No Main League Baseball crew has performed greater than seven video games as of February 26, and none of them have truly counted for something, however what else are we going to make use of to judge who we want for our fantasy baseball squads? This early in Spring Coaching, we live and dying by each residence run and 99 mile per hour pitch. It’s all we’ve received!
Within the combination, Spring Coaching stats are principally meaningless, however issues like taking part in time, utilization, and lineup spots will be helpful info. Gamers who’re buzzy who find yourself with large or horrible springs are additionally onerous to disregard.
There are nonetheless a number of massive names but to debut in Spring Coaching, similar to Jose Altuve, Wyatt Langford, Shohei Ohtani, and Rafael Devers. However most gamers are a number of video games into 2025 Spring Coaching, together with most of the fringe fantasy baseball items who’re preventing for a job and taking part in time. This piece will have a look at some MLB fantasy belongings which have seen their fantasy worth rise and fall within the first week of Spring Coaching video games.
ADP is taken from the previous seven days of NFBC drafts.
Spring Coaching Risers
Michael Busch (1B), Chicago Cubs – NFBC ADP: 248.1
After an uneven season that at instances noticed Michael Busch hit homers in six straight video games and at instances seemed like he wanted a visit again to the minors, Busch was in search of a sizzling begin to spring. Mission completed. In his first 13 plate appearances, Busch is hitting .417/.462/.750 with 5 hits and 7 RBI. He has seemed affected person and decisive on the plate and is destroying each pitcher he faces.
Many of the Cubs’ offseason chatter centered round Kyle Tucker, rookie Matt Shaw, the chase for Alex Bregman, and the event of Pete Crow-Armstrong. Busch has been misplaced within the shuffle, however he might need simply as a lot potential and room for enchancment as anybody on the roster. Busch’s splits took a nosedive within the second half final 12 months, due to a rise in his floor ball charge. If Busch can hold the ball within the air extra in 2025, the sky is the restrict for his immense energy.
Matt McLain (2B), Cincinnati Reds – NFBC ADP: 83.3
Maybe you noticed what Matt McLain did in Wednesday’s recreation in opposition to the Los Angeles Angels. Earlier than he was eliminated, McLain went 3-for-3 with two doubles, a house run, and two RBI. He’s now hitting .500 with a 1.625 OPS this spring and appears absolutely recovered from 2024 accidents that stored him out of the whole season. Drafters have been cautious with him and his immense upside, taking him after choose 80, however that may change after his blistering begin to Spring Coaching.
Lest we overlook, in 2023, McLain went off for a .290 common, .507 slugging share, 16 residence runs, and 14 steals in simply over half a season. It’s that tantalizing expertise that made him a prime 70 choose on many websites heading into final season. He, in fact, grew to become one of many greatest busts when he didn’t play a recreation final 12 months, however all indicators level to “Wholesome” for 2025. Regardless of the roster crunch in Cincinnati, if McLain is wholesome, he’s going to play second base and sure bat third on this potent lineup in among the best hitter parks in all of baseball. This ADP may appear like a steal a month from now.
Clay Holmes (SP), New York Mets – NFBC ADP: 268.0
Accidents to Sean Manaea and Frankie Montas have kicked the door vast open for Clay Holmes to assert a beginning spot on this New York Mets rotation and by no means look again. He’s beginning to creep up draft boards and ADP trackers due to this information, however he’s nonetheless languishing nearer to choose 300 than 200 as a result of Holmes has not made a begin within the Main Leagues since 2018. He moved to a reliever position, though his background was as a starter. When the Mets signed him this offseason for 3 years and $38 million, they made it clear they wished him to start out. And it’s factor contemplating the infirmary state of their rotation.
