As a reminder, these rankings are geared toward a standard, daily, 12-team H2H redraft league, as that is typically the most popular fantasy baseball format. They will only factor in the five standard categories: Runs, RBI, Home Runs, Batting Average, and Stolen Bases.
I would recommend not paying super close attention to the specific ranks of each player, and honing in more on the respective tiers that they’re in. Each tier represents a grouping of players that I think could arguably perform at a similar level, and/or carry similar levels of risk in terms of injury concerns or playing time obstacles. If Player X is ranked at No. 55 and Player Y is ranked at No. 65, but they’re in the same tier, it means that I personally prefer Player X, but think there’s a valid argument to be made for Player Y performing just as well.
I take rankings like this as more of an art than a science. Every person’s rankings are influenced by their own biases, strategic philosophies, determinations of risk, and projections. It’s why no two rankings are ever exactly alike. My way of evaluating and ranking players has worked out well for me over the years, but it might not be a great fit for you. I can’t possibly predict your team’s specific needs, your league mates’ player evaluations, or your current waiver wire, and if I could, it’d be weird. In a bad way.
This is a safe space for me where I answer to no one but myself…and you if you leave a comment.
I’m doing my best to use five starts or 10 appearances as the threshold for positional eligibility. I have not included presumed eligibilities based on likely new positions, but once those eligibilities are earned, I’ll add them in. This is just a maintenance thing and we will update eligibility throughout the season. Feel free to let me know if I’m missing any!
Ranking Philosophy
To keep things in the same ilk, here are a couple of notes on how I generally evaluate hitters before we dive in:
In 12-team formats, I just don’t see much value in guys who only provide stolen bases. It’s an important category, especially in Roto, but in shallower formats, there are too many other (and better) ways to get the steals you need without sacrificing production in the other categories.
If I want to get some insight on whether what I’m seeing is new or if it’s just normal fluctuation, I’d use my favorite tool—the rolling chart, which I’ll also reference as appropriate. You can also get rolling charts from sources like FanGraphs or Baseball Savant. If you have any questions about how to do that or how to read these charts, reach out to me!
No stat is an island and they should all be taken in proper context. For ranking purposes, the primary starting points I use are plate discipline, wRC+, quality of contact metrics (also known as Statcast batted ball data), lineup context, and the skills we can measure using tools such as our PLV Hitter Attributes (available for PL Pro members). I also use various projections (some free, some I buy) and dollar value generators.
Positional eligibility, and specifically multi-eligibility, is neat but also isn’t a huge factor in many 10- and 12-team leagues anymore due to the prevalence of multi-eligible players. It’s of more value in deeper contests like the NFBC, or in leagues with limited roster moves (draft and hold leagues, transaction limits/costs, extremely short benches, etc.), but even then the value is fairly situational and context-dependent.
On a similar note, I don’t penalize players for only qualifying in the utility slot. At most, it is a mild inconvenience if a DH-only player is available at a great value and you already have filled your utility spots.
Anyone talented enough to make it to the big leagues can be brilliant or putrid for 50 to 100 at-bats—regardless of true talent. Heck, it could even last over a month with no change in potential or skill. It also could be wildly meaningful. We can’t and don’t know which of these will be true until it’s over, though track record, scouting, and trends can give us hints.
If you’d like input on a player or have any feedback, your best bet is to reach out to me on the website formerly known as Twitter (@ifthechufits) or in the comments below!
Read The Notes
These rankings talk about what I generally project for a player, but these rankings are not projections. They include projections but also take into account performance risk, injury risk, team context, ceiling, and floor.
Check out the Hacks & Jacks podcast featuring Scott Chu and Brett Ford, which also happened to be a finalist for Best Baseball Podcast of 2021 by the Fantasy Sports Writers Association (FSWA)!
I also host an AMA in the r/fantasybaseball subreddit every Friday starting around noon ET that lasts through the rest of the day and into the weekend, so feel free to join the fun and ask questions or make comments.
Tier 1
As long as Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge are healthy, they’re the best player in their league. I might flip them here and there, but when push comes to shove it’s a coinflip.
