Fantasy Baseball Player Notes

The story is often the same with Blake Snell. He can be absolutely brilliant on the mound, as he was in the second half of last season following a return from injury. He had a 114:30 K:BB ratio in that time and looked like the Cy Young Award winner he is. However, early in the season, he was atrocious and caused many fantasy managers to question whether to throw him on the waiver wire versus riding the roller coaster. Snell will have games that single-handedly ruin your ratios in a weekly H2H matchup, and then he will turn around and win you the next three. His underlying metrics are brilliant, but minus the walks, which have always been problematic. And now that he is playing in Los Angeles, he should get a boost in win totals and plenty of run support. Keep in mind that Snell has only pitched 180 innings twice in his career, so drafting him most likely means an IL stint or two, but if you get the "Good" version, it'll be worth the tradeoff.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto struggled mightily in his first start in 2024, but then he settled in to be the ace-like pitcher the Dodgers expected him to be. Unfortunately, he only managed 18 starts as he dealt with a rotator cuff strain. His numbers were solid, however. In 90 innings, he struck out 105 batters and maintained a 3.00 ERA and 1.11 WHIP. Pitching for the Dodgers never hurt anyone and provides fantasy managers with the potential for more wins than with other ballclubs. The question with Yamamoto is how durable he will be and how many innings he will throw in 2025. The underlying stats say he could be an SP1, but he is best considered an SP2 on draft day.

Shohei Ohtani silenced any skeptics questioning his value after he was ruled out as a pitcher for 2024. The 30-year-old phenom delivered an unforgettable season, making a strong case as the top fantasy asset for managers who used him in their UTIL slot. Ohtani introduced the unprecedented 50/50 club, racking up 134 runs scored, 130 RBIs, and an extraordinary slash line of .311/.391/1.039. His .336 ISO and 9.1 WAR further highlighted his dominance. As a key piece of the Dodgers' lineup, he played a pivotal role in their championship run, earning his first World Series title. Expected to resume pitching in 2025, Ohtani offers an added bonus to his already unmatched fantasy value. Drafting him at 1.1 is a no-brainer, as his upside is unparalleled barring any unexpected injury.

Tyler Glasnow delivered a strong performance in 2024, his first season with the Los Angeles Dodgers, achieving career highs in starts (22), innings pitched (134), and strikeouts (168). He posted a 9-6 record with a 3.49 ERA and an impressive 0.95 WHIP. Notably, Glasnow's strikeout rate of 11.3 K/9 and walk rate of 2.4 BB/9 underscore his dominant presence on the mound. His Statcast metrics further highlight his effectiveness, with opponents recording an average exit velocity of 89 mph and a hard-hit rate of 40.1%. However, durability remains a concern for Glasnow. He did not pitch after August 11 due to a strained elbow that prematurely ended his season. Despite these concerns, Glasnow's elite strikeout potential and ability to limit hard contact make him a valuable asset for fantasy managers, provided his health is closely monitored.

Roki Sasaki continued to impress in the 2024 season with the Chiba Lotte Marines, posting a 10-5 record, a 2.35 ERA, and 129 strikeouts over 111 innings. Known for his blazing fastball, which has touched 102.5 mph, and a devastating splitter that induced a remarkable 57.1% whiff rate in 2024, Sasaki's arsenal is such that fantasy managers cannot wait for his arrival. At 23, Sasaki's trajectory points toward further growth and adaptation as he transitions to Major League Baseball. However, it will be important to note what the Dodgers plan to do with their extremely formidable rotation and whether they will limit Sasaki's innings in his first year. It will be hard to avoid reaching for him in drafts because the upside may be just too enticing.