Fantasy baseball: Acuna, Strider lead list of top players to watch this spring

The Atlanta Braves lost their first seven games of the 2025 season and, in surprising fashion, never really threatened for an eighth consecutive NL playoff berth. Injuries certainly played a role, as OF Ronald Acuna Jr. started the season late recovering from ACL surgery, while ace RHP Spencer Strider missed most of the first six weeks of the season and then delivered the worst year of his career. There were more injuries, but some players just didn’t perform as expected.

Two seasons after the Braves led baseball in runs and crushed 307 home runs, their 2025 offense was league average in runs, and hit only 190 home runs, 14th in baseball. No Brave homered 30 times or knocked in 100 runs. Nobody stole more than 20 bases. On the pitching side, nobody won 10 games or qualified for the league ERA title. Veteran 2B Ozzie Albies and OF Michael Harris II played a lot, but they did not hit. Free agent OF Jurickson Profar hit, but he couldn’t play half the season because of suspension. Ace LHP Chris Sale thrived, but over only 20 starts.

New manager Walt Weiss takes over a team loaded with big names and the potential to play critical roles for fantasy teams. In fact, nine Braves are among the top 100 players in NFBC ADP, from the exalted Acuna in the top 10 to the curious Strider at the back end. Catcher Drake Baldwin, defending NL Rookie of the Year winner, is in there. Closer Raisel Iglesias is in there. The Los Angeles Dodgers, for the record, boast only seven players in the top 100.

Fantasy managers should watch this pair of Braves in spring training because there is quite a bit to watch. Acuna’s health, after multiple ACL tears, is paramount. He stole 73 bases in his amazing 2023 campaign, but he has a mere 25 steals over 144 games since. Strider fanned 281 hitters in 2023. He has barely half that total since. Watching these players in spring training — and their numbers — can tell us something important, and we await clarity on the lineup and rotation, too. The Braves should return to the playoffs, and please many a fantasy manager along the way.

Other veteran hitters to watch

Yordan Alvarez, OF, Houston Astros: Alvarez, slugger of at least 30 home runs for four consecutive seasons entering 2025, and surely worthy of a top-20 fantasy pick, hit just six home runs over 48 games. A hand fracture cost him nearly four months, and then his season ended a few weeks early because of an ankle sprain. When healthy, Alvarez is a building-block fantasy player. The Astros claim he is healthy, but they will likely aim to keep him safe in a DH role. Let’s watch Alvarez hit in March because his initial ADP will not remotely match what it ended up a season ago, and that feels wrong. This Astros lineup has question marks with one too many infielders (Isaac Paredes) and there is outfield opportunity (Cam Smith, Brice Matthews).

Bryce Harper, 1B, Philadelphia Phillies: Harper, coming off a season with an .844 OPS (his worst since 2016), shouldn’t have much to prove in his age-33 season. Eventually, the Hall of Fame awaits. Then again, when Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski casually and controversially remarked that Harper did not have an elite season like past years, it became a thing. A motivated Harper now has something to prove. The Phillies made mostly underwhelming changes this offseason and none of the right-handed hitters with a chance to protect Harper in the lineup feel appealing. Harper’s ADP might or might not be a bargain. But again, a big spring — even if it shouldn’t matter — would change that.

Luis Robert Jr., OF, New York Mets: Robert, who has participated in more than 110 games in only one of his six MLB seasons, comes to the Mets via a one-sided January trade from the Chicago White Sox, and expectations are high. The Mets and fantasy managers alike would love a repeat of his 2023 season, when Robert hit .264 with 38 home runs and 20 stolen bases. He should be motivated and, for now, he is healthy. It is easy to see his preseason ADP flourish — and same goes for his new teammate Bo Bichette learning third base — if he performs well and earns a coveted lineup spot either directly before or after OF Juan Soto.

Adley Rutschman, C, Baltimore Orioles: Rutschman, an AL All-Star in both his second and third MLB seasons, hit just .220 with nine home runs in 2025. Chances are your catcher did better. This was a continuation of his second-half struggles from 2024, when the 2019 No. 1 pick hit a sad .207 with three home runs. There was mild talk of the Orioles perhaps parting ways with Rutschman via trade since prospect Samuel Basallo appears ready for regular playing time, but both remain. Rutschman is not among the first 10 catchers going in NFBC ADP. A strong spring training would alter that.

