Eric KarabellApr 2, 2026, 09:31 AM ETCloseEric Karabell is a senior writer for fantasy baseball, football and basketball at ESPN. Eric is a charter member of FSWA Hall of Fame and author of “The Best Philadelphia Sports Arguments”.Follow on XMultiple Authors
Each week in MLB is its own story — full of surprises, both positive and negative — and fantasy managers must decide what to believe and what not to believe moving forward. Perhaps we can help. If any of these thoughts come true… don’t be surprised!
Don’t be surprised … if Los Angeles Dodgers DH/SP Shohei Ohtani really is a viable NL Cy Young Award candidate
Don’t be surprised … if Arizona Diamondbacks SS Geraldo Perdomo is the team’s top fantasy option — again
I won’t assume Perdomo finishes fifth among all hitters in ESPN points again this season (Carroll finished 14th), but I expect both of them to finish well among the top 20. Yeah, Perdomo is for real, and perhaps (as he went five rounds after Carroll in ESPN ADP) he’s still underrated.
Meanwhile, the former shortstop was moved to center field late in 2024 and, honestly, he looks like the worst center fielder in the sport. He has already made several embarrassing plays this season, including a few that cost Skenes mightily in the opener. One could argue that Cruz should be in the minor leagues learning how to play the outfield, too. However, that doesn’t seem likely.
Word is that Ohtani considers himself to be a pitcher first and, after earning a Rookie of the Year award and three MVP awards, he wants a Cy Young, too. Could this be the year? Again, I am skeptical that the mighty Dodgers, blessed with unique pitching depth and able to sleepwalk their way through the next six months in anticipation of October’s playoffs, would risk anything physically with any of their pitchers, especially their MVP leadoff hitter. Ohtani could force the issue. On a rate basis, he sure looks like a top-10 pitcher, perhaps not Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes, but odd things happen to even the best players sometimes.
Last season, I predicted the Dodgers would exercise extreme caution with Ohtani coming off Tommy John surgery, and he threw only 47 innings over 14 mostly truncated starts. His rate stats were terrific, but fantasy managers probably weren’t pleased overall. Ohtani made 28 starts for the 2022 Angels, throwing 166 innings. His 2.33 ERA and 1.01 WHIP (and 219 strikeouts) earned him the No. 4 AL Cy Young Award finish. Nobody was beating Detroit Tigers RHP Justin Verlander (1.75 ERA) that season. Perhaps nobody surpasses Skenes this year, but I bet Ohtani finally makes a run at it, perhaps even getting back to 166 innings again. It may be enough. Depending on your league’s rules, this may be his most valuable fantasy season — ever.
Eric KarabellApr 2, 2026, 09:31 AM ETCloseEric Karabell is a senior writer for fantasy baseball, football and basketball at ESPN. Eric is a charter member of FSWA Hall of Fame and author of “The Best Philadelphia Sports Arguments”.Follow on XMultiple Authors
CloseEric Karabell is a senior writer for fantasy baseball, football and basketball at ESPN. Eric is a charter member of FSWA Hall of Fame and author of “The Best Philadelphia Sports Arguments”.Follow on X
Don’t be surprised … if Houston Astros OF Yordan Alvarez returns to top-10 hitter status
Don’t be surprised … if Pirates OF Oneil Cruz hits .259 this season