by Fantasie baseball analyst Dalton del Don is going to the hill to identify his favorite pitching slapers. If you want Even more sleepers, click here for his options of each MLB team.
Arizona Diamondbacks: AJ Puk, SP/RP
Justin Martínez enters the favorite to close in Arizona, but Puk is the best Reliever in Arizona that is later available in Fantasy concepts. Puk registered a microscopic 1.72 ERA with a 0.75 Whip over 57.2 innings after moving to Relief last season. His Siera (2.16) and CSW (33.9%) both reached top five under relievers. Puk’s K-BB% (30.0) was only behind Mason Miller.
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Puk goes unsigned in 30% of the Yahoo competitions and goes after Pick 200, but his range of results includes finishing as a top five fantasy closer in 2025.
Atlanta Braves: Grant Holmes, SP
Holmes made his MLB debut last season after he was a pick in the first round 10 years ago, and 2025 is part of the start rotation of Atlanta. Holmes’ K-BB% (21.8) During the beginning of last season, the eighth would have been arranged under qualified SPs, just behind Zack Wheeler. Here is the list of pitchers that recorded a better CSW last year than Holmes: Blake Snell, Tarik Skubal and Chris Sale.
That’s it.
Holmes’ Chase% is in the 97th percentile, while his BB% is in the 90th. He owns the third highest SWSTR% on sliding regulators in the past two seasons. Holmes will benefit from pitching for a Braves team that is ready to produce more Run support in 2025, so he is a handle while he becomes unknown in 52% of the Yahoo competitions.
Cincinnati Reds: Nick Lodolo, SP
Lodolo was 8-2 with a 2.76 ERA, a 1.01 Whip and a 20.5 K-BB% that reached the top 20 of starters before he sustained a finger injury last year during his 12th start of the season. He placed an ERA of 7.38 and a 1.44 whip over his last 50.0 innings after his return, when the injury still influenced his ability to grab his curveball (even after the blister was healed). Lodolo’s Curveball therefore suffered a dramatic decrease in the vertical break.
Lodolo is the SP67 in Yahoo ADP, but he has a top-20 starter upside down. Go get him.
Houston Astros: Spencer Arrighetti, SP
The 4.53 ERA from Arrighetti was accompanied by a 3.93 Siera as Rookie last season. He suffered a few BlowUp outputs, but Arrighetti also threw three times three times three times three times that she was over a five-star trajectory in August. He placed a 3.18 ERA, a 1.17 Whip and the seventh best CSW (just behind Tarik Skubal) after the All-Star break. Helped by Elite extension, Arrighetti had four different pitches induce a 10%+ SWSR%. He is a big sleeper.
Miami Marlins: Jesús Tinoco, RP
Calvin Faucher comes in 2025 as the favorite to close in Miami, but Tinoco looks like the better pitcher who is also available much later in fantasy concepts. Tinoco placed a 2.03 ERA and a 0.68 Whip over 26.2 innings after being with Miami last year at Miami thanks to the increased use of sliding controllers. His total K-BB%(18.5), CSW (29.0%) and Siera (3.29) were all superior to Faucher’s (15.7%, 26.6%, 3.61). Tinoco is not drawn in more than 80% of the Yahoo competitions.
New York Mets: Clay Holmes, SP/RP
Holmes tries to become the newest success story from Reliever that moves to Starter. His figures have been elite from the pen since he came to New York, including the 11th best CSW (32.4%) under 169 qualified RPs last year. The Mets offer a complete opportunity to start with an exhausted rotation, and Holmes will benefit from moving New York.
While the Yankee Stadium is one of the three best parks in stimulating homers, Citi Field is one of the favorable baseball jugs. Holmes introduced a new pitch mix in the spring and he is a bargain in fantasy concepts.
New York Yankees: Clarke Schmidt, SP
Schmidt is set up as the SP72 in Yahoo Leagues, despite placing a 2.85 ERA and a 1.18 Whip during his second year as a starter last season. Injuries limited his workload, but he finished healthy the year. Schmidt registered a 26.3 K% that would have arranged the top 15 if he had qualified, and only five starters – Blake Snell, Cole Ragans, Garrett Crochet, Tarik Skubal and Dylan Stase had a higher zonewing% and at least a 44% ground ball percentage. Schmidt’s CSW would also have arranged the top 15 among qualified starters, just behind Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
Yankee Stadium stimulates home runs (and runs), but it generally plays neutral. The SPS of New York led baseball in victories last season and recorded 60% more than the starting staff of the White Sox. The Schmidt era will probably rise this season, but he is still someone to focus on an incredible discount, well past Pick 200, especially now that the Yankees will rely on him even more with Gerrit Cole for the year.
Philadelphia Phillies: Orion Church, RP
Jordan Romano comes in when the new closer to the Phillies after signing in Philadelphia during the low season, but he comes from a season and elbow surgery. Romano says he feels great and that the early results have been positive, but it might be worthwhile to notice the Blue Jays who did not make it up without replacement in Toronto. In the meantime, churching looks like one of the best relievers of baseball that is ready to step into the role of the closer. He had a better K-BB% last season than Jhoan Duran and Andrés Muñoz, and his Siera (2.60) was the 12th best under 169 qualified relievers. Church owns the best sweeper of the competition and the enormous fantasy upside when he secures the ninth-inning role of Philadelphia.
San Diego Padres: Nick Pivetta, SP
Pivetta has the fifth best K-BB% since 2023, so he looks like a top-40 fantasy SP after his dramatic change in the landscape. Petco Park has actually stimulated the homers (+4%) in the past three seasons, but it remains a difficult place to touch in general. The tendency of Pivetta to give up home runs must remain a problem with his relocation of Fenway Park (-2%); Last year he allowed 20 of his 28 homers on the road. But Pivetta is moving from the Park from the second best batter to the third best pitcher park according to Park Factors, so he is a SP target.
San Francisco Giants: Kyle Harrison, SP
Harrison was a fantasy test as Rookie, but there were encouraging signs. His K-BB% (18.5) would have arranged the top 20 of the season after the All-Star break. He also admitted that he had worn out in the Majors during his first full year, and his era jumped from 4.00 to 4.54 on his last two starts. Harrison owned dramatically higher strikeout rates in the minors, and his speed is reportedly back this spring after correcting problems with last year’s delivery caused by injuries. He will benefit greatly to throw the best Framing Catcher of baseball and in one of the most extreme throwing parks in MLB. Harrison is a real sleeper.
Texas Rangers: Kumar Rocker, SP
Rocker is no guarantee to open the season in the rotation of Texas, and he will have a kind of inning limit, but he is a sleeper to focus in fantasy concepts. Rocker dominated flat-out at Vanderbilt, and he stayed last season after making a faster than expected return of Tommy John Surgery. Rocker registered a 1.96 ERA and a 0.79 Whip with a 55: 5 k: BB ratio over 36.2 innings about the minors before he starts a 25.5 K% over three with the Rangers to end the year. And his arm should be healthier in 2025. Rocker is an elite look that projects the BAT to post a 1.15 Whip this season. Even if he needs some patience, Rocker is worth ADP in the 240s.
