River Ryan No Longer In Consideration for Starting Role?: According to Sonja Chen of MLB.com, Los Angeles Dodgers right-handed pitching prospect River Ryan is trending towards opening the season at Triple-A Oklahoma City, not in the MLB rotation. Ryan is currently in consideration for one of the final spots in the starting rotation with Blake Snell (shoulder) and Gavin Stone (shoulder) both on the shelf. However, it appears Ryan is behind both Emmet Sheehan and Justin Wrobleski in the competition, given their prior major-league experience. Additionally, the Dodgers see Ryan as a full-time starter and want to ensure he remains in that role with either club and not demoted to a swingman role. This spring, Ryan has been one of the most impressive pitchers on the roster, logging 9 2/3 innings to the tune of a 1.86 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, and a 12:4 K:BB. He would be viewed as a solid stash candidate once demoted to Triple-A. - as of Wed, 18 Mar 2026 07:09:50
Willy Adames Struggling at the Plate in Spring Training: San Francisco Giants shortstop Willy Adames is struggling at the plate in spring training, going 4-for-37 (.108) with a homer, five RBI, two runs scored, a stolen base, two walks, and 13 strikeouts in 40 plate appearances over 13 Cactus League games. Adames was looking like a major bust in his first year in San Fran in 2025 in the first half of the season before ultimately bouncing back in the second half. The 30-year-old Dominican infielder hit a career-low .225 (133-for-591), but he did reach the 30-homer mark for the third time in the last four years and the fourth time in his career, adding 87 RBI, 94 runs scored, and 12 stolen bases in 686 plate appearances over 160 games played. Adames had a 30-20 season in 2024 in his final year in Milwaukee, but his overall upside could be capped while playing at pitcher-friendly Oracle Park. Still, Adames should provide a solid counting-stat floor as a low-end starting fantasy shortstop in mixed leagues, at worst. - as of Tue, 17 Mar 2026 23:42:14
Ozzie Albies Could Run More in 2026: Atlanta Braves manager Walt Weiss may have second baseman Ozzie Albies run more frequently in 2026, according to Mark Bowman of MLB.com. He adds that Albies "seems capable" of stealing 20 bases for the first time since the 2021 season. The three-time All-Star hit .240/.306/.365 with a career-low .671 OPS, 16 home runs, 74 RBI, 74 runs scored, and 14 stolen bases in 667 plate appearances and 157 games played for the Braves in 2025 in his ninth year in the big leagues. In general, the Braves are expected to be much more aggressive on the base paths in Weiss' first year as the skipper. Albies has two 30-homer campaigns on his ledger, but he's combined to hit just 26 long balls in the last two seasons. Despite the last two years of disappointing production, Albies profiles as a top-12 fantasy second baseman because he still has 20-20 potential at the keystone. In six Grapefruit League games this spring, Albies has gone 4-for-16 (.250) with no homers, four RBI, and three runs scored. - as of Tue, 17 Mar 2026 23:34:22
Trent Grisham Hasn't Homered in Spring Training: New York Yankees outfielder Trent Grisham had a career year in 2025 in the Bronx in his second year in pinstripes, slashing .235/.348/.464 with an .811 OPS, 34 home runs, 74 RBI, 87 runs scored, and three stolen bases in 581 plate appearances and 143 regular-season games played. Although it's a small sample size this spring, the 29-year-old left-handed hitter has gone 4-for-30 (.133) with no homers, three RBI, three runs scored, three walks, and nine strikeouts in 33 plate appearances in 12 Grapefruit League games. Grisham has earned some rope as a regular in the Yankees' everyday lineup in 2026, but he's going to have to continue to play well to hold off Jasson Dominguez, who has swung a hot bat this spring. The former 15th overall pick by the Milwaukee Brewers in 2015 hit under .200 with nine homers in just 76 games in his first year in New York in 2024, so there is some volatility and skepticism that Grisham can repeat his strong season in 2026. For his power alone in a strong lineup, though, Grisham is worth a late-round pick as outfield depth in mixed fantasy leagues. - as of Tue, 17 Mar 2026 23:26:55
Is Jazz Chisholm Jr. the Top Fantasy Second Baseman?: New York Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. is a solid source of power and speed as a middle infielder going into the 2026 season after he clubbed a career-high 31 home runs and also stole 31 bases to reach the 30-30 mark for the first time in his career in 2025. The 28-year-old left-handed hitter made the All-Star squad for the second time in his career while slashing .242/.332/.481 with an .813 OPS, 80 RBI, and 75 runs scored in 531 plate appearances over 130 regular-season games in his first full year in the Bronx. Chisholm has a lengthy injury history, but his power/speed upside is unmatched at the second base position, making him RotoBaller's top-ranked second baseman, who also still has eligibility at the hot corner in some leagues. The six-year veteran has swung the bat well in spring training, too, going 4-for-14 (.286) with a homer, three RBI, and a steal in a small sample size of seven Grapefruit League games. He's a great fit in a strong Yankees lineup with a short porch in right field at Yankee Stadium. - as of Tue, 17 Mar 2026 23:20:38
