Baseball is back! And just in time, too. The late/winter and early spring months are always a strange time of the year sports-wise. Aside from NFL free agency -- which was incredibly dull -- there isn't much going on outside of March Madness. Fortunately, it's April, and we have a long season ahead. There's plenty of time to talk about the Los Angeles Dodgers (8-0) picking up where they left off, torpedo bats, and everything in between. Surprisingly, the Atlanta Braves have yet to win a game (0-7) (who saw that coming), and the Chicago Cubs have started blistering hot. Also, it's safe to say Aaron Judge is the best power hitter we've seen in a long time.
This last week has been chock-full of action, and there's a ton of season to go. Of course, it hasn't all been roses, as we've seen our fair share of injuries throughout the spring and early on. Speaking of the Dodgers, first baseman Freddie Freeman (ankle) had a...shower mishap last weekend, causing inflammation in his surgically repaired ankle. The team placed him on IL retroactive to Mar. 31, though it looks to be shaping up as a minimum stay. Baltimore Orioles outfielder Colton Cowser (thumb) fractured his thumb and is expected to be sidelined at least 6-8 weeks. Expect some combination of Ryan O'Hearn and Heston Kjerstad to get more playing time. New York Mets pitcher Sean Manaea (oblique) will be shut down for two weeks after receiving a PRP injection. Manaea experienced discomfort earlier this week in his oblique while ramping up. Houston Astros pitcher Luis Garcia (elbow) is battling elbow inflammation and will be shut down from throwing for four weeks. Garcia is recovering from Tommy John with the earliest he could return being mid-june, and that's probably on the favorable side. On a positive note for Houston, pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. is set to make his next rehab start on Saturday with Double-A Corpus Christi, and if all goes well, could rejoin the team soon.
Suppose you're new here -- welcome! This column typically assumes point-league scoring formats, but I won't leave you roto/category players high and dry. For a hitter to qualify for this list, he must be less than – or right around – 50% owned in Yahoo! fantasy leagues. Additionally, athletes will only appear on this list twice if they continue ranking from weeks prior. Happy hunting!
Waiver Adds
George Springer, OF - Toronto Blue Jays (54% Owned)
Before I get into a potential resurgent star, let's note that if Brandon Lowe is available in your leagues (58%) and you need a temporary first baseman -- with second-base eligibility -- stop reading and snag him because his statcast page is lit up like a Christmas tree in all the metrics we care about. Now, on to George Springer.
The former first-round pick's statcast metrics are as favorable as Lowe's, and the Toronto outfielder is drawing walks at a much higher rate than the Tampa Bay Ray (16.0%). Springer sports an electric .455 average, which is sure to go down. However, his xBA of .317 is more than acceptable. Springer's BABIP is absurdly high (.667), but I'm encouraged that he's registering a hard-hit ball 61.5% of the time. That's sure to go down, too, but keep in mind his average exit velocity sits at 95.3 MPH. It's never been over 90 MPH in his career.
Springer noted that he was heavily working on "the mechanical side of it [hitting]” during the spring, leading to fantastic results thus far. We're not too far removed from the 35-year-old being a top-three-round fantasy pick, and I like him more than everyone else on this list if you need help in the OF.
Lars Nootbaar/Victor Scott II, OF - St. Louis Cardinals (54%/44% Owned)
I was tempted to add Cardinals' OF Jordan Walker to this headline, but he feels like more of a deep-league option for now. That is, unless he's putting it all together, in which case I'd prefer him over both Lars Nootbaar and Victor Scott II -- but I digress.
I've loved Nootbaar for years and thought the breakout might be coming in 2024, but will be a year early if things keep going the way they are. The USC product's BABIP isn't quite as high as Springer's (.421), but still a bit too high for his MLB average (.277). Despite this, I'm still not as worried because, again, like Springer, he's had vast improvements in his hard-hit rate (57.1) and average exit velocity (96.2). Each of those would be career-highs by greater than five ticks. If you can get your hands on him -- particularly in points leagues (10.0 K%) -- you'll be in good shape.
On the other hand, Scott II profiles as more of a help in roto/category leagues. Still, I wouldn't count him out in other formats. The lefty is known for his blazing 80-grade speed and has already put it on display in 2025, notching four steals in seven games. He's never been known for his hit tool, though he did hit .303 in 132 games across Double and Single-A ball with a whopping 94 steals in 2023. He wasn't as fortunate batting average-wise the following season in Triple-A or the majors. However, he still swiped 35 bags in 134 games, and is not a zero in the walk column.
Maikel Garcia, 2B/3B - Kansas City Royals (40% Owned)
Maikel Garcia has burned me in the early going before, so I'm taking this one with a grain of salt, and you should too. He's got me fired up this year, though, as it appears there's a reason for his spontaneous surge. The 25-year-old is white-hot right now, sporting a .368/.429/.789 triple-slash with two homers, two doubles, and a 3:2 K: BB ratio. Garcia's mammoth home run on Monday -- a 428-foot shot that hit the batter's eye at American Family Field -- clocked in as the longest homer of his career and the second-hardest hit ball (108.8).
The Venezuela native tweaked his swing and stance during spring training -- notably, resting the bat on his shoulder and a toe tap that's helped with his timing. “You see how his bat is on his shoulder, and he’s not rushing up. I think it shows how much time he’s got to make decisions right now," said hitting coach Alec Zumwalt. "He’s controlling the zone, and that was something he told me he wanted to get better at."
