With opening day upon us, it is time to set lineups, make the last roster adjustments and start planning for the marathon which is seasonal baseball. No matter the league set-up, knowing how players are trending and what opportunities are to come makes fantasy baseball easier. The wraparound sets up the week ahead but this week is a primer for the first week of the season. Starting with the American League.
In what can be a daunting column, the wraparound is geared to give a weekly outlook at the schedule along with the hot topics surrounding each team. Since this is the first week of the season, the focus will be on rotation depth along with players of interest as the 2016 baseball season begins.
Be sure to set your lineups prior to the 1:00 EST start time on Sunday when the Cardinals will face Pittsburgh. As for the American League’s first game, the Tampa Bay Rays will host their first Opening Day on a Sunday when Toronto visits at 4:05 EST.
Now for the wraparound, and you will notice each team’s fantasy roundtable which was worked on by our great staff is attached to the team name. All you need to do it click to read three writers’ sleepers, buyer bewares and a burning question for each team.
American League East
Baltimore Orioles: 3 vs. Minnesota, 3 vs. Tampa Bay
There is no question the Orioles should score runs this season. Manny Machado broke out in 2015, Chris Davis returned to his power-hitting ways and Adam Jones is, well Adam Jones. Adding Mark Trumbo and Pedro Alvarez to an already powerful lineup will only provide more firepower.
A healthy Matt Wieters and Jonathan Schoop should also benefit the team. J.J. Hardy seems to be a forgotten player for fantasy but if healthy, he may hit double-digit home runs for players in very deep leagues. Spring training hero Joey Rickard will break camp with the team as an awkward negotiation may ensue in regards of how to handle Hyun-Soo Kim, who floundered in spring training. Will he accept a demotion to the minors or will he return to the KBO in South Korea?
(Photo by Gavin Baker/Icon Sportswire)
What should worry Baltimore more is the starting rotation. Chris Tillman, Yovani Gallardo and Ubaldo Jimenez are the top-three starters. This is not a test, it is for real. Kevin Gausman received early-season hype for his high-upside arm but he pitches in the American League East and is starting the year on the disabled list due to shoulder tightness. Never a warm fuzzy for fantasy owners.
Dylan Bundy could emerge as a bullpen arm to fill in the rotation eventually, but will it be too late to make an impact for Baltimore? At least the bullpen is a strength with Mychal Givens, Darren O’Day and Zach Britton in the late innings. If Baltimore can hit their way to a lead, this trio should be able to close it out.
Boston Red Sox: 3 @ Cleveland, 3 @ Detroit
Speaking of suspect rotations, meet the Red Sox. But the offense should be improved as well with some shuffling in roles this year. Pablo Sandoval will be moving to the bench in favor of Travis Shaw and Brock Holt will be the primary left-fielder as he is on the plus side of a platoon. This will make the bench a bit weaker since Shaw could play both corner infield spots and Holt appeared all over the diamond last year.
Hanley Ramirez may thrive at first base, at least with his bat, which could salvage one of the Red Sox contracts from last year. Saying good-bye to David Ortiz will not be easy for Red Sox fans to do, but the veteran designated hitter will take his victory tour in 2016. Mookie Betts will look to justify his draft status like A.J. Pollock did last year. He seems special enough to do it.
As for the pitchers, it may be David Price and pray for rain. This will not be possible so Boston will run out Clay Buchholz, Joe Kelly, Rick Porcello and Steven Wright. For those who are my age, the old jokes from the comedian of the same name will be a welcome addition to the routine of covering the Red Sox.
Boston also boosted the bullpen by trading for Craig Kimbrel, who should bounce back nicely as the closer. This set-up staff is a bit banged up and the team will need to hit to win. A common theme in this division.
New York Yankees: 3 vs. Houston, 3 @ Detroit
Another year for New York and part of the roster keeps aging, but the change is near. Mark Teixeira and Carlos Beltran will come off the books after this season and their replacements could be Greg Bird and Aaron Judge. New York is trying to get the payroll down and build with younger players, but it will be an ongoing process.
