Shane Smith Locked into the Starting Rotation in Chicago After 2025 Emergence: After being selected by the Chicago White Sox in the Rule 5 Draft heading into the 2025 season, starting pitcher Shane Smith emerged as a quality starting pitching option. Across 146 1/3 innings (29 starts), the 25-year-old posted a 7-8 record with a 3.81 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, and 145 strikeouts. Smith's 23.5% strikeout rate and 14.1% K-BB rate don't jump off the page, and his 4.10 FIP could indicate that he is in line for some regression in 2026. However, Smith posted a much more impressive 29.6% strikeout rate across 94 1/3 Minor League innings in the Milwaukee Brewers system in 2024. He will turn just 26 years old in April, so Smith could still have plenty of room to develop in his second big league campaign. The White Sox once again project to be one of MLB's worst teams, which limits Smith's potential to rack up wins. Still, Chicago will likely give him an extended runway in the starting rotation even if he suffers through some early-season struggles. With an average draft position of pick 268, Smith profiles as starting pitching depth with some upside for fantasy managers in 2026. - as of Tue, 24 Feb 2026 19:58:26
Konnor Griffin Slugs Two Home Runs on Tuesday: Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop prospect Konnor Griffin had a monster spring training showing against the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday, going 2-for-4 with two home runs and four RBI in his team's 16-7 victory. Griffin, who will turn 20 years old in late April, is widely considered one of the top prospects in all of baseball. While Pirates manager Don Kelly recently called it a "tough ask" for Griffin to be ready for the team's Opening Day roster, the young phenom may force his way to the big leagues in 2026. Across 563 plate appearances spread across three Minor League levels in 2025, Griffin slashed .333/.415/.527 with 21 home runs, 94 RBI, 117 runs scored, and 65 stolen bases. He finished the year at Double-A Altoona, where he hit .337/.418/.542 with five home runs, 22 RBI, 20 runs scored, and six stolen bases across 98 plate appearances. Pittsburgh may choose to send Griffin back to the Minors to begin 2026, but he may be worth stashing in redraft formats ahead of his eventual MLB debut. - as of Tue, 24 Feb 2026 19:41:42
Chandler Simpson "Tentatively" Scheduled to Make Spring Debut on Friday: Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash said that outfielder Chandler Simpson (hamstring) is tentatively scheduled to make his 2026 Spring Training debut on Friday, per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. Simpson has been held out of the Rays' first few Spring games due to a tight left hamstring, but it does not appear that he is suffering from a serious injury. It would make sense for Tampa Bay to slow-roll Simpson's recovery from a hamstring ailment at this point in the calendar, as the 25-year-old's main appeal as both a fantasy and real-life player is his speed. Across 441 plate appearances in 2025, Simpson hit .295/.326/.345 with zero home runs, 26 RBI, 53 runs scored, and 44 stolen bases. He struck out in just 9.8% of his plate appearances, but also posted a remarkably poor 0.0% barrel rate. As long as Simpson makes a full recovery and can hold down regular playing time in Tampa Bay, his speed and ability to hit for average give him fantasy appeal. However, his lack of power makes him difficult to build around in rotisserie-scoring formats. - as of Tue, 24 Feb 2026 19:35:36
Carlos Estevez's Velocity Down in Spring Debut: Kansas City Royals closer Carlos Estevez's velocity was "way down" during his Cactus League debut on Tuesday at 86-89 mph, according to Anne Rogers of MLB.com. Rogers says it's "eyebrow-raising" and "something to monitor," but it's also "exactly what came up last year." Estevez typically starts slow in the spring, and the Royals "really rely on how he says he feels." The 33-year-old was an All-Star for the second time in his career in 2025 in his first season with the Royals, posting a 2.45 ERA (3.67 FIP), 1.06 WHIP, a league- and career-high 42 saves, 54 strikeouts, and 22 walks in 66 innings pitched out of the bullpen. His 89.4% team save share was the highest among all relievers in MLB last year. Regression could be coming -- he had a career-low 20.1% strikeout rate in 2025 -- but he'll be KC's primary closer again, making him at least a low-end No. 1 fantasy closer in his second year with the Royals. - as of Tue, 24 Feb 2026 18:24:37
Trey Yesavage to be on Strict Inning Limit This Season: The Toronto Blue Jays plan to manage right-hander Trey Yesavage's "workload fluidly throughout the season," according to Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet. Yesavage's rotation turn could be skipped or pushed back at times, depending on his measurables and how he's recovering between outings. The 22-year-old is still roughly a week from pitching in a Grapefruit League game in spring training as the team builds him up deliberately after a considerable workload jump last year. He is throwing a side session on Tuesday in camp, and his next mound work is scheduled to be a live batting practice session. Yesavage threw 139 2/3 innings last year, including the playoffs, after tossing 93 1/3 innings in college in 2024. The former first-rounder had a 3.21 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, and 16 K's in 14 innings over three starts at the tail end of the regular season before throwing another 27 2/3 frames in the playoffs, including a 12-strikeout performance in the World Series. Yesavage is clearly one of the best young arms in the game, but there are control and workload concerns, making him more of a No. 3 starting pitcher target in fantasy drafts. - as of Tue, 24 Feb 2026 12:29:59
Sebastian Walcott has Internal-Brace Surgery, Out 5-6 Months: Texas Rangers shortstop prospect Sebastian Walcott (elbow) had successful UCL surgery last week, an internal-brace procedure performed by Dr. Keith Meister, according to Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News. The Rangers expect a five- to six-month recovery for Walcott. The 19-year-old could miss the entire 2025 season, delaying his development another year. Walcott is ranked as the No. 7 overall prospect in baseball by MLB Pipeline after hitting .255/.355/.386 with a .741 OPS, 13 home runs, 59 RBI, 71 runs scored, and 32 stolen bases in 552 plate appearances over 124 games at Double-A Frisco last year. He can obviously be avoided in single-year fantasy leagues, but Walcott is still a firm hold in dynasty/keeper leagues as one of the best position-player prospects in the game. Depending on how his recovery goes, Walcott could make his MLB debut late in the 2027 season.UPDATE: According to general manager Ross Fenstermaker, Walcott could be ready for game action in August, "if all things go according to plan." - as of Tue, 24 Feb 2026 11:25:45