Washington Nationals manager Dave Martinez announced that left-handed pitcher MacKenzie Gore will start on Opening Day as the Nationals play host to the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday, March 27. Gore, a former first-round pick by the San Diego Padres in 2017, will be entering his third season with the Nationals and look to start the season on a high note. During the 2024 season, Gore was 10-12 with a 3.90 ERA, 3.53 FIP, and a 10.8 K/9. Gore has been in the big leagues since 2022, and we have continued to see him improve year over year. At NFBC, Gore's ADP is 205 overall, aligning with RotoBaller's current overall rankings of 207 for Gore. Fantasy managers looking for a young arm with upside will want to target him in their upcoming drafts.

Texas Rangers starting pitching prospect Jack Leiter tossed four innings during his start on Sunday. Leiter allowed two earned runs with four hits and three walks. He struck out four batters. Leiter continues to struggle with his control but was able to fight through this outing by only allowing two runs. With Cody Bradford (elbow) and Jon Gray (wrist) expected to miss the start of the season, Leiter is competing for one of the final spots in the rotation. Through 14 2/3 total innings this spring, the former second-overall pick has held a 3.07 ERA with a 1.36 WHIP. He tallied 17 strikeouts and has served up nine free passes. The right-hander made his MLB debut last season and posted an 8.83 ERA with a 1.71 WHIP across 35 2/3 innings. Leiter has flashed elite strikeout upside but has struggled to find consistent results. If he does earn a spot in the Opening Day rotation, he is worth taking a late flier on in deeper formats.

Detroit Tigers second baseman Gleyber Torres (quadriceps) is back in the lineup Monday against the Pittsburgh Pirates. This is an encouraging sign for Torres and fantasy managers, as he was scratched from the lineup yesterday versus the Baltimore Orioles. The Tigers added Torres from the New York Yankees on a one-year, $15 million deal during the offseason. Torres will be expected to be the team's second baseman and bat toward the top of this Tiger lineup that struggled to produce runs in 2024. During the 2024 season, Torres finished with a .257/.330/.378 slash line. It was a respectable stat line, but he ranked in the bottom 15th percentile in fielding, and the Yankees did not want to re-sign him. Torres is hoping this fresh start with the Tigers can rejuvenate what he was able to do in 2023, a year in which he held a .273/.347/.453 line.

Miami Marlins catching prospect Agustin Ramirez was optioned to Triple-A Jacksonville. Ramirez was competing for a spot on the Opening Day roster during camp. In spring training, Ramirez held a .235/.381/.647 line with one double and two home runs. With Ramirez opening the season at the Triple-A level, fantasy managers should expect Nick Fortes, Liam Hicks, and Rob Brantly to compete for starts in the majors. The Marlins acquired Ramirez from the New York Yankees in the trade that sent Jazz Chisholm Jr. to the Bronx. Across 68 games at the Triple-A level, the 23-year-old held a .246/.345/.411 slash line with 12 doubles and nine home runs. Fantasy managers in NL-only formats should continue to monitor his progression at Triple-A, as he should be in contention to make his MLB debut later in the season.

Atlanta Braves outfielder Jurickson Profar (wrist) took batting practice on Sunday in camp, according to MLB.com's Mark Bowman. The Braves have Monday off and will be in Tampa on Wednesday night, so they may wait until Thursday to put Profar back in the Grapefruit League lineup. However, until then, he can get as many at-bats as he needs in minor-league games. Bowman says that Profar remains on track for Opening Day next Thursday. The Braves are being cautious with the 32-year-old after he sustained a bone bruise in his left wrist in spring training, but fantasy managers shouldn't need to worry that he won't be ready for the start of the regular season unless he suffers a setback once he resumes playing in games. After a breakout year in 2024 with the Padres, many fantasy managers are wondering if Profar can repeat it. He doesn't have great speed or power, but he's in an excellent lineup and is just inside RotoBaller's rankings as a top-40 outfielder.