Ben Casparius DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

The Athletic's Fabian Aradaya reports that Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander Ben Casparius will either start or pitch bulk innings in Monday's series opener in Miami against the Marlins. The 26-year-old has made himself very valuable to a Dodgers pitching staff that is pretty beat up, and he can mainly thank his cutter. Casparius' fastball velocity is up this year, as he's averaging 95.8 mph and touching 99. His slider sits around 84.8 mph, while his cutter has averaged 91.5 mph, sitting between his fastball and slider with a similar enough movement profile to play off both of his primary pitches. Casparius has thrown his cutter 19.1% of the time in 2024 and has pounded the strike zone with it. Opposing hitters have gotten just four hits against the cutter on 19 at-bats, swinging and miss on 26.8% of the times they swing at it. It's an excellent matchup for Casparius, who could make multiple starts for the Blue moving forward.

Los Angeles Dodgers right-handed pitcher Ben Casparius has a "good chance" to make the Opening Day roster as a multi-inning reliever. Last season Casparius made his MLB debut and logged eight 1/3 innings with the Dodgers and held a 2.16 ERA with a 1.56 WHIP. He tallied 12 punchouts. Across this small stint, he generated an elite 4.8 percent barrel rate. At Triple-A, Casparius logged 67 innings and posted a 3.36 ERA with a 1.22 WHIP. He tallied 72 punchouts and served up 35 free passes. Earlier in the season, he held a similar 3.32 ERA and a 1.34 WHIP across 21 2/3 innings with Double-A. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his development at spring training, but it appears Casparius is viewed as a favorite to break camp. If he does earn a spot on the Opening Day roster, he could have value in NL-only leagues if he is used as a swingman.