Fantasy Baseball AL Lineup Analysis

The National League article was last week, so that means it is time for American League lineup analysis this week. Moving to an every-other-week format makes it so that there is plenty of new information to spread along in each article. The goal is to get this out each weekend to help inform fantasy managers of the latest changes before they go through their FAAB runs. The five hottest hitters in the American League over the past two weeks have been Aaron Judge, Alex Bregman, Cedric Mullins, Cal Raleigh, and Jonathan Aranda. Keep reading for the latest news and notes from all 15 lineups in the American League.

Please note that this article was written the day before publication. I will do my best to update the article with any relevant information from the previous night’s games.

Fantasy Baseball Lineup Takeaways

AL East

New York Yankees

• The team promoted Jorbit Vivas from Triple-A
  • Vivas was acquired prior to last season in a trade with the Dodgers and was batting .342 with two homers in Triple-A this season
  • He has not been in the lineup since being promoted and is unlikely to step into any significant playing time in the near future
  • With DJ LeMahieu nearing a return, Vivas’ time in the Major Leagues is likely limited. He is not worth adding in any fantasy format
• Anthony Volpe is struggling offensively
  • Since making his Major League debut, Volpe has shown flashes of elite offensive potential, but has been unable to perform consistently
  • After getting off to a fast start, Volpe is slashing just .140/.240/.186 since April 12 with a strikeout rate of 36%. He is still up to four homers and three steals on the season, but 3.5 on the basepaths is even discouraging
  • Volpe continues to bat sixth in the Yankees’ lineup, and despite his offensive struggles, his glove should keep him in the lineup. He is not quite a drop candidate yet, but should be on fantasy benches for the time being
• Fantasy managers should consider buying Jazz Chisholm Jr.
  • Chisholm Jr was a high draft pick in all fantasy leagues this season, but is batting just .165 on the season
  • The bright side for fantasy managers has been the seven homers and six steals. This is a 39HR/34SB pace. Is it possible a fantasy manager in your league is underrating Chisholm due to a low batting average and high strikeout rate?
  • Chisholm’s spot in the middle of the Yankees’ lineup is secure, and he should see his .185 BABIP improve as the season moves along

Boston Red Sox

• Is Trevor Story back?
  • Many believed Story’s glory days were in the past, but he is off to an incredible start to the year
  • He is batting fifth in Boston’s lineup and is already up to five homers and six steals
  • His .400+ BABIP is due for serious regression, and there are major concerns to his whiff and chase rates. His batting average will come down significantly, but the homers and stolen bases make Story a threat for 25/25 this season. That would be a major win for those who drafted him
• Ceddanne Rafaela has been on the bench twice this past week
  • Facing all right-handed pitchers, Rafaela has been on the bench twice, which is concerning for his playing time outlook
  • Rafaela is not playing badly, and his six stolen bases give plenty of fantasy value, but a 77 wRC+ leaves plenty to be desired
  • Not one player on the roster now has seen more playing time with Rafaela sitting, but the true winner will eventually be Roman Anthony, who should be up from Triple-A any day now. Once he is promoted, Rafaela will move to the bench

Tampa Bay Rays

• Chandler Simpson is not playing against all lefties
  • The speedy outfielder has been drawing starts every day against rightie,s but is sitting against about half of the lefties the team faces
  • Known for stealing bases, Simpson has already stolen two at the Major League level and is showing off an impressive hit tool
  • The issue with buying into Simpson comes down to his abysmal batted ball data. If the batting average dips even a little, you are looking at a one-category contributor
• Jake Mangum suffered a groin injury and is now on the IL
  • The addition of Simpson to the roster made the outfield a bit crowded. Mangum’s injury helps to sort out some of the playing time questions
  • With Mangum out, Kameron Misner’s spot in the lineup becomes a bit more secure
  • He has been playing center field and batting fifth against righties and seventh against lefties. Misner has three homers and is worth a look in 12-14 team leagues
• Brandon Lowe is in more of a platoon than Jonathan Aranda
  • The one thing that is clear is that Curtis Mead is entering the lineup against lefties
  • To start the season, that was exclusively for Jonathan Aranda, but with Aranda swinging a hot bat and Lowe struggling, that has flipped
  • Lowe is sitting against lefties more often. His whiff rate has taken a major step backward this season, and he is a drop candidate in shallow formats

