George Springer (TOR): 4-4, R, 3 RBI.

Springer has Sprung

 

There are plenty of studs off to a slow start and waiting to bloom this season, but George Springer is living up to his name and tearing the cover off the ball in the early goings of 2025. After Monday’s performance of 4-4, R, 3 RBI, Springer is slashing .455/.514/.667 through the first couple weeks of the season. Springer’s decline over the past two seasons has been no secret to the fantasy world–his .732 and .674 OPS marks in 2023 and 2024, respectively, were the two lowest of his career, and there was no good reason to believe the 35-year-old would suddenly turn things around.

A quick look at Springer’s Statcast page shows a whole lot of red, but it’s interesting that he’s hitting the ball so hard with a 20th percentile bat speed mark, the lowest of his career. Springer is also striking out at the highest rate of his career (28.9%), so perhaps he’s made some adjustments at the plate to increase his aggressiveness and put the bat on the ball more. He obviously won’t keep these numbers up for a full season, but if you own him, you’re riding it out, and if he’s available in your league (57% owned in Yahoo!), you might as well jump on the train while he’s hot.

 

Let’s see how the other hitters did Monday:

 

Tyler Soderstrom (ATH): 2-3, 2 HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB.

Ladies and gentlemen, your co-leader for home runs in 2025! Tyler Soderstrom hit his fifth and sixth long balls of the season on Monday night and has four consecutive multi-hit games. His new home in Sutter Health Park is sure to help his offensive production this season, and an improved A’s roster should mean higher counting stats all around.

 

Shohei Ohtani (LAD): 3-4, 3B, HR, R, 2 RBI, BB.

Shohei Ohtani finished just a double shy of the cycle on Monday night. That’s the only minor disappointment in what was just another day at the office for the reigning NL MVP. He was the consensus 1.01 for a good reason–if you’ve got him, enjoy him.

 

Joey Bart (PIT): 2-4, 3B, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI.

This was Joey Bart’s first home run of the season, but he’s put together a respectable .250/.351/.406 slash line thus far as Pittsburgh’s primary backstop. Bart won’t win any awards for offensive excellence this season, but if you’re in a multi-catcher league or a deep NL-only format, Bart is a fine temporary add if you’re looking to replace Iván Herrera.

 

Jose Altuve (HOU): 1-3, HR, 2 R, RBI, BB, SB.

Sorry, Logan Gilbert, but Jose Altuve wasn’t going to let you get through six no-hit innings that easily. Altuve got the Astros on the board and in the hit column with a solo shot in the sixth to chase Gilbert from the game. He also added a steal to complete his Combo Meal for the night. You know exactly what you’re getting with Altuve–great ratios with solid counting stats–and he’s not too far off from earning that outfield eligibility.

 

James Wood (WSN): 1-3, HR, R, 2 RBI, BB, SB.

A nearly identical stat line to Altuve, James Wood also notched his first Combo Meal of the season Monday night. The strikeout rate is a little concerning, but Wood is hitting the ball extremely hard and should continue to find success as he grows as a hitter. Wood has some work to do to reach his potential, but if he can start elevating and pulling the ball more, we could see a special season from this young star.

 

Andy Ibáñez (DET): 1-3, HR, R, 3 RBI.

Andy Ibáñez has made his career as a lefty-mashing specialist for the Tigers, and that’s exactly what he did on Monday when he took Carlos Rodón deep for his first home run of the season. Ibáñez isn’t worth an add in most leagues, but in daily formats on short days, he could be worth a sneaky spot start when Detroit is facing a southpaw. Just don’t expect him to stick around on your roster for long.

 

Isiah Kiner-Falefa (PIT): 2-4, 2 R, 2 RBI.

While he has only one extra-base hit on the season, IKF continues to hit well for average and also has four steals on the season thus far. His multi-positional eligibility has some appeal, especially in daily leagues, to fill some off days and stream some speed. The negative pop is worth the tradeoff if he continues to display the same plate discipline and aggressiveness on the basepaths.

 

Masyn Winn (STL): 1-4, HR, R, RBI.

Masyn Winn is still mired at the bottom of the Cardinals’ lineup, but he’s currently riding a five-game hitting (and run-scoring!) streak after hitting his first home run of the season on Monday. While we’d like to see him hit higher in the order, having Lars Nootbaar behind you to knock you in is a decent recipe for success for the time being. He’s not a must-add yet, especially since we’re still waiting for him to grab his first steal of the season.

 

Ben Rice (NYY): 1-2, 3B, 2 BB.

Ben Rice won’t play very often against lefties, but as long as he’s hitting at the top of the order against righties, there’s plenty of value to be had here. Rice has shown excellent plate discipline and solid power across the first couple of weeks and is worth adding if you have the roster space. The days off are easy to stomach as long as he keeps performing like this and has Aaron Judge behind him to bring him home.