April 2, 2026
Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher
Gavin Williams had an extremely impressive start against one of the most potent lineups in baseball on Wednesday night to earn his first win of the season. Williams spun seven shutout innings, allowing two hits and three walks to the Dodgers while logging an impressive total of 10 strikeouts. The 26-year-old righty gave up three runs in five innings with six walks against the Mariners in his first start of the season, so this was a huge step in the right direction for Williams, who showed how dominant he can be when at his best. He looks lined up for a two-start week next week, making a home start against the Royals on Tuesday and a road start in Atlanta next Sunday.
--Zach ThompsonSource: ESPN
April 2, 2026
San Diego Padres starting pitcher
Nick Pivetta had an excellent bounce-back outing on Wednesday against the Giants, racking up eight strikeouts in five shutout innings to earn his first win of the season. Pivetta issued two walks but only gave up one hit. He threw a season-high 82 pitches and left with the score 2-0 before the Padres broke it open for a 7-1 victory. It was a great turnaround for Pivetta, who gave up six runs in three innings against the Tigers in his first start of the season. He showed in this outing that he still brings strikeout upside and can be a contributor in the right matchups. He's set up for a two-start week with outings on the road against the Pirates and Rockies next week.
--Zach ThompsonSource: ESPN
April 2, 2026
Kansas City Royals outfielder
Jac Caglianone had a huge game on Wednesday night to help propel his team to a 13-9 victory over the visiting Twins. Caglianone went 3-for-4 with three runs scored, a double, and a hit by pitch. He raised his batting average on the young season from .200 to .357 with his effort and helped jumpstart the Royals' slow-starting offense. Caglianone hit .304 with a home run this spring training and also starred for Italy in the WBC. The 23-year-old lefty only hit .157 in his 62 games in the majors last year, but he looks ready to post major improvements this year. Caglianone is still available in about 30% of Yahoo! fantasy baseball leagues and can be a nice pickup since he still comes with plenty of potential as he adjusts to the majors.
--Zach ThompsonSource: ESPN
April 2, 2026
St. Louis Cardinals shortstop
Masyn Winn was involved in a single-car accident on Wednesday after the team's walk-off win against the Mets. Winn had the game-winning hit and is 4-for-25 (.160) with two doubles, two walks, and a stolen base in his first six games. The team said the accident was a result of wet pavement and that Winn was alone in his car. He was examined at a nearby hospital and did not suffer any serious injuries. The Cardinals have an off-day on Thursday and are back in action on Friday as they head to Detroit and Washington for a six-game road trip. It doesn't seem like Winn will miss any significant time, but if he needs any time off, Ramón Urías and José Fermín would be the leading candidates to pick up extra work.
--Zach ThompsonSource: Derrick Goold
April 2, 2026
Kansas City Royals relief pitcher
Lucas Erceg earned his second save of the season on Wednesday night by closing out the Twins in the Royals' 13-9 win at Kauffman Stadium. Erceg didn't start the ninth inning, since his team had a seven-run lead, but after
Bailey Falter allowed three runs, bringing the tying run to the on-deck circle, Erceg shut down the rally by retiring
Austin Martin and
James Outman. Erceg has a hold and two saves in his three games this season, allowing two hits but no runs with one strikeout. He should be secure in his role as the Royals' closer in the short-term while Carlos Estévez (foot) is on the 15-day injured list. Estevez suffered a drop in velocity and struggled early this season after a career-high 42 saves last year. At least for now, the job is Erceg's to claim, making him a great early-season snag from the waiver wire if you're searching for saves.
--Zach ThompsonSource: ESPN
April 2, 2026
Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher
Trevor Rogers turned in another outstanding outing on Wednesday, pitching six strong innings against the Rangers. Rogers had just three strikeouts, but allowed only six hits in six innings against Texas, improving to 2-0 in his two starts this season. Rogers has only allowed two runs in his 13 innings this season, already logging a pair of quality starts and posting a 1.38 ERA and 3.32 FIP. He had 13 quality starts in 18 outings with a 1.81 ERA last year, and this season, he's proving that production was no fluke. His strikeout production has been low in his two starts, but he looked sharp in spring training, indicating the strikeouts could follow soon. The Orioles and his fantasy managers have to be thrilled with the start of the year for the 28-year-old lefty, who is scheduled to face the White Sox in his next start on Tuesday.
--Zach ThompsonSource: ESPN
April 1, 2026
Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher
Paul Skenes bounced back from his rough outing on Opening Day in his second start of the season on Wednesday. The 23-year-old threw five innings on one-run ball to log his first win in his team's 8-3 victory over the Cincinnati Reds, recording five strikeouts while allowing three hits and two walks. While Skenes wasn't quite his usual dominant self, his relative return to form was still a welcome sight for fantasy managers after Skenes failed to get out of the first inning in his first outing of the year against the New York Mets. Skenes' command has been a little bit off to start the year, as he's allowed four walks in 5 2/3 innings. However, the hard-throwing right-hander owns a K-BB% of 24.8% and a WHIP of 0.96 across 321 1/3 career MLB innings. As long as he's healthy, Skenes profiles as an elite starting pitcher option for fantasy managers.
--Will BradySource: MLB.com
April 1, 2026
Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder
Oneil Cruz continued his hot start to the season in his team's 8-3 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday, going two-for-five with a home run, three RBI, and an additional run scored. Perhaps most importantly for Cruz's fantasy outlook, his home run came against Reds left-handed starter
Andrew Abbott. The lefty-swinging Cruz has traditionally struggled against same-handed pitching throughout his career and has often been platooned, but he got the start against Abbott on Wednesday and delivered. Through his first 24 plate appearances of 2026, Cruz is hitting .304 with three home runs, six RBI, and seven runs scored. The 27-year-old has also struck out 10 times, so his batting average is likely to regress closer to his career mark of .233 over a larger sample. Still, if Cruz can do enough damage against lefties to earn everyday playing time, he could post monster power and speed totals for fantasy managers in 2026.
--Will BradySource: MLB.com
April 1, 2026
Philadelphia Phillies outfielder
Justin Crawford had the best game of his young career in his team's 6-5 extra-inning win over the Washington Nationals on Wednesday. Crawford went three-for-five with a trio of singles, including the game-winning RBI knock in the bottom of the 10th inning. Through his first 18 MLB plate appearances, Crawford is hitting .412 with an RBI and three runs scored. The 22-year-old made his bones as an elite average hitter in the minors as well, slashing .334/.411/.452 with seven home runs, 47 RBI, 88 runs scored, and 46 stolen bases across 506 plate appearances at Triple-A in 2025. Power is the main question mark in Crawford's profile, and just one of his seven MLB hits has gone for extra bases so far. Still, if Crawford can continue to rack up base hits, he should start stealing bases at a high rate and could easily move up from the bottom of the Philadelphia batting order.
--Will BradySource: MLB.com
April 1, 2026
Athletics catcher
Shea Langeliers was one of the lone bright spots of his team's 5-1 loss to the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday, going two-for-four with a solo home run. The 28-year-old is off to a torrid start to 2026, as he's hitting .375 with five home runs and eight RBI across his first 25 plate appearances. Langeliers has been one of the better power-hitting catchers in baseball in recent years, as he's now racked up 65 home runs since the start of the 2024 season. He put together his most well-rounded season at the plate in 2025, hitting .277 and lowering his strikeout rate to a career-best 19.7%. Langeliers' strikeout rate is back up to 32% in a very small sample size in 2026, but his power output more than makes up for any batting average concerns. With a career barrel rate of 12.2%, Langeliers could be on the verge of threatening the 40-homer mark in 2026.
