Fantasy Baseball Player Notes

Dylan Cease escaped from the White Sox in time to deliver a steady season as the Padres' ace. The 28-year-old struck out 224 batters in 189 1/3 innings on his way to a 3.47 ERA and a 1.07 WHIP. He is in the 92nd percentile in Whiff% (32.4) and maintained a 29.4 K%. He set a new career-low walk rate at 8.5%, impressive for a pitcher who has struggled with free passes for much of his career. Cease will provide fantasy managers with a steady stream of strikeouts and 30+ starts. Just don't expect a return of his 2022 numbers anytime soon.

Astute managers grabbed Michael King late in 2024 drafts, and he rewarded them handsomely. After five years with the Yankees, pitching in every imaginable scenario, the Padres nabbed him in the Juan Soto deal and made him a starter. He started 30 games, pitched 173 2/3 innings, struck out 201 batters, and held down a 2.95 ERA and 1.19 WHIP. King is masterful at inducing weak contact, sitting in the 99th percentile in average exit velocity and 97th percentile in hard-hit percentage. The only thing of note is that his xERA was 3.54, suggesting he had some luck in 2024 that kept his sub-3 ERA intact. Other than that, though, King is primed to reach SP1 status in 2025 and should be targeted in most leagues.