Newly acquired Starlin Castro could be in line for a strong season as long as he can build on his finish to 2015 with the Cubs. Hitting in Yankee Stadium should help in this process. The outfield has depth with Brett Gardner, Jacoby Ellsbury and Aaron Hicks being able to play all three outfield positions during the season.
As for the pitchers, Masahiro Tanaka made it through last year unscathed despite pitching through an elbow injury and had a bone spur removed at the end of the season. It is a new year and Yankee fans will hold their breath every start hoping Tanaka can make it another year.
(AP Image)
Michael Pineda has not recaptured his old form yet with the Yankees but could be on the precipice of a breakout. New York needs it. Nate Eovaldi throws hard and has had success with his split-fingered pitch, him taking another step forward will be necessary. Luis Severino seems ready to take the fourth spot and run with it. Veteran south paw C.C. Sabathia has won the fifth spot in the rotation and is a very risky fantasy option.
The bullpen is a strength with Dellin Betances, Andrew Miller and Aroldis Chapman. It remains to be seen if the three will work in tandem, but the Yankees can shorten games with this group. They will open with Chapman suspended for 30 games and Miller pitching with a fracture in his right wrist. Buckle in.
Tampa Bay Rays: 4 vs. Toronto, 3 @ Baltimore
As the bizarro team of the American League East, the Rays have pitching but a suspect offense. They acquired Corey Dickerson from the Rockies but his hitting outside of Coors was detailed here. Tampa will look to Brad Miller at shortstop and a healthy Desmond Jennings to help kick-start the offense. Steve Pearce was added to fill-in and the team will need Kevin Kiermaier to also continue his progression with the bat. All of this with Logan Forsythe and Evan Longoria staying strong in the lineup are keys to the team’s success.
But the bigger part of the success lies in the depth of the rotation. Tampa Bay has Chris Archer primed for a breakout, as if his 2015 was not good enough. They also have Jake Odorizzi and Drew Smyly ready to step up for the 2016 campaign. Erasmo Ramirez was a huge find off waivers from the Mariners but will be skipped the first week of the season.
The bullpen will be a question mark with Jake McGee traded and Brad Boxberger hurt. Alex Colome has not been named the closer but should get the first chance to close when the Rays are looking to protect a ninth inning lead.
Toronto Blue Jays: 4 @ Tampa Bay, 3 @ Baltimore
Just another powerhouse offense residing in the American League East. Toronto is primed to score runs and hit their way into leads with a deep lineup and bench. Kevin Pillar is very underrated for fantasy and looks to be the lead-off hitter for the Blue Jays this year. With Jose Bautista, Josh Donaldson and Edwin Encarnacion behind him, 100 runs is almost assured as long as the stays atop the order.
Justin Smoak seems primed to be the Blue Jay under the radar to burst out in 2016 a la Chris Colabello. Could Toronto do for bats what the Pirates do for arms? Michael Saunders could also be a key as he looks healthy and has hit the ball well this spring. Anyone who takes Saunders should have Dalton Pompey in reserve.
This rotation will be another one to watch. Marcus Stroman seems poised to break out and when Pedro Martinez sings your praises on National TV, you listen. Stroman will need to take the next step he is being drafted to take.
Behind him is R.A. Dickey, J.A. Happ, Marco Estrada and Aaron Sanchez. Sanchez is the wild card here as he needs to bring the aggressiveness from the spring to the regular season.
Toronto will need the rotation to keep them in games and hope the bullpen of Drew Storen and Roberto Osuna will lock them down. It was speculated the Blue Jays would keep Osuna in a set-up role, but he is the closer and could finish the year as top-10 reliever, he is this good.
American League Central
Chicago White Sox: 4 @ Oakland, 3 vs. Cleveland
After making headlines for its signings in 2015, the White Sox garnered attention in different ways this spring. First, they traded for Todd Frazier in a three-way deal to solve their third base problem. Then they acquired Brett Lawrie to play second. Of course, what had the White Sox receive national media attention was the retirement of Adam LaRoche. He cratered last year and when the team balked at the presence of his child in the locker room almost all the time, he walked away. This opens the door for Avisail Garcia to emerge this year as a post-hype special.
