March 24, 2026
Colorado Rockies first baseman
T.J. Rumfield has emerged as a breakout candidate to watch this spring training. The Rockies added Rumfield from the Yankees, who didn't have room for the 25-year-old lefty who hit .285 with 16 dingers in Triple-A last season. Rumfield seems to have claimed the wide-open job as the Rockies' starting 1B coming into the season, after hitting .296 with five homers in his first 22 games this spring training. He has only one strikeout in 62 plate appearances, which will be a huge change for Rockies fans used to
Michael Toglia's high strikeout rate from last year. Rumfield may not have the raw power of Toglia, but he's showcased good pop this spring and will get the boost from playing his home games at Coors Field. He has shown enough potential to definitely be a name to watch early in the year from the waiver wire.
--Zach ThompsonSource: RotoBaller
March 24, 2026
New York Mets outfielder
Carson Benge is set to make a splash early in the season. He has officially made the roster and should play a regular role in the outfield. The lefty could end up in a platoon with righty
Tyrone Taylor, but he should get enough time to make a real impact as part of the Mets' solid offense. The 23-year-old impressed in spring training this year, posting a .366/.435/.439 with a double, a triple, a stolen base, nine strikeouts, and four walks in 46 Grapefruit League plate appearances. His ADP is on the rise, and he makes a great addition towards the end of mixed-league drafts. If he gets through the draft, he'll be a great addition from the early-season waiver wire with plenty of potential to be a contributor all season long.
--Zach ThompsonSource: RotoBaller
March 24, 2026
Cleveland Guardians outfielder
Chase DeLauter is having an outstanding spring training and makes a great pickup from the waiver wire or an awesome last-round snag. The 24-year-old lefty hasn't played a regular-season game but made his MLB debut in the playoffs last year. He hit .278 in 34 games at Triple-A with five homers and a .384 wOBA. This spring, DeLauter went 17-for-37 (.459) in his first 14 games with five doubles, three homers, six walks, and just four strikeouts. DeLauter's rise through the minors has been beset by injuries, but when he's healthy, he has proven to be an MLB-ready bat. If you need outfield depth, he makes a great pickup late in drafts and could be one of the hottest names on the waiver wire if he's starting and hitting high in the batting order as expected. If he stays healthy (a huge if so far in his career), he has a great shot at a breakthrough season.
--Zach ThompsonSource: RotoBAller
March 24, 2026
Cleveland Guardians catcher
Austin Hedges (hand) was forced to leave Monday night's game after taking a fastball off the back of his right hand. The 33-year-old veteran was visibly upset and will undergo further testing on Tuesday to determine the extent of the injury. Hedges was set to split time behind the plate with
Bo Naylor for the Guardians, but if he misses time,
David Fry could get more time at catcher, or the team could bring back
Jonathan Rodriguez or
Petey Halpin. While Hedges is not typically a strong enough offensive contributor for fantasy baseball teams, Naylor and Fry's playing time would be impacted by his absence, so keep an eye out for an update on Hedges' status for Opening Day.
--Zach ThompsonSource: Mason Horodyski
March 24, 2026
Boston Red Sox third baseman
Caleb Durbin is expected to open the season in an everyday role with plenty of potential, and he can be a great way to add some infield depth late in your fantasy draft or even off the waiver wire if he slips through your draft. Durbin shipped up to Boston this offseason after the Red Sox snagged him in a trade from the Brewers. Last year, Drubin slashed .256/.334.387 with 11 home runs and 53 RBI in 136 games on his way to finishing third in National League Rookie of the Year voting. He has looked excellent at the plate and in the field this spring, hitting .356 in 17 games with three stolen bases and a .431 wOBA. Since he'll be an everyday player and likely hit in a good spot in Boston's batting order, he has a solid batting average floor and good speed potential. He's ranked as the No. 16 3B at RotoBaller and brings nice flexibility with 2B eligibility in some formats as well. If you need infield help at the end of your draft, he's a great option to consider.