Sean Manaea's Velocity is Still Down: New York Mets left-hander Sean Manaea's velocity remained low in his Grapefruit League outing on Tuesday against the Miami Marlins, in which he threw four scoreless innings with no hits, no walks, and four strikeouts, according to Max Goodman of NJ.com. Manaea averaged just 88.3 mph and topped out at 89.9 mph while throwing 52 total pitches. The 88.3 mph is lower than his average fastball velocity in his first two starts of the spring and 3.4 mph slower than his average (91.7) during the regular-season in 2025. The 34-year-old veteran was unable to repeat his late-career resurgence in 2024 during the 2025 campaign, as he only made 15 appearances (12 starts) due to injuries and held a poor 5.64 ERA (4.39 FIP), 1.22 WHIP, and 75:12 K: BB in 60 2/3 innings pitched. Manaea doesn't seem concerned about his lack of velocity this spring and thinks he'll gain a couple of ticks on the radar gun once the regular season starts. Injuries and inconsistency make Manaea a late-round dart throw, at best, for starting depth in upcoming fantasy drafts. - as of Tue, 17 Mar 2026 23:02:29
Can Pete Crow-Armstrong Shake Off 2025 Second-Half Struggles?: Chicago Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong broke out in a major way in 2025, hitting .247/.287/.481 with 31 home runs, 95 RBI, 91 runs scored, and 35 stolen bases across 647 plate appearances. However, the vast majority of the 23-year-old's production was front-loaded in the first half of the season. After the All-Star break, Crow-Armstrong hit .216/.262/.372 and struck out in 25.6% of his plate appearances. He also struggled against left-handed pitching throughout the year, logging a .594 OPS with a 29.3% strikeout rate against southpaws. As a result of his second-half troubles, Crow-Amstrong enters 2026 with some question marks in his fantasy outlook. Still, Crow-Armstrong's 13% barrel rate in 2025 backs up his power surge, and his 62 stolen bases over the past two seasons leave little doubt about his ability to provide fantasy value with his legs. Crow-Armstrong is also considered to be one of the best defensive center fielders in baseball, which should keep his playing time in Chicago secure even if he struggles with the bat. Crow-Armstrong profiles as a high-risk, high-reward outfield option for fantasy managers in 2026. - as of Tue, 17 Mar 2026 21:47:49
Jacob Misiorowski Could Emerge as a Fantasy Ace in 2026: Across 66 innings as a rookie in 2025, Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Jacob Misiorowski posted a 5-3 record with a 4.36 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, and 87 strikeouts. The 23-year-old made his MLB debut in mid-June and dominated in the early going, hitting the All-Star break with a 2.81 ERA and a 0.90 WHIP. However, Misiorowski hit some rough patches in the second half of the season, posting a 9.58 ERA in August. Command is an issue for Misiorowski, as he finished his first MLB season with an 11.4% walk rate and recorded a 14.4% walk rate across 97 1/3 innings in the Minors in 2024. If he can't get the walks under control, it will be difficult for Misiorowski to be anything but a drag on the WHIP category for fantasy managers. Still, Misiorowski offers tantalizing swing-and-miss upside. He struck out 31.9% of the batters he faced in 2025 and posted back-to-back Minor league seasons with strikeout rates north of 30% in 2023 and 2024. Misiorowski profiles as a high-risk, high-reward starting pitching option for fantasy managers in 2026. - as of Tue, 17 Mar 2026 21:35:07
Can Christian Yelich Maintain 2025 Power Gains in 2026?: After being limited to just 73 games by a back injury in 2024, Milwaukee Brewers designated hitter/outfielder Christian Yelich bounced back with an excellent showing in 2025. Across 644 plate appearances, the 34-year-old slashed .264/.343/.452 with 29 home runs, 103 RBI, 88 runs scored, and 16 stolen bases. Yelich made some changes to his approach in 2025, posting his best barrel rate (10.5%) since 2020 and recording his highest homer output since 2019. However, he also recorded the highest full-season strikeout rate (25.9%) of his career and his first single-digit walk rate (9.9%) since 2015. From a fantasy perspective, Yelich selling out for a bit more power is a positive as long as he keeps his strikeout rate low enough to hit for a respectable batting average. Yelich must be considered a significant injury risk at this point in his career, but he also carries high-end five-category upside that makes him a tempting selection for fantasy managers heading into 2026. - as of Tue, 17 Mar 2026 21:22:34