(Icon Sportswire)
The pitching staff has a very strong lean towards being left-handed. Chris Sale, Jose Quintana, Carlos Rodon and John Danks are all southpaws. This leaves free agent pitcher Mat Latos as the only right-handed pitcher in the rotation. It could prove to be problematic for the team but time will tell. As for the bullpen, David Robertson should rebound and his set-up with a healthy Nate Jones is primed to improve. This year will depend on the rotation and how the team evolves defensively.
Cleveland Indians: 3 vs. Boston, 3 @ Chicago White Sox
Cleveland has a chance to make the playoffs based on the strength of their pitching. Is there enough hitting to support them? It does not help their best hitter, Michael Brantley, will open the year on the disabled list; after appearing in a spring game in which he homered and threw out a runner at home he disappeared like Jimmy Hoffa.
Although I was tepid on Yan Gomes in the attached roundtable, he has crushed the ball this spring and our scout, Bernie Pleskoff, said his swing is back. So I offer my retraction. Francisco Lindor will have a hard time repeating his 2015 success over a full season, Mike Napoli needs to rebound, and they need Carlos Santana to find a groove this year. This lineup is a bit deeper than last year’s version but time will tell if it will be enough.
When a rotation is rooted in Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco and Danny Salazar, a team is in good shape for any series. Despite his tantalizing arsenal, Trevor Bauer and his 98 MPH fastball are headed to the bullpen, as are Josh Tomlin and Cody Anderson.
With Bauer potentially in the bullpen (Cleveland and Texas have been in talks about a trade for a starting pitcher) they may have a pitcher who can record more than three outs and pump fastballs late in the game. An option formerly reserved for Cody Allen. Time will tell how all of this will play out but if it were purely about starting pitchers, the Indians would be the favorite in this division.
Detroit Tigers: 2 vs. Miami, 3 vs. New York Yankees
Part of the question for the Tigers has to be: Can this team compete as they get another year older?
Miguel Cabrera, Justin Verlander and the core Detroit players continue to age as the rest of the division is improving. There was a time the Tigers were feared by these teams and the lineup will strike fear into opposing pitchers, but is that enough to contend? Detroit did add Justin Upton to the mix and an emerging James McCann and Nick Castellanos only make the batting order stronger. But they start in a National League park so their designated hitter will miss two games this week and a healthy Victor Martinez is part of the balance the team hopes to get with the lineup.
Raise your hand if a rotation of Justin Verlander, Anibal Sanchez, Jordan Zimmermann and Mike Pelfrey is intimidating? Verlander did adjust well in the second half last year and time will tell if he can maintain his success up in the strike zone.
(Icon Sportswire)
It feels like Sanchez is always a pitch away from the disabled list. Zimmermann has been very consistent for the Nationals but the American League is not always kind to pitchers transitioning over from the senior circuit.
In an effort to bolster the bullpen, the Tigers did sign Mark Lowe to set up for new closer Francisco Rodriguez. This does improve the bullpen but the pitchers leading up to the last two may have some bumps in the road. This year could see the Tigers in contention, but they are an injury or two from struggling this year.
Kansas City Royals: 2 vs. New York Mets, 3 vs. Minnesota
Defending world champion Kansas City will open versus their opponent from the Fall Classic when the Mets come to town on Sunday night. Their blueprint of a patient batting order with a pieced-together competitive starting staff and strong bullpen is a plan which other teams are emulating this year.
Things broke right for the Royals in 2015 as Lorenzo Cain stayed relatively healthy and finally had the season fantasy owners had envisioned. Mike Moustakas showed improved plate skills and Eric Hosmer took a step forward in his fantasy stats. But the outfield this year has question marks with a right field platoon, not to mention the void at second base.
When Alcides Escobar is the lead-off hitter, the team will need him to be on base but he is not a high-walk player. He was hot in the playoffs but a 162-game schedule is very unkind. They will need another herculean effort from Kendrys Morales as well to wear teams down as a game progresses.
While the offense could come through, the rotation needs things to break right to compete. Edinson Volquez is the Opening Day starter with Ian Kennedy, Yordano Ventura and Chris Young following this week. Kris Medlen is fifth for the Royals but this is hardly a dominant group. Ventura will be a key and how many innings the Royals get from Young and Medlen will be as well.