Mike Trout, OF, Los Angeles Angels: Nobody expects the “Hall of Fame” version of Trout to suddenly return in his age-35 season, but let’s give credit where it is due. Trout played 130 games in 2025, his most since 2019. He hit 26 home runs and, while many fantasy managers watched closely, he barely eclipsed 20 outfield games, retaining this key eligibility. Trout claims he wants to play more outfield in 2026. The Angels are not ruling it out. We just want the fellow to bat 600 times and get that average up again, and perhaps his spring performance makes us feel like it is realistic.

Others to watch: Jac Caglianone, OF, Kansas City Royals; Triston Casas, 1B, Boston Red Sox; Pete Crow-Armstrong, OF, Chicago Cubs; Oneil Cruz, OF, Pittsburgh Pirates; Jasson Dominguez, OF, New York Yankees; Brenton Doyle, OF, Colorado Rockies; Luke Keaschall, 2B, Minnesota Twins; Jakob Marsee, OF, Miami Marlins; Munetaka Murakami, 3B, White Sox; Trevor Story, SS, Red Sox

Other veteran pitchers to watch

Zack Wheeler, SP, Phillies: Wheeler, a top-5 starting pitcher when healthy, is recovering from multiple surgeries from late last season dealing with his shoulder — and there was always a good chance he would miss the start of the 2026 season. The Phillies are optimistic he will not miss considerable time, and that he will return to Cy Young-contending form, but there are no guarantees. Wheeler is 35. His March progress should further define his unclear ADP. It would also be quite nice if his healthy teammate Aaron Nola restores confidence by pitching well in the spring. That 6.01 ERA is not forgotten.

Roki Sasaki, SP, Dodgers: World Series clutch performer Sasaki was otherwise a clear fantasy bust last season, making only eight starts (with a 4.72 ERA, 1.49 WHIP), and none after May 9. The Edwin Diaz signing ensures that a healthy Sasaki will be in the team’s rotation, but we would like to see some dominant four- and five-inning March outings before declaring him to be a strong investment. Who else makes the rotation? Well, there is that Shohei Ohtani fellow, already a lock to be the No. 1 pick in most leagues, but his ability to pitch plays some role there, too.

Tarik Skubal, SP, Detroit Tigers: Nobody should be worried about this two-time AL Cy Young Award winner, but we cannot ignore a few things that are happening here. For one, there remains uncertainty about Skubal’s future in Detroit because of his contract status and desire for a long-term commitment. Second, Skubal is among the starting pitchers on Team USA for the World Baseball Classic. There is little evidence (no, really) that participating in this March event adversely affects a player’s (pitcher or hitter) six-month regular season, but people worry anyway. Paul Skenes, Logan Webb and Joe Ryan are other starters committed to the team. These pitchers aren’t throwing 100 pitches in WBC games. They are building up for the regular season.

Chase Burns, SP, Cincinnati Reds: Burns, the No. 2 pick in the 2024 draft, debuted last season with 43⅓ innings of oft-misleading results. Burns routinely gets his fastball into triple digits, but walks were a problem during his eight MLB starts. They were not a problem when he pitched in relief. Burns delivered an overall 4.57 ERA and a 1.31 WHIP, but with a telling 2.65 FIP and meaningful 35% strikeout rate. The upside is immense. The Reds seem committed to Burns as a starter, as they should be, but they have options. A few major strikeout efforts in March should alter this ADP, but perhaps Burns deserves more attention anyway.

Ryan Helsley, RP, Orioles: Rare is the relief pitcher we pay close attention to in March, because closers are not generally utilized in a closing role in March. We often see them throw in the fifth or sixth inning, so they can face the opposition’s signature hitters. With Helsley, there is something to watch. One of fantasy’s top relief pitchers for the 2024 St. Louis Cardinals (2.04 ERA, 49 saves) could not replicate that performance last season, and he was terrible after the trade to the Mets (7.20 ERA, 1.80 WHIP). Rumors had Helsley tipping his pitches. If he pitches well in the spring, fantasy managers might make him a top-10 relief pitcher in ADP. If he does not, his value might plummet.

Others to watch: Sandy Alcantara, SP, Marlins; Mike Burrows, SP, Astros; Gerrit Cole, SP, Yankees; Nathan Eovaldi, SP, Texas Rangers; Josh Hader, RP, Astros; Shota Imanaga, SP, Cubs; Jacob Misiorowski, SP, Milwaukee Brewers; Joe Musgrove, SP, San Diego Padres; Cody Ponce, SP, Toronto Blue Jays; Trevor Rogers, SP, Orioles; Spencer Schwellenbach, SP, Braves; Emmet Sheehan, SP, Dodgers.