| |
 |
| Friday, March 14, 2025 |
| You wake up in a cold sweat, as a horrifying realization comes to mind: It's Draft Day, and you haven't done any research. |
| It might just be a nightmare, but it might just be your reality, too. You've got a lot going on, and maybe you just didn't have time to prepare for your draft. That's what the Fantasy Baseball Today team is here to help you out with. We've spent the past three months getting our rankings ready for Draft Day, and we've done plenty of research on the way there. And today's newsletter is all about sharing that with you. |
| This is the second biggest draft weekend of the year, and as such, it's time to give you everything we've got. That means links to absolutely everything you need to know before you draft, whether that draft is in seven hours or you're taking it up until Opening Day. |
| Before we get to that, though, here's a rundown of the latest news you need to know about from the past few days: |
- Gunnar Henderson hit in the batting cage Tuesday as he begins his recovery from intercostal strain – I've never been too worried about Henderson being ready for Opening Day, and it looks like he's in line for that. He remains a first-rounder
- Bobby Witt was hit by a pitch and left the game Wednesday – We all held our breath for a few hours, but X-rays came back negative. If you want to drop him to third in the rankings until he's back in games, that's fine, but I would only even consider taking Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani ahead of him at this point.
- Spencer Steer has been cleared to resume swinging – Steer is dealing with a shoulder injury that dates back to 2024, and it's not clear if he's going to be ready for Opening Day. And, if he is, he might just be limited to first base and DH duties, because throwing has been a bigger issue than swinging.
- The Rangers are open to skipping some deGrom starts to keep him fresh for the end of the season – In his first full season back from Tommy John surgery, deGrom is also intentionally throwing at a lower velocity, all with the goal of keeping him healthy for a full season for the first time since 2019. He could be the best pitcher in baseball on a per-inning basis, but the ceiling is capped at around 140 innings of impact, and obviously, the injury risk remains incredibly high.
- Adolis Garcia (oblique) is expected to be ready for the start of the season – Garcia played DH in a spring game Wednesday for the first time since the injury, a good sign for his chances of being ready. Knee issues limited his impact last season, but if healthy, he could still be a big-time power bat.
- Rafael Devers won't make his spring debut until Saturday now – That's twice now that Devers has been delayed as he continues to deal with lingering shoulder issues. It's not clear if he's less than 100% or if the team is just being extra cautious, but it's concerning enough that I've dropped him to the end of his tier at third base. He's still a third-round pick, and that could work out really well if he's fine.
- Jeff McNeil will open the season on the IL – McNeil will be shut down 7-10 days, with a hope he will be back on the field in 3-4 weeks total. That could mean only a week or two in the regular season, but oblique injuries tend to be pretty tricky, and coming during spring could totally derail things. McNeil is an interesting late-round source of batting average, but he's not a must-draft player now. In his absence, we could see Brett Baty make the switch to second base, though Luisangel Acuna could also be an option if he gets hot in the final few weeks of spring action.
|
| |
- Cody Bradford (elbow) will not be ready for Opening Day – An MRI came back clean, but Bradford is going to be shut down for about a week before building back up. If all goes well, he could probably be back by the end of April, and in the meantime, it looks like Jack Leiter could have a path to the rotation – he's throwing harder this spring, with a new sinker and changeup, and has plenty of upside if he can just throw strikes with some consistency.
- Lucas Giolito will start the season on the IL – Giolito left his very first spring start with a hamstring injury, and he's going to join Kutter Crawford and Brayan Bello on the IL. With three starters out, it looks like sleepers Richard Fitts and Quinn Priester might both be in the rotation to open the season. Both have seen a velocity jump this spring and are interesting late-round sleepers to take a flier on.
- Chase Meidroth looks like he's going to be the White Sox's starting SS – Colson Montgomery was sent down recently, and Meidroth has been the team's primary option there in recent days. Meidroth was part of the return for Garrett Crochet this offseason, hitting .293/.437/.400 with the Red Sox' Triple-A affiliate. He has very limited power and probably only low-double-digit steal potential, so he's probably just a late-round option even in AL-only leagues. But there's certainly some batting average upside if he clicks.
- Tyler Stephenson is getting an MRI on his back – Stephenson was scratched from Wednesday's game due to lower back tightness, and the team is having him get an MRI to make sure it isn't serious. This is one to watch, as Stephenson should get drafted in all leagues as a low-end No. 1 catcher if healthy.
- Cam Smith is going to play RF in a spring game soon – Smith, the primary prospect return in the Kyle Tucker trade, is a third baseman by trade, but the Astros are so intrigued by his potential to make an immediate impact that they are giving him reps in right field to see if he can hack it. If he can, there's a real chance that the No. 14 pick in last year's draft could make the Opening Day roster after just 32 professional games. He needs to be on the late-round radar in all leagues, given his rapid ascent and fairly clear path to playing time.
- The Cubs may sign Lance Lynn – They have entered into discussions on a one-year deal with Lynn to provide rotation depth. The late signing makes it unlikely Lynn is going to provide much Fantasy value, but it could be a roadblock to late-round sleeper Ben Brown cracking the team's rotation. That would be a bummer.
|
| |
| Draft Day Cheat Sheet |
| Get to know the player pool |
| |
| Rankings and salary cap values |
| |
| Sleepers, Breakouts and Busts |
| |
| Draft Day essentials |
| |
| Latest from Spring Training |
| |
| Mock drafts |
| |
| |
| ADP review |
| |
| Prospect hunting |
| |
| The best of the rest |
| |
| |
 | |  | | | | | Join or create a Men’s pool and compete in both the Men’s and Women’s Bracket Challenges for a shot at winning trips to the 2026 Final FourⓇ—plus, enter both for a chance to win a new Nissan Armada! Join Now
| | Who will advance to the Big Ten Championship? Find out this Saturday at 1 & 3:30 ET on CBS and streaming on Paramount+. Watch Live
|
|
| |
| |