Tier 2
Elly De La Cruz may fall short of the 67 steals he posted in 2024, but 50 is still in play and the consistency (stemming from improved plate discipline, mostly) is very impressive from a guy who many thought would continue to be too volatile to trust.
Fernando Tatis Jr. followed up his 184 wRC+ in April with a paltry 76 wRC+ in May, but he has stayed healthy and is showing signs of a resurgence over the last week or so. I’m still a firm believer this is a top-10 hitter for 2025, and even skeptics should still be on the top-20 bandwagon.
Speaking of signs of life, three home runs for Juan Soto in his last five games should be interpreted as exactly that. I don’t think Soto will be a constant threat for 40 home runs over the course of his career, but he’s a mortal lock for 30 and should settle around 35 each season.
Tier 3
No hitter under the age of 27 has a wRC+ that beats James Wood’s 160 so far this season, and he’s second in that group in both home runs and RBI. He’s on pace for over 40 home runs and 110 RBI to go with his .283 batting average and .379 OBP, and even if he slumps here and there (he really hasn’t yet in 2025), 35 home runs, great ratios, and plenty of RBI remain a likely outcome thanks to his prodigious power and consistently strong decision-making. It’s looking obvious that we are watching a 22-year-old slugger who ought to have a very long, very productive career.
The current single-season record for home runs by a catcher is Salvador Perez’s 48 back in 2021, but Cal Raleigh is putting extreme pressure on that mark with 23 through his first 60 games. Even Cal’s strongest backers don’t anticipate that he’ll stay on this 55+ home run pace, but there’s nothing fluky about Raleigh’s power, and I think 50 home runs is far from unrealistic for Big Dumper.
Jackson Merrill has just two home runs over the last month, and while I was very skeptical of Merrill’s power in 2024, I’m willing to be patient here in 2025 after seeing the extreme refinement of this young hitter’s hit tool. Even after missing some time and having a slow May, Merrill should be able to hit a total of 22-24 this season to accompany his excellent ratios.
Tier 4
Pete Crow-Armstrong continues to amaze with his tools, though I do worry a bit that the aggressive approach and subpar contact ability will eventually lead to some droughts, as those two elements usually manifest as a feast-or-famine profile. Of course, it’s only been feast so far in 2025 so it’s possible he’s just so good he bucks this trend (not being sarcastic – players do break molds
If you’re wondering whether I see something going on that indicates light at the end of the tunnel for Gunnar Henderson outside of his history, the answer is no.
Tier 5
Zach Neto has slowed down a bit, but I’m still a believer in the overall talent and think he’s got 30/20 upside even after missing a chunk of the season. Sure, Neto stole 30 in 2024, but the Angels haven’t been as aggressive on the basepaths this season.
The return of Ronald Acuña Jr. has not given Matt Olson and Marcell Ozuna the boost I hoped for yet, but I’m willing to give it a little more time.
Teoscar Hernández is an aggressive power hitter so slumps like this one (.562 OPS and a 34.4% strikeout rate over his last 15 games) are just par for the course. The good heavily outweighs the bad.
Tier 6
Welcome back, Mike Trout! He has just two strikeouts in his first six games off the IL and should be a premier power hitter even if the ratios aren’t what they used to be.
I was patient with Yelich and didn’t drop him too steeply, so I can’t bump him too much after the hot streak. He’s definitely a top-50 hitter to me rest of the season even after factoring in the injury risk and his inconsistent performance. The biggest threat to his standing as a fantasy contributor is his balky back.
Corey Seager is going to be fine, but the slumps along with the high injury risk have me revaluating his overall ranking.
Tier 7
Welcome back, Jazz Chisholm Jr.! Strikeouts will keep the production from being steady, but he’s still got the pop and speed you hoped for and could very well move up a tier or two in short order.
Junior Caminero has been the hottest bat in the league of late after being one of the coldest, and that kind of roller coaster is not unusual for supremely talented young players. The driver of the hot streak, unsurprisingly, is the fly ball rate, and as long as it stays above 35% or so he should be an elite power bat who moves up these ranks.