Toronto Blue Jays

• Third base has become a timeshare
  • Ernie Clement started the season as the everyday third baseman but has started to lose playing time after a lackluster start offensively
  • Will Wagner has been getting more playing time against righties and has been batting eighth in the lineup
  • Wagner has more fantasy upside than Clement, but with both players sharing playing time, neither one is worth rostering
• The third outfield slot is up for grabs
  • George Springer and Alan Roden are locked into the Jays’ lineup on an everyday basis. Outside of that, nothing is certain
  • The team sent Davis Schneider back to Triple-A this past week and has been splitting the playing time between Nathan Lukes, Myles Straw, and Addison Barger
  • Although Barger has the most prospect pedigree and upside, he continues to look overmatched against Major League pitching and is batting just .059 on the season. Barger is a fine player to move on from, even in dynasty. Straw and Lukes are not fantasy-relevant options
• Should fantasy managers be concerned with Anthony Santander
  • After back-to-back excellent seasons with Baltimore, Santander is off to a slow start for the Jays. He is hitting under .200 with only two home runs
  • The simple answer is not yet. While Santander’s barrel rate is down significantly, he is still hitting the ball hard and posting similar metrics to the past two seasons
  • Batting average is never going to be Santander’s strong suit, but he should see his barrel rate return as the season moves along and his spot in Toronto’s lineup is safe

Baltimore Orioles

• Ryan Mountcastle is now splitting time with Ramon Urias
  • The thought entering 2025 was that the left-field wall coming in would help Mountcastle finally return to form, but that has not been the case
  • He has just one homer with an average below .250. The notable part is that he is still barreling up the ball over 15% of the time, which could point to some poor luck
  • Poor luck or not, Ramon Urias has started to see more playing time at third base. The team could also promote top prospect Coby Mayo for another stint at the Major League level
  • Mountcastle is a fine player to drop, although fantasy managers should keep an eye on him in case he heats up
• Tyler O’Neill is dealing with neck soreness
  • The injury does not seem serious, but it is something that the Orioles are working to monitor
  • If he is forced to miss any extended time, Ramon Laureano is most likely to see additional playing time
  • Even without the injury, O’Neill has been disappointing in 2025. He is striking out too much, although his batted ball data suggests he should start seeing more home runs once healthy
• Ryan O’Hearn is playing more against lefties
  • O’Hearn is not fully out of a platoon, but he has been in the lineup against two lefties in the past week. He has been moving down in the lineup against lefties while continuing to bat fourth against righties
  • O’Hearn’s fantastic offensive performance since joining Baltimore has continued in 2024. He is up to three home runs this season while showing off strong contact skills and plate discipline
  • O’Hearn is an underrated four-category fantasy asset and will become even more valuable if he continues to play against left-handed pitchers

AL West

Houston Astros

• Cam Smith is figuring things out
  • Credit to the Astros for being patient with their young outfielder. Maybe they can teach the Rockies a thing or two…
  • Smith continues to play every day, batting at the bottom of Houston’s lineup. He has looked solid defensively and is proving not to be a liability in right field
  • Since April 9, Smith is slashing .268/.333/.488 with three homers. He has lowered his strikeout rate over that time and seems to be adjusting to Major League pitching
• Brendan Rodgers is starting to lose playing time
  • The change in scenery out of Coors Field is proving not to make any difference in Rodgers’ production. He is batting just .244 with zero homers, zero steals, and zero fantasy production
  • Over the past week, Jose Altuve has drawn a start at second base, and Mauricio Dubon has also earned some playing time there
  • Shifting Altuve to second base would open up an opportunity for Zach Dezenzo to get some playing time in left field. If not, Dubon could take over at second base. Dubon’s ceiling is capped,d but he will provide fantasy managers with a solid batting average if nothing else
• Jeremy Pena has moved up to fourth in the lineup
  • Pena is off to a fast start, which feels right on script for every other season of his Major League career
  • Notably, Pena has already stolen five bases this year. His career high was 20 last season. His increased aggression on the basepaths increases his fantasy ceiling
  • Pena is also barreling the ball up significantly more this season compared to last, and is pulling the ball more. This is leading to a power spike that appears sustainable on the surface. He could be one of the bigger steals from fantasy drafts this season

