AL East Notes/FAAB/Watchlist
Baltimore Orioles
Hitters
We expected this lineup to take a major step forward with health and the additions of Taylor Ward and Pete Alonso, but we still have similar questions. Coby Mayo is still a mess mechanically, Dylan Beavers doesn’t hit anything hard, Colton Cowser is still striking out 30%, and Basallo is off to a slow start. I’ve said this on social media: the team builds too much rotation into their young players’ front-leg mechanics. So they need to be on time to the pitch AND on time with the rotation. As we’ve seen, that’s difficult. I have seen Cowser take better at-bats this last week. He’s running an 11% barrel, and walking 10%, but he’s a platoon bat until he cuts the strikeouts. And honestly, Leody Taveras is outplaying all of them. Leody has increased bat speed 72.5, a 44% hard hit, walks 14 %, and rocks an OPS above .900. I have no issues with the swing. It looks the part. I’ve fallen victim to the Taveras hot streak before, but maybe this is the time?
Pitching
I’m not a believer in Cade Povich. He has shown the ability to accumulate strikeouts at the minor league level, but that can also be attributed to getting hit pretty hard. That’s been his MLB experience thus far, too. I’m not good at predicting when to start guys like that. I don’t believe there is much unique about the pitch mix, so I’ll wait until someone like Trey Gibson comes up
Boston Red Sox
Hitters
Not much is actionable with the Red Sox. Wilyer is doing that thing where he starts hot, loses the plot, and can’t hit, and then will probably smoke balls, just like he did last season. The Red Sox offense has just been bad. If you have any of the top guys, just wait it out. I even think Durbin figures it out. That doesn’t mean you have to stick around with Marcelo Mayer or Narvaez.
Pitching
Payton Tolle made his 2026 debut. He was brilliant, going 6 IP, allowing 1 run, and punching out 11. I was the guy last season who dropped a lot of FAAB on him, only to drop him after he torched me a couple of times. Frankly, I’m not sure what’s so different. He added a sinker, which by all accounts is pretty meh (84 stuff+), but it is different. Anything to get hitters off the 4s fastball, which is legit. I love the curveball and think it will play well with his FB’s, but the cutter/slider (they call it a cutter, but he uses it mostly as a slider) is just okay. If he used it more as a cutter, like he did to Judge, in on the hands (at 92 mph), then I would have a different opinion. Just one start, and you need to make a decision. My gut is saying this is not the guy to drop 20% of your budget on.
New York Yankees
Hitting
Anthony Volpe’s rehab assignment has moved to AAA. I think he’s an add. He catches a lot of flak from the media for his on-field play, including his defense, but this is a young dude who was rushed to the big leagues that now, for fantasy owners, can give you 15/15 the rest of the way? That’s hard to find on the wire. I’d expect Volpe back early-mid May
Pitching
Looks like Luis Gil will make his start Sunday and then gets skipped in favor of a four man rotation, as the schedule affords the Yankees to consolidate. Gil is probably droppable in most formats, barring another injury. Rodon and Cole are heating up and the roster spot of Gil should be used by owners, to find someone you can carry, through the summer months.
Tampa Bay Rays
We can skip the Rays. The only hitter that intrigues me would be Deluca but he doesn’t play enough. Baker is the closer, which I believe I was one of the first to predict. But I’m not messing around with Scholtens, Matz, or Nick Martinez. I watched Martinez’s last start, where he went seven innings of one-run ball, and he got banged around, but each of the Outfielders made plays that saved him runs. Brody Hopkins (#61 overall according to Fangraphs) would be the arm I’m most interested in picking up in the future. When he gets the call later this summer, I hope I still have FAAB left.
Toronto Blue Jays
Hitters
Hold tight on Kazuma Okamoto. It’s been a struggle, particularly against breaking ball but the playing time continues to be there. Would that change with Addison Barger healthy? I don’t think so. “The Big Oak” will be fine for those in deeper leagues. In 10-team league formats, I could see benching him and trying to find a replacement. Speaking of Barger, he’s nearing a rehab assignment. My concern is whether there can only be one winner between Barger and Jesus Sanchez. They are similar profiles with similar platoon splits, and Nathan Lukes offers something different contact-wise. It wouldn’t matter to me because I don’t think Lukes is very good, but it may to them.
Pitchers
Jeff Hoffman has been removed as the lone closer for the Jays. I snagged Louis Varland last week, everywhere I had Hoffman. It needed to happen, even though Hoffman was running a BABIP over .500. Wild. The Jays are saying it’ll be a committee, but it’s got to be Varland getting that first chance. He’s been good for two years. I’m looking for any sign Eric Lauer is missing more bats. He was great for me last year, and one of the things I like about him is that he is only going to give you five innings, which I think protects him from getting blown up. That just hasn’t been the case thus far. Shane Bieber is throwing bullpens, which means he’s about a month and a half away from being ready. Just someone for the watch list.