Holmes has 4 straight seasons with a Ok/9 charge over 9.2 and has an ERA of three.60 or decrease in every of these seasons. He by no means provides up residence runs (0.53 HR/9 for his profession) and has a 66% groundball charge in his seven seasons in MLB. That’s the important thing to success as a starter, and as he will get stretched out this spring, it’s extra essential than ever that he give the Mets these sorts of high quality innings. Some drafters are beginning to take discover. He has been chosen as excessive as 235 within the final seven days.
There might come a time this spring when his ADP is approaching 200 with some robust outings in Florida.
Spring Coaching Fallers
Nolan Jones (OF), Colorado Rockies – NFBC ADP: 257.7
You bear in mind Nolan Jones, proper? The fantasy darling of 2024 who was drafted round choose 55 total forward of final season due to a 2023 marketing campaign that noticed him go 20/20 in simply 106 video games. The damage bug struck in 2024, which sapped his batted ball and velocity skills. Badly. Jones completed 2024 with simply three residence runs and 5 steals in 79 video games. A .227/.321/.320 line with a 30% strikeout charge was the icing on the crap cake, resulting in Nolan Jones being drafted a full 200 picks later this offseason.
With Jones absolutely wholesome, he had one thing to show this Spring Coaching. But when he needs to do this, he’s going to should do one thing, ANYTHING, to make fantasy managers purchase again in. By way of 13 plate appearances, Jones has a .000/.077/.000 slash line with 4 strikeouts and no RBI. We will’t learn an excessive amount of into this small a pattern, however when you’re a Jones truther, that is music to your ears. He’ll proceed to be drafted round choose 250 or later till he exhibits indicators of life.
He’ll hit within the center third of the Colorado lineup and can play half his video games in Coors Subject. There may be potential right here, however Jones isn’t tapping into it but.
Jo Adell (OF), Los Angeles Angels – NFBC ADP: 292.9
Jo Adell had plenty of inquiries to reply heading into 2025. First, how does one hit 20 residence runs and steal 15 bases in simply 130 video games when he can barely hold his common above the Mendoza line (.207)? Second, contemplating 130 video games was greater than 40 greater than he had ever performed in his profession with the Angles, can he ever keep constant and wholesome sufficient to play an entire season? Adell put up the counting stats in 2024, and he reduce his strikeout charge and bumped up his stroll charge. However is he truly dependable? His begin to spring doesn’t encourage confidence.
I’m undecided what number of .000/.000/.000 guys are making a case for fantasy relevance, however that’s what Adell has put up via 4 video games. Proper now, Jo Adell is penciled into the centerfield spot for the Angels (due to Mike Trout shifting to proper subject), however Adell isn’t free from competitors. Mickey Moniak is correct there on the roster and gives a left-handed bat that might make up a powerful aspect of a platoon. If Adell doesn’t choose it up, he may very well be taking a look at an OF4 position on this crew earlier than too lengthy.
Luis Castillo (SP), Seattle Mariners – NFBC ADP: 108.0
There are some troubling traits settling in for Luis Castillo, and now the once-upon-a-time top-12 pitcher has fallen exterior the highest 100 in early drafts this spring. In 2024, Castillo’s Ok/9 charge was simply 8.98, his lowest since his first full season in MLB in 2018. That’s partly because of the truth that his fastball velocity final 12 months (95.7 mph) was the bottom of his total profession. Mix these two issues with a 39% floor ball charge (for his profession, he’s at 48.5%), and that’s a recipe for potential catastrophe this season. This spring, Castillo should present some course correction right here to maintain fantasy managers assured that his expertise haven’t eroded to the purpose the place he’s not reliable.
Castillo nonetheless has cavernous T-Cell Park as his residence stadium, in order that at all times helps. However even with that help, his 1.28 HR/9 was his highest ratio since 2018. His 41.7% onerous hit charge tied the very best of his profession, and his 16.3-degree launch angle allowed was by far the very best. At age 32, it’s attainable that is only a pitcher in gradual decline, however a cliff might at all times come, and we don’t need Castillo on our fantasy groups when he finds it.