Los Angeles Angels

• Zach Neto has slid up to second in the lineup
  • Neto began the season on the IL and was batting seventh upon his initial return. The team has already shifted Neto back up to second, and he should remain at the top of the Angels’ lineup throughout the season
  • Neto was one of my favorite draft picks this season and has big-time upside for fantasy managers. He already has two home runs and should produce plenty of stolen bases this season
  • With Neto back, Tim Anderson has moved back into a bench role
• Kyren Paris is now at the bottom of the lineup and struggling
  • Paris was all the hype early on this season, but there were plenty of experts out there who were preaching caution to those buying in
  • A strikeout problem has plagued Paris throughout his professional career, and his hit tool has not gotten any better this season
  • Since April 12, Paris has just two hits and is striking out over 50% of the time. He is a fine player to drop regardless of the power/speed upside. I expect him to lose playing time in the near future

Texas Rangers

• Wyatt Langford was activated from the IL
  • Langford returned to the Rangers’ lineup on Sunday and has primarily been batting second since returning
  • The young outfielder feels poised for a big season and, despite only playing in 15 games, is already up to six homers and four steals. Langford is a star for fantasy baseball
  • With Langford back in the lineup, Dustin Harris has moved back into a bench role. Without consistent playing time, Harris is not worth rostering
• Corey Seager has a hamstring strain
  • A trip to the IL each season feels inevitable for Seager, and I guess fantasy baseball managers can find solace in this injury coming early on this season
  • Seager was off to a strong start to 2025, but injuries continue to plague him each year. This is unfortunately, just something fantasy baseball managers need to do with
  • With Seager out of the lineup, Josh Smith has been filling in at shortstop and batting leadoff. Smith has strong surface stats this year, but should not be expected to hit for power moving forward. His batting average will also come down as his BABIP experiences regression
• Jake Burger has slid down in the lineup
  • Expectations were high for Burger entering 2025, but he is yet to find his footing in Texas
  • Burger’s move down in the lineup is due to the fact that he is batting under .200 with only three homers
  • Burger’s batted ball data still suggests plenty of power in his profile, and his BABIP should see some positive regression. Batting average is never going to be a big part of Burger’s game, but this start has still been a difficult one for fantasy managers. He is not a drop candidate outside of very shallow leagues

Athletics

• Nick Kurtz!
  • The Athletics did not waste much time getting Nick Kurtz’s bat up to the Major League level. Their top draft pick from last season was dominating the Minor Leagues
  • He made his Major League debut on Wednesday and is batting seventh in the lineup. He is a strong add in all 12+ team leagues and should be in consideration for 10+ team leagues
  • With Kurtz up, Miguel Andujar is moving into a bench role
• Tyler Soderstrom is going to get outfield eligibility
  • The other part of Kurtz’s promotion is the shift of Tyler Soderstrom to left field
  • Soderstrom already had first base eligibility, had catcher eligibility in some formats, and will now gain outfield eligibility in the coming days. This is a nice bonus for already happy Soderstrom managers
  • Soderstrom has cooled off a bit since his scorching start, but he is continuing to post very strong batted ball data while maintaining the improvements to his hit tool. He remains an excellent option for fantasy managers
• Max Muncy was optioned back to Triple-A
  • The A’s gave Muncy an extended look at the Major League level to see if he would settle in, but this first stint proved to be too much for him
  • Luis Urias has taken over as the primary second baseman and is batting ninth in the lineup
  • Urias is posting decent numbers to start the season and is worth an add in AL-only formats or very deep leagues where you need consistent at-bats