--Will BradySource: MLB.com
April 1, 2026
Miami Marlins starting pitcher
Sandy Alcantara dominated the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday, pitching nine scoreless innings with seven strikeouts and zero walks while allowing just three hits. The 30-year-old right-hander struggled through a down year in 2025 in his first season back from Tommy John surgery, pitching to a 5.36 ERA and 1.27 WHIP across 174 2/3 innings (31 starts). However, Alcantara is off to an excellent start in 2026, recording 16 shutout innings with 12 strikeouts while allowing just seven hits and two walks. While Alcantara has never generated a tremendous amount of swing-and-miss, his ability to work efficiently and pitch to contact allows him to work deep into games consistently. Against the White Sox, he needed just 93 pitches to go the distance. Alcantara's first two starts of the season have come against lowly offenses in the White Sox and Colorado Rockies, so he'll face a tougher test in his next start against the Cincinnati Reds. Still, Alcantara's hot start is a welcome sign for fantasy managers who bought low on him coming off a down year.
--Will BradySource: MLB.com
April 1, 2026
Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher
Blake Snell (shoulder) is likely to start facing hitters once the team returns from its upcoming road trip, per David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports. Snell is currently on the 15-day injured list as he works his way back from left shoulder fatigue and was originally given a target return date of late May. Based on this most recent update, it appears Snell remains on track for that target. A left shoulder injury limited Snell to just 61 1/3 innings (11 starts) in 2025, but he was effective in his time on the mound, recording a 5-4 record with a 2.35 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, and 72 strikeouts. When healthy, the 33-year-old has typically been one of the better pitchers in baseball. However, Snell has made more than 24 starts just twice in 10 MLB seasons entering 2026. Snell profiles as a high-end fantasy starting pitcher upon his return, but how long he can avoid another injury is an open question.
--Will BradySource: AM 570 LA Sports - David Vassegh
April 1, 2026
New York Yankees starting pitcher
Cam Schlittler dominated the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday, recording his second win of the season by throwing 6 1/3 scoreless innings. The 25-year-old struck out seven while allowing just two hits and zero walks. Across his first two starts of 2026, Schlittler has now logged 11 2/3 scoreless frames with 15 strikeouts while allowing just three hits. Schlittler made his MLB debut in 2025, recording a 4-3 record with a 2.96 ERA and 1.22 WHIP with 84 strikeouts across 73 innings (14 starts). The young right-hander posted an elevated 10.2% walk rate, but he's yet to allow a free pass in his small sample of work so far in 2026. If Schlittler's early-season work is any indication, he could be on the verge of a full-scale breakout campaign.
--Will BradySource: MLB.com - Bryan Hoch
April 1, 2026
Miami Marlins catcher
Liam Hicks continued his hot start to the 2026 season on Wednesday, going three-for-four with a home run, four RBI, and two runs scored in his team's 10-0 win over the Chicago White Sox. Across his first 19 plate appearances of the year, Hicks is hitting .467 with three home runs, 12 RBI, and six runs scored. The 26-year-old made his MLB debut in 2025, posting a .247/.346/.346 slash line with six home runs, 45 RBI, 37 runs scored, and two stolen bases across 390 plate appearances. While he posted a minuscule 3.5% barrel rate, Hicks demonstrated a solid plate approach with a 11% walk rate and just a 14.4% strikeout rate. If Hicks can make some marginal gains in the power department in 2026, he could be worth targeting off the waiver wire in two-catcher fantasy formats.
--Will BradySource: MLB.com
April 1, 2026
Pittsburgh Pirates left-hander
Gregory Soto was on the mound to finish off his team's 8-3 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday, throwing a scoreless ninth inning while recording two strikeouts and not allowing a base runner. The 31-year-old is off to an excellent start to the season, as he's struck out eight and allowed just one hit across 4 1/3 scoreless innings (four games). While Wednesday's appearance came in a non-save situation, Soto's usage in the ninth inning could indicate that he's in the mix with Pirates right-hander
Dennis Santana for saves. Soto has prior closing experience, recording 30 saves for the Detroit Tigers in 2022. If he keeps producing, Soto could be a player worth targeting on the waiver wire for deeper-league fantasy managers.
--Will BradySource: MLB.com
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