The bullpen is still deep despite losing closer Greg Holland to Tommy John surgery. Look for Wade Davis to show why he has been a dominant setup pitcher as he takes over the ninth. Only worry there is his balky back from last year.
Minnesota Twins: 3 @ Baltimore, 3 @ Kansas City
Minnesota has one of the most intriguing offenses in the American League. They have added Byung-Ho Park from the KBO as a power-hitting designated hitter to a team which already had power in Brian Dozier and Miguel Sano. But Sano is now forced to play right field by the Park addition.
Byron Buxton has broke camp with the team as he looks to get his prospect star back in 2016. Will Joe Mauer rebound? Can Dozier avoid his second-half slump? Will this team overcome the swing-and-miss tendencies it has throughout the lineup? For some reason Danny Santana may bounce back for this team in a utility role and he was very aggressive on the bases this spring. Keep an eye on him in deeper leagues.
Like many teams in the American League, the Twins will try to make do with what they have. Opening Day starter Ervin Santana was suspended for half of the season in 2015 but is ready to go this year. His velocity was up this spring so he may be a tad underrated.
Fantasy owners want Jose Berrios in Minnesota at some point this year. All that is holding him back is Ricky Nolasco or Tommy Milone. It is only a matter of time and the Super-2 date passing. The Twins need Kyle Gibson to pitch consistently this year and for Phil Hughes to find his form and limit the long ball. Glen Perkins is starting the year healthy but his neck problems could resurface. If they do, keep Kevin Jepsen in mind as a reliever to stash for potential saves down the road.
American League West
Houston Astros: 3 @ New York Yankees, 3 @ Milwaukee
Fantasy owners looking for runs have to look no further than the Astros. While this team does have huge swing-and-miss issues, they also take walks and hit home runs.
Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa and George Springer are all taken in the first three rounds of most drafts. Carlos Gomez may bounce back this year if healthy and the team will have Evan Gattis back soon. Under the radar is Tyler White, who will open as the starting first baseman along with a potential bounce back from Jason Castro at catcher this year. Of course, fantasy owners want to know how Carlos Correa will do in full season and what Springer can do without an injury; hopefully we find out this year.
(Icon Sportswire)
With the pitching staff headlined by the defending American League Cy Young winner, Houston will fall in line behind Dallas Keuchel. He keeps the ball down in the zone and dominated the Yankees last October and will start his year there as well. Collin McHugh, Mike Fiers and Doug Fister will follow in a staff which is good, but not great by any means.
They also traded some talent to acquire former Phillies closer Ken Giles but he struggled this spring, like he did last spring as well. It remains to be seen if Giles or Luke Gregerson closes but with Giles on board, the bullpen is improved for Houston. This team is primed to make another deep run in the playoffs.
Los Angeles Angels: 2 vs. Chicago Cubs, 4 vs. Texas
As the offense will continue to evolve around Mike Trout, the Angels seem to be wasting the talented young outfielder’s prime. Daniel Nava as the number-two hitter? Albert Pujols seems set to return to his power hitting ways but keep a keen eye on how he runs the bases and how many games he plays at first base this year.
Kole Calhoun had a good year but not the breakout many thought was imminent. This appears to be who he is. The defense is improved with the addition of Andrelton Simmons, but he does not do enough in any category to be fantasy relevant. While this lineup may score some runs, will it be enough to make the players outside of Trout or Pujols fantasy noteworthy?
On the pitching side, there is some upside to be found in the Angels rotation. Garrett Richards is primed to bounce back this year and he is incorporating a new pitch and should benefit from Simmons’ glove work. Andrew Heaney is in the number-two spot and will not rack up strikeouts but should be a fantasy benefit in deeper leagues.
Hector Santiago and Matt Shoemaker are not top-of-the-rotation guys, but both have proven to be capable stream options. Watch Tyler Skaggs on his return from Tommy John, his stuff was very good in the last exhibition game and he was pumping fastballs with his curve against the Dodgers.
Huston Street still headlines the bullpen, and make sure you handcuff him with Joe Smith. But once again, the group bridging the gap from the starters to Smith and Street leave much to be desired.
