season is back, perhaps with many lapsed fans and eager managers wondering what they missed over these long, cold winter months.
Well, much has occurred since the final regular-season games of 2025 were played! Spring training has arrived, so now seems like a fine time to recap the big baseball stories since your last fantasy championships were decided. Let’s catch up!
The Dodgers did not win the most regular-season games in 2025 (the did!), but they were the team that won the final game of baseball’s playoffs. The formidable entered Game 6 of the World Series with a chance to dethrone the defending champs and they had multiple chances to win an extraordinary Game 7, but ultimately, the Dodgers became the first repeat champions since the 2000 .
Baseball fans may have been stunned by how it happened — many still can’t believe it — but they could not have been surprised about which team finally earned the trophy, with the Dodgers boasting NL MVP among multiple future Hall of Famers, suddenly healthy starting pitchers thriving in relief, and a ridiculously fat payroll that towered over the rest of the jealous sport.
RHP earned World Series MVP honors for winning three games, which included six solid innings as a starter in Game 6 and an inspiring eight-out performance to close out the Game 7 finale. He threw 34 pitches the day after tossing 96. The Dodgers overcame a 3-0 deficit in Game 7, scoring single runs in the eighth and ninth innings while exhibiting top defense, taking the lead on a home run off in the 11th inning. Yamamoto escaped a late jam when Blue Jays C ended the series by hitting into a double play.
The Dodgers hit a collective .203/.294/.364 during the World Series — to them, a clear signal the franchise needed even more offensive punch. Few expected the top free agent OF to end up with the champs, as he was wooed/coveted by myriad franchises, including the Blue Jays, but Tucker ultimately chose a shorter-term contract with opt-outs so he could wear Dodgers blue. Baseball bristled at this result, with the rich only getting richer. Tucker is one of the top options in fantasy baseball, too, and he should thrive in a top-heavy lineup featuring Ohtani, SS , 1B and Smith.
The Dodgers’ bullpen needed an upgrade as well, so in came former RHP , whose 253 career saves are tied for fourth among active hurlers. A healthy Diaz should become the first Dodger to eclipse 25 saves since saved 38 games during the 2021 season. LHP , a major signing last offseason who struggled, figures to be one of the top setup options.
The Dodgers did not get everyone! The Mets, after losing Diaz and buoyed by ample financial resources themselves, fortified their bullpen with former Yankees veterans and . They also bolstered their lineup with former Blue Jays SS (who figures to play 3B), 2B , OF . and IF (to replace 1B , who went to the ). They also traded several prospects to the Brewers for ace RHP .
As for other big names to switch teams, the added former 3B , former ace LHP went to the , the Red Sox committed big money to former LHP , and the Blue Jays welcomed RHP to their rotation. Phillies DH and Yankees OF stayed with their respective clubs.
Free agency wasn’t just for the established MLB options. Japanese sluggers and joined the White Sox and Blue Jays, respectively, while RHP replaces Valdez in the Astros’ rotation. Former RHP , after thriving for several seasons in Korea, signed a three-year contract with the Blue Jays, and the Tigers signed journeyman , also back from Korea.
In addition to the Mets acquiring Semien (for OF ) and Peralta (for several prospects) via the trade route, there were other notable swaps, several featuring the busy, retooling . The Red Sox added 1B and RHP from the Cardinals in a pair of separate trades, while the acquired future Hall of Fame 3B and the Mariners picked up 2B . The Rangers dealt prospects to the for LHP . The cleansed their roster of a pair of unrelated hitters with the surname Lowe, with IF heading to the Pirates, and OF now a member of the .
The Rays, after one occasionally awkward season of playing their home games at Yankees minor league stadium Steinbrenner Field, are back home at the domed Tropicana Field, fixed up after a hurricane damaged its roof. Returning to their stadium should normalize hitting and pitching statistics and alleviate concerns over excessive heat and rain.
Meanwhile, a year after the Orioles adjusted the fences at Camden Yards to aid hitters, the are doing the adjusting at spacious Kauffman Stadium. The outfield walls are up to 10 feet closer to home plate, and they are at least a foot shorter. This should add some offense and make things easier for SS ., 1B and C/1B , among others. (The , however, remain in their minor league park in Sacramento.)
Baseball fans and fantasy managers alike tend to get extra hopeful about the new, young players entering the league. This season, the cool position to watch is shortstop, with (Pirates), (Tigers) and (Cardinals) among those with a chance to debut and start for their big league teams on Opening Day. Meanwhile, (Mariners), (Rangers) and (Athletics) are not too far behind.
