Updates
Drake Baldwin, C, Braves (96%): No one can improve on Baldwin, but we have to salute his great opening month (.311 average, 29 runs, seven home runs, 25 RBI). Baldwin is also giving us unusual volume for a catcher, because the Braves DH him whenever he’s not playing defense. As a result, he has started every game this year and ranks second in the MLB’s highest scoring lineup.
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I generally like to play the value game as a catcher (and as a relief pitcher), but the Mason Miller rule also applies to Baldwin. If it’s going to be this efficient and get that much volume, I have to head towards the outlier. I have no problem ranking Baldwin in the top 50 for the rest of the season.
Kyle Harrison, SP, Brewers (33%): It’s not easy to say definitively yet what Harrison really is: He’s had five starts of variable ERA and his 2.28 ERA is well above his expected stats. But his last inning was brilliant (six innings, one hit, one walk, 12 strikeouts), and no one has surpassed him yet (his worst inning was a modest three runs). This has every appearance of what a post-hype sleeper does well; Harrison is still only 24 years old and at one point was ranked a top 25 prospect.
We also like to bet on things from Milwaukee; The Brewers are a smart organization and always put good defense behind their pitchers. Harrison is a recommended start this week in Washington.
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Louis Varland, RP, Blue Jays (47%): Fantasy baseball isn’t always linear, but let’s appreciate the times when it is. Jeff Hoffman, Toronto’s closer, was struggling. Varland, the head coach, was locked in. It made sense that the Blue Jays saw the need for a change, and last week the decision was finally made. Varland validated the quote with two quick saves, although one of them was a white-knuckle trip (3 H, 1 R, 1 BB).
Baseball analysis is best done with large samples, but when dealing with relievers, we often rely on small samples. Varland was great with Minnesota last year (2.02/1.102), then less effective in Toronto (4.94/1.394). He’s probably exhausted right now (0.60/0.86), although we love 23 strikeouts against four walks in 15 innings. But as long as Toronto trusts him in the ninth inning, we might as well do the same.
Josh Jung, 3B, Rangers (39%): Jung has always been a good player during his brief career, although we have often defined him by the improvements we wanted. If only I had a better walking speed. If only I had a little more power. This year, he is checking the boxes of an improving player. His walk and chase rates are still below league average, but they have improved. And when he makes contact, the ball screams – his hard hitting stats are excellent.
Hyeseong Kim, UT, Dodgers (12%): Kim qualifies at three different positions (2B/SS/OF), meaning he could still have a spot in the lineup even after Mookie Betts returns. Kim has a positive walk rate and is a smart base stealer, which helps make up for his mediocre hard hit rates and lack of power. The Dodgers will keep him in the bottom third of the order, given his star power, but any spot in this lineup has value to me.
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Downgrades
Andrew Abbott, SP, Reds (55%): We all suspected that Abbott’s big season in 2025 wasn’t sustainable, but I figured he might be a player who could step back and win, someone whose decline would be modest, allowing him to provide ADP value. Abbott’s walk, strikeout, and home run rates are all moving in the wrong direction, and while there have been some unfortunate elements to his difficult April, his expected ERA (4.82 FIP) wouldn’t help anyone either.
Alec Bohm, 1B/3B, Phillies (38%): I thought last year could be considered an excused absence, and Bohm’s space clearing encouraged me to open the year. But a quick slide pushed him down in Philadelphia’s lineup, and at some point the club might have to try something else. At least Bohm’s slump is distracting attention from Bryson Stott, who is in his own slump (.221/.268/.273). Maybe the 2026 Phillies just can’t be fixed.
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Chase DeLauter, OF, Guardians (64%): The four home runs to start the year were fantastic, but the pitchers adapted quickly. DeLauter has a .211/.322/.342 line since that early success, although he has more walks than strikeouts. Cleveland’s lineup isn’t deep and DeLauter deserves time to figure things out and progress at his own pace, of course. Interestingly, DeLauter currently has reverse splits, with an OPS that is 329 points higher against lefties.