Stay Ahead of the Curve with Our Fantasy Baseball Watchlist
Tony Gonsolin (SP – LAD)
The addition of Blake Snell to the Dodgers' rotation undoubtedly brings about changes. Snell will join a group that already includes Tyler Glasnow, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Shohei Ohtani, Clayton Kershaw, Tony Gonsolin, Dustin May, Bobby Miller, and Landon Knack. At first glance, this might seem less than ideal for Gonsolin. However, the fact that the rotation is already crowded actually works in your favor as a fantasy manager. The Angels utilized a six-man rotation when Ohtani pitched, and if the Dodgers follow suit, it will open up more innings for other starters. Glasnow set a new career high with 134 regular season innings last year, while Snell has topped that number only twice in his career. Yamamoto and Kershaw had injury-shortened seasons, and Ohtani, May, and Gonsolin missed the Majors due to injury. All these factors combined suggest that there could be plenty of innings to go around if the Dodgers are cautious with their starters. Gonsolin made three rehab starts with the team's Triple-A team in September and has a chance to thrive in a pitcher-win standpoint with an elite lineup. Over his last two full seasons, from 2022 through 2023, he won 24 of his 44 starts despite a collective FIP of 4.23 and throwing just 233.1 total innings. The Dodgers' lineup was second in the league in runs scored and first in wRC+ during these two seasons. The floor is a pitcher who can get a relatively outsized number of wins in 15 or so starts, while the ceiling is the pitcher who won 16 games in 24 starts and pitched 130.1 innings in 2022.
Last season, no starter logged more than 145 innings for the National League West club, but eight made at least 10 starts. All told, 10 pitchers logged at least six starts for the defending World Series champs. Even with a truncated number of starts, Gonsolin has the potential to succeed.
Kyle Wright (SP – KC)
Kyle Wright's situation is different from Gonsolin's, but there are several fantasy similarities. Wright missed the 2024 season while recovering from right shoulder surgery and was traded last November to Kansas City for Jackson Kowar. After spending the year on the 60-day injured list, he is poised to return to the Major League rotation. The Royals aren't as fantasy-friendly as the Dodgers, but there are key factors that make Wright a higher ceiling option. With Brady Singer now in Cincinnati, Wright looks like the speculative favorite to join Cole Ragans, Seth Lugo, Michael Wacha, and Alec Marsh in the rotation. In his last full season in 2022, Wright pitched to a 3.19 ERA and a 3.58 FIP in 180.1 innings, winning 21 of his 30 starts and adding 174 strikeouts while surrendering 53 walks and 19 home runs. Replicating that win total is unlikely, but the Royals' roster gives him the potential to log a quality, double-digit win tally. The Kansas City fantasy environment around the starter also raises his fantasy ceiling. Last season, the Royals' rotation collected 60 pitcher wins, the fourth-most in the league. All five of their most utilized starters logged at least nine pitcher wins. The Royals added Jonathan India with a.357 on-base percentage and will get a full season of Lucas Erceg in the bullpen. These additions should help the team score more and close out games more effectively, leading to more pitcher-win potential for their starters, including Wright.
The Royals finished behind 18 teams in on-base percentage and 13 teams in bullpen fWAR. But with India and Erceg, they have the potential to improve in these areas and provide more support for their starters.
Jordan Hicks (RP, SP – SF)
At 28 years old, Jordan Hicks is a player worth considering for fantasy managers in 2025. He pitched to a 4.10 ERA and a 4.37 FIP in 109.2 innings last season, spanning 29 appearances and 20 starts. A full-time starter for much of the year, he made his last start on July 23. In an article from Evan Webeck in The Mercury News on July 22, Hicks said he knew it wouldn't be the whole season and was focused on making strong final starts and finding the right plan going forward. His early-season starting splits are crucial. In 11 starts spanning 58 innings through May 25, he pitched to a 2.33 ERA and a 3.60 FIP while allowing just 2.95 walks and 0.62 home runs per nine frames. He limited batters to a 39.0% hard-hit rate and induced grounders at a 53.4% rate. While his strikeout rate through May 25 was just 20.4%, his ability to limit damage and induce weak contact makes him a viable fantasy rotation option in leagues with 12 or more teams. His ability to induce grounders and weak contact should keep his ERA and WHIP totals low, making him a fit for any fantasy roster construction strategy.
He pitched in one of the league's most pitcher-friendly ballparks, with the third-lowest overall park factor in the sport in the last three seasons. If he can maintain his early-season form, he should be a valuable asset for fantasy managers.
Subscribe: YouTube | Spotify | Apple Podcasts | iHeart | Castbox | Amazon Music | Podcast Addict | SoundCloud | TuneIn