Griffin, coming off a 2025 in which he hit .333 with 21 home runs and 65 stolen bases in his age-19 season, has been compared to a young Alex Rodriguez. The Pirates made more than a few veteran additions this offseason, but their biggest one may be giving Griffin a chance to shine coming out of spring training.
Don’t forget about the young pitchers, as they are among the betting favorites for the Rookie of the Year awards, too. Mets RHP posted a 2.08 ERA over eight starts for the big club last season, and he retains rookie eligibility. Blue Jays RHP starred for the AL champs in October, and he has earned a rotation spot this season. Other pitchers to watch include (Pirates), (Phillies) and Red Sox LHPs and .
won 223 games for the Dodgers over 18 seasons, along with an MVP award, three NL Cy Young awards and two World Series titles, although he was not a particularly valuable fantasy option in recent seasons. The Hall of Fame awaits his eligibility in five years. Other players who used to be fantasy favorites to retire from active MLB duty after the 2025 season include former Rays 3B , Yankees/Cubs 1B and Yankees/Phillies RP .
Phillies RHP and Yankees RHP are among the many hurlers on the mend from injury, with neither expected to open the season on the active roster. Wheeler, who was an NL Cy Young Award contender before being sidelined in August, is recovering from venous thoracic outlet surgery involving his pitching shoulder. Cole underwent the more traditional Tommy John surgery, albeit with an internal brace, last March. He did not pitch in 2025. Yankees LHP (elbow), Dodgers LHP (shoulder) and Cubs LHP (elbow) should also start their respective seasons in delay.
Like Cole, numerous fantasy-relevant pitchers did not accrue any statistics in 2025, but they should this season. That list includes Angels RHP (elbow; acquired from Baltimore), Dodgers RHP (shoulder), Pirates RHP (elbow) and RHP (elbow).
On the hitting side, Yankees SS (shoulder) is expected to start the season on the injured list, while Red Sox 1B is on the mend from a serious knee injury. Diamondbacks OF . (knee) may miss at least half the season recovering from ACL surgery, while SS (finger) needed surgery in January to repair a torn tendon (while slipping on ice). He may also miss several months of the season.
Additionally, Diamondbacks OF , Mets SS and Orioles 2B are each undergoing hamate bone surgery in February, putting Opening Day into jeopardy for all three stars. These are important fantasy options, with Carroll going in Round 1 of early ESPN ADP, Lindor in Round 2 and Holliday in Round 13. For now, drop these players down a bit in your rankings, but not excessively so.
For those in redraft formats, avoid Orioles RHP (shoulder), as he may miss most, if not all, of the upcoming season recovering from surgery. The Orioles signed RHP to likely handle closing duties. Padres RHP (elbow), Mariners RHP (elbow) and RHP (elbow) are all out for the season. And, in an update for this annual story, we can ignore former Angels/Nationals 3B (hip), who did not play in 2025 and last batted 250 times in a season in 2019. He hasn’t officially retired, but he is unlikely to suit up again.
Former big leaguers Skip Schumaker (Rangers), Kurt Suzuki (Angels), Craig Stammen (Padres) and Walt Weiss (Braves) may be the headliners among the nine new managers in baseball. They join Craig Albernaz (Orioles), Derek Shelton (Twins), Blake Butera (Nationals), Warren Schaeffer (Rockies) and Tony Vitello (Giants) in dugouts across the league. The Vitello hire in San Francisco may be the most interesting, since he comes from a long stint managing at the University of Tennessee. There is little precedence for managers coming directly from the college ranks into leading an MLB club.
We last saw the World Baseball Classic in 2023, as the great Ohtani struck out the great (still his Angels teammate at the time) in the ninth inning to secure the title for Japan. Japan has won three WBC championships, while the United States and Dominican Republic each boast one crown. Yankees OF , Royals SS . and Mariners C are among the hitting stars on the USA roster this time, and Tigers LHP and Pirates RHP headline the pitching staff. The tournament begins on Tuesday, March 3, during early spring training, so do not expect pitchers to log heavy workloads.
Baseball’s regular season begins on Wednesday, March 25, with the Giants hosting the Yankees in the lone game of the day. That one can be watched on Netflix. The champion Dodgers are among 22 teams opening their schedule the following day, as they host the Diamondbacks, and the rest of the teams begin play on Friday, March 27. Play ball!
