to miss most of the first half. He was the best hitter in fantasy when he was healthy in 2023, batting .338 with 41 home runs and 73 stolen bases. The worry with Acuna in 2025 is that he may not attempt to steal at all, even when he does come back. Multiple ACL tears are hard to come back from as it is, and I'm sure the Braves would rather have his bat in the lineup than have him steal and risk injuring his legs again. In deeper leagues, where there isn't much replacement value on the waiver wire, it's hard to commit to Acuna as a third-round pick.
Grayson Rodriguez, SP, Orioles
Grayson Rodriguez has been shut down with elbow inflammation for 7 to 10 days and is receiving injections to treat it. This injury occurred five days ago, so there should be an update on his status in the next 3 to 5 days. Anything involving the elbow is scary for pitchers, especially before the season even starts. Rodriguez posted a 3.86 ERA and 1.24 WHIP with 130 strikeouts in 116.2 innings last season. The former top prospect was being drafted around the 30th SP off the board, but this injury certainly changes things. There is always the fear that the elbow is still having problems after the week off, and it could spiral into a months-long or even season-long absence. It's best to wait to consider Rodriguez until the top 50 pitchers are off the board.
Gerrit Cole, SP, Yankees
Gerrit Cole was experiencing elbow issues in Spring Training, which unfortunately required Tommy John surgery. He underwent the procedure earlier this week and is slated to miss the entire 2025 season. His surgery reportedly included internal bracing, which leads to a shorter recovery time than what you typically see in pitchers who get Tommy John. Still, this is a big blow to Cole, who experienced some decline in 2024 and will be 35 years old by the time next season rolls around. There's no harm in holding him in an IL spot in dynasty leagues, but it will be interesting to see if he is able to come back in 2026 and still perform at the same level as we're used to seeing from him.
Sean Manaea, SP, Mets
Sean Manaea will begin the season on the injured list with an oblique strain. He is already beginning his throwing progressions once again and could very well make his debut in April. Manaea enjoyed a resurgent 2024, where he posted a 3.47 ERA and 1.08 WHIP with 184 strikeouts in 181.2 innings. His season was an interesting one, with a sudden decision to change his arm slot fueling an elite 12-start stretch to end the season. In those final 12 starts, he put a 3.09 ERA, 0.85 WHIP, and 83 strikeouts in 75.2 innings. He gained inspiration for the change by watching Chris Sale pitch, and he'll be hoping to carry over that success into 2025. He was a popular breakout pick before the injury but should still be considered in the 50-60 range of starting pitchers, considering that the injury is pretty minor.
- Around The League
Ryan Jeffers, C, Twins
Ryan Jeffers had a very good season in 2024, slashing .226/.300/.432 with 56 runs, 21 home runs, and 64 RBI. The issue is that he was one of the streakiest players in the majors, as he had multiple months of an OPS over .900, but also multiple months with an OPS below .500. This up-and-down production clearly left a bad taste in fantasy managers' mouths, as he's currently being drafted as the 18th catcher off the board according to ADP. Nothing jumps off the page about Jeffers' underlying metrics, as his 86.9 mph average exit velocity and 33.8% hard-hir rate both rank in the bottom fifth of the league. Still, he didn't hit 21 home runs by pure luck, and that's a skill many catchers don't have. He is a very solid option in two-catcher leagues if you're looking for a solid floor with upside as your second catcher.
Robert Garcia, RP, Rangers
Robert Garcia was one of the most trusted members of the Nationals' bullpen in 2024, posting a 4.22 ERA and 1.19 WHIP with 75 strikeouts in 59.2 innings. Those don't look like the most dominating stats, but his underlying metrics are much better. His 2.53 xERA was 1.69 lower than his actual ERA, and it ranked in the 97th percentile. He also posted a 29.9% strikeout rate (90th percentile), 3.1% barrel rate (98th), 30.2% hard-hit rate (98th), and 33.6% chase rate (94th). These are all truly elite numbers, and paint him to be one of the best relievers in all of baseball. He was traded to the Rangers this offseason, where he figures to be in the mix for saves. His main competition is 38-year-old Chris Martin, so his path to saves won't exactly be tough. The main thing working against him is that he is a lefty and may be called into other high-leverage situations earlier in the game. He is still worth a very late-round speculative pick in leagues that are very scarce for saves because he has top-10 potential at the position if he wins the closing job outright eventually.