Lawrence Butler has been a force over his last 15 games, hitting .367/.441/.700 with three home runs and three steals, and more importantly, has recaptured the leadoff role after a brief hiatus. The only thing that worries me is that this is almost entirely fueled by a ridiculous 35.7% line drive rate, and almost nothing is going up in the air (just nine fly balls in this stretch). Line drives are awesome for ratios, but anything above 25% is very difficult to sustain and 35% is downright impossible.
Spencer Torkelson hasn’t been terrible, but the production is certainly down. How quickly he can bounce back is critical to his long-term outlook.
Tier 8
Yes, I still think Anthony Volpe has more upside than what he’s shown, though he’s been the 82nd-ranked hitter this season per the FanGraphs Player Rater so getting to the top 60 isn’t THAT much of a stretch for a guy who is barely 24 years old.
Bryan Reynolds has been better of late, but I’m waiting to see if it’s something that lasts more than a week or two before entertaining the idea of putting him back in the top 50.
This rank of 67 feels high for Gleyber Torres until you see this chart.
Tier 9
Jacob Wilson just keeps on hitting. Our metrics don’t think he has any real pop, but this kind of contact ability is hard to ignore, and making even league-average decisions will make him an extremely consistent force for the A’s.
Andy Pages was very slow to start the season but since mid-April he’s been a consistent contributor, and his slumps have rarely lasted more than about two series or so. 25 home runs and a dozen steals seems reasonable if he is even just mostly this good the rest of the way, though I suspect Pages’s batting average to be closer to .260 than .290.
Tier 10
For those of you in standard 10- and 12-team leagues, this is where you’ll start finding your replacement level at certain positions, particularly outfield and the middle infield.
A pair of home runs for Tyler Soderstrom over the weekend help affirm that he can find that April pace again at some point. It may not be sustainable for a full season, but it just needs to be enough to hit 25-28 home runs while hitting .240.
Tommy Edman has not been the same hitter since coming off the IL, and he might be heading back on it after tweaking his ankle.
Victor Scott II should be a reliable source of steals all season long, though the rest of the categories will be a bit more up and down. If you’re in a format or circumstance where steals are not that valuable to you, you should drop him a tier or two.
Tier 11
Byron Buxton was an unintentional absentee after coming off the IL, so he’s back on it now. There’s a ton of volatility and injury risk here, but the upside is hard to ignore.
No, I don’t understand what’s wrong with Adley Rutschman, or really anyone else who is meant to be the core of the Orioles’ offense. The contact and decision-making are great, but he just can’t find any power.
Luis Robert Jr. has actually been an above-average decision-maker this season, he’s just terrible at making contact. The stolen bases make him roster-worthy, but the rest is going to come in extreme peaks and valleys.
I’m tempted to be even more aggressive with Jackson Holliday, but I’m trying to be patient. I do think another level of breakout is coming.
Tier 12
Michael Busch is white hot, and while you should avoid him against lefties, he’s as good a streamer as any even in an environment where first base has become much stronger.
Ezequiel Tovar has looked great when he plays but it seems like he’s constantly fighting some new injury.
Ryan O’Hearn goes on hot streaks like this and it’s really fun, if a bit fleeting.
I do worry that the impending return of Giancarlo Stanton will have a negative impact on Jasson Domínguez’s playing time, which is already less than we’d like.
Tier 13
Max Muncy is making up for lost time in a hurry, swatting six home runs in eight games while walking as much as he strikes out. I’m not doing a huge jump as this is definitely not the guy I think Muncy is over any significant stretch, but a high-power, low average hitter is what he can keep being for the rest of the year. OBP leaguers can bump him one or two tiers.
I know, you wanted me to rank Addison Barger higher, and I probably will eventually, but we need to get a feel for these ups and downs first. Red sliders on a statcast page do not necessarily make unstoppable fantasy gold (see Ben Rice), though they are a GREAT thing to have. Barger has been moved to third in the order against recent righties, and that’s an exciting development, especially if he earns a spot in the lineup against lefties as well.
Kyle Manzardo has struggled of late and subsequently has moved below the streaming line at first base in 10- and 12-team leagues.
