March is a busy time for sports fans. The NBA and NHL seasons are heading into the stretch run. College Basketball rolls through conference tournaments and descends into March Madness. And the NFL steals headlines with trades and free agent signings. Any manager would be forgiven if they’ve missed some of the spring training storylines that will impact 2025 fantasy baseball drafts. Fortunately, this handy guide can catch any manager up to speed in just a few minutes.
Key Injuries
The following players have ailments that will impact draft-day decisions. Players are ordered by their pre-injury draft ranking.
— Gunnar Henderson (intercostal) expects to be ready for Opening Day after missing some time in March. He can be downgraded slightly but remains a first-round pick.
— Mookie Betts (illness) missed the two games in Tokyo. He has reportedly lost 15 pounds. It’s time to move him to the middle of the second round.
— Freddie Freeman (rib, ankle) missed the two games in Tokyo. More importantly, he will have his workload managed in the first half of the season. He should fall to Round 3 in drafts.
— George Kirby (shoulder) is playing catch but will miss the start of the season. He could return in mid-April and should be drafted in the range of pick 125.
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— Gerrit Cole (elbow) requires Tommy John surgery and will miss the entire season.
— Royce Lewis (hamstring). Here we go again. The oft-injured Lewis has suffered a moderate strain and will miss several weeks. He now belongs in the second half of drafts.
— Jared Jones (elbow) experienced soreness this week and is undergoing testing. There is a good chance that he misses a significant amount of time.
— Spencer Steer (shoulder) has started a throwing program and is trying to avoid the IL. The guess here is that he misses part of April.
— Grayson Rodriguez (elbow) is in the early stages of a throwing program. He should miss all of April and is a late-round draft-and-stash player in default Yahoo formats.
— Nico Hoerner (forearm) didn’t play in the Cubs two games in Tokyo but still has a chance to be ready for their next game on March 27. He doesn’t need to be downgraded in drafts.
— Luis Gil (lat) is hoping to return in June. He is not worth drafting but will be someone to stash when he nears his return.
— Sean Manaea (oblique) is playing catch and should return in late April. He’s worth a late-round pick to stash in an IL slot.
— Yu Darvish (arm) experienced fatigue in a recent start. There is a good chance that the 38-year-old spends some time on the IL. He’s now a late-round pick.
— Tyler Stephenson (oblique) has a low-grade strain. He can start the season on waivers in one-catcher leagues and will be worth adding when he returns in the middle of April.
— Francisco Alvarez (fractured hand) hopes to return by the beginning of May. He’s waiver-wire fodder in one-catcher leagues.
— Sean Murphy (fractured rib) could return in late April. He should open the season on waivers in one-catcher leagues.
— Parker Meadows (arm) is dealing with a nerve issue and will open the season on the IL. He isn’t throwing and doesn’t have a timeline. He can fall to waivers in standard leagues.
— Clarke Schmidt (shoulder) has been slowed by some recent soreness and should open the season with a brief IL stint. He is still a viable late-round pick.
— Max Scherzer (thumb) has been dealing with a lingering blister issue and is unsure about his status for Opening Day. He is still worth a late-round pick.
— Tobias Myers (oblique) will open the season on the IL. Previously a late-round option, he is no longer worth drafting.
— Giancarlo Stanton (calf, elbow) has no timetable to return and shouldn’t be drafted in any mixed leagues.
Rising Rookies
The following youngsters have become exciting draft options.
— Jasson Dominguez (Yankees) will make the team, which is not a surprise. He was briefly considered for the leadoff spot but will hit lower in the lineup for now. He is appropriately valued at his Yahoo ADP of pick 152.4.
— Matt Shaw (Cubs) started both games in Toyko. The good news stops there, as he went 1-for-9 with four strikeouts and zero walks. Still, Shaw has serious upside and is a steal as his ADP of pick 216.7.
— Kristian Campbell (Red Sox) is very close to locking up Boston’s second base job. He arguably has as much 2025 upside as Dominguez and is available almost 100 picks later (ADP 243.7).
— Jackson Jobe (Tigers) showed some exciting flashes in spring training but was inconsistent overall. Detroit has enjoyed good rotation health thus far, which may push its top prospect to the minors. He shouldn’t be stashed in standard Yahoo formats.
— Roman Anthony (Red Sox) is widely regarded as the best position prospect in baseball and looked great in spring training. He will start the season in the minors but should make a major impact at some point in the first half. In some formats, he is worth stashing now.