--Zach ThompsonSource: RotoBaller
March 23, 2026
Los Angeles Dodgers catcher
Will Smith will hit cleanup against left-handed starting pitchers to open the 2026 regular season, manager Dave Roberts told Jack Harris of the California Post. The Dodgers rolled out this wrinkle to their lineup during Monday's spring training contest against the Los Angeles Angels, and it sounds like it will stick for at least the first part of the season. As a result,
Freddie Freeman dropped to the fifth spot in the lineup. Presumably, the motivating factor is to get more balance at the top of the order. With
Kyle Tucker on the team, three of the Dodgers' first four batters were projected to be left-handed hitters. Swapping Smith and Freeman allows for just two lefties among the first four batters. Jumping to cleanup against southpaws should lead to additional RBI opportunities for the veteran backstop, who already ranks #9 among catchers in RotoBaller's fantasy baseball rankings for 2026.
--Andersen PickardSource: Jack Harris
March 23, 2026
Detroit Tigers catcher
Jake Rogers (concussion) has cleared concussion protocol and will be on the 26-man roster for Opening Day, manager A.J. Hinch told Evan Petzold of Detroit Free Press. Hinch noted that Rogers caught a couple of bullpens and hit in the cage on Monday, and he'll catch a portion of Tuesday's spring training contest against the Colorado Rockies. Rogers is nestled into the backup role in Detroit after a couple of frustrating seasons at the plate. Across 49 games in 2025, he slashed just .187/.277/.333 with a 27.5% strikeout rate and 70 wRC+. The vast majority of his contributions come on defense, where he has posted 11 FRV and 14.6 FRM over the last two years. He'll only start games this year when
Dillon Dingler gets the day off.
--Andersen PickardSource: Evan Petzold
March 23, 2026
Houston Astros infielder
Jeremy Pena (finger) will play shortstop during Tuesday's exhibition game against the Triple-A Space Cowboys, manager Joe Espada told Chandler Rome of The Athletic. There had been speculation that Pena might play on Tuesday, but the skipper now confirmed the rumors and also noted that the 28-year-old will grab a glove and play the field. Pena is working his way back from a right ring finger fracture that he suffered while working out for the Dominican Republic ahead of the World Baseball Classic. It seems unlikely that Pena will open the season on the injured list, but the Astros are certainly taking the decision down to the wire. If he does miss any time,
Carlos Correa would shift to shortstop and
Isaac Paredes would patrol the hot corner. Pena is looking to build on a career-best 2025 campaign in which he slashed .304/.363/.477 with 17 home runs, 20 stolen bases, a 6.4% walk rate, a 17.1% strikeout rate, and 135 wRC+. He currently ranks #16 among shortstops in RotoBaller's latest fantasy baseball rankings for 2026.
--Andersen PickardSource: Chandler Rome
March 23, 2026
Texas Rangers left-handed pitcher
Jordan Montgomery (elbow) will throw his fifth bullpen session on Tuesday, according to Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News. The session will include approximately 30 pitches, and if all goes well, he could progress to the equivalent of two-inning sessions in the near future. Montgomery is working his way back from Tommy John surgery, and he's not expected to pitch in an MLB game until the middle of the 2026 season. Given that he's already had two UCL reconstruction surgeries, it seems unlikely that he'll get back to his 2023 form, which included a 3.20 ERA and 4.2 fWAR. However, the Rangers still believe he can be a low-risk starter in the back of their rotation, which is why they signed him to a one-year, $1.25 million deal in the middle of his rehab process.
--Andersen PickardSource: Evan Grant
March 23, 2026
San Diego Padres relief pitcher
Jason Adam (quad) will open the season on the 15-day injured list, according to Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune. Adam has been recovering from a September surgery that repaired a ruptured tendon in his quad. While he has been facing batters for weeks, he didn't make his Cactus League debut until last Friday. As a result of his delayed return to action, he's going to open the year on the injured list. His placement on the IL will be backdated to March 22, allowing him to return no earlier than April 6. Getting Adam back and healthy is key for the Padres, as the veteran reliever pitched to an impressive 1.93 ERA with 9.64 K/9 and 3.44 BB/9 across 65.1 innings of relief work last year.
Ron Marinaccio and
Bradgley Rodriguez are both expected to make the Opening Day roster since Adam is not quite ready to go.