Garcia is at two home runs in 17 at-bats and hit just seven last season in 575.
Ben Rice, 1B - New York Yankees (20% Owned)
Ben Rice was a monster in the minors during the 2023 campaign, quickly ascending from Low-A ball up to Double-A quickly while proceeding to hit .324 with 20 homers in 73 games. Astonishingly, 16 of those long balls came in the 48 games after his promotion to Double-A. While Rice wasn't as good during the 50-game stint he spent with the Yanks in 2024, his boisterous start to 2025 is too loud to ignore. His statcast page is the best-looking of all and looks something similar to teammate Aaron Judge.
I'm not saying Rice is Judge, will be, or even come close to being. Still, it's worth noting that his average exit velocity is four notches higher than his All-Star teammate's (100.5). The former twelfth-round pick is capable of hitting for power, average, and shown to have somewhat of an eye, holding a BB% of 11.2 or greater at every stop but one in the minors. The 26-year-old's .500 BABIP will naturally regress, but he's a high-BABIP guy so it won't crater him out too badly. I expect his 31.6% strikeout rate to improve too as the year progresses.
Michael Conforto, OF - Los Angeles Dodgers (18% Owned)
The curious case of Michael Conforto. At one point, the former tenth-overall pick appeared to be on a superstar trajectory. In 2020, he set career highs with a .322 average and .927 OPS. Then, things took a turn. Conforto slumped in 2021, missed all of 2022 after shoulder surgery, and mostly struggled with the San Francisco Giants the past two seasons. Strangely, his statcast numbers looked great in 2024, but he still vastly underperformed. It is worth noting, however, that the pitcher-friendly confines of Oracle Park played a part in inhibiting his offense.
Fast forward to now, and the 32-year-old looks great. He's consistently hit fourth in a strong Dodgers lineup -- though he's expected to drop a bit upon Freddie Freeman's return -- and is currently rocking a 1.080 OPS with a 20.8% walk rate. Furthermore, he got a massive vote of confidence last month from manager Dave Roberts, comparing him to the 2024 Teoscar Hernandez. “He's going to be one of my picks to click this year, as far as a guy that I think is going to take a step forward," said Roberts. “Not saying he's Teo of '24, but that's kind of the light I see him in."
Exhibit no concerns about adding him.
Deep League Options
Kyren Paris, 2B - Los Angeles Angels (7% Owned)
Kyren Paris presents as another potent source of steals this year. The No. 55 overall pick of the 2019 MLB Draft struggled in his previous MLB call-ups, but is scalding at the dish right now with a ludicrous .444 average and 1.545 OPS. Perhaps more importantly, he's already thieved three bags in nine at-bats. In spite of this, it's clear he won't hit over .400 all season. Heck, he may not hit over .300 all season, but Paris is making hard contact more often than not, and matches a respectable 18.2% strikeout rate with a robust 18.2% walk rate. The 23-year-old hit just .255 in 2023 for Double-A Rocket City but still stole 44 bases in 113 games.
Two-Start Streaming Options
Casey Mize, RHP - Detroit Tigers (20%/63% Yahoo!/CBS)
Casey Mize pitched well in his win over the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday. He went 5.2 innings with six strikeouts and three walks, allowing a sole hit. Most of that damage came in a shaky first inning, but the 27-year-old was dealing after that, retiring 15 straight batters before a walk in the sixth. He's a former first-overall pick, so there's some post-hype appeal here. Though Mize was never a strikeout artist in the minors, he consistently registered low ERAs and WHIPs and had strong FIP and xFIP numbers to back it up.
It will be tough to stream him for his first start against the New York Yankees next week, but I'm willing to at least grab and hold him through it. If that goes well, he'll be wheels up for his second outing -- a road date with the Minnesota Twins. Mize's numbers from his first start are promising, holding the Mariners to a minuscule xBA of .133 and an 18% hard-hit rate. Additionally, the Auburn product's splitter held a 71.4% whiff rate in that matchup with a 42.9% whiff rate overall.
Dustin May, RHP - Los Angeles Dodgers (49%/83% Yahoo!/CBS)
I was excited about Dustin May before the flexor tendon injury in 2023 and the freak salad incident that caused an esophageal tear, forcing him to miss all of 2024 just as he finished rehab in the Dodgers' training facility. Man, baseball players find the weirdest ways to get hurt, huh? Anyway, I watched May flummox the Atlanta Braves over five innings of work earlier this week, and it looks like he might be back. The hard-throwing righty held Atlanta to one hit, striking out six and walking three.
The Texas native primarily threw sinkers, sweepers, and four-seamers, sprinkling in five cutters and a changeup. It didn't matter, though, as the amount of spin he gets on his big three is enough to put away everyone. May nearly touched 98 in his first start back (97.8) and threw a sweeper with over 3,500 RPM. Insane.
I'm advocating for him moving forward, and he'll line up for a favorable start against the Washington Nationals on Monday. His second start is not as friendly, squaring off against a scorching-hot Chicago Cubs squad. Still, there's no reason for him to be less than 90% owned by next Tuesday.
Good luck in all your matchups this week!
