5 days agoDetroit Tigers manager A.J. Hinch confirmed that right-hander Matt Manning will start Game 2 of the team's doubleheader on Tuesday against the St. Louis Cardinals. Manning has fared well in his two spot start with the Tigers this year, allowing five hits (two home runs) and four earned runs while walking six and striking out 10 in 12 1/3 innings against the New York Mets and Minnesota Twins. The 26-year-old is likely to be sent back to Triple-A Toledo after serving as the team's 27th man on Tuesday, but given the matchup against a St. Louis team that could be resting some key starters in Game 2, Manning is worth a look as a streaming option in fantasy in this matchup. Through almost the first month of the 2024 season, the Cardinals hold the fourth-lowest team OPS in the big leagues at .636. Only the A's, Marlins and White Sox have been worse.Source: MLB.com - Jason Beck
5 days agoLos Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith added some run support in Monday's 8-4 win against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Smith went 1-for-4, with his only hit being a solo home run while walking once. The 29-year-old is having a solid season, slashing .363/.404/.539 through 26 games. He is 37-for-102 with nine doubles, three homers, 16 runs, 22 RBI, nine walks, and 16 strikeouts. Smith remains one of the top catchers across all fantasy leagues and is a priority to start for fantasy managers.Source: MLB.com
5 days agoSeattle Mariners starting pitcher Bryce Miller had himself a day on Monday in a 2-1 win against the Atlanta Braves. Miller went seven innings while striking out 10 batters, walking one, and allowing one earned run. He is 3-2 on the season, pitching 35 ⅓ innings with a 2.04 ERA while allowing 19 hits, nine runs, five homers, 12 walks, and 39 strikeouts in six starts. The 25-year-old has a 9.93 K/9 and a 3.06 BB/9, backing his success this year on the mound. His next projected start is against Houston, and the way he is pitching, fantasy managers should have him starting no matter who the opponent is.Source: ESPN.com
5 days agoSince his demotion to Triple-A Memphis, St. Louis Cardinals outfield prospect Victor Scott II has struggled offensively. Scott, had a nice Grapefruit League that saw him break camp with the big-league squad, but his struggles with his bat ended up in a demotion with the Cardinals beginning to get healthier. Since his demotion, Scott's struggles have continued with four hits over 23 at-bats and two stolen bases. Scott is comparable to Billy Hamilton as he has quick speed, but the issue being that he needs to get on base to show it off. With 93 stolen bases in 2023, Scott presents as a pinch-runner now, but the sky can be the limit if he can make corrections at the plate and get on the basepaths more. For now, he will get more seasoning in Triple-A, but should be one of the first names called upon should an injury happen at the big-league level. Managers can ignore him in redraft leagues for now.Source: MLB.com
5 days agoLos Angeles Dodgers catcher Diego Cartaya is struggling to open the season in Double-A Tulsa. Cartaya, 22, was once one of the top prospects in all of baseball, but his struggles in 2023 lowered his ranking and thus far, he is hitting justread more...
5 days agoKansas City Royals catcher prospect Blake Mitchell has been off to a solid start for Single-A Columbia. Mitchell, 19, is hitting .273 with two homers and six RBI. Mitchell was drafted out of high school with the eighth overall pick in the 2023 draft and has become the Royals No. 1 prospect. As one of the better hitting prospects behind the dish and at such a young age, Mitchell has the potential to offer plenty of power. However, to make a big leap, Mitchell will have to learn to be less aggressive at the plate. If Mitchell can improve his plate discipline and continue to tap into his raw power, he can have a bright future as the Royals catcher after Salvador Perez hangs it up. For now, he is a name for dynasty managers to monitor as he is years away from a potential big-league debut.Source: MLB.com
5 days agoCincinnati Reds third base prospect Cam Collier had an impressive month of April for High-A Dayton. The 19-year-old hit .296 with seven home runs, 25 RBI and a .617 slugging percentage. The son of former big-leaguer Lou Collier, Cam was the Reds first-round selection in the 2022 draft. Collier improved during the second half of last season as he started driving more balls that were grounders earlier in the season. At such a young age, Collier's improving at a fast rate and more power should continue to come his body fills out and he continues to make improvements at the plate. He is a few years away from making an impact at the big-league level, but managers in dynasty leagues should consider rostering Collier as his value will only continue to get higher as the season goes on.Source: Milb.com
