Marcus Stroman DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

New York Yankees right-handed pitcher Marcus Stroman is expected to open the season in the starting rotation. With Luis Gil (lat) expected to miss a significant period of time at the start of the campaign, Stroman is the top candidate to replace him in the rotation. Last season, the 33-year-old made his Yankees debut and posted a 4.31 ERA with a 1.47 WHIP across 154 2/3 innings. He tallied 113 punchouts with a modest 8.9 percent walk rate. While he generated groundballs at a strong 49.9 percent rate, he was unable to limit hard contact as he generated a high 40.2 percent hard-hit rate. Stroman also generated a 4.94 xERA and a .271 xBA which were both well below the average marks. Prospect pitcher Will Warren could also make a push to see starting opportunities but given Stroman's experience, he is the top candidate. As a result, he will have value as a streaming option in deeper leagues but carries low strikeout upside.

New York Yankees starting pitcher Marcus Stroman will not make his scheduled start on Tuesday. Instead, the right-hander will stay in Tampa to pitch live batting practice. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status during camp but he is currently facing an uphill battle to open the season in the rotation. He is currently penciled in to be the No. 6 option behind Clarke Schmidt (back) but could slide into the rotation if Schmidt continues to be limited due to his current injury. Schmidt has been limited during the early part of camp but is unlikely to miss time in the regular season. As a result, Stroman will likely open the 2025 campaign in a long relief role. Last season, Stroman held a 4.31 ERA and a 1.47 WHIP across 154 2/3 innings. He tallied 113 punchouts and generated a high 4.94 xERA. Stroman will carry little fantasy value if he opens the season in the bullpen.

New York Yankees right-hander Marcus Stroman will start the team's first Grapefruit League game on Friday against the division-rival Tampa Bay Rays, per manager Aaron Boone. As things currently stand, the veteran Stroman is on the outside looking in for an Opening Day starting rotation spot, but the 33-year-old said last week that he doesn't plan on pitching in a relief role. Clarke Schmidt is dealing with a "cranky back," which could open up a rotation spot, but he also has plenty of time to get ready for Opening Day. Stroman went 10-9 with a 4.31 ERA and 1.47 WHIP with only 113 strikeouts in 154 2/3 innings over 30 outings (29 starts) in his first year in the Bronx in 2024. His 16.7 percent strikeout rate was the worst of his career, and his velocity was also noticeably down. Stroman has always been a ground-ball artist, but a rebound is unlikely at his age, and finding a starter's workload could be a challenge.