Arizona Diamondbacks outfield prospect Ryan Waldschmidt will begin the 2026 campaign at Triple-A Reno, according to Sam Dykstra of MLB.com. The D-backs' top-ranked prospect was invited to big league camp this year and held his own, going 10-for-39 (.256) with a home run, a stolen base, and producing some eye-opening exit velocities on his batted balls. The former first-round draft pick impressed in 2025, playing half of the season at High-A and the other half at Double-A with strong results at both stops, culminating in a .289/.419/.473 slash line with 18 home runs and 29 steals in 134 games. The 23-year-old could make his major league debut early this season if he hits the ground running in Reno, and with an intriguing contact/power/speed skillset, the right-handed slugger could become one of the higher-priority stash candidates in deeper leagues early on.

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Boston Red Sox pitching prospect Connelly Early made his final case for an Opening Day roster spot on Wednesday, tossing five shutout innings against the Yankees in his fifth Grapefruit League appearance, allowing just one hit and two walks while striking out seven. He was also charged with a wild pitch and hit a batter in the outing. Despite the latter results of the performance, Boston's third-ranked prospect has impressed this spring, allowing three earned runs in 17 innings of work (1.59 ERA) while recording a 0.94 WHIP and a 16:5 K:BB. The left-hander made his MLB debut in 2025 and saw similar success, posting a 2.33 ERA (2.35 xFIP) and a 1.09 WHIP with a 29:4 K:BB over 19 1/3 innings pitched. The competition for Boston's fifth starter role has been stiff, with LHP Payton Tolle and offseason acquisition RHP Johan Oviedo both showing well this spring, too, and it remains to be seen who will win the job. Oviedo may have the slightest of edges in the race, and may get the nod simply due to his MLB experience compared to the other two, but whether it is on Opening Day or sometime later, Early will be pitching with the big league club this season and is a worthy stash candidate in the meantime. For managers who haven't drafted yet, the 6-foot-3 southpaw can be had at the end of most fantasy drafts with an ADP around 300, but could certainly outproduce that if he gets a chance early on in 2026.

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Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani looked to be in midseason form when he made his Cactus League pitching debut on Wednesday against the San Francisco Giants. Ohtani allowed just one hit, walked two, and struck out four in 4 1/3 scoreless innings. His fastball touched 99 mph on the radar gun, and he threw 34 of his 61 pitches for strikes. "The stuff was really good. It's going to get more crisp as he gets out there and gets regular pitching," manager Dave Roberts said. It was an even more impressive performance for the four-time MVP, considering temperatures pushed 100 degrees at Camelback Ranch. It was Ohtani's first time on the mound in a competitive setting since Game 7 of the World Series against Toronto on Nov. 1. The Dodgers plan on Ohtani being a part of their rotation all year, although his innings will be limited early on. He returned to pitching midway through the 2025 season after recovering from elbow surgery, and he had a 2.87 ERA in 14 regular-season starts before going 2-1 with a 4.43 ERA in the playoffs. The 31-year-old Japanese star has high-end SP1 upside overall in 2026 as a pitcher.

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Atlanta Braves outfielder Jurickson Profar will miss the entire 2026 season after his appeal of a positive performance-enhancing drug test was resolved, according to Jeff Passan of ESPN. Profar will serve a 162-game suspension for testing positive a second time and will be ineligible to play in the postseason if the Braves qualify. Atlanta gave the 33-year-old veteran a three-year, $42 million contract in January of 2025 after his career year in 2024 with the San Diego Padres, when he slashed .280/.380/.459 with an .839 OPS, 24 home runs, 85 RBI, 94 runs scored, and 10 steals in 158 regular-season games. He was suspended for 80 games last year and finished with a .245 average, 14 homers, 49 RBI, 56 runs, and nine steals in 80 games played. With Profar now out for the entire 2026 season, the Braves figure to open the year with a platoon in left field between Mike Yastrzemski and Eli White.