--Andersen PickardSource: Kevin Acee
March 23, 2026
Houston Astros starting pitcher
Lance McCullers Jr. has made the Opening Day rotation, according to Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle. McCullers has been with the Astros since he made his MLB debut in 2015, but he didn't pitch at all in 2023 or 2024. He returned to action last year, making 16 appearances (13 starts) in the majors with a shaky 5.77 FIP, 6.34 BB/9, and 1.63 HR/9. He struck out batters at a modest clip of 9.92 K/9, but his ground ball rate dropped to a new career-low mark of 46.4%. His job was far from guaranteed coming out of spring training, but ultimately, it appears that he has won the No. 5 starter role. With that being said, he'll need to pitch well -- or, at least, better than last year -- to survive a full season in the rotation. He showed flashes of improvement this spring with a 3.38 ERA, as well as reduced walk and home run rates. However, he racked up just 5.63 K/9 and a 40.9% ground ball rate, albeit over a small sample size.
--Andersen PickardSource: Matt Kawahara
March 23, 2026
The Chicago Cubs and star outfielder
Pete Crow-Armstrong are working to finalize a multi-year extension that would keep him in Chicago long-term, according to Jeff Passan of ESPN.com. Terms of the deal haven't been disclosed yet, and while the two sides are approaching an agreement, nothing has been finalized at this point. Still, it's a very encouraging development for all parties involved, including Cubs fans and fantasy baseball managers. Crow-Armstrong is coming off a spectacular 30-30 season in which he slashed .247/.287/.481 with 31 home runs, 35 stolen bases, and 109 wRC+. He was also highly productive defensively, posting 21 OAA and 21 FRV in center field. There are some holes in his game -- last year's 4.5% walk rate is far from optimal -- but overall, at just 23 years old, he has already blossomed into a superstar outfielder with a very bright future ahead of him.
--Andersen PickardSource: Jeff Passan
March 23, 2026
Boston Red Sox left-handed pitching prospect
Connelly Early has made the team's Opening Day roster, according to Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com. However, despite a strong showing in spring training, he will be competing with
Johan Oviedo for the fifth starting rotation spot early in the 2026 season. It will help the Red Sox provide length to their rotation, with both
Ranger Suarez and
Brayan Bello still building up their pitch counts after pitching in the World Baseball Classic. Boston views Early as a starter, and it's unlikely that he'll be used as a reliever for the first few weeks of the season. Exact plans for Early and Oviedo are "still being ironed out," and the team's decision-makers "do not seem keen" on the idea of a six-man rotation. The 23-year-old prospect could make his first start of the year on Sunday against the Cincinnati Reds. Early had a 2.33 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, and 29:4 K: BB in his first four big-league starts in 2025 before allowing three earned runs in 17 innings with five walks and 16 K's in five Grapefruit League appearances in spring training. He has good control and limits hard contact, making him one of the more intriguing young arms to stash in the big leagues.
--Keith HernandezSource: MassLive.com - Chris Cotillo
March 23, 2026
Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said on Monday that the team is hoping to get infielder/outfielder
Tommy Edman back around the end of May, according to The California Post's Jack Harris. Edman has had ankle issues the last couple of seasons, so he decided to have surgery on his right ankle back in mid-November, and he's still working his way back. The Dodgers just optioned
Hyeseong Kim to the minors, too, so it's looking like it could be a committee at the keystone in L.A. to begin the year between veteran
Miguel Rojas,
Santiago Espinal, and
Alex Freeland. Of the trio, Espinal has the most fantasy upside in NL-only leagues. Edman is essentially avoidable in mixed fantasy leagues going into his third year with the Dodgers. He has appeared in a total of 134 regular-season games the last two years for the Blue and has hit a lowly .229/.280/.392 with 19 homers, 69 RBI, 69 runs, and nine stolen bases in 530 plate appearances.
--Keith HernandezSource: The California Post - Jack Harris
March 23, 2026
Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said that the team is hoping to get left-hander
Blake Snell (shoulder) back sometime around the end of May, according to Jack Harris of The California Post. Snell isn't injured specifically, but the 33-year-old southpaw was exhausted physically after pitching deep into the postseason last fall to help the Dodgers win a second straight World Series championship. Snell also missed four months during the 2025 regular season due to left-shoulder inflammation, so the Dodgers would rather have him miss a month-plus of the 2026 campaign instead of losing him for longer. He has been throwing off a mound in camp, but he still has a ways to go to build his arm back up and eventually resume facing live hitters. The fact that he'll miss at least the first month definitely drops his fantasy value right before Opening Day, but Snell was great in his 61 1/3 regular-season innings last year and still has high-end strikeout upside.
--Keith HernandezSource: The California Post - Jack Harris
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