Starting Pitcher Fantasy Baseball Sleepers, Value Picks for Best Ball Drafts (2025)

Welcome back to our starting pitcher fantasy baseball value picks and sleepers for 2025 best ball leagues. For those who are not familiar, fantasy baseball best ball formats are a fun and easy way to play fantasy baseball, as the commitment is minimal. After drafting your teams, no other team maintenance is required -- no […]

Quinn Mathews Strikes Out Three In First Grapefruit League Game

St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher prospect Quinn Mathews made his spring debut on Tuesday, tossing two innings of scoreless ball in a 3-2 Grapefruit League loss to the Blue Jays. The southpaw yielded two hits and one walk while striking out three in the outing. The Stanford product was a fourth-round draft pick for the […]

Cam Smith Blasts Two Home Runs On Tuesday

Houston Astros third base prospect Cam Smith belted a pair of home runs in Tuesday's 8-5 Grapefruit League win over the Mets, his first two hits of the spring season. The first was a two-run opposite-field shot in the sixth after entering the game for Isaac Paredes, and the other was an opposite-field solo shot […]

Roki Sasaki's Fastball Clocking In At Mid-90s In Simulated Game

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Roki Sasaki pitched in a simulated game on Tuesday, and his fastball clocked in at "mid-90s," which is where the Dodgers anticipated he'd be at this early stage of the season. He's expected to pitch and make his MLB debut in the second game of the Tokyo Series on March […]

Robbie Ray Adds Changeup To Pitch Mix, Strikes Out Three On Tuesday

San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Robbie Ray is reportedly adding a changeup to his repertoire. The lefty is said to have borrowed the grip from last year's AL Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal after communicating with him this offseason and results so far have been promising. The 33-year-old pitched two innings in Tuesday's 7-5 […]

Liam Hicks Looking To Earn Backup Catcher Spot For Marlins

Miami Marlins catching prospect Liam Hicks has a "real chance" to earn a spot on the Opening Day roster, according to Marlins president of baseball operations Peter Bendix. The backstop also drew praise from starting pitcher Sandy Alcantara. If the 25-year-old were to make the team, he'd be expected to back up Nick Fortes. The […]

Kyle Harrison To Make Spring Debut On Friday

San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Kyle Harrison is expected to make his Cactus League debut on Friday against the Brewers, although Logan Webb will be the starter for that game and Harrison will follow. Harrison is anticipated to work as the fifth man in the rotation for the Giants to start 2025 but has yet […]

Biggest K-BB% Fallers - Starting Pitcher Fantasy Baseball Warning Signals for 2025

If you ask a dozen experts which statistic they believe is the biggest indicator of a pitcher's success, you will likely get close to a dozen different answers. However, I also think most of them would agree that a pitcher's strikeout-minus-walk rate (K-BB%) accurately reflects their overall performance. In the complex world of baseball statistics, […]

MacKenzie Gore To Make Spring Debut On Saturday

Washington Nationals starting pitcher MacKenzie Gore is set to make his spring debut on Saturday. The Nationals will play in split-squad games against the Miami Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals that day. Gore has yet to pitch in a spring training game but has remained active on the mound. He threw two innings against live […]

Addison Barger Expected To Play On Wednesday

Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Addison Barger (hand) is expected to return to the lineup on Wednesday. Barger went through a normal day of work on Tuesday and is on track to return to action on Wednesday. Barger exited Sunday's spring training contest earlier after being hit by a pitch on his hand. He went […]

Ricky Vanasco Throws Bullpen On Tuesday

Detroit Tigers right-handed pitcher Ricky Vanasco (hip) threw a bullpen session on Tuesday. The 26-year-old is working his way back from a labral tear in his right hip. Vanasco signed a minor-league deal with Detroit earlier in the offseason. He underwent hip surgery in the offseason but has begun playing catch and will now look […]

Alex Cobb Receives Injection, Set To Play Catch Wednesday

Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Alex Cobb (hip) received an epidural injection to further aid in his recovery process. The right-hander is set to play catch tomorrow. Cobb is already expected to miss the start of the regular season and could face a more extended absence if he cannot be built up. Fantasy managers should continue […]

Tyler Black Hits Off A Tee, Hoping To Return To Games Next Week

Milwaukee Brewers infielder Tyler Black (back) was able to hit off a tee earlier on Tuesday. He is hoping to return to participate in spring training contests next week. Black is currently fighting for a spot on the Opening Day roster. The 24-year-old made his MLB debut last season. Across a brief 18-game stint, the […]

Jackson Chourio To See Time In Center Field

Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Jackson Chourio is expected to see time in center field during the 2025 campaign. Chourio received the starting nod in center field during Tuesday's spring training contest and will likely continue to see starts during the spring. If the budding star performs well during the rest of camp, fantasy managers should expect […]

Ben Brown Now In Play For Rotation Spot

With Chicago Cubs right-hander Javier Assad (oblique) potentially opening the season on the injured list, right-hander Ben Brown is competing with Colin Rea and Jordan Wicks for the No. 5 starting rotation spot to open the 2025 campaign. Brown dealt with a nagging neck injury that ended his season early in 2024, but the injury […]

