Fantasy Sports

Kurtz jumped on a first-pitch sweeper from Justin Bruihl in the fifth inning and belted a 388-foot (103.4 mph EV) two-run shot that increased the A’s advantage to 6-1. Kurtz also led off the third inning with a double off of José Berríos and rode home on Tyler Soderstrom’s two-run blast. The 22-year-old slugger has impressed in his first taste of big league action, slashing .257/.333/.558 with 17 homers, 44 RBI and one stolen base in his first 235 plate appearances.

Arquette transferred from Washington to Oregon State, and he helped the Beavers reach another College World Series while hitting 19 homers with a 1.115 OPS over 65 games in Corvallis. The 21-year-old has considerable power potential in his right-handed bat, and he’s a hitter who has shown improvement patience at the plate; albeit with some swing-and-miss as well. Because of his size it seems likely he’ll make the switch to third base, and he’s not a threat to steal many bags. Still, the potential to get on base at a solid clip while hitting 30 or more homers in his best seasons makes Arquette a must-roster in keeper formats.

Hernandez is viewed as not only the top prep pitching prospect in this draft, but one of the best of the past several years. The 6-foot-4 right-hander will touch the high 90 mph range without much effort, and there’s the potential for more as he fills out his frame. He also offers two swing-and-miss pitches in his curveball and change, with a slider that isn’t far behind. Hernandez gets rave reviews for his feel for pitching, and he should throw more than enough strikes to be a starter at the highest level. The risk is obvious; he’s a young pitcher who throws hard, but he has a chance to be the best pitcher -- maybe even player -- in the class.

Yes, Ethan is the brother of Orioles’ infielder Jackson Holiday and the son of former MLB All-Star Matt Holliday. Ethan has a chance to be the best of the family -- with all due respect to those other names -- as a player who doesn’t turn 19 until February with enormous power in his left-handed bat; the kind that you see in hitters who routinely hit 30-plus homers. The 6-foot-4 infielder does have a long swing, but his ability to recognize pitches and use the entire field makes him a good candidate to hit for average. He may need to move to third base because of his size and average speed, but the bat can play there and then some. Holliday is the top fantasy prospect in the class, and has a chance to be a star when all is said and done.

Anderson saw his stock soar in 2025 after helping LSU win the College World Series while leading the NCAA with 180 strikeouts over 119 innings with a 3.15 ERA. The 21-year-old southpaw sits in the mid 90s with a fastball with a good amount of movement, and then offers three secondary pitches that get plus grades along with well above-average command. Anderson doesn’t project to be an ace along the lines of a Paul Skenes or even a Chase Burns, but he has top-of-the-rotation stuff, and could enter the majors by the end of 2026.

It’s bad enough that the Orioles traded Stowers at his lowest value after failing to give him consistent playing time for years, but now they’ve watched him get selected to the All-Star team and put up a historic performance against them in front of their home crowd. It’s fitting that this also happened on MLB Draft night, when the Orioles are set to make four picks in the first round. Stowers has 19 home runs and 54 RBI while slashing .293/.368/.543, when finally given an everyday role. The Orioles decided not to give him that chance or trade him when his prospect pedigree was at its peak, and they’re doing the same thing now to guys like Coby Mayo.

Bremner saw his stock drop after an uneven junior season in the Big West, but the Angels obviously liked what they saw. His 3.49 ERA is on the high side, but it came with an 111/19 K/BB ratio over 77 1/3 innings. There are two pitches the get plus-plus or (70 on the 20-80 scouting scale) grades in a fastball that can get into the high 90s, and a change with late fade that comes from the same arm speed as that heater. The issue is that his breaking-ball is an inconsistent offering at best, and while he throws a lot of strikes, the command isn’t as good as the control. Bremner would be a lights-out reliever, but the stuff is good enough for him to be a starter who pitches near the top of a rotation someday, too.

Willits is one of the top athletes in the 2025 draft, and while Ethan Holliday is considered the top prep prospect in the class by most, it’s not a huge surprise to see Willits go with this pick. He’s the youngest player to ever go first overall, and he won’t turn 18 until December. Willits doesn’t have Holliday’s power, but offers a better chance to hit for average because of his smooth stroke from both sides of the plate, and his plus speed makes him likely to be a threat on the bases as well. He should be able to stick at shortstop with a strong throwing arm, but his skill set will play in a few plays, including center field. Willits will need to get stronger and isn’t likely to be a major power threat, but he could fill out the rest of the fantasy categories when he’s ready to roll near the end of the decade.

Pérez has now allowed just one run over his last 18 innings pitched and seems to be rounding into form. The 22-year-old posted a stupendous 35 percent whiff rate and 36 percent CSW while pounding the zone with the four-seam fastball and missing enough bats with the slider and sweeper when he needed to go to his secondaries. He now has a 3.18 ERA since coming off the IL and could be in for a strong second half.

Francona is just the 13th manager in MLB history to earn 2,000 wins as a manager. He has the Reds over .500 and within three games of a playoff spot in his first season with the team. Congrats to Tito on the milestone.