Wilyer Abreu DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Boston Red Sox outfielder Wilyer Abreu doubled and drew three walks in Sunday's 2-3 loss to the Rangers. This is another good game to add to the youngster's resume, who already started the season with a two-homer performance on Opening Day. He showed some promise in 2024 by slashing .253/.322/.459 with 15 homers and eight steals in 132 games and seems to be taking a step forward in 2025. This didn't come out of nowhere, as the 50.5% hard-hit rate he posted last season ranked in the 94th percentile. He's worth streaming off of the waiver wire as a hot-hand play, with the potential to stick on your team all year if he doesn't slow down.

Boston Red Sox outfielder Wilyer Abreu was probably the most unlikely of heroes during Thursday's season opener against the Texas Rangers. Abreu missed a majority of spring training due to an illness, but it doesn't look like that matters. Abreu went 3-for-3 with two home runs, including a go-ahead blast in the ninth inning during Thursday's victory. He collected four RBI along the way and two walks during the 5-2 win. Abreu wasn't a popular name on draft boards, but the 25-year-old does have the potential to knock out around 20-25 homers a season. He's also someone that is surprisingly quick and could steal some bases as well, so he should be on the radar for fantasy managers.

Boston Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers (shoulder) and outfielder Wilyer Abreu (illness) are in the starting lineup on Saturday. Devers will be the DH and bat in the two-hole while Abreu will cover right field and bat eighth. Devers has been dealing with a shoulder injury throughout most of camp. There have been reports that he could begin the season exclusively as a designated hitter. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status but seeing him return to the starting lineup is a positive sign. Abreu battled an illness throughout camp and even lost some weight as a result. The team may opt to increase his workload slowly during the remainder of camp to ensure he is ready for Opening Day. During the regular season, Devers will likely see time at the hot corner and at DH while Abreu will see most of his starts in right field.