Oakland Athletics: 4 vs. Chicago White Sox, 3 @ Seattle
No team makes something out of nothing better than Oakland. Danny Valencia was waived by the Blue Jays and will hit fourth for the A’s. Khris Davis was no longer wanted in Milwaukee so he was traded for by Oakland, who craved his power. The same goes for Chris Coghlan, who did not have a spot with the Cubs but will play almost every day for Oakland. They will combine with former castoff Josh Reddick and the rest of the team to form a group of grinders.
Look for Billy Burns to take a step forward in steals this year after working hard with Rickey Henderson this preseason. A healthy Stephen Vogt helps form a strong catcher platoon with Josh Phegley. Jed Lowrie is back and will open at second base and Marcus Semien should be able to produce all season after spending most of 2015 focusing on learning the nuances of shortstop. This is not a fantasy lineup to be targeted by many, but it could be full of surprises. Especially if Billy Butler struggles again, keep an eye on Matt Chapman.
(Icon Sportswire)
Sonny Gray heads the rotation and he is a much better real-life pitcher than fantasy one. But the pitchers behind him could be a revolving door this year. Rich Hill, Chris Bassitt and Kendall Graveman seem set; the fifth starter was supposed to be Felix Doubront but he may be hurt so it may bring Jesse Hahn back into the mix.
The bullpen is headed by a healthy Sean Doolittle but teams will want to keep Ryan Madson ready if any setbacks occur for the southpaw closer. A sleeper in this pen could be Liam Hendriks, who can fill a more than three-out role with strikeout potential for Oakland.
Seattle Mariners: 3 @ Texas, 3 vs. Oakland
Which half of the year do you believe for Robinson Cano? His tough first half or his dynamic second? This year should be a determining factor but many Mariners front office staffers may want to thank Andy Van Slyke for lighting a fire under Cano after his scathing comments about the star last year.
Cano and Nelson Cruz headline the offense but there are more pieces in place this year. Seth Smith crushed the ball this spring but needs to carry it over. He and Franklin Gutierrez are a part of an under-the-radar outfield which also added Leonys Martin to the mix. Ketel Marte will take over shortstop and could hit second against left-handed pitching. Steady but under-appreciated Kyle Seager keeps doing his thing but hardly gets the recognition he deserves. More are excited about his brother in Los Angeles.
One of the burning questions for fantasy this year is where to draft Felix Hernandez. Is he still a true number-one for fantasy and is he in line for another big season? A couple of blowouts really skewed his final numbers last year so it will be interesting to watch.
Also, can Hisashi Iwakuma hang on all year, and how will Wade Miley pitch as he is finally in a pitcher-friendly park? Can Taijuan Walker and Nate Karns avoid the blow-ups this year and be consistent? It will go a long way in determining where this team finishes.
St. Louis did not put Steve Cishek on the post-season roster but he was given a contract to close for Seattle. This could be another tumultuous year in the bullpen for the Mariners. Deep-league players should stash Tony Zych.
Texas Rangers: 3 vs. Seattle, 4 @ Los Angeles Angels
Playing in a fantasy-bountiful ballpark makes Rangers hitters strong targets. Ian Desmond should bounce back without the distraction of playing shortstop and hitting in the American League. Delino DeShields could grow in his second year in the majors after making a surprising debut last year due to injuries and an ineffective Leonys Martin. Adrian Beltre is healthy, as is Prince Fielder.
It remains to be seen if Texas can piece together the outfield and keep its prospects in the minors to develop, but a full season of production by Shin-Soo Choo would be welcomed.
Cole Hamels and Yu Darvish (when healthy) and pray for rain? Once again the Rangers will toss pitchers on the mound in the hopes they will stick. Darvish is in line to return in late May but the team will process through pitchers until then.
Colby Lewis, Derek Holland and A.J. Griffin start the year in the rotation. This is why Texas has constructed a deep and talented bullpen to shorten games. Look for the starters not named Hamels to only go through the batting order twice and then cede to the relievers. As for the bullpen, be careful when taking Shawn Tolleson for saves; his manager has had a quick hook and he tired down the stretch. With Keone Kela, Sam Dyson and Tom Wilhelmsen lurking, this could create turnover during the season.
This concludes the introduction to the American League from a fantasy standpoint; now to watch games which count.
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