Miami Marlins catching prospect Liam Hicks has a "real chance" to earn a spot on the Opening Day roster, according to Marlins president of baseball operations Peter Bendix. The backstop also drew praise from starting pitcher Sandy Alcantara. If the 25-year-old were to make the team, he'd be expected to back up Nick Fortes. The left-handed hitter hasn't shown much power, having hit 13 home runs in 878 minor-league at-bats, but he has shown the ability to put the bat on the ball with a .274 career average in the minors, and he has a keen eye with an MiLB career walk rate of 15.1 percent -- compared to just a 13.4 percent strikeout rate. The former ninth-round draft pick also made a name for himself during the 2023 Arizona Fall League by leading the circuit in batting average at .449 and on-base percentage of .553, including a six-hit game that October. Hicks wouldn't warrant fantasy draft consideration in most leagues as a backup catcher, but if he were to somehow end up with the starting gig, he's got the contact skills and ability to get on base via the walk that would provide some fantasy intrigue.

San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Robbie Ray is reportedly adding a changeup to his repertoire. The lefty is said to have borrowed the grip from last year's AL Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal after communicating with him this offseason and results so far have been promising. The 33-year-old pitched two innings in Tuesday's 7-5 Cactus League loss to the Athletics, allowing no runs on one hit and zero walks while striking out three, including getting some whiffs on the new changeup. Ray made his way back from Tommy John surgery in July of last season, making seven starts before missing the rest of the year due to a hamstring strain. Although the 4.70 ERA and the 11.6 percent walk rate weren't good, the veteran still demonstrated strong strikeout stuff, posting a 33.3 percent K% with 43 strikeouts in 30 2/3 IP. Fully healthy and armed with a new pitch, the former Cy Young winner has a chance to be a sneaky value pick with an NFBC ADP of 165, as RotoBaller ranks him at 150 overall.

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Roki Sasaki pitched in a simulated game on Tuesday, and his fastball clocked in at "mid-90s," which is where the Dodgers anticipated he'd be at this early stage of the season. He's expected to pitch and make his MLB debut in the second game of the Tokyo Series on March 19 against the Chicago Cubs. Signed in the offseason out of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) in Japan, Sasaki's fastball can touch triple digits, but he also offers a devastating splitter in the 88-90 mph range that coaxes eye-popping whiff rates. The 23-year-old has ace-like potential, and the transition to MLB should not be too challenging. Expect the righty to offer solid ERA and WHIP with strong strikeout potential, with ATC projections forecasting 154 strikeouts in 131 innings in 2025. With an NFBC ADP around 95, there could still be some value there if he hits his projections, and RotoBaller ranks the future star at 76 overall, so don't hesitate to draft him if you get the opportunity in those early middle rounds.

St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher prospect Quinn Mathews made his spring debut on Tuesday, tossing two innings of scoreless ball in a 3-2 Grapefruit League loss to the Blue Jays. The southpaw yielded two hits and one walk while striking out three in the outing. The Stanford product was a fourth-round draft pick for the Cardinals in 2023 but didn't see his first professional game action until 2024. The 6-foot-5 hurler began the season at Single-A but advanced all the way to Triple-A by season's end after showing elite strikeout rates at each stop, finishing with 202 strikeouts (35.4 percent K%) over 143 1/3 innings of work. His command faltered a bit when he arrived at Triple-A which likely prevented a late-season call-up in 2024, but a 2025 debut is looking more and more likely. The 24-year-old could be a viable source of Ks whenever he gets the call, so fantasy managers will want to keep an ear to the ground for any rumblings of a major league promotion once the regular season begins, but as it stands now without a rotation spot, he isn't on the draft radar in standard 12-team leagues.

Houston Astros third base prospect Cam Smith belted a pair of home runs in Tuesday's 8-5 Grapefruit League win over the Mets, his first two hits of the spring season. The first was a two-run opposite-field shot in the sixth after entering the game for Isaac Paredes, and the other was an opposite-field solo shot in the eighth. The 22-year-old has now reached base safely in all four spring plate appearances, logging two walks in each of his first two PA this past Saturday. Smith was selected 14th overall by the Cubs in last year's draft but came to Houston via the Kyle Tucker trade. He's already the Astros' top-ranked prospect and is ranked 59th overall in MLB. The 6-foot-3 right-handed hitter showed well in his first taste of pro ball last year, slashing .313/.396/.609 with seven home runs in 115 at-bats across three levels, finishing the year at Double-A. Dynasty managers will need to take notice of the power display, but redraft managers will likely have to wait until 2026 for Smith's bat to be available in the majors.