MLB News
Miguel Amaya Picks Up Five RBI Against Arizona
Chicago Cubs catcher Miguel Amaya drove in five runs in the Cubs' first win of the season on Thursday night, going 2-for-5 with a pair of doubles. He had a three-run double in the fifth inning and a two-run double in the ninth inning, and his five RBI were exactly half of the team's 10-run total as their offense woke up after struggling in the Tokyo Series. Amaya is 3-for-8 (.375) in his two games this season and is expected to split work behind the plate with Carson Kelly. If he hits like this, he could get the majority of the work and emerge as a strong option in NL-only leagues. He hit .271 with a .328 wOBA after the All-Star break last season and will look to continue to emerge as a fantasy option behind the plate as the season goes on.
1 hour ago
Tyler Soderstrom Smashes Two Home Runs On Thursday
Athletics 1B Tyler Soderstrom got his 2025 regular season off to a great start by going 2-for-3 with a pair of solo home runs on Thursday night. Unfortunately for the A's, the rest of the lineup combined to go a brutal 1-for-26 in their 4-2 loss in Seattle. Soderstrom went yard in the fifth off Logan Gilbert to give his team the 1-0 lead and hit another home run off Trent Thornton in the eighth to put them up 2-1. The bullpen couldn't hold the lead, though, so the team fell to 0-1. Soderstrom is starting his first full season in the MLB after hitting .233 with nine home runs and a .322 wOBA in 61 games last season. He's off to a fast start and will look to continue his success through the weekend in Seattle. He got some preseason hype as a potential breakout this season, and he definitely lived up to that hype in game No. 1.
1 hour ago
Teoscar Hernandez Hits A Three-Run Home Run In Dodgers' Win
Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Teoscar Hernandez connected on his first home run of the season in the Dodgers' home opener on Thursday night and helped power his team to a 5-4 victory over the visiting Tigers. Hernandez's home run came in the fifth inning off AL Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal. Hernandez hit the first pitch he saw in that at-bat from Skubal over the center field fence to turn a 2-1 deficit into a 4-2 lead for the Dodgers. Hernandez is just 2-for-12 (.167) in his three games this season, but his first home run was a meaningful one for Los Angeles. He remains a strong power option in the outfield and should continue to thrive in the Dodgers' productive lineup.
1 hour ago
Shohei Ohtani Homers In Home Opener
Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani went 2-for-4 with a home run, an RBI, and a pair of runs scored in the Dodgers' 5-4 win over the Tigers on Thursday night. His home run proved to be a necessary insurance run after he tacked it on in the seventh inning off Tigers relief pitcher Brenan Hanifee. Ohtani hit his first homer of the season in the Tokyo series and is off to a strong start as he looks to follow up his monster season last year with 54 home runs and 59 stolen bases. He hasn't attempted a stolen base yet this season but is 5-for-12 (.417) with three extra-base hits and a .606 wOBA in the very small sample size. So far this season, Ohtani looks ready to pick up right where he left off as the most productive slugger in baseball.
1 hour ago
Paul Skenes Starts Sophomore Season Strong
Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Paul Skenes struck out seven in the first Opening Day start of his career, but he ended up with a no-decision after the Marlins staged a late-inning comeback to walk-off winners, 5-4. Skenes needed 94 pitches to get through 5 1/3 innings but only allowed three hits and two walks. Both walks came in the sixth inning before he was replaced, and one of those two runners came around to score on a wild pitch after he left the game. Even though he didn't get the win, Skenes still looked strong and ready to anchor fantasy rotations all season long. He became the youngest Pirates pitcher to make an Opening Day start since at least 1900 and the youngest in the MLB since Jose Fernandez in 2014 for the Marlins. He is also the fastest player to go from No. 1 overall pick to an Opening Day starting pitcher.
1 hour ago
Nathan Eovaldi Notches Nine Strikeouts in No-Decision
Texas Rangers starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi tossed six strong innings on Opening Day, but the bullpen gave up three runs in the ninth to the Red Sox in the team's 5-2 defeat. Eovaldi left after six with the score tied 2-2 after giving up two runs on just three hits while striking out nine and walking no one. He earned his first quality start of the season and tied the club mark for the most K's by a starting pitcher on Opening Day in Rangers history. Eovaldi gave up eight runs in 13 innings in spring training, so it's encouraging to see the 35-year-old step up with this strong outing now that the games count. His next start lines up to be on the road in Cincinnati next week.
