MILB, MLB and Fantasy Baseball

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: Targets, Fades and Prospects
“The Cardinals will have opportunities in their rotation and after breezing through the minors last year Quinn should see at least 15 big league starts this year. It’s a reasonable cost at ADP 408 and he often goes in the mid 450’s.”

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 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.

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 Part 2: Matt Shaw, Sanchez, Steals, Saves, and SP’s
Currently Steamer projects Matt Shaw for 14/53/53/14 .250 over 452 PA’s. If Shaw makes the Cubs out of spring training, which is very possible, he will exceed the counting stats…

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.
Ethan Salas, Liranzo, Briceno, Termarr & More
Ethan Salas (San Diego Padres) struck out and talked to himself the entire way back to the dugout. That intensity and focus, particularly in the Arizona Fall League, stands out to me. That’s a competitor and it’s a difference making quality.

Briceno, De Vries & More - AFL Prospect Notes Oct 26 2024
Josue Briceno is THAT GUY this year. The one who is just carving up AFL pitching like they were putting it on a tee for him. What did yesterday bring? More of the same.
Arizona Fall League Oct 24, 2024 / Scottsdale v Mesa
What actually gets my attention is Josue Briceno’s swing. It’s surprisingly simple and fairly short for a player his size. With the type of power he seems to have keeping the swing tight like this should be a big plus as he faces more advanced pitching. You can take a look at Briceno in the videos that follow.

Jacob, Colt, Collier, Lazaro, and Wetherholt
JJ Wetherholt fell to the Cardinals at #7 overall in this years MLB draft. Wetherholt is a confident player and definitely brings the swag - if you saw him on draft day you know. He played three seasons at West Virginia and put up elite numbers his sophomore year slashing .449/67/16/60/36.

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

Yankees, Nick G, Torkelson, Jacob Wilson & Tre Morgan
Jun 7, 2024
pitching to or pitching around Soto, Aaron Judge, and Giancarlo Stanton has given opposing teams fits

Gunnar, Witt Jr., Brewers and Logan Evans
May 31, 2024
Gunnar Henderson is tied for the MLB lead in home runs at 18 and he has hit all of them from the leadoff spot. The MLB record for a leadoff hitter is 41, set last year by Ronald Acuna Jr.