Fantasy Baseball Takeaways: Devin Williams, Michael Busch, More
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With the MLB season underway, early breakout performances and roster moves are already shaking up the fantasy baseball landscape. From Michael Busch’s strong start in Chicago to Devin Williams’ temporary absence and Tirso Ornelas’ push for big-league at-bats, savvy managers must stay ahead of the curve to gain an edge. Let's take a look at some of the latest news in the fantasy baseball world.
Michael Busch Swats First Home Run of Season
Busch entered 2025 with a platoon profile, suggesting many days off against left-handed pitching after the Cubs signed Justin Turner. Chicago has consistently given him cleanup at-bats over the first week of the season. On Monday, he had a great offensive night (3-for-6), highlighted by his first home run and four RBIs. He is a must-roster in 12- and 15-format leagues, but the Cubs face two left-handed pitchers over the final five games this week, followed by a string of six consecutive right-handed pitchers.
His next step is to improve with runners on base (RBI rate – 14) and increase productivity at home. His average hit rate (1.772) and contact batting average (.368) with Chicago support a higher batting average and a chance at 30 home runs if given 550 at-bats. I’ll set his floor at .260/80/25/85 with minimal stolen bases.
Devin Williams Placed on Paternity List
The dreaded paternity leave on a Tuesday will cost fantasy teams up to three days without Williams. The Yankees are playing at home for the next three days against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Luke Weaver was a fantasy stud over his final 17 games (3-0 with four saves, 0.92 ERA, and 33 strikeouts over 19.2 innings) in 2025 when asked to close. He should be picked up in all daily formats.
Devin Williams has been placed on the paternity list pic.twitter.com/Mocwpxn1gA
— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) April 1, 2025
Tirso Ornelas' Push For Big League At-Bats
Finding hidden gems early in the baseball season can’t be a big win if that player lives up to expectations. Late in March, I was following Ornelas after success in spring training (15-for-51 with five runs, one home run, and three RBIs) while having six walks and six strikeouts. Unfortunately, he didn’t make the Padres’ opening-day roster.
Last season, Ornelas performed well at AAA (.297/76/23/89/7 over 485 at-bats), putting him on the doorstep of the majors. Through his first three games in 2025, he has five hits in 12 at-bats with five runs and two RBIs.
His path to major league at-bats comes in left field or as a designated hitter for San Diego. Gavin Sheets is off to a fast start (7-for-14 with three runs, one home run, five RBIs, and one steal). Jason Heyward only has one hit over his first 12 at-bats, and the Padres signed him to only a one-year deal for one million dollars in February.
Thomas Harrington Added to the Pirates' Starting Rotation
The Pirates tried to buy Super Two status for Harrington by shipping him back to AAA after spring training (six runs, 11 baserunners, and two home runs over 9.2 innings with seven strikeouts). Last season, he pushed his way through three levels of minor league baseball (A, AA, and AAA – 7-3 with a 2.61 ERA, 0.963 WHIP, and 115 strikeouts over 117.1 innings). Pittsburgh drafted him 36th overall in the 2022 MLB June Amatuer Draft.
Harrington brings superb command (1.5 walks per nine in 2024 and 2.2 in his minor league career). His average fastball (93.0 mph) is league-average while working off a developing slider and split-finger pitch. He mixed in a cutter in 2024 but threw the pitch less in March.
Fantasy Outlook: Harrington was drafted in deep formats this year after Jared Jones went down with a bum and lengthy right elbow injury. The Pirates used a place-holder reliever starter (Carmen Mlodzinski) on Monday and quickly removed him from the starting rotation after getting run over by the Rays (four runs and nine baserunners over 3.2 innings with four strikeouts). Harrington should have a long leash to prove his worth in the majors, but Bubba Chandler is also a phone call away at AAA.
More Fantasy Baseball News:
2025 Fantasy Baseball: Waiver Wire Week 1
With 20+ years of experience in the high-stakes fantasy market, I aim to research and compete at the highest level in baseball and football each season. I've contributed as a writer/analyst for Sports Draft Daily, ScoutPro, Scout Fantasy, Fulltime Fantasy, FFToolbox, and Sports Illustrated Fantasy. I'm honored to be in the National Fantasy Baseball Championship Hall of Fame. My drafting philosophy is risk-averse yet open to betting on potential game-changers. I approach player selection with a neutral perspective, acknowledging that fantasy sports are inherently unpredictable due to injuries, performance dips, and managerial decisions. My work focuses on these main areas: - Season-long fantasy baseball and football - BestBall Baseball and Football Events - Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS): DraftKings, FanDuel, and Underdog - Long Shot Player Prop Parlays for NFL I participate in various leagues and contests, including NFBC, NFFC, RTSports, FFPC, DraftKings, Underdog Fantasy, FanDuel, and FFWC, with the goal of leveraging my extensive experience and research for success in each game format. A fantasy follower can expect in-depth profiles of NFL and MLB players, along with season-long and weekly projections for each fantasy football season. In addition, I have many strategy articles to help develop fantasy players' learning curves.
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