With the season just beginning, it is important to look at some important storylines and aspects this week to be ahead of the curve and gain an edge on your league-mates.
20 Things to Watch: Week 3 (2023 Fantasy Baseball)
Week 3 Schedule Notes
The following teams have just five games this week:
- Baltimore Orioles (at WAS, vs. DET)
- Washington Nationals (vs. BAL, at MIN)
The following teams have seven games weeks:
- Boston Red Sox (vs. LAA, vs. MIN, at MIL)
- Los Angeles Angels (at BOS, at NYY, vs. KC)
- New York Mets (at LAD, at SF)
- Philadelphia Phillies (at CIN, vs. COL)
- Chicago Cubs (at OAK, vs. LAD)
- Cincinnati Reds (vs. TB, at PIT)
- Pittsburgh Pirates (at COL, vs. CIN)
- Arizona Diamondbacks (at STL, vs. SD)
- Colorado Rockies (vs. PIT, at PHI)
- Los Angeles Dodgers (vs. NYM, at CHC)
- San Diego Padres (vs ATL, at ARI)
- San Francisco Giants (at MIA, vs. NYM)
Fire Sale?
Chris Sale has really struggled through his first few starts, allowing five home runs and seven walks in 12 innings pitched. He has a tough two starts with the Angels and the Brewers, which I would likely try and avoid, but we are getting to a point where if he does not turn it around quickly, he will need to be dropped.
Springs Over?
Jeffrey Springs looked amazing in his first couple of starts but then departed with ulnar neuritis in his most recent start, which was a dagger for fantasy managers. While the issue sounds serious, it may be much to do about nothing, or it could be a sign that he needs Tommy John surgery. We should get more information soon, but if he misses an extended period of time, it will give top pitching prospect Taj Bradley another shot at the Rays’ rotation.
Taj Bradley Returns
With Springs likely missing time, Bradley should return. He looked good in his debut, getting strikeouts and only allowing one walk without giving up a home run. Bradley struggled with his command in AAA last year, but if he can keep the ball in the yard, he could be a massive pickup in leagues where he is still available.
Can Julien Stick?
Eduoard Julien was called up to replace Joey Gallo on the Twins roster. He is a top prospect that has put up unreal walk rates in the minor leagues. He already has a home run for the Twins as well and could become a mainstay near the top of the Twins lineup if he makes enough contact and plays good enough defense. The problem with Julien is because he is so passive at the plate, he can struggle to produce the kind of fantasy stats we want. That said, he is a top-tier prospect for a reason and should be rostered in most formats.
Is Kelenic For Real?
Jarred Kelenic is hitting .351/.415/.703 with three home runs and two stolen bases so far this season. He made offseason changes that may make this legitimate, but he is still striking out 26.8% of the time and not playing against lefties. That being said, he has a 9.5% swinging strike rate and is making league-average contact which are very good signs. I am apt to believe in the changes, and while he will regress, I am pretty happy with the production.
Yandy Lifting More Than Weights
Yandy Diaz has been great to start the season, hitting .275/.388/.600 with four home runs, but more important than the surface stats is the fact he has raised his launch angle from a career 5.3 degrees to 14.9 degrees. Yandy has always had power in the bat with his massive muscles, but he has always been a ground ball kind of guy, but if this launch angle change is legit, he could be a 30-homer bat. So if he is available in your league, pick him up, just in case.
Kyle Freeland is Free?
Freeland has been fantastic thus far, throwing 18.2 innings with a .96 ERA and a .96 WHIP. He is clearly not going to keep that up, but he has pitched really well in spite of being in Coors for two of his three starts and is healthy. He gets a two-step to prove whether this is legit, and while I tend to shy away from Rockies pitchers, you can’t ignore the results.
Can Matt Strahm Stretch Out
Matt Strahm has looked really good in his bid to be a starting pitcher again, but he has yet to go deep enough to qualify for a win. Until he does, I am not ready to use him in any format in spite of a pretty good two-start week this week, but if he begins to go deep enough into games, I will become a lot more intrigued by him.
How long do the Yankees stick with Volpe?
Anthony Volpe has struggled in his debut, hitting .158/.256/.237 with just no home runs and three stolen bases. He is a top prospect that has destroyed the minor leagues, but if he does not turn it around quickly, he may find himself back in the minors sooner rather than later. The Yankees have continued to let him hit high up in the lineup, but he needs to produce.
How long do the Mets let their prospects dominate AAA?
Top prospects Brett Baty, Ronny Mauricio and Mark Vientos are all destroying AAA while the Major League club struggles with a 93 wRC+ as a team. With the NL East being so competitive this season, the Mets should be aggressive at some point on these guys, with Baty likely being the first of the callups. Stash them before they come up, and you have to spend more on them in FAAB.
Rea of Sunshine?
Colin Rea made his first Major League appearance since 2021 and his first start since 2020 and was pretty impressive, throwing 5.2 innings and allowing one earned run on a solo home run while striking out six. He only allowed one walk in the outing as well. With Woodruff on the shelf, Rea has the chance to cement himself in the rotation if he continues to pitch well. He has a tough start versus the Mariners, but then he sets up for a nice two-start versus the Red Sox and Tigers the following week. He might be worth stashing to see if he can keep it up.
Vaughn Grissom is back!
Grissom didn’t make the Opening Day roster because of concerns about his defense, but with Orlando Arcia breaking his wrist, he is back with the Braves and should play regularly at shortstop. The offensive tools have not really been in question, but if he struggles defensively, he could find himself on the bench or back in AAA.
14-15. Steaming Options
Nathan Eovaldi (SP – TEX) | at KC
Eovaldi’s numbers have not been good, but the underlying numbers have been much better, with a 2.37 FIP. He has been getting unlucky with a .444 BABIP and a 57.5% strand rate. I think he will bounce back here and set up for a nice two-start week the following week.
Seth Lugo (RP – SD) | at ARI
Lugo has looked really good in his first few starts and even has gone deep enough into games to qualify for quality starts. I worry that he will struggle late in the season as he doesn’t have a lot of innings built up, but that is an issue for August and September, but not for now.
16-20. Two Start Recommendations
Marcus Stroman (SP – CHC) | at OAK vs. LAD
Stroman has looked really good out of the gate, and you pretty much have to start him with Oakland being one of the two teams he is facing. On the flip side of the equation, the Dodgers have been very good offensively this season, and Wrigley has had the wind blowing out a lot already this season. There is some risk to the backend of this two-step, but the front half is so good it is hard to pass up.
Alex Wood (SP – SF) and Alex Cobb (SP – SF) | at MIA vs. NYM
Both Cobb and Wood are really good pitchers that rely upon their defenses to help their high-contact profiles. Both have pitched well to start the season but also have the mistake-prone Giants defense behind them. These are pretty good matchups, with both the Mets and Marlins struggling offensively, so I am inclined to use either.
Eduardo Rodriguez (SP – DET) | vs. CLE, at BAL
E-Rod started a bit slow but was really good in his last start and has had a pretty rough schedule with three away starts at Tampa Bay, Houston, and Toronto. Things get much easier with a home start versus the struggling Guardians and an away start at Baltimore. This is an underrated option, but one I am rolling within a lot of formats.
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