MLB FAAB Factor: History in the Making?

This FAAB article is in addition to the AL and NL FAAB articles that run Sunday. Bids are based on a $100 FAAB budget. Throughout the season, this column will have two goals:

1. Identify FAAB targets for fantasy managers in leagues with Thursday FAAB.

2. Offer a preview of FAAB targets ahead of Sunday's columns.

Am I crazy, or are MLB offenses getting worse? On second thought, don't answer that; just let me explain. While TV broadcasts are displaying the starting lineups for each team, they will typically show each player's OPS next to his name. A few days ago, while I was watching a game, I noticed it also showed what the average OPS is across MLB, and the number was below .700. At first I thought there was no way that was correct since that seems way too low, but sure enough, the average OPS of MLB hitters right now is .696. For reference, the average OPS has never finished below .700 in the 21st century. You have to go back to 1989 to find the last year that happened. Additionally, the league-wide .235 batting average would be the lowest mark in MLB history if it held up. I'm aware we are only three weeks into the season and offenses will benefit from warmer weather in later months, but this still feels bad by April standards. Maybe torpedo bats aren't such a bad idea after all...

Alright, now that that's out of my system, let's try to find some of the pitchers responsible for the lack of offense and a few hitters who are going against the grain.

The number in parentheses represents the player's rostership rate in Yahoo leagues.

Starting Pitcher

 Tyler Mahle, Texas Rangers (43%)

After a season debut that saw Mahle pitch only 1.2 innings and walk four of the 11 batters he faced, the 30-year-old has bounced back by posting a 0.50 ERA and 0.61 WHIP alongside an 18:5 K:BB in 18 frames while collecting wins in each of his last three starts. Picking him up now may be risky, considering his next start is lined up to come against the Dodgers, though it could end up being a great move if he continues to dominate against Los Angeles' star-studded lineup. FAAB: $7

Jose Quintana, Milwaukee Brewers (15%)

With a staggering seven starting pitchers currently on the injured list, Milwaukee feels like it should be the last place you'd want to look for starter help. However, Quintana has been great during his first two starts as a Brewer, allowing just one run on eight hits and three walks through 12.2 innings. Recording only six strikeouts in that span is a little underwhelming, but a low strikeout rate can be forgiven if he continues to limit traffic on the basepaths. I wouldn't bank on Quintana as a long-term option, however, as room in Milwaukee's rotation may be hard to come by once Brandon Woodruff (shoulder), Nestor Cortes (elbow), Aaron Civale (hamstring) and Tobias Myers (oblique) are all healthy. FAAB: $3

 David Festa, Minnesota Twins (8%)

Last week, I predicted that Zebby Matthews would be the choice to replace Pablo Lopez (hamstring) in the Twins' rotation. The job was given to Festa instead, and it turns out that he's also pretty good. The 25-year-old righty has only given up one (unearned) run in nine innings while striking out 10 batters and walking just two across his two starts. However, he has yet to last five full frames in either of his outings, which isn't ideal for his chances of securing a win. Festa's next start is lined up to come against a White Sox lineup that currently owns a league-worst .579 OPS, which at least makes him a strong streaming option, especially if he finally manages to qualify for a win. FAAB: $2

 Osvaldo Bido, Athletics (11%)

It's a good thing "style points" don't exist in fantasy baseball, because Bido's performance this season has been all about getting positive results in the least impressive way possible. A perfect example would be the right-hander's last start, which saw him secure his second win of the season while giving up just one run in 5.2 innings without recording a single strikeout. That last part shouldn't worry you too much since he registered 14 punchouts in 15 innings across his three prior starts, and he could be worth a look as long as he continues to get the job done. FAAB: $1

Relief Pitcher

 Emilio Pagan, Cincinnati Reds (37%)

As of Tuesday, Alexis Diaz is officially healthy and back in the Reds' bullpen. However, he made his season debut during the sixth inning; meanwhile, Pagan remained manager Terry Francona's choice for the ninth. While it's unclear how long Pagan's grip on the closer job will last before Diaz starts contending for it, the fact that the former currently holds the title while owning a 1.08 ERA and 0.36 WHIP makes him more than worthy of a spot on fantasy rosters. FAAB: $5

Catcher

 Carson Kelly, Chicago Cubs (22%)

I think it's safe to say Kelly likes it in Chicago. The 30-year-old backstop entered 2025 with a career .681 OPS in the majors, but he currently boasts an absurd .407/.575/.963 slash line with four home runs, 13 RBI and nine runs scored through 40 plate appearances. Perhaps even more ridiculously, he's drawn 11 walks and has struck out just four times. While his stats scream "claim me now," Kelly's biggest drawback is that he's still stuck splitting reps behind the plate with Miguel Amaya, who's also been strong at the plate with a .283 batting average. Still, it only feels like a matter of time before the hotter bat begins to take up the lion's share of starts at catcher. FAAB $5

