RADIO
Jarod's fantasy baseball watch list -- hitters, pitchers, and relievers he's keeping an eye on for May 12 - May 18 (2025): hot bats, good matchups, pitchers on a roll, and more.
Welcome back to my weekly Players to Watch for the Week Ahead series for 2025 as we look ahead to the week of May 12 - May 18. In this article, I'll look at players like Kyle Schwarber, Josh Lowe, Nathan Eovaldi, and others.
For those unfamiliar, I like to take a look around the league and pick out some players to discuss who might be under-owned in redraft leagues, potential DFS candidates, players returning from injury, or some names that are just flat-out hot.
Looking ahead to this week's action, we've got some very impressive streaks to keep an eye on, such as a lesser-known hitter mashing left-handed pitching, a pitcher off to a phenomenal start, and more!
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Fantasy Baseball Players to Watch: Hitters
Kyle Schwarber, Philadelphia Phillies
What I'm Watching: 40-game on-base streak
Not only does Kyle Schwarber have 14 home runs this season, tied for the most in the majors, but he's striking out far less than his career average, which is leading to a solid batting average. Combined with his usual aptitude for drawing walks, the left-handed slugger boasts a .404 OBP thus far.
Kyle Schwarber's second 💣 of the night ties Aaron Judge for the Major League home run lead with 14! pic.twitter.com/O5Q14WoZ94
— MLB (@MLB) May 12, 2025
While that's a fantastic OBP, you might not be aware that the 32-year-old has played in and been on base at least once in every single game for the Phillies so far this year, now the proud owner of a 40-game on-base streak.
You can't go grab him off the waiver wire when he's 99 percent rostered, but if you're looking for a safe DFS cash game play with one of the highest per-game ceilings in the majors, then look no further than the two-time All-Star.
The Phils take on the Cardinals and Matthew Liberatore on Monday, whom Schwarber is 0-for-8 off of lifetime with seven strikeouts. However, he's also drawn two walks from the southpaw, so it'll be interesting to see if the streak continues and for how long.
Jackson Merrill, San Diego Padres
What I'm Watching: Five consecutive games with multiple hits, can he make it six or more?
Before Jackson Merrill went on the injured list for a month with a hamstring injury, the left-handed hitter logged a multi-hit game. In the four games since his return, the 22-year-old picked up where he left off, registering multi-hit efforts in each of those four games.
Welcome back, Jackson Merrill!
His first home run since returning from the IL gives the @Padres the lead. pic.twitter.com/MqPegA9a12
— MLB (@MLB) May 8, 2025
The Padres take on the Angels and left-handed pitcher Yusei Kikuchi on Monday, so the five-game streak will probably end, right? Not so fast. Merrill is hitting .273 (6-for-22) against LHP in 2025, including two doubles and a pair of home runs.
The former first-round draft pick was scratched with an illness on Sunday, so that is certainly worth monitoring. We may have to wait until Tuesday to see if the streak continues.
Josh Lowe, Tampa Bay Rays
What I'm Watching: Return from the IL
It took just one regular-season game for Josh Lowe (oblique) to hit the injured list this year with a strained oblique. Lowe missed significant time in 2024 due to oblique injuries, as well as hip and hamstring injuries.
The 27-year-old still managed to hit 10 home runs and steal 25 bases in 106 games, but with a .241 AVG and minimal counting stats, it was a far cry from what fantasy managers were hoping for after a 20-homer, 32-steal campaign in 2023 that also included 83 RBI, 71 runs scored, and a .292 AVG.
The former first-round draft pick has finally begun a rehab assignment, playing one game with the team's complex affiliate before moving to Triple-A for the last three games. So far, he's 3-for-12 on the assignment, including a home run, one stolen base, and a 5:5 K:BB.
No return date has been declared, but the 6-foot-4 slugger likely won't need much time to reacclimate, so look for him to rejoin the Rays later this week.
The Rays have 122 games left, and it's a good bet that Lowe will miss another handful or so. However, if he can log another 105 like last season, fantasy managers could surely use 25 steals. He could still prove productive for fantasy if he can hit somewhere between 2024 (.241) and 2023 (.292).
The Rays' outfielder is still available in 40 percent of Yahoo! leagues for managers hoping he can stay mostly healthy from here on out.
Joey Bart, Pittsburgh Pirates
What I'm Watching: Can he keep mashing LHP? Will it matter for fantasy?
Look up the hitters with the highest batting average versus left-handed pitching, and you'll find some heavy hitters at the top, with Paul Goldschmidt, Aaron Judge, Teoscar Hernandez, and Bobby Witt Jr. occupying the top four.
Fifth overall, however, is not nearly in the same category as those guys: Joey Bart. The former second-overall draft pick is 12-for-26 (.462), including two doubles and a home run, plus he has a 6:5 K:BB in 28 plate appearances versus LHP.
The Pirates have three lefties on the schedule this week:
- Monday @ Mets (David Peterson)
- Friday @ Phillies (Ranger Suarez)
- Sunday @ Phillies (Cristopher Sanchez)
Despite a .363 wOBA and 129 wRC+ overall for the season, the 28-year-old's counting stats are lacking (10 RBI, seven R), due in part to a .087 ISO, but with an 11.1 percent barrel rate and an xSLG 45 points higher than actual SLG (.424 vs. .379), some of those singles could start going for extra-base hits.
Either way, if you need a cheap DFS option at catcher this week, Bart could be an option in those games outlined above.
Joey Bart wins it for the Pirates with an infield single.
Bart 7-for-10 in his last two games against the Braves.
Pirates take 2-of-3, win their first series since doing so against the Angels. pic.twitter.com/pWlK04kXNw
— Dan Zangrilli (@DanZangrilli) May 11, 2025
Key Matchups: Hitters
These hitters caught my attention when I reviewed batter vs. pitcher matchups. Most of these guys are already rostered in a majority of leagues, so you aren't running out to snag them off the waiver wire, but they could be targets for your DFS lineups.
While there isn't always enough matchup history to look at, there is a frequency to these, and with that comes familiarity. These batters have a history of collecting extra-base hits in these matchups, some with multiple home runs against the opposing hurler.
Fantasy Baseball Players to Watch: Pitchers
Nathan Eovaldi, Texas Rangers
What I'm Watching: Can he remain this good?
Nathan Eovaldi pitched another gem on Sunday, tossing seven shutout innings against the Tigers, allowing two hits and a walk while striking out seven. It was his seventh quality start of the season, tying him for the league lead, and lowered the righty's ERA to 1.78 (eighth-best) with a 0.75 WHIP (first).
Nathan Eovaldi lowers his ERA to 1.78. His 0.75 WHIP leads all qualified starters in MLB. pic.twitter.com/nRVJWdO7cx
— MLB (@MLB) May 11, 2025
The veteran has a 60:5 K:BB, leading to a career-best 26.2 percent K-BB%, and will try to keep it rolling later in the week against the Astros, one of their divisional foes.
The Astros could still be without Yordan Alvarez (hand) for that contest, and possibly Jose Altuve, who was held out of Sunday's game due to hamstring tightness, which would make it all the more appealing of a matchup in Eovaldi's favor for DFS purposes.