5 days agoToronto Blue Jays pitching prospect Brandon Barriera (elbow), who has been dealing with an elbow injury, has undergone a combination of Tommy John surgery and an internal-brace procedure on his throwing elbow. Barriera was the 23rd overall pick in the 2022 draft and is the Blue Jays' No. 4 prospect, per MLB Pipeline. The 20-year-old has only thrown 21 2/3 innings in his professional career and was currently in Single-A at the time of his injury. Barriera has potential in the long-term but can be avoided in all fantasy formats for now.Source: MLB Pipeline
6 days agoSeattle Mariners catcher/designated hitter Mitch Garver played the hero in Monday's 2-1 win over the Braves. Garver went 1-for-3 with a walk-off, two-run home run, a walk, and two strikeouts. It was a nice moment, but the 33-year-old has struggled offensively with his new team, slashing .150/.266/.313 with three HR and seven RBI in 94 plate appearances. Garver has been a reliable source of power throughout his fantasy career, so hopefully this can help get him going.Source: MLB.com
6 days agoAtlanta Braves starting pitcher Max Fried continued to impress in Monday's 2-1 loss to the Mariners. Coming off a complete-game shutout, Fried pitched six no-hit innings, allowing two walks and seven strikeouts. The 30-year-old got off to an extremely rough start to the season but is now 2-0 with a 4.02 ERA, a 7.18 K/9 rate, and a 3.16 BB/9 rate in six starts and 31 1/3 IP. He will be tested in his next projected start at the Dodgers. While it is a tough matchup, Fried's recent success may convince fantasy managers to roll with him.Source: MLB.com
6 days agoWashington Nationals outfielder Jacob Young continued to showcase his speed in Monday's 7-2 win over the Marlins. Young went 1-for-4 with a single and two stolen bases. The 24-year-old is now slashing .328/.368/.391 with no home runs, 16 runs scored, seven RBI, and 12 stolen bases in 70 plate appearances. He may not provide much power, but Young's speed makes him worth a look in deeper roto leagues.Source: MLB.com
6 days agoIt wasn't pretty, but Tampa Bay Rays relief pitcher Jason Adam picked up his first save of the season in Monday's 1-0 win over the Brewers. Adam came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth inning up by one. He allowed a leadoff double, got the first out on a line-out, allowed a walk, allowed a double steal, got the second out on a past-ball strikeout where the runners were held due to batter's interference, hit a batter to load the bases, and finally ended things with a strikeout. The 32-year-old racked up 12 saves last season when Pete Fairbanks (hand) was on the injured list, and Fairbanks is now serving a stint with a hand injury. Given his history serving as interim closer, Adam is worth rostering in at least all roto leagues at this time.Source: MLB.com
6 days agoNew York Mets shortstop prospect Luisangel Acuna hit his second home run of the season on Sunday for Triple-A Syracuse. The 22-year-old went 2-for-4 with three RBI and a run scored in Game 2 of a doubleheader, while the home run was his first since the first game of the season. Not known as much for his power as his older brother, he does still have some wheels, swiping 57 bags last season, and is up to eight so far in 2024. MLB's 59th-ranked prospect overall is inching closer to the bigs, but with Francisco Lindor blocking him at short it's uncertain where he would fit in. Managers in need of steals will need to be ready once he earns the promotion.Source: MiLB.com
6 days agoTampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Ryan Pepiot continued to string together strong starts in Monday's 1-0 win over the Brewers. Pepiot pitched six innings, allowing just two hits and no walks with seven strikeouts. The 26-year-old has looked good in his first starts with his new team, going 3-2 with a 3.12 ERA, a 9.87 K/9 rate, and a 2.60 BB/9 rate in six starts and 34 2/3 IP. He will look to keep things going in his next projected start against the middling Mets.Source: MLB.com
6 days agoToronto Blue Jays relief pitcher Nate Pearson managed to secure his first save of the season in Monday's 6-5 win over the Royals. Pearson came in to pitch the top of the ninth inning up by one. He allowed a leadoff single, got the first two outs on a groundout and a line-out, allowed another single, and stranded the tying run at third with a strikeout. Closer Jordan Romano had pitched in each of the last two days, so Pearson was called upon. The former prospect has a 1.80 ERA in 10 innings of work this season, but his fantasy value will remain limited until he can routinely earn high-leverage situations.Source: MLB.com