Fantasy Baseball Fraud Alert: Is Ryan Weathers Fool's Gold?

Despite the velocity spike and early hype, Ryan Weathers may prove to be a costly fantasy baseball mistake with durability concerns.

Miami Marlins starting pitcher Ryan Weathers (35) delivers a pitch against the Chicago Cubs during the first inning at Wrigley Field. | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Something went awry with the value and outlook of Ryan Weathers in last week’s waiver period in the high-stakes market. Over five years in the majors, he went 11-21 with a 5.01 ERA, 1,385 WHIP, and 203 strikeouts over 247.2 innings. 

Last season, his left arm was fantasy-relevant over his first 11 starts (3-4 with a 3.16 ERA, 1.085 WHIP, and 53 strikeouts over 62.2 innings). He did issue 20 walks (2.9 per nine) over this span, but it was much lower than his previous three seasons (3.6). 

Weather missed most of the final three months of last year with a finger injury, and he developed a left forearm injury late in March, leading to him spending the first six weeks of this season on the injured list. 

In his 2025 debut for the Marlins, he allowed one run and three baserunners over five innings with five strikeouts. Weathers had a 1.69 ERA, 0.75 WHIP, and 13 strikeouts over 10.2 innings in his three rehab starts in the minors. 

His average fastball (97.6 mph) this year has been well above 2023 (95.1) and 2024 (96.0), but shorter stints do allow him to air the ball out early in games. Weathers features a slider as his second-best pitch while also offering a winning changeup. 

Ryan Weathers, 98mph Paint. 🖌️🎨 pic.twitter.com/2OhYVPNPcE

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) May 15, 2025

In NFBC main events, Weathers was a free agent in 36 leagues. His lowest winning bid ($1,000 budget) was $128. The other 35 teams spent over $150, with a high of $303 (his average was $229). The hype of his arm was also highlighted by his runner-up bids ($228 to $87 – $182 average). In only two leagues, his second-highest bid was lower than $100.

Over the winter, did Weathers turn into Garrett Crochet? He’s never pitched more than 95.0 innings in the majors. A forearm issue often leads to an elbow issue, followed by TJ surgery. In addition, Miami's starting pitchers won’t win many games. Weathers won’t be a free agent until 2029. The Padres drafted him seventh overall in the 2018 June Amateur Draft.

In the end, will Weather be a fantasy edge or a league-average arm? If the latter comes to fruition, he will go down as a bad investment in the fantasy market. Betting on increased velocity can sometimes win, but there are many major league arms with 97+ mph fastballs with ERAs over 4.00.