Luis García Jr. is a contact hitter who is quite streaky and who finds himself benched against lefties fairly regularly over the course of a season, but he’s a great streamer in your middle infield if you need one.
Tier 14
Willy Adames continues to struggle, and while he does still have upside for the rest of the season, those who are in more dire straights can go ahead and drop for streamer if needed.
Ben Rice is struggling with playing time and production, though he’s still hitting missiles all over the field. Stanton’s return combined with the fact that Rice is really stuck at spot starts at first and DH means he’s very vulnerable to another DH-type guy getting on the roster. And no, I don’t think he’ll go behind the dish, though stranger things have happened.
Wilyer Abreu is a very streaky hitter prone to valleys just as deep as his peaks are high. I say it all the time and people don’t believe me. I urge you to understand that about him. Doesn’t mean you should rage-drop him or anything, it’s just something to know about the profile.
Trent Grisham keeps leading off or hitting second, and as long as that happens he’ll hang out on the list somewhere.
Jac Caglianone is here and brings huge power to the Royals lineup. He’s already got a hard-hit ball to his name and will join the lineup once again in today’s game. Unlike other prospects who have been called up recently, I do think the Royals plan to keep Jac in the lineup regularly.
Miguel Vargas moves up to the list despite a bad week because of attrition and being eligible at three positions.
If I knew Parker Meadows would play five times a week, he’d be ranked higher. His glove gives him a chance, but I’ve got to see it first.
Matt Wallner has big power and big contact issues and platoon risk. It’s a familiar profile, but his willingness to take a walk and the reduced strikeout rate so far this season makes him a bit more interesting than others like him.
Colton Cowser isn’t leading off and I don’t think he’s close to the role at the moment, but if he keeps the strikeout rate below 30% he has a chance to carve out an everyday role.
Ronny Mauricio was once a top-25 overall prospects but injuries have been an issue. There’s some power and speed here, combined with what appears to be a chance to win a job while Vientos is out.
Willi Castro covers a lot of positions and has bounced between the back of this list and the Taxi Squad basically since I added the Taxi Squad. He’s a fine streamer.
Rank
Hitter
Position
Change
1Shohei OhtaniT1DH-2Aaron JudgeOF-3Elly De La CruzT23B, SS+44Corbin CarrollOF-15Kyle TuckerOF-16Bobby Witt Jr.SS-17José Ramírez3B-18Fernando Tatis Jr.OF-9Juan SotoOF-10James WoodT3OF+511Kyle SchwarberOF, DH-112Francisco LindorSS-113Rafael Devers3B-114Pete Alonso1B-115Freddie Freeman1B+116Cal RaleighC+717Ronald Acuña Jr.OF-18Oneil CruzSS, OF-419Mookie Betts2B, SS, OF-120Jackson MerrillOF-121Vladimir Guerrero Jr.T41B, 3B-122Pete Crow-ArmstrongOF+223Bryce Harper1B-124Jackson ChourioOF+525Riley GreeneOF+126Ketel Marte2B-127Gunnar HendersonSS-628Austin Riley3B-129Wyatt LangfordT5OF+130Julio RodríguezOF-231Seiya SuzukiOF+132Jarren DuranOF-133Trea TurnerSS+634Zach NetoSS-135Manny Machado3B-136Brent RookerOF, DH+137William ContrerasC-238Matt Olson1B-39Marcell OzunaDH+240Will SmithC+241Teoscar HernándezOF-542CJ AbramsT6SS+143Josh Naylor1B+144Mike TroutOF+UR45Willson ContrerasC-46Cody Bellinger1B, OF-47Paul Goldschmidt1B-48Christian YelichOF+449Corey SeagerSS-950Jazz Chisholm Jr.T73B, OF+UR51Junior Caminero3B+852Jeremy PeñaSS+253Isaac Paredes1B, 3B-254Lawrence ButlerOF-155Jose Altuve2B-56Steven KwanOF-57Heliot RamosOF+558Spencer Torkelson1B-959Kerry CarpenterT8OF-160Salvador PerezC, 1B-1261Brice Turang2B-462Anthony VolpeSS-1263Bryan ReynoldsOF+264Jung Hoo LeeOF-465Shea LangeliersC-266Matt Chapman3B-67Gleyber Torres2B+168Dansby SwansonSS-769Ozzie Albies2B-70Taylor WardT9OF+171Jonathan Aranda1B+172Logan O’HoppeC+273Maikel Garcia2B, 3B+274Jacob WilsonSS+1475Bryson Stott2B+476Brendan Donovan2B, 3B, OF+577Iván HerreraC-178Andy PagesOF+879Nico HoernerT102B, SS+480Rhys Hoskins1B+581Tyler Soderstrom1B+882Masyn WinnSS+583Tommy Edman2B, OF-1384Geraldo PerdomoSS-285Victor Scott IIOF-1886Nick CastellanosOF+487Austin WellsT11C+588Byron BuxtonOF+UR89Adley RutschmanC-1190Lourdes Gurriel Jr.OF+491Ian HappOF-1192Vinnie Pasquantino1B+1293Bo BichetteSS+894Randy ArozarenaOF-1795Luis Robert Jr.OF-3196Lars NootbaarOF-1297Yainer DiazC-198Eugenio Suárez3B-99Josh Jung3B-8100Jackson Holliday2B+8101Brandon Lowe1B, 2B-1102Luis ArraezT121B, 2B-7103Michael Busch1B+9104Hunter GoodmanC, OF-2105Agustín RamírezC-6106Yandy Díaz1B-3107Jordan BeckOF-1108Ryan O’Hearn1B, OF+10109Alec Bohm1B, 3B+1110Ezequiel TovarSS-17111Xander Bogaerts2B, SS-112George SpringerOF+2113Josh LoweOF+2114Jasson DomínguezOF-7115Brenton DoyleOF+1116Christian WalkerT131B+3117Max Muncy3B+18118Brandon NimmoOF+6119Nathaniel Lowe1B+8120Kyle Manzardo1B-11121Jake Cronenworth1B, 2B+7122Addison Barger3B, OF+UR123Matt Shaw3B+6124Gabriel MorenoC+8125Luis García Jr.2B+13126Willy AdamesT14SS-3127TJ FriedlOF+9128Ben Rice1B-23129Wilyer AbreuOF-12130Nolan Arenado3B-5131Drake BaldwinC-132J.T. RealmutoC-10133Kyle StowersOF-12134Trevor LarnachOF+5135Spencer Steer1B, OF+5136Jake Burger1B, 3B-6137Carson KellyC+5138Trent GrishamOF+7139Jac Caglianone1B+UR140Chase Meidroth2B, SS-6141Cam Smith3B, OF+8142Miguel Vargas1B, 3B, OF+UR143Parker MeadowsOF+UR144Matt WallnerOF+UR145Colton CowserOF+UR146Michael Harris IIOF+2147Royce Lewis3B-3148Ronny Mauricio2B, 3B+UR149Willi Castro2B, 3B, SS, OF+UR150Kristian Campbell2B-
Taxi Squad
Players are listed in no particular order. This list is not every interesting guy out there, but a running list of players who either almost made the list or have been topics of interesting conversation.
NEW FEATURE: I will put blurbs in bold if they are new to the Taxi Squad or if there’s a significant update to their note.
Catcher
Carlos Narváez (C, BOS) — Streaming catcher with a little bit of upside.
Tyler Stephenson (C, CIN) — Streaming catcher, best against lefties.
Ryan Jeffers (C, MIN) — Hitting first or second lately, but sitting more.
Francisco Alvarez (C, NYM) — Can’t roster him in single-catcher formats right now.
Alejandro Kirk (C, TOR) — Points league catcher.
Dillon Dingler (C, DET) — Still hot, and more playing time than I expected.
Keibert Ruiz (C, WSN) — Points league catcher.
Sean Murphy (C, ATL) — Playing time is gone. Drop.
Dalton Rushing (C, LAD) — Dynasty only.
First Base
Spencer Horwitz (1B/2B, PIT) — Deep leagues only until we see the walks come back. Still expecting a .260-.270 hitter with a .350-.360 OBP when all is said and done.