Ryan Weathers, SP, Marlins
Ryan Weathers didn't have an especially notable 2024, posting a 3.63 ERA and 1.18 WHIP with 80 strikeouts in 86.2 innings. He dealt with a finger injury that kept him out for half the season and din't look overpowering when he was healthy. However, he looks like a new pitcher this spring. He reportedly has lost 20 pounds over the winter, and is throwing harder than he ever has before. He is averaging over two mph faster on his fastball and over 1 mph faster on all of his other pitches. He also has new mechanics, which not only contributed to the increased velocity but also to different pitch shapes. His fastball is averaging almost three additional inches of vertical break, making it look much more like an elite pitch. If he can continue these trends into the regular season, he may be on the verge of a huge breakout.
Jacob Wilson, SS, Athletics
Jacob Wilson made his major league debut in 2024, slashing .250/.314/.315 in 28 games. That's certainly not an encouraging stat line, but he has room for improvement in 2025. While he struggled with his first taste of the majors last season, he absolutely dominated the minors. In 53 minor league games, he hit for a .433 batting average with a miniscule strikeout rate of 6.6%. He still kept his strikeouts low in the big leagues, too, posting an excellent 9.7% strikeout rate. He is locked in as the A's everyday shortstop and will get the opportunity to be the discount version of Luis Arraez. Don't expect any power out of him, but if in extremely deep mixed leagues or AL-only leagues, he could serve as a late source of batting average.
Luis Arraez, 1B/2B, Padres
We know who Luis Arraez is at this point. He will hit for an elite batting average, score a good amount of runs, and come up short everywhere else. That actually wasn't exactly true in 2024, as he did chip in a helpful nine stolen bases. However, due to his 30th percentile sprint speed, I wouldn't count on that happening again. On top of the stolen bases, he batted .314 with 83 runs, 46 RBI, and 4 home runs. His whiff rate, strikeout rate, and squared-up rate all ranked in the 100th percentile, but he accomplishes this with a 1st percentile bat speed, hard-hit rate, and barrel rate. He is a fine mid-round pick if you fell very behind in batting average early in the draft.
Yandy Diaz, 1B, Rays
Yandy Diaz slashed .281/.341/.414 with 55 runs, 14 home runs, and 65 RBI in 2024. This was a huge step back from his 2023 season, where he hit .330 with 95 runs, 22 home runs, and 78 RBI. His batted-ball metrics looked pretty similar between the seasons, with his ground ball rate, fly ball rate, and pull rate all looking nearly identical. The one noticeable decrease was his infield fly ball rate spiking to 15.2% from just 5.6% in 2023. This led to a five percent decrease in hard contact and a five percent increase in soft contact. However, the Rays' venue change could lead to Diaz regaining some of that power. They will be playing their home games in George M. Steinbrenner Field, which is a carbon copy of Yankee Stadium. This means they'll get to enjoy the famous short porch in right field, and although Diaz is a righty himself, he actually hit the ball to the opposite field at the same rate as he pulled the ball in 2024. He should once again be a lock for a high batting average, making him a very high-floor play for a corner infield spot, with the upside to outperform that.
Jorge Soler, OF, Angels
Jorge Soler was traded from the Braves to the Angels this offseason. In 2024, he slashed .241/.338/.442 with 84 runs, 21 home runs, and 64 RBI split between the Giants and Braves. He greatly improved his power output after being traded to the Braves midseason, and he'll now get a full season away from the pitcher-friendly park in San Francisco. He still has massive power, with a 94th percentile bat speed of 75.4 mph and an 86th percentile barrel rate of 12.6%. He also excels at drawing walks, with an 11.8% walk rate that ranked in the 92nd percentile. This creates a big discrepancy between his batting average and on-base percentage, giving him a distinct boost in value in any leagues that reward OBP. He is a solid source of late power who is currently being drafted outside of the top 200 overall.
J.J. Bleday, OF, Athletics
J.J. Bleday will be looking to expand on his solid 2024, where he slashed .243/.324/.437 with 74 runs, 20 home runs, and 60 RBI. He is only 27 years old and is the everyday center fielder for the A's. Playing every day and hitting in the top half of the lineup surrounded by Lawrence Butler and Brent Rooker could bring him even more success in 2025. This is especially true since the A's are playing in a new stadium that figures to be much less pitcher-friendly than their old home. With an ADP of 268, he is a solid late-round pick in deeper leagues where guaranteed at-bats are a huge value in themselves.
