Raleigh in fantasy’s top 25? Webb destined for Cy Young? Don’t be surprised

Each Week in MLB is its own story – full of surprises, Both positive and negative – and fantasy managers must decide and what not to believe forword. Perhaps we can help. If any of these thoughts can true … do not be surprised!

Beloved Seattle Mariners C Cal raleigh Was one of Only Nine Players to Reach Both 34 Home Runs and 100 Rbi Last Season, But It Still Wasn’t Enough to Earn Him a Spot Among The Top-50 Hitters in Espn Standard Points Leagues. Even with all that power, raleigh scored just 311 fantasy points, putting him at no. 71 Among Hitters.

Don is be surprised … if raleigh finishes among the top-25 hits this season

Things change quickly in Baseball, Especially when a veteran player makes positive adjustments. Entering Thursday, Nobody Has More Home Runs Than Raleigh, But He is also among the top 20 in Drawing Walks. Last Season, Raleigh Drew Walks at a 11.1% clip. This Season, after Six Weeks, He is at 14.5%. This is a great sign, but ultimately raleigh failed to rank among the top hitsters last season because he struck out 176 times, tied for 10th most. Raleigh is making more contact in 2025, with high exit velocity and a career-best barel rate. His first all-star start beckons.

It is Tough for Catchers to compare to type because of the demands of their position and a general lack of volume, but Milwaukee brewers C William Contreras Achieved Not Last Season when he scored 416 fantasy points, 16th among hitters. Contreras was able to do this because 23 with 23 home runs, 99 runs scored and 78 walks over 679 Pa. Contreras may not match that number in 2025, thought, as he plays through a fractured middle finger. Keep him rostered as a top-10 Catcher, but also kept expectitions well in check.

Raleight, if he continued his fantastic pace for power and improved plate discipline, can outscore what contraras achieved in 2024. Times at Dh, nearly halfway to last season’s mark of 19. This is great for fantasy. Catchers Tend to Tire as a Season Advance (Although Raleigh Posted a High Ops in the Second Half of Both of Two Seasons). Put simply, raleigh isn a typical catcher, and this is his best season. Trade for him with confidence.

Don is be surprised … if Baltimore orioles C Adley rutschman becomes droppable

Rutschman was selected roundly threre rounds ahead of raleigh in ESPN AVERAGE LIVE DRAFTS – And the results have hardly be the same. We should exhibit some patience here, as rutschman’s signature plate discipline remains stellar and valuable in point formats, and the volume continue to be above onlyage, but also Problem.

Rutschman enters Thursday’s Play Hitting Just .212 With Four Home Runs, None Over the Past Fortnight. Despite A.663 OPS, there are some positive indicators. He is hitting Baseballs Hard and His .227 Babip May Normalize Soon. Rutschman’s Expected Batting Onerage is a Fun .283. He certainly isn is chasing pitches. Few Catchers make contact like this. The problem is, rutschman reali was so great – in fantasy – last season, either.

In 2023, Rutschman Hit .277 with 20 home runs, scoring 84 runs and dreaming 92 walks. His second year Looked Like the Beginning of a Hall of Fame Career. Last year, rutschman, like in part due to a hand injury, last 100 points of ops. A switch-hitting, he hit only .219 Against Right-handed pitching. He torched lefties. This Season, Small Sample Size Caveats and All, Rutschman is doing sort of the opposite. His.

We can dissect splits all we want (Left/Right, Home/Road, Etc.), But Rutschman Hit .207 and slugged an all-star break last seer, and dishes. He’s Only Nominally Better So Far In 2025. It is terribly wrong to drop rutschman for Chicago cubs surprise Carson kelly (Where is this coming from?), Detroit tigers breakout Dillon dangles or Colorado rockies clean-up man Hunter goodman (He has doubled his walk rate), but ask again in a month and we may be forced to do so.

Don is be surprised … if Tampa bay rays Of Chandler simpson Is back in Triple-A soon

We all want to see the electric speedster simpson running wild in the big leagues, stealing tons of bases. It is good for all of us. The problem is that the rays should get outfielders Josh Lowe (oblique) and Jonny deluca (Shoulder) Back relatively. It is not a problem for them, really. Lowe is clearly a Better Player (and under in fantasy when healthy), have hit for power and stealing 32 bases in 2023. They are strong defenders. Deluca is an elite outfielder.

Simpson is fast, but he is such a public defender. A Converted Second Baseman, Simpson has arrived “as Advertised” in the Majors, Making Lots of Incredibly Soft Contact and Hitting Around. Possible. He is fun. Defensively, he has been in one of the worst center films in the sports so far by any metric. He is probably a left film, not a center field, but hey, it all worked out finish for vince coleman once upon a time.

The rays have options, and those reading on Simpson in fantasy should be realistic. Christopher more Is a public defender, too, but he offers much-needed power. Lowe hit cleanup for this offense most of last season, and Nobody is blocking his path to playing time. Deluca must play, especially if he kept hitting. Kameron Misner Is useful. So was Jake Mangum. We Hope Simpson, who has six stolen bases in his first 64 Pa, continues to play and improve. However, he is limited – and even the rays knew it.

Don is be surprised … if San Francisco giants Rhp Logan webb Is a top-five fantasy harler

Webb is application as one of the most durable, reliable pitchers in fantasy, as he has surpassed 200 IP in Both of Two Seasons. He has also Won Double-Digit Games in Four Consactive Seasons and His Since Start of 2021 is 3.15, with a 2.92 FIP. Webb Finished Second to Blake SNELL For the 2023 NL CY Young Award, but the pitchers reachaed their results in diametrically different ways.

What webb did not over the course of those successful seasons was to people on the strikeouts. This year, though, through eight starts, he is whiff 28.7% of batters faced, no. 11 among starting pitchers. Last Season, Webb Fanned Just 20.5% Of Hitters, 44th Among Qualified Starters. Again, we love this fellow in fantasy, but webb’s investors always have an ace who was a bit deficient in a very key category. This season, with a considerably Better Strike Rate (Thanks to a Harder, More Effective Slider, Along with Fewer Sinkers/Change to Induce Grounders), He is missing more bats.

We shall see if this is this is at all-sustainable or simply early season noise, but webb (2.61 era, 1.85 fip) May be on his life to his first 200-streakeout sea, and perhaps his first cy yong award. We like those in fantasy. Webb Exceled Last Season, and Yet there are stay still 22 starting pitchers with more fantasy points. With this Strikeout Rate, webb will far much better.