Seattle Mariners

• The team is working with four platoons, so let’s break them all down
  • Up first, we have Luke Raley and Leo Rivas. Raley is posting a strong walk rate to start the season, but does not hold a ton of fantasy value elsewhere
  • Second is Jorge Polanco and Mitch Garver. This platoon is puzzling as Polanco is batting well over .300 with four homers on the season. Taking his bat out of the lineup, even if it is worse against lefties, does not make sense and is unlikely to continue
  • Rowdy Tellez is platooning with Donovan Solano. Tellez has been stuck in a platoon his entire career, and despite four home runs, his batting average makes him a difficult player to suggest rostering in fantasy
  • Finally, Miles Mastrobuoni and Ben Williamson are in a platoon. Mastrobuoni is struggling to produce much offensively while Williamson is batting over .300 in limited at-bats. Williamson could be a candidate to earn more playing time as the season moved along
• Dylan Moore is batting leadoff against lefties
  • Moore continues to get a chance to play every day this season and is batting first against lefties and seventh against righties
  • Strikeouts were Moore’s biggest issue early on in his career, but he seems to have solved that issue this season. He is very fast and has a natural feel for barreling balls up
  • He is a strong add where he is still available
• Cal Raleigh is one of the more valuable catchers in fantasy
  • Not only is Raleigh up to nine homers, but he also has three stolen bases already this season. Speed does not profile to be a large part of his game, but if he can steal 8-10 bases this season, that would be huge for fantasy managers
  • The nicest part about rostering Raleigh is his ability to be in the lineup everyday. When he is not catching, he is in the lineup at DH
  • A high fly ball rate is likely to keep Raleigh’s BABIP suppressed, but it is worth noting that his current BABIP is 25 points below his career average

AL Central

Detroit Tigers

• Jace Jung is up from Triple-A
  • After making his Major League debut last season, Jung did not spend very long in Triple-A before being promoted in 2025
  • Since his call-up, he has been batting sixth in the lineup and appears to be on the strong side of a platoon with Andy Ibanez
  • Jung has significant power upside, but has a questionable hit tool that could prevent him from maintaining fantasy-relevance. His strikeout rate is what fantasy baseball managers should be paying attention to
• Javier Baez is spending time in center field
  • With Jung up and occupying third base, the Tigers are trying to keep Baez in the lineup by moving him to center field
  • He has been playing every day and batting ninth in the lineup
  • The Tigers’ desire to keep Baez in the lineup is puzzling. He is batting just .258 on the season with zero home runs. His .347 BABIP is also likely to see regression. Although he is playing every day right now, he will lose playing time when Parker Meadows returns in June, and is not worth rostering in fantasy
• Colt Keith’s starting role is at risk
  • With Jung up, Zach McKinstry and Justin-Henry Malloy are both looking for ways to get into the lineup
  • Keith will be on the bench always against lefties, but his struggles could land him on the bench more often against righties as well
  • Keith is batting just .188 on the season, although his hit tool has looked solid early on. The biggest issue is the lack of quality contact. Keith is hitting the ball too softly and does not appear to have the power upside that many saw in him as a prospect. He is a fine drop in shallow leagues

Kansas City Royals

• MJ Melendez was optioned to Triple-A
  • Melendez’s career has never seemed to work out, although the team is confident that he will return to the Major Leagues at some point later this season
  • With Melendez off the roster, Drew Waters is getting everyday playing time in the outfield and batting in the bottom third of the lineup
  • Waters’ surface numbers look strong, but he is striking out over 35% of the time and has a BABIP north of .400. Fantasy managers should remain skeptical that he will ever hit enough to maintain a starting role
• Mark Canha is back from the IL
  • In all honesty, I forgot Canha was even on the Royals, but he was activated last Saturday
  • Canha seems to be getting into the lineup against lefties in favor of Kyle Isbel, but the team does not seem to have any intention of using him as an everyday player
  • Isbel has a negative WAR on the season and a 53 wRC+. He is a candidate to lose playing time,e and the team could get the veteran Canha more at-bats
• Vinnie Pasquantino is moving down in the lineup against lefties
  • Pasquantino has gotten off to a slow start offensively this season with an average below .200 and only two home runs
  • The Pasquantino hype from a few seasons ago has never quite worked out. He seems to do a lot of things well, but he struggles to find the barrel consistently, and playing his home games in Kansas City limits his home run production
  • He is going to see his offensive numbers come up this season, but he should be viewed as more of a floor option rather than a player with a substantial ceiling

