Roto Riteup: March 24, 2026

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March 24, 2026

We are so back!

On the Agenda: 

  1. Closer Chaos
  2. Quick Hits
  3. Various News and Notes
  4. Streaming Pitchers

 

Closer Chaos

The Rangers will not name a closer until the beginning of the regular season. This sounds like a committee between Robert Garcia and Chris Martin. Garcia is the better bet considering Martin’s inability to stay healthy in recent years. 

 

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Quick Hits

Spencer Strider is going to begin the year on the IL due to an oblique injury. This explains why Strider has not been pitching recently. Typically these injuries take about 4-to-6 weeks to recover from so he will need to be stashed in leagues until the end of April at the earliest. 

Gavin Lux will begin this season on the IL due to a shoulder injury. Richie Palacios is expected to play second base until Lux returns. 

Seiya Suzuki will begin the year on the IL with a knee sprain. Suzuki injured the knee sliding during the WBC:

The hope is he will not miss too much time, but Matt Shaw figures to be the main beneficiary of the playing time until Suzuki returns. 

 

Various News and Notes

TJ Rumfield went 2-for-4 with a home run in the victory over the Tigers on Monday.

Rumfield was a non-roster invite for Spring Training that has absolutely crushed it, hitting five home runs and stealing one base in 62 plate appearances. He has a hit over power profile, but that could play well in the thin air in Colorado and right now we have him projected to be the regular first baseman for the Rockies.

Joey Cantillo threw four scoreless innings versus the Diamondbacks on Monday, allowing one hit and no walks while striking out six in the victory.

Cantillo has struggled this spring, but the underlying skills have been intact so it’s good to see him finish the spring strong. The talent has never really been in question for Cantillo, but he has struggled with health throughout his time in the minors. He is solidified in the rotation to start the season and is worth a pick up in any league he is available in.

Chase DeLauter went 2-for-2 with two home runs in the victory over the Diamondbacks on Monday.

DeLauter has been scorching hot this spring, hitting over .400 with three home runs. Delauter is a top 30 prospect and has been fantastic in the minors when he has been on the field, but he has missed a ton of time in minors due to injuries. He is healthy right now and looks like he will be an every day player while he is on the field, so he is a must pick in any leagues where he wasn’t drafted.

Connelly Early has made the Red Sox roster according to multiple reports.

He hasn’t officially been named a starter, but it appears he will be in the rotation and Johan Oviedo will be in the bullpen to start the season. He has a very good four pitch repertoire and his command is Major League ready. If he is still available in leagues, he should be picked up for his upside and the upside of the Red Sox team that is supporting him.

Carson Benge has made the Mets Opening Day roster according to multiple reports.

Benge had a good spring, hitting .366/.435/.439. He does profile more as an above average accumulator that can make a good amount of contact. We have him projected for a strong side platoon role, hitting eighth which would limit his ceiling, but there is some upside here if can carve out a larger role or move up the lineup. 

 

Streaming Pitchers (Under 50% in CBS)

Pitcher for Today: Coming Soon!

Other Options: 

Pitcher for Tomorrow: Coming Soon!

Other Options: 

For those of you that would like to see how these picks play out, I have a doc I put together to track the stats from my recommended pitchers. It does not include the “Other Options.”





 

Justin is the co-host on The Sleeper and The Bust Podcast and writes for Rotographs covering the Roto Riteup as well as other periodic articles. In addition to his work at Rotographs, Justin is the lead fantasy writer/analyst and co-owner for FriendswithFantasyBenefits.com, and the owner of The Great Fantasy Baseball Invitational. He is also a certified addiction treatment counselor. Follow Justin on Twitter @JustinMasonFWFB.

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MikeInNJ
47 minutes ago

I don’t see the Mets platooning Benge with Tyrone Taylor and his .553 OPS vs. RHP’s. And there is no other righty bat on the roster who could.

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