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Caleb Durbin will be the Boston Red Sox's starting third baseman on Opening Day this year, manager Alex Cora confirmed. The Red Sox acquired Durbin from the Milwaukee Brewers just before spring training, and now he will fill in at the hot corner after the team failed to re-sign Alex Bregman in the offseason. The 25-year-old has been sharing time at third this spring with Marcelo Mayer, who is the leading candidate to start the year at second base. Durbin has been impressive on both sides of the ball during Grapefruit League play, hitting .394 with seven RBI and three stolen bases in 33 at-bats through Tuesday. He hit .256 with 11 home runs and 53 RBI in 2025 in Milwaukee and finished third in National League Rookie of the Year voting. With a locked-in starting role and a better offensive environment at Fenway Park, Durbin is a nice late-round target in fantasy leagues that should provide a solid batting average floor and the potential for 20 stolen bases. He's ranked as the No. 16 third baseman at RotoBaller.

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After spending the first seven seasons of his MLB career with the New York Mets, power-hitting first baseman Pete Alonso signed a five-year contract this past winter with the Baltimore Orioles. The 31-year-old slugger has long been one of the most reliable sluggers in baseball, recording at least 34 home runs in every year of his career outside of the shortened 2020 season. Alonso has also been exceptionally durable throughout his time in the big leagues, recording at least 630 plate appearances in five consecutive campaigns. Across 709 trips to the plate with the Mets in 2025, Alonso slashed .272/.347/.524 with 38 home runs, 126 RBI, 87 runs scored, and one stolen base. Alonso has experienced fluctuations in his batting average over the course of his career, hitting .240 in 2024 and .217 in 2023. Still, he's kept his strikeout rate under 25% in five consecutive seasons and might be the most bankable source of power and run production in all of fantasy baseball. Alonso profiles as an elite first base option for fantasy managers heading into 2026.

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After spending the first eight seasons of his MLB career with the Houston Astros, starting pitcher Framber Valdez signed a three-year, $115 million contract with the Detroit Tigers over the winter. The 32-year-old established himself as one of the most reliable southpaws in baseball during his time with Houston. Dating back to 2022, Valdez has recorded four consecutive seasons with at least 176 innings pitched, 169 strikeouts, and an ERA under 3.70. Across 192 innings (31 starts) in 2025, Valdez posted a 13-11 record with a 3.66 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, and 187 strikeouts. The veteran routinely posts one of the highest ground ball rates among MLB starters, which helps him limit home runs but can lead to a slightly elevated WHIP. Valdez also relies on workload volume to rack up strikeouts, as he posted a middling 23.3% strikeout rate in 2025. Still, Valdez has established a bankable production floor and will also now be making his home starts in a pitcher-friendly environment in Detroit. Valdez profiles as a steady fantasy SP2 heading into 2026.

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Philadelphia Phillies veteran infielder/outfielder Dylan Moore (foot) is triggering the opt-out clause in his contract, league sources told Will Sammon of The Athletic. The Phillies will now have 48 hours to add Moore to their 40-man roster. Otherwise, he'll become a free agent on Saturday. Teams with injury concerns like the Houston Astros, New York Mets, and Baltimore Orioles could show interest in Moore. The 33-year-old left Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Atlanta Braves after fouling a ball off his foot, but he avoided any structural damage and should be fine in time for Opening Day next week. The former seventh-round pick by the Texas Rangers in 2015 out of the University of Central Florida hit just .201/.267/.374 with 11 homers, 25 RBI, and 14 stolen bases in 106 games with the Mariners and Rangers last year, but he has plenty of versatility around the diamond and speed to spare on the base paths. Moore stole a career-high 32 bases in 2024 in Seattle and has 118 steals in his seven big-league seasons.

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Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider said that starting pitcher Shane Bieber (forearm) is "progressing well" and could return to throwing off a mound "fairly soon," per Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet. Bieber made his return from April 2024 Tommy John surgery in late August 2025, but dealt with forearm fatigue during Toronto's postseason run that will delay his start to 2026. With Bieber, Jose Berrios (elbow), and Trey Yesavage (shoulder) all set to open the year on the Injured List, Toronto's starting pitching depth will be tested early on. Bieber pitched well across 40 1/3 innings (seven starts) for the Blue Jays in 2025, recording a 4-2 record with a 3.57 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, and 37 strikeouts. He should provide fantasy-relevant production when healthy in 2026, but his ability to stay on the mound for any extended stretch of time has to be considered a major question mark.