— Kumar Rocker (Rangers) has a clear path to a spot in the Rangers injury-impacted rotation. Unfortunately, he struggled this spring and will likely open the season in Triple-A and on fantasy waiver wires.
— Bubba Chandler (Pirates) and Quinn Mathews (Cardinals) both looked great in spring training. They will open the season in Triple-A but should be part of their respective rotations by the end of May.
— Roki Sasaki (Dodgers) didn’t fare well in Tokyo, which will lower his draft stock in the coming days. Due to innings concerns, I wouldn’t consider him unless his current ADP (97.9) falls 30 spots.
Successful Starters
Several starting pitchers have joined the fantasy radar after turning heads in the past month.
— Hayden Birdsong (Giants) has a ridiculous 18:0 K:BB ratio in 12 innings of work. He or Landen Roupp (14:1 K:BB ratio) should earn the final rotation spot and instantly become a coveted sleeper. My money is on Birdsong.
— Grant Holmes (Braves) has locked up a rotation spot by posting a 1.76 ERA in spring training. Still, his 12:7 K:BB ratio should keep him in the final rounds of drafts.
— Ryan Weathers (Marlins) is similar to Holmes, in that he has been rising up draft boards thanks to spring run prevention (0.00) that has masked concerning control (8 BB in 11.1 IP). I would select Holmes over Weathers or teammate Max Meyer (8:2 K:BB) by virtue of Holmes being on a vastly superior team.
— Kris Bubic (Royals) has consistently moved up draft boards, as managers recognized that he was successful as a reliever last year and now has a rotation spot. His 13:3 K:BB ratio has only further fueled the buzz around him.
— Casey Mize (Tigers) has made an unexpected return to the sleeper list, thanks to his improved radar gun readings this spring. He has not allowed an earned run. It’s also worth noting that Comerica Park is a great place to pitch during the cool April weather.
— Tylor Megill (Mets) is sucking fantasy managers in again. The inconsistent right-hander has become a rotation lock thanks to an injury to Sean Manaea, and he has looked great (13:2 K:BB) this spring.
— Michael Soroka (Nationals) hasn’t dominated the competition this spring, but his radar gun readings have been impressive enough to make him someone to watch from the waiver wire at the outset of the regular season.
— Jack Leiter (Rangers) has been inconsistent this spring but has shown enough flashes to grab a rotation spot on a Texas team that recently lost two starters to injury. The No. 2 overall pick of the 2021 draft, Leiter still has plenty of potential.
I know what you’re thinking — if I have one or two roster spots to use on these hurlers, which ones should I choose? Holmes, Birdsong, Bubic and Megill are my preferred options.
Closer Conundrums
Here are the updates to ninth-inning situations that were murky at the outset of spring training.
Arizona Diamondbacks
The team will not have a full-time closer at the outset of the season, with Justin Martinez and A.J. Puk expected to share the role. Kevin Ginkel could get a few chances as well. Martinez is arguably the slight favorite over Puk and is appropriately being drafted three rounds earlier.
Boston Red Sox
Although this is still a bullpen in flux, early indications are that Aroldis Chapman may get the first save chance. Liam Hendriks has not had a great spring and isn’t worth drafting in standard formats.
Detroit Tigers
This situation is still a complete mess. Jason Foley, Beau Brieske and Tyler Holton could all receive save chances. I wouldn’t draft any of them while being ready to pounce on the waiver wire after Opening Day.
Kansas City Royals
Carlos Estévez and Lucas Erceg will likely share early save chances. Estévez has a larger contract, while Erceg may be a slightly better pitcher. Both players are talented and are worth a late-round pick.
Los Angeles Dodgers
Manager Dave Roberts said that Tanner Scott would get most of the early save chances. True to his word, Roberts gave Scott a save in the Dodgers opener and then used setup man Alex Vesia in the ninth inning the following day. Scott looks like someone who can get 25-30 saves.
Miami Marlins
Calvin Faucher and Jesús Tinoco are expected to share save chances. Neither pitcher is especially talented, and the Marlins may be a 100-loss team. I’ll pass on drafting any Miami relievers.
Pittsburgh Pirates
The team has yet to name a closer, and favorite David Bednar hasn’t pitched well this spring. Bednar is still worth a late-round pick, while Colin Holderman and Dennis Santana are two players to monitor from the waiver wire.
Texas Rangers
On a team that will contend for a division title, there is no obvious fit for the ninth inning. Chris Martin is the slight favorite, and he’s the only Rangers reliever who is worth a late draft pick. Lefty Robert Garcia and righty Luke Jackson are two other hurlers to keep an eye on.
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