Carlos Santana (1B, CLE) — OBP streamer who somehow continues to have something in the tank. What a career.
Andrew Vaughn (1B, CWS) — The ceiling was never that high, but my goodness have the White Sox wasted a young player with mismanagement and baffling decisions.
Michael Toglia (1B/OF, COL) — Demoted.
Nolan Schanuel (1B, LAA) — Would be in Tier 11 in points leagues, maybe even Tier 10 if strikeouts were harshly penalized.
Pavin Smith (1B/OF, ARI) — Streamer against soft righties.
Second Base
Travis Bazzana (2B, CLE) — Will be out for two months or more with an oblique strain. Likely a September call-up at this point.
Trevor Story (2B, BOS) — Ratios are too bad to stomach.
Curtis Mead (2B/3B, TBR) — Mostly plays against lefties.
Marcus Semien (2B, TEX) — He had a nice weekend – let’s see if it turns into more. I’d love to put him back on the list but want some confidence that this was more than a nice weekend.
Hyeseong Kim (2B, LAD) — Will be very exciting when he has anything close to a regular role.
Jorge Polanco (2B/3B, SEA) — Droppable.
Kody Clemens (2B, MIN) — The hot streak was cool but I’d be surprised if you got anything close to that over the next two weeks.
Jonathan India (2B/3B/OF, KCR) — Deep points league only.
Gavin Lux (2B/OF, CIN) — The hot streak was incredible but also relatively short in the grand scheme of things.
José Caballero (2B/3B/SS/OF, TBR) — Speed streamer.
Matt McLain (2B, CIN) — The strikeout issues and move to the bottom of the order and being benched a few times a week is just too much.
Ernie Clement (2B/3B/OF, TOR) — Points league streamer.
Andrés Giménez (2B, TOR) — Bats ninth and is slugging under .300.
Nick Gonzales (2B, PIT) — Has pop and improved his strikeout rate a bit, but need to see him playing every day before I can rank him.
Third Base
Joey Ortiz (3B/SS, MIL) — Does just enough in four of the five hitting categories to be relevant. If this list were for OBP, he might crack the end of it.
Connor Norby (3B, MIA) — Swings hard and misses often. Chasing the hot streaks is a dangerous game.
Gabriel Arias (3B, CLE) — He’s an aggressive hitter with extreme contact issues in the zone. It’s a tale as old as time and almost always turns out the same way (a streamer when hot and a drop when not).
Caleb Durbin (3B, MIL) — Needs to turn a lot of those fly balls into liners as he does not have the pop to get those flies out of the yard very often.
Dylan Moore (2B/3B/SS/OF, SEA) — Streaky utility man.
Willi Castro (2B/3B/SS/OF, MIN) — Streaky utility man.
Ronny Mauricio (2B/3B, NYM) — Getting everyday looks at third. Look pretty good in triple-A but hesitant to buy in after all those injuries.
Shortstop
Isiah Kiner-Falefa (2B/3B/SS, PIT) — Hits for a decent average and might steal 20 bases.
Brooks Lee (2B/3B/SS, MIN) — Not enough production to consider despite being eligible everywhere.
Jordan Lawlar (SS, ARI) — Back in triple-A. WHAT WAS THE POINT?
Trey Sweeney (SS, DET) — Cooled off in a big way.
Zach McKinstry (2B/3B/SS/OF, DET) — Striking out a lot of late and not walking, which is not great for a player who has a very low ceiling.
Tyler Fitzgerald (SS/OF, SFG) — Streaky hitter with major contact issues.
Javier Báez (3B/SS/OF, DET) — Zero walks and a .391 OPS in his last 48 plate appearances.
Marcelo Mayer (3B/SS, BOS) — Looks mostly fine but sitting back to back days against lefties scares me. Worrying about adapting to the big leagues AND getting playing time is not the path to 12-team success.
Outfield/DH
Alexander Canario (OF, PIT) — Getting a lot more playing time and has enough pop to be interesting. Worth a scoop in deeper leagues.
Will Benson (OF, CIN) — If you blinked, you missed it.