Javier Assad Could Start On The Injured List

Chicago Cubs right-hander Javier Assad (oblique), who was the presumed fifth starter for much of the winter, has been sidelined in camp with a left-oblique strain and could need to open the 2025 regular season on the injured list, according to The Athletic's Sahadev Sharma. Assad could start throwing off the mound this week, but […]

Parker Meadows Dealing With Upper-Arm Inflammation

Detroit Tigers outfielder Parker Meadows (arm) complained of right upper-arm inflammation during his last Grapefruit League game on Saturday and is currently being treated daily and will be re-evaluated for baseball activities later this week. Meadows should be considered day-to-day, and he could get back into spring training games early next week if he resumes […]

Pirates Non-Committal On David Bednar As The Closer

Pittsburgh Pirates manager Derek Shelton wouldn't commit to right-handed reliever David Bednar when asked if he is the team's closer in 2025. "I don't think we're ready to say that, but I think we feel very good with the fact that we have a guy who was a two-time All-Star closer," Shelton said. The skipper […]

Nationals Re-Sign Kyle Finnegan To One-Year Deal

The Washington Nationals are re-signing right-handed reliever Kyle Finnegan to a one-year, $6 million deal on Tuesday, sources told ESPN's Jesse Rogers. The All-Star closer will return to D.C. after the Nationals non-tendered him late last year. The 33-year-old had a 3.68 ERA (4.25 FIP), 1.33 WHIP, a career-high 38 saves, 60 strikeouts and 24 […]

Devin Sweet Leaves After Being Hit By Line Drive

The Athletic's Matt Gelb reports that Philadelphia Phillies right-hander Devin Sweet (triceps) left Tuesday's Grapefruit League game against the Tampa Bay Rays after being hit by a line drive on his right triceps. Sweet recorded just one out in the outing before taking a line drive off the bat of first baseman Yandy Diaz. The […]

Scott Effross Injures His Hamstring On Tuesday

New York Yankees right-handed reliever Scott Effross (hamstring) threw one pitch in the Grapefruit League game on Tuesday against the Minnesota Twins before injuring his leg. Effross appeared to grab near his hamstring before walking off the mound with a trainer. The 31-year-old veteran will likely undergo tests to determine the severity of his injury […]

Dairon Blanco Undergoing MRI Exam

Kansas City Royals outfielder Dairon Blanco (Achilles) had an X-ray on Monday that showed nothing concerning regarding his right-Achilles soreness, but he is getting an MRI exam on Tuesday as a precaution. The 31-year-old was scratched from Monday's Cactus League lineup against the Athletics and should be considered day-to-day for now in camp. When healthy, […]

Alec Marsh To Throw Another Bullpen On Thursday

Kansas City Royals right-hander Alec Marsh (shoulder) is responding well after throwing his first bullpen session in camp on Monday and is scheduled to throw another one on Thursday. Marsh, who dealt with right-shoulder soreness in the offseason, threw 25 pitches on Monday and described it as a "normal" bullpen in terms of intensity. He'll […]

Cole Ragans Focusing On His Slider

Kansas City Royals left-hander Cole Ragans, who tossed two scoreless innings in his Cactus League debut on Monday against the Athletics, has been focusing on his slider early in spring training. He averaged 96.9 mph with the 17 fastballs that he threw and topped out at 98.3 mph. Ragans wants to get back to the […]

Wilyer Abreu Still Not Doing Baseball Activities

Mass Live's Christopher Smith reports that Boston Red Sox outfielder Wilyer Abreu (illness) continues to deal with a viral gastrointestinal illness and hasn't resumed baseball activities in camp. "He can work out. He cannot do baseball activities yet," manager Alex Cora said Tuesday. Abreu won a Gold Glove in the outfield and finished sixth in […]

Kodai Senga Not Cleared For Grapefruit League Action

New York Mets right-hander Kodai Senga hasn't been cleared to pitch in Grapefruit League games yet, according to manager Carlos Mendoza. Senga will have a couple more simulated outings in live batting practice, including on Wednesday. "A more controlled environment," Mendoza said. Despite Senga not being ready for spring training games yet, the feedback on […]

Michael Grove Won't Be Ready For Opening Day

Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander Michael Grove (shoulder) will not be ready for Opening Day on March 18 in Tokyo, Japan, against the Chicago Cubs, according to manager Dave Roberts. It's not much of a surprise, as Grove was around a month behind scheduled in the offseason after he finished the 2024 campaign with a right-shoulder […]

Hyeseong Kim Could Start In The Minors

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has left open the possibility that rookie infielder Hyeseong Kim starting the year in the minor leagues as he continues to make swing adjustments after coming over from Korea. General manager Brandon Gomes has also been non-committal about where Kim will begin the 2025 regular season, although there is […]

Joey Loperfido Leaves Game After Crashing Into The Wall

Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Joey Loperfido (head, neck) left Tuesday's Grapefruit League game early against the St. Louis Cardinals with an apparent head/neck injury after crashing into the center-field wall awkwardly. Loperfido got up holding the back of his head/neck area and left the game after manager John Schneider and team trainers came out to […]