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Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Taylor Walls (oblique) is set to open 2026 on the Injured List due to an oblique issue, per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. With Walls sidelined, Topkin reports that top Rays prospect Carson Williams is "likely" to be the team's Opening Day starter at shortstop. Across 317 plate appearances in 2025, the glove-first Walls hit .220/.280/.319 with four home runs, 38 RBI, 36 runs scored, and 14 stolen bases. The 29-year-old is a career .195/.286/.298 hitter across 1,560 MLB plate appearances, rendering him largely unusable in the majority of fantasy formats. Walls' strong defensive metrics could lead to him regaining Tampa Bay's starting shortstop role once healthy. However, Williams appears likely to get an extended run of everyday playing time and could be a player for fantasy managers to target as a cheap source of power and speed.

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MLB.com's Ian Browne writes that it is "hard to see" how Boston Red Sox outfielder Masataka Yoshida fits into the team's outfield rotation on a regular basis in 2026. Boston has five projected outfielders entering the regular season in Yoshida, Roman Anthony, Jarren Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela, and Wilyer Abreu. Anthony, an emerging star in baseball, will play every day and will spend a lot of time in left field while also occasionally seeing time as the designated hitter and in right field when Abreu needs a day off. Duran will rotate between left, center, and DH. When Rafaela and Abreu play, they will always be in center and right field, respectively. It makes the 32-year-old Yoshida a trade candidate with a week to go until Opening Day. His fantasy value is way down after he hit only four home runs and drove in 26 while slashing .266/.307/.388 in just 55 games in 2025 due to injuries. Even if the contact-oriented Yoshida is healthy, he might not see enough at-bats in Beantown to warrant attention in mixed fantasy leagues.

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The Washington Nationals announced on Thursday that they optioned right-hander Josiah Gray to Triple-A Rochester. The Nationals are going to give Gray a little more time to ease himself back in after he spent all of 2025 rehabbing from Tommy John surgery. The 28-year-old was a first-time All-Star in 2023 for the Nats, but he made just two starts in 2024 before being shut down with right-elbow trouble. He has allowed only one earned run while walking one and striking out five in 4 2/3 innings over two Grapefruit League starts this spring, but the Nationals will be able to control his workload a bit better with him at Rochester to begin the season. Gray should be in Washington's starting rotation at some point in 2026, but fantasy managers in deep-mixed leagues can take a wait-and-see approach. In his four years in the majors, Gray has a 4.84 ERA (5.50 FIP), 1.42 WHIP, and 382:184 K:BB in 386 2/3 innings over 74 outings (73 starts).

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Tampa Bay Rays shortstop and top prospect Carson Williams "seems likely" to be the team's Opening Day starting shortstop, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. Williams was optioned to Minor League camp on Tuesday, but the news that presumed Rays starting shortstop Taylor Walls (oblique) will open the year on the Injured List due to an oblique issue has apparently necessitated a change in plans. Williams made his MLB debut in 2025 and struggled mightily, slashing .172/.219/.354 with five home runs, 12 RBI, 11 runs scored, and two stolen bases across 106 plate appearances. The 22-year-old struck out in 41.5% of his big-league plate appearances and wasn't much better at Triple-A, where he logged a 34.1% strikeout rate. However, Williams also racked up 23 home runs and 22 stolen bases across his 451 Minor League plate appearances in 2025. If he can limit his swing-and-miss to a more manageable level, Williams carries clear power/speed upside for fantasy managers. However, his profile comes with considerable downside risk in the batting average category.

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Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Trey Yesavage (shoulder) will open the season on the Injured List due to a right shoulder impingement, per Keegan Matheson of MLB.com. Toronto had been slow-playing Yesavage in Spring Training in an effort to manage his innings workload, but it appears as though the young right-hander will now require an injury-related shutdown. The 22-year-old made his MLB debut in 2025 and was a key contributor in the Blue Jays' run to the World Series, pitching to a 3.58 ERA and 1.05 WHIP with 39 strikeouts across 27 2/3 postseason innings. It's not yet clear how much time Yesavage should be expected to miss, but losing him for any stretch is a blow to Toronto's rotation. From a fantasy perspective, Yesavage's workload uncertainty makes him difficult for managers to rely on. Veteran left-hander Eric Lauer could be called upon to fill Yesavage's spot in the Blue Jays rotation to open 2026.