Chicago White Sox

• Chase Meidroth landed on the IL
  • Meidroth is dealing with a thumb injury,y which is not believed to be serious, but was enough to land him on the IL
  • With Meidroth out of the lineup, Jacob Amaya has taken back over at shortstop and is batting ninth in the lineup
  • Amaya does not have much offensive upside and is not worth picking up. Meidroth should return to the team before too long
• Edgar Quero is up from Triple-A
  • First was Meidroth, and now Quero was promoted, signaling the White Sox’s willingness to promote their top prospects this season
  • Quero has been batting in the middle of the lineup since being promoted and serving as the team’s primary catcher
  • Quero’s hit tool is his best attribute, and he should be able to hit fora  solid average at the Major League level. A low launch angle will likely prevent him from hitting for much power, but he is worth a look in leagues with 14+ catchers rostered
• Bobby Dalbec was promoted from Triple-A
  • Yes, that same Dalbec, who was an intriguing young player with the Red Sox a few seasons ago, is now with the White Sox and was recently promoted from Triple-A
  • Dalbec is likely to see the majority of his playing time against leftie,s but has been getting into the lineup against righties as well in favor of Brooks Baldwin or Joshua Palacios
  • Dalbec has big-time power but has struck out too frequently to maintain fantasy-relevancy. He was still striking out over 30% of the time in Triple-A and is not worth picking up in fantasy

Minnesota Twins

• Willi Castro is on the IL with an oblique injury
  • The Twins continue to deal with injuries throughout their lineup and lose one of their more versatile pieces who had not played in a game since April 16
  • Castro was serving in a super-utility role but was not producing much offensively
  • His injury will result in more consistent playing time for Eduoard Julien, Brooks Lee, and Luke Keaschall
• Speaking of Luke Keaschall, he has been playing every day since being promoted
  • Keaschall was considered one of the game’s top prospects entering the season and did not waste much time making it to the Major Leagues this season
  • Although he lacks elite tools, Keaschall’s mature and polished approach allows him to do everything well. He has great plate discipline, good contact skills, good barrel control, and solid power. More importantly, he has already stolen five bases since being promoted. He is a must-add in 12+ team leagues
  • He has been batting third in the Twins’ lineup in most games since being promoted
• Brooks Lee has been underwhelming offensively
  • Matt Wallner being on the IL with Willi Castro has continued to allow Lee to get everyday playing time
  • He has been batting eighth and playing third base, but is batting just .200 with one homer
  • Looking under the hood, Lee could be a nice buy-low for those in deeper keeper leagues and dynasty leagues. He is barreling the ball well, pulling the ball in the air, and is walking more than he is striking out. Lee’s luck should start improving and he could turn into a sneaky fantasy asset
  • Royce Lewis is beginning a rehab assignment. While this could impact Lee’s playing time, it is more likely for Lee to shift to second base and for Julien to lose his starting role

Cleveland Guardians

• Nolan Jones has moved up to second in Cleveland’s lineup
  • Jones’ 2025 season got off to a dreadful start, but the team has stuck with him and has now moved him up higher in their lineup
  • Although he has moved up in the lineup, his production has not gotten much better. He is batting just .200 since April 12 and has yet to go deep this year
  • Under the hood, there is a lot to like. He is laying off balls, making good contact, hitting the ball hard, and barreling it up. The only issue is true production. He is a fine waiver wire add in AL-only and dynasty leagues to see if he can turn it around
• Lane Thomas landed on the IL with a bone bruise
  • Even before going on the IL, Thomas was already losing significant playing time. He is batting just .156 with zero homers and one steal
  • Thomas is a fine player to drop, and there is no guarantee he comes back to an everyday role
  • Angel Martinez has been playing every day in center field and batting seventh in the lineup. His hit tool and playing time make him a fine floor add, but there is not much upside in terms of fantasy value in his profile
• Bo Naylor is quietly doing a lot of things really well
  • Naylor’s production is still underwhelming. A sub-.200 average with two homers and a steal
  • However, his strikeout rate is below 20% with major improvements to his chase and whiff rates and he is walking 12.9% of the time
  • He is also barreling the ball up more and hitting it harder while continuing to play every day
  • Naylor is a deep-league add only,y but he is still just 25 and only a few years away from being a top prospect