Isaac Collins (OF, MIL) — No longer playing with enough regularity for 12-team consideration.
JJ Bleday (OF, ATH) — Little for him to learn in the minors so ignore any gawdy triple-A stats. Should be back up soon but only a consideration in deeper OBP leagues for now.
Jesus Sanchez (OF, MIA) — Power streamer with a tough home park and poor supporting cast.
Roman Anthony (OF, BOS) — He’s the top prospect in a top-heavy Boston system and should get a chance to play at some point this summer.
Emmanuel Rodriguez (OF, MIN) — Triple-A strikeout rates above 30% are extremely troubling, even if they come with an OBP well above .400.
Mike Yastrzemski (OF, SFG) — The definition of a replacement-level fantasy outfielder in 12-teamers.
Gavin Sheets (DH, SDP) — Playing more but still a streaky power bat.
Michael Conforto (OF, LAD) — Droppable in mixed leagues.
Jorge Soler (OF, LAA) — Power streamer.
Jo Adell (OF, LAA) — Strikeout rate is improved, at least temporarily, and on a power binge if you’re looking for a streamer.
Chandler Simpson (OF, TBR) — Let’s see how long he needs to “work on his defense.” To Tampa’s credit, Simpson was not playing that well in center, but whatever.
Adolis García (OF, TEX) — Being benched to work on mechanical issues is a dramatic move for a guy I really thought could be back on track in 2025. Bold move, let’s see how it plays out.
Denzel Clarke (OF, ATH) — Trevor Hooth likes him, I guess. Very deep league streamer for now.
Esteury Ruiz (OF, LAD) — Ruiz has been decent in triple-A and may get a call to the big leagues if Edman’s ankle injury requires an IL stint. Just a speculative speed play in 15-team and deeper leagues.
Jerar Encarnación (OF, SFG) — Would be ranked with an everyday role. Huge power upside but hasn’t been able to put it together for any extended period.
IL Stashes
Players are listed by position and not by projected value.
Miguel Amaya (C, CHC) — Droppable in redraft if you IL is full as he’ll be out for at least a month.
Nick Kurtz (1B, ATH) — Tragic, considering he was white-hot over the last week. Should be back in June. Injuries have been part of the story for Kurtz so far, as he had a shoulder injury in college and a hamstring injury last year.
Ryan Mountcastle (1B, BAL) — Not holding in 12-teamers.
Ha-Seong Kim (2B/SS, TBR) — On a rehab assignment. No idea what role he steps into, but it’s likely a timeshare with Lowe raking and Caballero still doing enough to get starts.
Alex Bregman (3B, BOS) — Hopefully he’s back by August. Bummer.
Mark Vientos (3B, NYM) — Well, keeping him on your IL is easier than keeping him on your bench.
Giancarlo Stanton (DH, NYY) — Going on a rehab soon.
Victor Robles (OF, SEA) —Likely out until July. In leagues with a tight IL, he’s possibly a drop.
Jonny DeLuca (OF, TBR) — Moved to 60-day IL. Droppable everywhere.
Lane Thomas (OF, CLE) — Not a must-hold at this time.
Byron Buxton (OF, MIN) — Concussion protocol. Seems to be progressing well, but these things aren’t always linear.
Yordan Alvarez (OF, HOU) — No, I can’t tell you what the heck is happening in Houston, but he’s a hold.
Dylan Crews (OF, WAS) — Obliques are tricky, but there’s enough raw talent here to justify holding him even with a shallow IL, assuming you don’t have it packed already.
Daulton Varsho (OF, TOR) — Not holding in 12-teamers if my IL is already full of ranked players.
Jordan Walker (OF, STL) — Not holding in 12-teamers if my IL is already full of ranked players.
Anthony Santander (OF, TOR) — Trying to hold if I can, as perhaps this is the reason for the exceptionally long slump?
Austin Hays (OF, CIN) — Not holding in 12-teamers if my IL is already full of ranked players.
Cedric Mullins (OF, BAL) — Not holding in 12-teamers if my IL is already full of ranked players. Role is very questionable on his return.
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