Zac Gallen DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Zac Gallen looked untouchable on Wednesday, striking out 13 batters over 6 shutout innings in a 4-3 win against the Yankees. The Yankees and their torpedo bats have gained a lot of attention over the recent days, but the bats don't matter if they don't make contact. Gallen collected 24 whiffs on the night for a whiff rate of 57%. His knuckle curveball was the most effective of his pitches, collecting 13 whiffs all on its own. He'll look to carry this momentum into his next start, currently lined up to be against the Orioles.

Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Zac Gallen had a respectable outing in Thursday's spring training matchup against the Athletics. He threw 4 innings, allowing five hits, two walks, two strikeouts, and one earned run. It was nothing flashy, but it was a good outing he can build off of, as Opening Day is less than a week away. Gallen has already been named the team's Opening Day starter for next Thursday, March 27, against the Chicago Cubs. Last season, Gallen saw a bit of a dip in production as his 3.47 ERA in 2023 rose to 3.65 in 2025. Gallen's strikeout rate also fell to a career-low 25.1%. Nonetheless, Gallen is a proven starter in the MLB. He should provide fantasy managers with a productive season, even with the D-backs bringing on Corbin Burnes during the off-season.

Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Zac Gallen will be the team's Opening Day starter next Thursday, March 27, against the Chicago Cubs, according to MLB.com's Steve Gilbert. It's a bit of a surprise that the D-backs didn't go with offseason acquisition Corbin Burnes, but instead they'll roll with the 29-year-old Gallen for the third straight year on Opening Day. Gallen has a little pressure off of him at the top of Arizona's rotation now that Burnes is in tow. He's not a fantasy ace by any means, but he makes for a solid No. 3 fantasy starter and should be rolled out there in his first start of the year against the Cubs. Gallen's strikeout rate fell to a career-low 25.1%, but he's notorious for being one of the best strike-throwers in the game. It seems unlikely that Gallen will ever be a fantasy ace again like he was in 2022, but you could do a lot worse as your SP2 or SP3.