1 hour ago
Freddy Peralta Fans Eight In First Start Of The Season
Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Freddy Peralta got his season off to a strong start despite a tough environment on the road at Yankee Stadium. Peralta had eight strikeouts in five innings while giving up four hits and two earned runs. Both runs he allowed were on solo home runs from Austin Wells and Anthony Volpe in the first two innings. The 28-year-old took the loss even though he kept his team in the game and departed with the score just 2-1. He only worked five innings since his pitch count was at 93, so he'll need to improve his efficiency to work deeper into games to be an elite fantasy option. His strikeouts were encouraging, though, and he'll look to build on his momentum in his next start, which lines up to be next week at home against the Royals.
2 hours ago
Devin Williams Strikes Out Two, Records Save No. 1
New York Yankees closer Devin Williams notched his first save of the season, securing the team's 4-2 victory over the Brewers on Thursday. It wasn't without drama, however, as the first three batters got on base (two hits, one walk) in the ninth against the righty to load the bases with no outs in a 4-1 game. The 30-year-old yielded a sacrifice fly to the next batter, allowing one run to score, but proceeded to strike out the next two hitters to end the threat. Williams should have ample opportunities to save games for the Yankees this season, and with a career ERA of 1.83, WHIP of 1.02, and superb 27.6 percent K-BB%, the 2x All-Star is locked in as a Top 3 closer.
7 hours ago
Carlos Rodon Strikes Out Seven, Picks Up Win On Opening Day
New York Yankees starting pitcher Carlos Rodon pitched five and one-third innings on Thursday, allowing one earned run on four hits and two walks while striking out seven on the way to picking up his first win of the season in the 4-2 Opening Day victory over the Brewers. The southpaw, who had a forgettable 2023 season, is coming off a bounce-back campaign in 2024 in which he posted a 3.96 ERA (3.78 SIERA), 1.22 WHIP, and an 18.8 percent K-BB% with a 16-9 record. The 32-year-old is just a few seasons removed from 2021 and 2022 when the veteran pitched well enough to earn Cy Young votes, so perhaps at full health, he can make some modest improvements over last season's ERA and WHIP numbers. The 2x All-Star lines up with the Diamondbacks at home next week for his next start.
7 hours ago
Adley Rutschman Blasts Two Home Runs In Three-Hit Day
Baltimore Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman slugged two home runs in Thursday's 12-2 drubbing of Jose Berrios and the Toronto Blue Jays. The 27-year-old went 3-for-5 with three RBI and three runs scored in the contest, picking up where he left off Grapefruit League play, where he slashed .357/.438/.595 with three home runs in 16 games. The former first-overall draft pick started strong last season, earning his second All-Star nomination, however, he struggled mightily in the second half. Hopefully this performance sets the switch-hitter up for sustained success throughout the entire 2025 season, and he lives up to the 60th-overall fantasy draft price.
7 hours ago
Sean Burke Throws Six Shutout Innings, Earns Win On Thursday
Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Sean Burke impressed on Opening Day, tossing six shutout innings, allowing three hits and no walks while striking out three on the way to earning the win in the 8-1 victory over the Angels. The righty didn't have a great spring, pitching to a 6.75 ERA with a 9:8 BB:K, but looked more like he did last season when he was put into the rotation in September. In those four September starts, the 6-foot-6 hurler posted a 1.42 ERA (3.32 FIP), 1.00 WHIP, and a 19.7 percent K-BB%. The former third-round draft pick had command issues in the minors (12.5 percent BB%), but always had strong strikeout rates (29.4 percent K%), so if he can limit the walks like he did on Thursday, then he could be a solid back-end pitcher for redraft and DFS when the matchup is favorable. Speaking of which, Burke's next start should come next Wednesday at home against the Twins, who struck out 11 times as a team on Opening Day.
8 hours ago
Enrique Hernandez Could Be Available Off Bench Friday
Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Enrique Hernandez (illness) could be available off the bench on Friday, according to Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. He was unavailable for Thursday's contest and has been ruled out of starting on Friday, but manager Dave Roberts said his bench availability for Friday is to be determined. He already got off to a hot start in the Tokyo Series, launching a home run and driving in three runs in the Dodgers' March 18th victory over the Cubs. He figures to be a useful platoon player against left-handed pitchers but will only be fantasy-relevant in the deepest of leagues.
8 hours ago
Kyle Manzardo Homers In Three-Hit Game
Cleveland Guardians first baseman Kyle Manzardo carried the offense on Thursday, going 3-for-4 with a homer, a triple, and a double. This was an extremely encouraging start for the former top prospect, who possesses massive raw power but looked overpowered by his first taste of major league pitching in 2024. He did hit all five of his home runs last season in September, and it certainly looks like he's carrying that momentum straight into 2025. He is in line for everyday playing time at DH in the heart of the Guardians' lineup and has the potential to be a must-start fantasy player if everything breaks right.
