Believe it or not, we're already nearly a fifth of the way through the MLB season. Time flies, huh? Most of the early-season surprises have returned to Earth, though there are still some stragglers. Some are still worth monitoring, but it can be easy to get caught up in hot starts -- particularly from young or unknown players -- and wish for the best-case scenario. Conversely, it's challenging to stand firm on struggling stars, mainly when your fantasy squad isn't producing results in the beginning stages of the year. Remember, we're barely one month in. No rash decisions just yet.
I'd be remiss if I didn't touch upon the unfortunate injuries of the past week, and with that comes the news that we could be without a few stud pitchers for a little while. Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Cole Ragans (groin) was lifted early from his start against the Colorado Rockies on Thursday with groin tightness. An MRI has revealed that Ragans is dealing with a "very mild" groin strain. His return timetable is unknown, but he'll likely miss a few turns. Seattle Mariners pitcher Logan Gilbert (forearm) left his start against the Marlins after three innings on Friday with forearm tightness. Uh oh. There's been no further news on Gilbert, but that's typically not a great sign for a pitcher. His status will be one to monitor over the coming days. Texas Rangers shortstop Corey Seager (hamstring) was placed on the 10-day IL with a mild hamstring strain. Seager is likely set for a minimum stay on the list. San Diego Padres pitcher Blake Snell (shoulder) reportedly "didn't feel great" after playing catch this past Tuesday and missed an ensuing bullpen session. An MRI did not reveal structural damage, but it isn't great news. We'll see what comes out about him over the weekend. In other bad news, Baltimore Orioles pitcher Grayson Rodriguez (elbow) picked up a mild lat strain while working his way back from elbow inflammation. Per manager Brandon Hyde, he'll resume throwing in a few weeks.
As a reminder, this column typically assumes point formats and will only feature athletes at or around 50% ownership on Yahoo! A player will only appear on this list twice if he continues ranking from weeks prior. Happy hunting!
Waiver Adds
Jackson Holliday, 2B/SS - Baltimore Orioles (54% Owned)
Jackson Holliday hasn't exactly found his footing at the major league level, but he may be coming around. Though he's on the cusp of not qualifying for this feature, I wanted to make sure I mention him. If the 21-year-old is truly adapting to pro pitching, he'll be a top priority pickup with his prospect pedigree. It's possible he's a strong four-category contributor already, and could provide decent pop in your fantasy lineup.
The former first-overall pick of the 2022 MLB Draft has yet to do anything headline-worthy, but I noticed something worth mentioning that could signal his ascension. Through his first 15 outings, the lefty bolstered a dreadful 1:14 BB: K ratio. However, that figure is a respectable 5:3 over his last four contests. In the minor leagues, he routinely held a double-digit BB%, and despite striking out a good bit, typically drew a walk 17% of the time or more.
Holliday was Baltimore's top prospect not too long ago, and although he started the year off decently, his last few appearances have me excited, and this may be the last time you can grab him before he takes off.
TJ Friedl, OF - Cincinnati Reds (38% Owned)
I was a big fan of TJ Friedl back in 2023, and had him pegged for a mini-breakout -- or at least a sleeper-worthy selection -- in 2024, though that never came to fruition. Not only was he not very productive last season, but a broken wrist, thumb, and hamstring strain limited him to just 85 games. As of now, 2025 has me excited once again.
Friedl isn't likely to be a considerable help home run-wise, but he's hitting for average (.295) and will be a nice steals and runs boost at the very least. The 29-year-old has been on a tear, collecting at least one hit in 11 of his last 13 outings. Furthermore, he's riding a seven-game hit streak with four multi-hit efforts, including a 4-for-4 performance.
The Pennsylvania native swiped 27 bags two seasons ago in 138 games, jacking 18 long balls in the process. It remains to be seen whether the power numbers will return, but I'm encouraged by his recent performance. Over the last five games, Friedl has registered ten hard-hit balls, with most exceeding 97 MPH.
Pavin Smith, 1B/OF - Arizona Diamondbacks (36% Owned)
I wrote up Pavin Smith a few weeks ago, and he's since graduated from the 'deep league' section of this highlight. The D-Backs' first baseman has struck out quite a bit more in 2025 than over the prior two campaigns (28.6%), but if he keeps up this pace, it really won't matter. While I'd like to see him get some at-bats against left-handed pitching (0-for-3), he shouldn't lose too many plate appearances.
The former first-round pick has been blistering this year, slashing an absurd .383/.500/.733 with four dingers, nine doubles, 13 runs scored, and nine RBI. I noted his undesirable strikeout rate, but he's also ticked up his BB% recently, racking up nine of his 14 walks across his last eight outings. Moreover, he's increased his hard-hit rate (52.6%), average exit velocity (92.5 MPH), and holds robust xSLG (.611) and xWOBA (.436) figures.
Smith's impressive batted-ball metrics have me a bit over my skis for him, and I expect his average to crash down a ways as his .543 BABIP normalizes. However, most projection systems have him slated for just 11-or-12 home runs, which I think he easily surpasses. Don't forget -- the Florida native claimed that he "kind of figured something out" regarding his swing two weeks back. The returns thus far have been promising.
