Nestor Cortes, SP, MIL
Cortes' Brewer career could not have gotten off to a worse start, as he became the first pitcher in MLB history to give up homeruns on three consecutive pitches to start a ballgame. He finished the outing with 2 IP, allowing 8 ER's (5 HR's) while striking out 2 and walking 5. It really doesn't get much worse than this. Cortes was solid for the Yankees last year, posting a 3.77 ERA along with a career best 2.01 BB/9 across 174.1 IP. His 8.36 K/9 was a career low, but his 10.6% SwStr% was right in line with his career average so we could easily see his K/9 bounce back up to the 9.00 range. His 9.8% HR/FB from a year ago is due for some upward regression though, and we certainly saw it play out that way on Saturday. Despite the horrific performance, Cortes projects to be a back of the rotation fantasy arm.
Jordan Westburg, 2B, BAL
Westburg had a huge game against the Blue Jays on Saturday, going 4-5 with 2 HR's and another run scored, giving him 3 HR's through 3 games on the young season. Injuries limited Westburg to 107 games last season, but he still came through with 18 HR's, 26 doubles, and 5 triples, en route to a .481 SLG. These numbers were well deserved with a 46.1% HardHit% in 2024, making Westburg a dark horse candidate for 25-30 HR's this season. He also has a sold contact rate and will swipe the occasional base, giving the potential to be an all-around fantasy asset.
Oneil Cruz, SS, OF, PIT
Cruz went 0-2 against the Marlins on Saturday, but he also walked 4 times, scored a run and stole two bases. He is already up to 4 SB's through just 3 games this season, and it helps that he has been an on-base machine, having walked 6 times across 16 PA's thus far. It's a tiny sample size but Cruz has satruck out just twice in those 16 PA's, which is a vast improvement from his 30.2% K% in 2024. We know that Cruz has speed and power (54.9% HardHit% last season!) so if he can improve his plate discipline, we could be talking about a fantasy superstar.
Jesus Luzardo, SP, PHI
Luzardo struck out 11 batters across 5 IP against the Nationals on Saturday, allowing 2 ER's on 5 hits and 2 BB's in his Phillies debut. After posting strikeout rates above 10.00 K/9 in both 2022 and 2023, Luzardo took a strange turn south last year, posting a mere 7.83 K/9 across just 12 starts. His ERA skyrocketed to 5.00 as a result. However, his 13.7% SwStr% remained elite, hinting that a rebound could be in the cards. If Saturday's outing was any indication, Luzardo could be in for a big bounceback campaign.
Ryan Pressly, RP, CHC
Pressly converted his first save as a Cub against the Reds on Saturday, but not before he allowed 2 ER's on 4 hits and 1 BB. His tenure in Chicago has gotten off to a bit of a shaky start; through 3 appearances, he has allowed 3 ER's on 6 hits in 3 IP, with 4 BB's and just 1 strikeout. He hasn't blown a save yet, but with Porter Hodge waiting in the wings, you would imagine that Pressly's closing job could be at risk if he doesn't improve soon.
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