First Baseman

 Jonathan Aranda, Tampa Bay Rays (44%)

Hitting the ball hard typically leads to hits. Therefore, it makes sense that Aranda, who ranks in the 99th percentile in hard hit rate (62.2 percent) and average exit velocity (96.5 mph), has 14 hits, including three homers, over his last 10 games alongside 10 RBI and eight runs. That kind of production while batting cleanup for the Rays should allow Aranda to continue driving in runs consistently, though he will have to step out of the starting nine whenever Tampa Bay runs into a left-handed starter. FAAB: $8 

Second Baseman

 Tyler Fitzgerald, San Francisco Giants (31%)

Fitzgerald has turned in four multihit performances over his last six games, helping his OPS to balloon from .447 to .842 in a little more than a week. He also hit his first home run of the season during that stretch, and tallied five RBI and five runs scored while recording his fourth steal. Despite his hot streak, he's still batting at the bottom of the Giants' lineup and therefore has limited RBI potential, though someone with Fitzgerald's .352 OBP theoretically should have a good chance to come across the plate often while hitting in front of the top of the order. FAAB: $3

 Kyle Farmer, Colorado Rockies (4%)

Farmer boasts an .892 OPS on the year and has gone 10-for-26 with three RBI over the past seven days. Those numbers from someone with a career .706 OPS usually would indicate that the 34-year-old is simply the latest beneficiary of moving to Colorado, but the fact that he's slashed .361/.385/.528 while playing on the road suggests otherwise. Farmer's recent surge has allowed him to start batting third in the lineup consistently, which puts him in the best possible spot for RBI and runs. FAAB: $2

 Luisangel Acuna, New York Mets (6%)

Acuna's six-game hitting streak has elevated his OPS from .449 to .691 and has seemingly launched him in front of Brett Baty for playing time at the keystone. The impending return of Jeff McNeil (oblique) will complicate Acuna's path to playing time, but with Jose Siri (tibia) set to miss extended time, the Mets may look to keep the 23-year-old's hot bat in the lineup by starting him in center field — something he did 31 times in Triple-A last year. FAAB: $1

Third Baseman

 Gabriel Arias, Cleveland Guardians (7%)

Arias has followed up an 0-for-17 slump with an uncharacteristic display of power, swatting three home runs across his last five contests. He now has four long balls on the year, which already puts him past his 2024 total in 101 fewer at-bats. Of course, a five-game stretch with a 1.526 OPS can't be sustained for the rest of the season, but there's no harm in taking a lottery ticket on a hot bat that starts almost every day. FAAB: $1

Shortstop

 Jacob Wilson, Athletics (41%)

Wilson's 15-game hitting streak to start the season may have come to an end, but that doesn't mean he isn't still an elite contact threat at the plate. With 22 hits in 17 games, the 23-year-old is just one knock away from matching his total from a year ago. He's also smacked two home runs already, which is a bit of a pleasant surprise considering he's never hit more than seven in a season throughout his professional career. FAAB: $5

Outfielder

 Kameron Misner, Tampa Bay Rays (17%)

Misner batted .248 during his minor-league career and went 1-for-15 in the big leagues last season, but he has turned things around drastically to the tune of a .395/.429/.744 slash line with three homers, 10 RBI and nine runs scored through 49 plate appearances in 2025. The 27-year-old steps out of the lineup every time the Rays match up against a lefty, but he has the tools necessary for a 20/20 campaign and has already been successful enough to warrant fantasy attention. FAAB: $6

 Mike Yastrzemski, San Francisco Giants (18%)

Yastrzemski hasn't finished a season with a batting average higher than .235 since 2020, but he's on a great pace to buck that trend this year after batting .314 with three home runs, 11 RBI, nine runs scored and two steals through 16 games. His two stolen bases this early in the season are perhaps the most interesting part of his statline, however, since his career high is only five. The Giants have also moved the 34-year-old outfielder to the leadoff spot in their batting order, which, combined with his increased aggressiveness on the basepaths, further increases his potential to come across the plate for what is currently the third-highest scoring team in the majors. FAAB: $3

 Austin Hays, Cincinnati Reds (6%)

Hays made his season debut Tuesday after sitting out the first several weeks of the year due to a calf injury. He hit the ground running by slugging a three-run home run in his first game back from the IL, and he currently sits at 3-for-8 with four RBI and a run scored in two games. The 29-year-old projects to start every day in left field now that he's healthy, and he could reach the 20-HR mark this year while playing his home games at the hitter-friendly Great American Ball Park. FAAB: $2