Ben Brown SP CHC
The Cubs informed Brown on Tuesday that he will begin the season as the club's No. 5 starter, Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic reports. Brown entered via the bullpen in the season opener in Japan last week and worked 2.2 innings. However, in 2024, Brown revealed high-class stuff, highlighted by a 31% Whiff Rate that led to a 1.08 WHIP. This guy has sleeper appeal in Mixed Leagues, worth grabbing if you have the room for another SP or a fringe SP that you consider a streamer. Consider Brown must-own in NL Only leagues but I tend to swoon at tall RHPs with wipeout stuff.
Corey Seager SS TEX
Rangers president of baseball operations Chris Young said Seager (calf) should be in the lineup for Opening Day, Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News reports. Seager missed the Rangers' final three games due to calf soreness. Health is always the thing with Seager. 15% Barrel rate is elite, along with his 51% Hard Hit rate make him a monster masher if you can stomach the injury inevitability. If he's active, you will play him and you will like it.
Vinnie Pasquantino 1B KC
Pasquantino has been diagnosed with a Grade 1-plus right hamstring strain, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.Pasquantino, noted physician and mythological creature said Monday he plans on playing in Thursday's opener, but "that's just me speaking as a player." If Pasquantino isn't ready, Mark Canha is a versus lefty option at first base for Kansas City. Vinnie owns a great Square Up Rate of 32% and exhibits rare discipline at the plate with a 13% K Rate, making him a low-risk, low-ceiling option for 1B in AL-Only or Mixed Leagues
Alec Burleson DH/1B STL
Skipper Oliver Marmol said Burleson will bat 5th and be designated hitter for Opening Day, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. Burleson is slated to serve as the primary DH against right-handed pitching. Alex is a Square Up demon at 31% with a nice low K Rate of 13%, making him another low-risk option to slot in at 1B. When he owns the platoon advantage, he should be utilized as he owns a .341 OPB and .297 vs RHP for his career.
Christian Walker 1B HOU
Astros manager Espada said Walker remains on track to be ready to roll for Opening Day on Thursday against the Mets Ari Alexander of KPRC 2 Houston reports. Walker played only four Grapefruit League contests due to left oblique soreness. Monitor his health as his transition to the AL could be a painful one, despite his traditionally high Bat Speed (75 MPH average) and 13% Barrel rate. If healthy, he's a top 10 1B, so here's hoping.
Tyler Glasnow SP LAD
Glasnow pitched five innings in an exhibition contest against the Angels on Monday and induced 15 whiffs with 73 pitches and topped out at 98.2 mph. Glasnow will likely start Monday versus Atlanta to start his regular season. If you had the guts to draft him, you're happier than happy. If his 32% K Rate and otherworldly .195xBA holds up, Glasnow is a goldmine. Fantistics Player Projection Notes: Glasnow had an outstanding 2024 season for the LAD, logging a stellar 3.49 ERA that drew strong acclaim. His impressive 0.95 WHIP highlighted his exceptional command on the mound. With a 2.68 xFIP--nearly a full run below his ERA--Glasnow appears to be overperforming relative to his underlying metrics. His 13.8% SwStr% places him in the top 10%, while his 2.4 BB/9 is better than average, complemented by a 48.6% GB rate in the top 25%. A .253 BABIP and 39.5% HardHit% suggest limited solid contact, despite his knack for generating weak balls. Additionally, his HR/FB% of 13.6% ranks in the top 25%, signaling potential regression. Looking ahead, Glasnow is projected to deliver a 2.96 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP
Mookie Betts SS/OF LAD
Betts (illness) could not keep food down for a week which sounds like a serious health concern, so never mind baseball, let's hope he gets healthy soon. But, this site is about baseball, so monitor his recovery and then expect a slow start to be followed by HOF-worthy stats. "My body's just kind of eating itself, and so it's hard to not fuel it," Betts said. "Every time, literally, every time I fuel my body, I throw it up and I don't know what to do about it." Betts squares up baseballs at an elite level of 36% coupled with a low 11% K rate, so even if power is limited, the guy will likely provide plenty of hits, runs and RBI.
Tyler Mahle SP TEX
Mahle will take the hill on Friday against the Red Sox, Lawrence Dow of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.Texas has quite the rotation going and the juggling to prevent overuse by any one SP should make for interesting monitoring. Mahle has been tantalizing in the past but has also left us wanting more. We haven't seen him throw consistently with health since 2022, so expect TEX to baby him and consider him a streaming SP for now.
Kumar Rocker SP TEX
Rangers president Chris Young said Tuesday that Rocker will be in the rotation, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports. Injuries opened the door for the 25-year-old who threw only 48.1 innings in 2024 following a return from Tommy John surgery. His stuff can be electric, but so can friends, but that guarantees neither power nor health. You know what you're getting into, so here's hoping the velocity and extension keep coming through (that's not what she said).
Leody Taveras OF TEX
Taveras will be the Rangers' starting center fielder after Evan Carter was optioned to Triple-A Round Rock, Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News reports. This guy is a name we recall but just because you recall a name does not mean you should roster him. Taveras does offer the same skill as most every outfielder in 2024, which is 15/15 potential, however, his OBP comes in under .300 for his last three seasons, which does not bode well for breaking out into anything but song.
Ronald Acuna OF ATL
Injury Report Update: "Atlanta placed Acuna (knee) on the 10-day injured list Tuesday, retroactive to March 24. The 27-year-old is expected to make his season debut in early to mid-May as he continues to rehab from ACL surgery. Acuna has been able to take part in most baseball activities during spring training but has yet to be cleared for game action. Once he begins a rehab assignment, there should be a better idea of when exactly Acuna will make his 2025 debut."
Ben Rice 1B/OF NYY
Because he is in pinstripes, we are obliged to consider Ben Rice a breakout candidate, despite his .613 OPS in 2024 over the course of 178 PAs. Manager Aaron Boone took a break from barking at the Spring Training robot strike zone to note that Rice will be on the Yankees' Opening Day roster, Max Goodman of NJ.com reports. Rice will try to get cooking at designated hitter but could also get looks at first base and catcher. Perhaps osmosis or Judge hypnosis may cause an outbreak of Rice's 16% Barrel Rate, but don't pay too much for the pinstripes.
Cam Smith OF HOU
Smith will be on the Opening Day roster to start in right field Thursday, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports. The 22-year-old top prospect was acquired from the Cubs in the Kyle Tucker trade in December and he squeezed the pulp from the Grapefruit league with a .342/.419/.711 slash line in 43 PAs. We will see how his swing adapts to real live arms attacking him in every game, but the youngster shows great promise and if you're reading this you already know that. His .396 OBP across all levels in 2024 is exciting, so if you purchased this lottery ticket, here's hoping it comes up a winner.
Jasson Dominguez OF NYY
The Martian has landed and he's found the gravity on the new planet to be not entirely agreeable and what's with the pitching? It's so much harder to hit. Injuries have derailed Stanton Junior's early but Manager (and one-time huge HR hitter) Aaron Boone mentioned Tuesday that Dominguez will be included on the Yankees' Opening Day roster, Max Goodman of NJ.com reports, setting up the opportunity for Jasson as an everyday player for the firsst time. If he's your guy, godspeed, but have other OF options ready for when the conditions on the Martian's new home planet begin to confound or injure.