Chandler Simpson, OF - Tampa Bay Rays (34% Owned)
The fastest man in baseball has arrived. Chandler Simpson made tsunami-like waves in the minors, batting .285 or better at each stop and swiping bases like nobody's business. In 115 minor league games during 2023, Simpson hit .293, stealing 94 bases. An astronomical total that'd be enough to make fantasy managers salivate, but he wasn't done there.
In 2024, the 24-year-old upped his production, thieving 104 bags in 110 contests with an otherworldly .355 average. Simpson did walk at a high clip early on in his development, but we haven't seen him reach a double-digit walk rate since his time in High-A. Still, if he's going to hit in the high .280s at worst, that should only affect him in OBP leagues.
Through four games in the bigs, the lefty shortstop has five hits (one double) and two steals, with at least one knock in each appearance. Due to his blazing speed, he'll naturally be a high BABIP player, so no worries there.
Kyle Manzardo, 1B - Cleveland Guardians (33% Owned)
Kyle Manzardo established himself as one of the best pure hitters in the college class before the Tampa Bay Rays selected him in the second round of the 2021 draft. He'd reach Double-A ball in his first full pro season, ranking second in the minors in OPS (1.043) and third in slugging (.617). A shoulder injury hampered him in 2023, though he'd display more power than ever before at the end of that year.
Manzardo finally reached MLB in 2024, but his production wasn't up to snuff. He had a sub-par .234 average and an inflated 26.3% strikeout percentage while drawing a walk fewer than 6% of the time. He's still batting an unfavorable .219, but there's reason to believe he'll be worth our attention moving forward. Aside from slightly cutting his K%, he's walking a robust 13.5% of the time. Additionally, the 24-year-old is riding a six-game hit streak, collecting five extra-base hits (three homers, two doubles).
In 73 at-bats thus far, the Idaho native has smacked seven homers -- two more than he accrued in 2024 in half the amount of games. If Manzardo can sustain his sound approach, 30 homers and a .280-.300 average isn't out of the question.
Deep League Options
Eric Wagaman, 1B/3B - Miami Marlins (7% Owned)
Speaking of surprises -- Eric Wagaman has been blistering at the dish, as he is up to 11 games on a hit streak, three of which were multi-hit efforts. Honestly, it's out of nowhere as he hit .250 with two homers and a 23% K% in his only big-league action a year ago. Furthermore, he was never a consistently high-average guy in the minors. Well, that doesn't matter if this is the production we can expect. Incredibly, Statcast thinks he's underperforming, and by a lot -- with a .324 xBA. The former New York Yankee may provide decent pop if his quality of contact sticks (50% hard-hit rate), but that'd be just gravy at that point if he hits in the high-.200s/low-.300s all year.
Two-Start Streaming Options
Ronel Blanco, RHP - Houston Astros (39%/82% Yahoo!/CBS)
Ronel Blanco was excellent in 2024, compiling an exceptional 2.80 ERA and 1.09 WHIP across 30 appearances (29 starts). It was the best he'd pitched in the big leagues, punching out 166 batters in 167 innings -- authoring a 13-6 record. Blanco has been a little shaky to start, but may be rounding into form despite an elevated walk rate and a dip in strikeout percentage.
The righty has seen his arsenal take a small step back, sans his slider, which has garnered a 45.6% whiff rate and .182 xBA against. It was one of his better pitches last year, but he's taken it to a whole new level in 2025. If his other breaking pitches start to come around, he could take a step forward and be even more impactful.
Blanco will line up at home against the Detroit Tigers for his first start next week. While it isn't the most favorable matchup, I'm encouraged by his strong outing against the Blue Jays his last time out (6.2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER). His second start is just fine -- squaring off against the Chicago White Sox on the road. The Pale Hose have been the worst team regarding runs per game across the league so far (3.12).
Andrew Heaney, LHP - Pittsburgh Pirates (44%/53% Yahoo!/CBS)
As much as I like Blanco, Pirates pitcher Andrew Heaney excites me even more. Heaney broke out in 2022 with the Dodgers, but a shoulder injury limited him to 72.2 innings pitched. Still, he was awesome, sporting a 3.10 ERA with career-highs in whiffs and strikeout rate. The following two seasons were not as kind, but he was still a serviceable arm.
Another change of scenery is doing wonders for him, as he's back at it again in 2025 at the ripe age of 33. The former ninth-overall pick of the 2012 MLB Draft has nudged his K% back up to a strong 26.3%, assembling a pristine 1.72 ERA and 0.77 WHIP in his first five starts (31.1 innings). He's been excellent, all while his fastball velocity sits in the 5th percentile (90.0 MPH).
I'll admit -- I'm more hesitant to slot him into my lineup for his first start of the week, which comes at home against the Chicago Cubs. The Cubs have been one of the best teams in baseball so far -- pushing across 30 more runs (169) than the next closest team, the New York Yankees. Regardless, Heaney is worth an add, particularly against his second matchup, the San Diego Padres. If the veteran has recaptured the magic he displayed a few years back, he'll provide fantastic rest-of-season value.
Thanks for reading, and good luck in your upcoming matchups!