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Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Matt Strahm (leg) was diagnosed with a leg contusion and is considered day-to-day after being struck by a line drive against the Rangers. He was removed as a precaution, but the injury doesn't look like it will impact his availability for Opening Day. Strahm was acquired by the Royals from the Phillies, where the 34-year-old has spent the last three seasons. He is expected to fill a high-leverage role in the Royals' bullpen, and he is worth a look in leagues that count holds as a category. He isn't expected to compete for saves, though, while Carlos Estevez is healthy, which limits his value in standard mixed leagues.

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Houston Astros starting pitcher Tatsuya Imai has looked solid in spring training, allowing just two hits and one walk while picking up seven strikeouts in six innings. He worked three perfect innings with four strikeouts against the Marlins last Wednesday. The fact that he only has one walk is especially important since his control has been an issue at times in his eight years in the NPB in Japan. Last year, the righty posted a career-best 1.92 ERA and 2.01 FIP in 163 2/3 innings, racking up 178 strikeouts but also issuing 45 walks. He has huge upside as he joins the Astros rotation and will help fill in the void left by Framber Valdez's departure via free agency. Imai has looked very sharp and brings great upside as the #44 starting pitcher and #65 overall pitcher in RotoBaller's latest fantasy baseball rankings for 2026. If you can snag Imai, as a way to build rotation depth, he has the ceiling to be an elite producer if he successfully transitions to the MLB.

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New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto is the No. 2 outfielder in the RotoBaller rankings, and he looks ready to live up to lofty expectations in his second season with the Mets. He is worth an early first-round pick since he consistently contributes across the board in multiple categories. Last year, he had a .263/.396/.525 triple-slash with a .390 wOBA, 43 homers, 120 runs scored, and 105 RBI. He also added even more value by setting a new career high with 38 stolen bases. In his first seven seasons in the majors, he had never stolen more than 12 bases. With such well-rounded production and a secure spot near the top of one of the better lineups in the National League, he's an elite play. He had a slow spring training before the World Baseball Classic, but he went 6-for-23 (.261) with a pair of homers for the Dominican Republic.

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Chicago Cubs first baseman Michael Busch broke through as a regular in 2024 and emerged as a solid fantasy starter in 2025. He posted a .261/.343/.523 slash line with 34 home runs, 90 RBI, 78 runs scored, and four stolen bases. He was able to reduce his strikeout rate from 28.6% in 2024 to 23.5% in 2025 while increasing his barrel rate from 11.2% to 17.1% and his hard-hit rate from 39.9% to 47.3%. While he had lopsided platoon splits last year, struggling against southpaws, manager Craig Counsell said earlier in spring training that Busch has earned the right to play full-time and is not expected to be platooned to start the year. Busch's power production is excellent at his current ADP, and he is a legitimate bat to add once the elite options are gone at 1B. He's the No. 12 1B in RotoBaller's rankings, and his ADP is climbing based on the expectation that he'll be in a full-time role to start the season.

From RotoBaller

Boston Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras is putting together a strong first impression after joining the team this offseason in a trade from the Cardinals. After hitting .257 with 20 homers and a .344 wOBA last year, the 33-year-old has gone 6-for-13 with a pair of homers in limited Grapefruit League action. He was part of the WBC-winning Venezuela team, going 3-for-12 with three RBI in four games. He is ranked as the No. 16 1B in RotoBaller's rankings and can be a solid option once the elite starters are off the board. He could get a boost from Fenway Park and a more competitive environment and lineup. He's expected to hit in the heart of the order and should be a solid source of average and power again this season.

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Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Braxton Ashcraft struck out eight in 5 1/3 strong innings on Wednesday against the Detroit Tigers. The 26-year-old appeared in 26 games (eight starts) in his first taste of the majors last season, logging 69 2/3 innings and compiling a 2.71 ERA and 2.78 FIP. He looks ready to anchor a key spot in the Pirates' rotation going into the season and is an underrated part of the Pirates' exciting young rotation. If you need a late-round starting pitcher, Ashcraft can be an intriguing sleeper pick and can definitely be a streaming option to consider early in the season if he goes undrafted in mixed leagues.

From RotoBaller