Chandler Simpson DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Tampa Bay Rays first baseman/designated hitter Jonathan Aranda and rookie outfielder Chandler Simpson will not start on Saturday in the Bronx against the New York Yankees and left-hander Ryan Yarbrough. Righty Clarke Schmidt (side) was originally scheduled to start for the Yanks, but he was scratched due to a side issue. Curtis Mead is now starting at first base and batting fifth, while Kameron Misner will start in center field and bat seventh. Jose Caballero is in right field and in the six-hole. Aranda is hitting over .300 so far in 2025 but has gone 2-for-14 with five strikeouts against left-handed pitching, so he'll take a seat. Simpson, who also bats from the left side, is hitting .318 (14-for-44) in his first 11 big-league games, but he hasn't homered while driving in three and stealing three bases. He's just 3-for-15 against lefties.

Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Chandler Simpson went 3-for-4 with a walk, an RBI, a run scored, and a stolen base in Sunday's 4-2 win over the Padres. The 24-year-old has been superb since his call-up from Triple-A, collecting a hit in each of his first eight games, going 12-for-30 (.400) with three stolen bases and a 3:4 BB:K, so he does not appear to be overmatched. He's made some spectacularplays on defense as well. A plethora of outfielder injuries was one reason for his call-up, but the 5-foot-11 speedster looks like he's ready to be a mainstay in Tampa. As electric as he's been, the Rays' seventh-ranked prospect is still available in over 60 percent of Yahoo! leagues, but that number should be much higher.

Tampa Bay Rays outfield prospect Chandler Simpson went 1-for-3 with an RBI and run during their 7-6 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday evening. Simpson would tally his hit in the eighth inning. It was a clutch RBI single that tied the game and eventually forced extra innings, where the Rays would eventually win the game. Over his first four MLB games, Simpson has tallied at least one hit in each and posted one multi-hit game. During these four games, he has already begun to show his elite speed upside as he has swiped two bags. Earlier in the season at Triple-A, the Georgia Tech product held a stellar .301/.325/.329 line with eight stolen bases across 17 games. Given his immense speed upside, Simpson is worth targeting in all category formats.

Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Chandler Simpson is out of the starting lineup ahead of Wednesday's game against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The rookie outfielder will take a seat against southpaw Eduardo Rodriguez on Wednesday. Since being recalled, Simpson is hitting .333 with one RBI and two stolen bases in three games. He's worth an add in deep leagues and AL-only formats due to his ridiculous speed. On Wednesday, Yandy Diaz will take over the leadoff spot while Kameron Misner is in center field and bats seventh against Rodriguez. Fantasy managers should adjust their lineups and pull out Simpson before first pitch.

Tampa Bay Rays outfield prospect Chandler Simpson is starting in center field and is hitting leadoff on Tuesday against the hosting Arizona Diamondbacks and right-hander Brandon Pfaadt. The Rays' No. 7 prospect, per MLB Pipeline, was called up from the minors to make his major-league debut on Saturday against the New York Yankees, and he's gone 2-for-8 with a double, RBI, stolen base, run scored and a strikeout in his first two games. This will be the second time in his first three MLB games that the 24-year-old speedster will hit leadoff for Tampa. Simpson isn't going to provide much pop for fantasy managers -- he had only one extra-base hit in his first 78 plate appearances at Triple-A Durham before his promotion -- but he's worth rostering in deeper formats for his speed, especially if he sticks in the leadoff spot and sees regular playing time.