MILB, MLB and Fantasy Baseball

Opening Weekend 2025
Back with a rundown of MLB Opening Weekend standouts and recommendations for your Fantasy Baseball teams!

Baseball is Back!
A basket full of observations from someone who watched way too much baseball on Opening Day!

Opening Day Incoming
Cam Smith’s stock has skyrocketed since being drafted 14th overall last year. It’s been a meteoric climb and Smith now has a shot to make the Astros OD roster despite only 134 minor league PA’s. Smith destroyed the ball this spring and sure looks like the Astros best overall option in RF, even with such limited experience there.

2025 Fantasy Baseball Starting Pitcher Preview: Top 20
“Skenes is a problem for hitters. Consider that his Baseball Savant page lights up like a Mardi Gras parade as he sits red in every metric except extension. And at 6’6…”

2025 Fantasy Baseball Outfield Preview: Targets, Fades and Prospects
This is a “grab him when he fits your teams needs” recommendation on Dylan Crews. Specifically, an OF with wheels and enough power to have a 20/30 (maybe 40?!?) season in the realm of outcomes. Steamer: .246/76/17/64/25

2025 Fantasy Baseball Outfield Preview: Top 24
Grabbing Jackson Chourio is banking on the athleticism while expecting further development given his age and progression. Could this be Acuna-esque where the Braves star dropped a sophomore slash of .280/127/41/101/37?!?

2025 Fantasy Baseball Third Base Preview: JRam, Jazz, Junior, Burger, Shaw and More
Jose Ramirez is easily the top 3B once again. That’s what a career 162 game average of .279/100/28/96/27 will do for you. Yep, you read that correctly. Since debuting in 2013 JRam has nearly a 30/30 AVERAGE across his career!

2025 Shortstop Preview: Top 10, Targets, Avoids, Prospects
What Shohei Ohtani did last year is probably the best fantasy baseball season since we have had fantasy baseball. So, how can Bobby Witt Jr. rank over Shohei?

2025 Second Base Preview: Altuve, Albies, McLain, Garcia Jr, and Turang
Second base likely won’t be a position of high end production for many of us in 2025. So, we have to ask what we want to accomplish with the position from a team construction standpoint. And how much should we pay for that?

2025 First Base Preview: Vladdy, Harper, Freddie, Walker and Vinnie
From a value and draft strategy standpoint I prefer Christian Walker at ADP 102 over the top 5 first basemen on this list. In fact, Walker’s Steamer projections are quite similar to Pete Alonso’s despite Walker going 5 rounds later.

2025 Catcher Preview: Contreras Bros., Raleigh, Rutschman, Moreno and More
There aren’t many catchers that offer Cal Raleigh’s lift in plate appearances and the added value can be significant. If I miss William Contreras with my 3rd round pick I have targeted Raleigh with a 7th rounder. The big difference between the two players is batting average and that creates the separation.

Early Fantasy Baseball Drafts Part 3: Olson, Luzardo, Prospects and Saves
What’s so interesting about Jordan Hicks you ask?
Rotation spot secure
Good pitchers park
3.79 era over 95 IP in the first half of 2024
Two legit out pitches in his split and sweeper
Still just 28yo with only 28 MLB starts

Early Fantasy Baseball Drafts: Ohtani, Witt Jr., Judge, Skenes and More
Bobby Witt Jr., Shohei Ohtani, Jose Ramirez, Aaron Judge, Paul Skenes, Kyle Tucker, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Jackson Chourio, Jackson Merrill, Corbin Burnes, Luis Castillo, Wyatt Langford, James Wood, Lawrence Butler, Dylan Crews, Closers and much more in this early look at 2025 NFBC Drafts.

MLB Weighted Home Runs Plus Stolen Base Leaders
“the 2024 list specifically showcases a number of names I consider to be undervalued in many leagues. If you are looking to make a move for your pennant run consider pushing in hard and dealing for…”

Trade Deadline, Soto Trade, Josh Smith, Rooker, Quinn and Seymour
Brent Rooker is a name that we should see moved at the deadline and he will likely bring a haul back to the Athletics. Rooker makes no bones about it, he goes up to the plate trying to do damage - and he has been doing just that. Rooker’s Statcast page shows elite rankings in all the places that make baseballs go really far really fast.

NYY v BAL, Skenes, Riley, McGonigle, Brayden and Bubba
I intended to write about how exciting the Pirates top 3 starting pitchers are. So, of course, news just broke that Paul Skenes SP will start the All-Star game for the National League. I absolutely love this!

Fantasy Focus: Buy, Sell, Hold Outfielders
With Aaron Judge NYY and Juan Soto NYY you just relax and ride the wave if you are competing. Both are having amazing, league winning type seasons and short of an injury this isn’t going to change

Fantasy Focus: Infield Buy, Sell, Hold
Buy: Go get Josh Naylor CLE if you can. He’s hitting cleanup for the 1st place Guardians and currently sits .242/45/20/61/3. Naylor’s ISO is at an all time high

Wood, Ketel, Kristian Campbell and OPS Leaders
We’ve been talking about James Wood OF WAS most of the season. And you know I have felt he is ready for the big leagues for some time. We are FINALLY at the point where Wood has been promoted! He will make his debut in DC against the New York Mets and LHP David Peterson.

Merrill, Pablo, Jarren, Nacho, Zebby and Roster Moves
I think we are past the point of anyone not realizing Jackson Merrill OF SD is really good. Merrill is clearly outperforming the other Jackson mega prospects (Chourio and Holliday). Since Jun 8 Merrill is hitting .370 with 7 home runs, 4 doubles, 10 runs scored, 13 RBI and an .833 SLG.