Fantasy Baseball Player Notes

2025 Fantasy Baseball Draft Notes

Position

Team

Shota Imanaga Note
	22. Shota Imanaga SP Shota Imanaga arrived at MLB and upstaged his fellow countryman, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, mostly by staying healthy. Imanaga started 29 games for the Cubs, pitching 173 1/3 innings and racking up 174 strikeouts while maintaining a 2.91 ERA and 1.02 WHIP. He also kicked in a 15-3 record to boost his fantasy impact. His 25.1% strikeout rate and microscopic 4.0% walk rate furthered his case as Chicago's ace. The biggest red flag for Imanaga this season is that his 2.91 ERA was a mirage, thanks to an unsustainable 80.2% LOB percentage. His xERA was 3.46, and that should be closer to the expectation going forward. Imanaga is a high-end SP2 on draft day. 10 weeks ago

Justin Steele Note
	47. Justin Steele SP Justin Steele's 2024 season was marked by both impressive performances and injury setbacks. He posted a 5-5 record with a 3.07 ERA over 24 starts, striking out 135 batters in 134.2 innings, and maintaining a WHIP of 1.10. His advanced metrics were equally strong, with an average exit velocity of 86.9 mph and a hard-hit rate of 33.2%, both improvements from the previous season. Notably, Steele's strikeout rate increased to 33.3%, a significant uptick from his 24.6% rate in 2023, while his walk rate remained stable at 5.6%. However, injuries impacted Steele's availability. He began the season on the injured list due to a left hamstring strain and later dealt with left elbow tendinitis, limiting his innings. If he can maintain his health, Steele has the tools to build on his success and provide valuable innings for Chicago and fantasy teams. 10 weeks ago

Ryan Pressly Note
	87. Ryan Pressly RP

Matthew Boyd Note
	124. Matthew Boyd SP

Porter Hodge Note
	129. Porter Hodge RP

Jameson Taillon Note
	133. Jameson Taillon SP

Ben Brown Note
	160. Ben Brown SP

Tyson Miller Note
	287. Tyson Miller RP

Colin Rea Note
	289. Colin Rea SP

Ryan Brasier Note
	313. Ryan Brasier RP

Nate Pearson Note
	353. Nate Pearson RP

Luke Little Note
	370. Luke Little RP

Kenta Maeda Note
	379. Kenta Maeda SP,RP

Caleb Thielbar Note
	392. Caleb Thielbar RP

Eli Morgan Note
	416. Eli Morgan RP

Chris Flexen Note
	440. Chris Flexen SP

Javier Assad Note
	450. Javier Assad SP

Keegan Thompson Note
	458. Keegan Thompson RP

Cade Horton Note
	513. Cade Horton SP

Jordan Wicks Note
	534. Jordan Wicks SP

Julian Merryweather Note
	545. Julian Merryweather RP

Daniel Palencia Note
	614. Daniel Palencia RP

Michael Fulmer Note
	630. Michael Fulmer RP

Ethan Roberts Note
	655. Ethan Roberts RP

Jack Neely Note
	689. Jack Neely RP

Tom Cosgrove Note
	737. Tom Cosgrove RP

Phil Bickford Note
	747. Phil Bickford RP

Gavin Hollowell Note
	781. Gavin Hollowell RP

Ben Heller Note
	809. Ben Heller RP

Brandon Hughes Note
	858. Brandon Hughes RP

Brad Keller Note
	916. Brad Keller RP

Drew Pomeranz Note
	956. Drew Pomeranz RP

Brooks Kriske Note
	963. Brooks Kriske RP

Brandon Birdsell Note
	980. Brandon Birdsell SP