8 hours ago
Josh Hader Earns First Save In 2025
Houston Astros relief pitcher Josh Hader picked up the save on Thursday, closing the doors on the Mets in a 3-1 victory. It wasn't a flawless inning by any means, as he allowed one run on two hits and one walk. Early season rust aside, Hader should continue to be one of the game's most dominant closers. In 2024, he collected 34 saves while posting a 3.80 ERA and 0.96 WHIP in 71 innings. He did need 35 pitches to finish the frame, so don't be surprised if he is unavailable out of the pen for the next game or two.
8 hours ago
Framber Valdez Pitches Seven Shutout Innings
Houston Astros starting pitcher Framber Valdez was dominant on Thursday, tossing seven shutout frames while striking out four. There was never any real danger for the ace, as he scattered four hits and two walks throughout the game. He is coming off of a 2024 season where he posted a 2.91 ERA and 1.11 WHIP with 169 strikeouts in 176 innings. He may not give you the strikeout upside of some other aces, but his reputation as a workhorse pitcher is becoming a rare occurrence in today's game. He is a true innings-eater who will provide great ratios as a matchup-proof option for fantasy.
8 hours ago
Cam Smith Collects First Career Hit On Opening Day
Houston Astros rookie right fielder Cam Smith wasted no time at all in collecting his first career MLB hit, slapping a single to the opposite field on the first pitch he saw from Clay Holmes, finishing 1-for-3 in Thursday's 3-1 victory over the Mets on Opening Day. It has been a meteoric rise for the 2024 first-round draft pick, progressing from Single-A to Double-A in his first taste of professional baseball last season, to making the Astros' Opening Day roster after a blistering spring in which he slashed .342/.419/.711 with four home runs in 38 at-bats. The 22-year-old batted seventh in the order on Thursday, but as long as he's getting regular at-bats, he should at least be a viable bench option in most fantasy leagues until he proves otherwise.
8 hours ago
Ian Gibaut Blows Save, Takes Loss
Cincinnati Reds relief pitcher Ian Gibaut blew the save chance and suffered the loss in a 4-6 loss to the Giants on Thursday. He allowed four runs on three hits and a walk. The Reds were entering the season with a suspected closer committee, but Gibaut was interestingly not on anyone's radar for the role. Scott Barlow, Emilio Pagan, and Tony Santillan were all more favored for save chances, yet they pitched the sixth, seventh, and eighth innings of this game. With so many options, this might be Gibaut's first and last opportunity to close a game for a while.
8 hours ago
Leodalis De Vries Assigned To High-A To Begin 2025
San Diego Padres shortstop prospect Leodalis De Vries has been assigned to High-A Fort Wayne to begin the 2025 campaign. The Dominican played all of last season at Single-A, where he hit .237 while displaying a blend of power (11 HR), speed (13), and patience (13.9 percent BB%) as a 17-year-old. The switch-hitter received an invite to spring training with the big league club this year, going 2-for-18 with a 3:6 BB:K, however, the 18-year-old was not expected to make the team out of camp and will now have a chance to show what he's got against High-A pitching. MLB's No. 18 overall prospect (San Diego No. 1) is still a long way from a big league debut, not expected to arrive until 2027 per MLB.com, but has the talent to arrive bit sooner than expected.
8 hours ago
Lars Nootbaar Goes Deep In Opener
St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar launched a two-run home run as part of a 2-for-4 performance in a win over the Twins. He led off in this game against a right-handed pitcher, which is a positive sign for his future fantasy outlook. Nootbaar came into 2025 with some sleeper appeal after slashing .290/.420/.565 in September to close out last season. He posted an excellent 49.5% hard-hit rate and walked at a 12.8% clip in 2024. He has the skills to be a fantasy difference-maker if he can put it all together, and he is worth a speculative add in any leagues where he is available.
9 hours ago
Aroldis Chapman Pitches In Eighth Inning
Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Aroldis Chapman was recently named the primary closer heading into the regular season, according to manager Alex Cora. Well, there's still 161 more chances for Chapman to get a save, but he didn't get that chance on Thursday. Instead, Chapman was called upon to face left-handed slugger Corey Seager in the eighth inning. It's worth noting that the game was tied when Chapman came in which could be part of the reason why they decided to use him in that spot. Afterwards, Wilyer Abreu smacked a three-run home run and right-hander Justin Slaten was called upon to close out the game. Chapman will certainly get his save chances, but this isn't quite a full-time closer role like the organization claimed it was a few days ago. Fantasy managers who have Chapman rostered should keep him as he'll likely still get a majority of the save opportunities.
10 hours ago
Miguel Amaya
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Cubs
