The Milwaukee Brewers probably have the best defense in all of baseball.
Unfortunately, you can’t arrange your defenders in the bleachers. That’s apparently against the rules. So those golden Milwaukee gloves couldn’t save them in the Bronx.
The Yankees had a home-run party in their opening series against Milwaukee, crushing 15 home runs in the three-game sweep. The Yanks slugged .804 for the series, a ridiculous number. The strikeouts were low (21), the walks were high (16). New York looks like a destination offense again.
Maybe the Yankees are onto something with their torpedo bats — Anthony Volpe, Austin Wells, Paul Goldschmidt and Cody Bellinger combined for six home runs using the quirky new lumber. Then again, Aaron Judge is sticking to his old bats, and he crushed four homers in 11 at-bats. Give that guy a tennis racket or a broomstick, he’ll still find the upper deck.
I’m curious to see how New York handles its leadoff position. Wells slotted leadoff the first game, Goldschmidt took over the next two games. I suspect the Goldy-Bellinger-Judge-Jazz Chisholm opening foursome we saw the last two games might stick for a while. Perhaps this helps Goldschmidt hang on to some fantasy cred in his age-37 season. Aaron Boone has to love the righty-lefty balance his lineup offers; Sunday’s order was a dreamy R-L-R-L-R-L-S-L-S, one through nine. I’d be a little happier if my breakout catcher Wells was hitting higher, but maybe any slot in this New York wrecking crew is a good one.
Bigger challenges are on the way. After a day off, the Yankees face Corbin Burnes and Zac Gallen the next two nights. Appointment television, for sure.
[It’s not too late — join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Baseball league for the 2025 MLB season]
The best New York bats are not free to you on the waiver wire. But let’s examine a few hitters you can add today.
Kyle Manzardo, 1B, Guardians (34% rostered)
Cleveland wanted to protect Manzardo last year, so it limited him to 20 plate appearances against lefties. He didn’t do much with them, but whatever. It’s a tiny sample. You wonder if such a strategy is counterproductive to prospect development.
Manzardo’s 2025 returns are a small sample too, obviously, but they’re exciting. He conked two home runs in the opening three games, both off lefty pitchers. He wasn’t fazed at all by ace Cole Ragans in the opener. Manzardo batted fifth that day, third in the last two games. Manzardo has yet to play the field this year, but he already carries the 1B tag in Yahoo pools. He’s ready to go in about two-thirds of our leagues.
Tyler Soderstrom, 1B, Athletics (42% rostered)
Soderstrom showed up on plenty of breakout lists this spring, giving off 25-homer vibes for a full season. Maybe those early hopes were too cautious. Soderstrom ripped seven hits and three homers in the opening series, in Seattle of all places — the worst hitter park in the majors.
This week, Soderstrom gets a more friendly backdrop: the home opener in Sacramento (surely an offensive upgrade over roomy Oakland) and then a trip to Coors Field. It’s also possible Soderstrom will pick up catcher eligibility during the year.
Otto López, 2B/SS, Marlins (30% rostered)
The Marlins do not have a destination offense, but most teams can at least give us something at the top of the lineup. That’s where you’ll find Lopez — he slotted fifth for two games, then rose to the No. 2 slot on the weekend. He’s already picked up a homer and a steal. Lopez quietly battled .271 with 20 steals in 117 games last year, and he consistently puts the ball in play.
Victor Scott II, OF, Cardinals (32% rostered)
Scott didn’t hit at all last year, in the majors (.502 OPS, yikes) or in the minors. But we know Scott will run aggressively. He had a ridiculous 94-swipe season in the minors just two years back, and he’s already copped three steals this year, along with a homer. He doesn’t need to make that much improvement as a hitter to carry fantasy value, because he could probably steal 50 bases in his sleep.
Spencer Torkelson, 1B, Tigers (32% rostered)
The homer was nice, the steal a likely fluke. But what really impressed me about Tork’s opening weekend was the five walks against the vaunted LAD pitching staff. He was spitting on borderline pitches and finding others to drive. There is no floor with Torkelson, who couldn’t even stick in the majors last year. But he does have a 31-homer season on his resume, he’s still just 25 and he was the first overall pick in his draft class. The rules of plausible upside apply.
Zach McKinstry, Utility, Tigers (3% rostered)
This is for the deeper-league groups, especially if you have daily lineup flexibility. McKinstry will probably be a strong-side platoon guy, and when he is in the Detroit lineup, he’ll likely slot first. He qualifies at second, third, shortstop and the outfield. He’s a cheaper version of what Willie Castro brings in Minnesota — the occasional homer, a bunch of position grabs and resourceful base running.
Hunter Goodman, C, Rockies (10% rostered)
The 13 homers in 70 games were nice last year, the .190 average is probably a deal breaker. Then again, Cal Raleigh has a .217 career average in Seattle and everybody loves the guy. Goodman caught Colorado’s first two games and then was the DH in Game 3, a key potential path to extra playing time. We love it when our catchers aren’t asked to catch. Goodman hit 11 of his homers in Coors last year, so perhaps he’s worthy of streaming potential. Work the schedule, gamers.
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