The effusive love of rookies in fantasy baseball is unparalleled. Shiny, new toys are all the rage.
Mookie Betts’ outstanding start to the season is appreciated, but who is everyone clamoring about right now? It’s Jackson Holliday. We knew the hype was strong, and we were all disappointed to hear how the Orioles were starting him in Triple-A. But now just two weeks into the regular season, he has been called up to the majors, much to the delight of both season-long fantasy and DFS players.
The fact Holliday went 0-for-4 in his debut meant nothing. That he went 0-for-4 in his second game or that he struck out four times in eight at-bats is irrelevant. Hardcore analysts will dive into what his at-bats looked like, but the fantasy community remains focused on his one RBI and two runs scored.
Are we being blinded by our rookie love? Maybe a little. But Holliday’s talent is still off-the-charts, and we expect him to turn things around and start to shine just as we’ve witnessed with his fellow rookie teammate Colton Cowser — who had six hits over three games, including three doubles and the first multi-homer game of his abbreviated career, heading into Friday.
With the performance of Cowser and the arrival of Holliday, fantasy managers are getting even more antsy regarding the expected next wave of rookie players. We have been conditioned to understand the concept of MLB service time and how most teams like to keep their youth in the minors until they’ve gained that extra year of control, but with players like the Orioles dynamic duo and the Pirates keeping Jared Jones in the majors, everyone wants to know who’s next.
Jackson Holliday was called up to the majors just two weeks into the regular season. Getty Images 
James Wood hit .364 in spring training with the Nationals. Getty Images Most of the fantasy world is expecting Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes, but he is likely to be stashed away on someone’s bench already. The hype is that strong. Instead, turn your attention to Nationals outfielder James Wood.
The hit tool on this kid is off the charts, and after a spring training when he hit .364 with four home runs and three stolen bases, he opened the season at Triple-A Rochester batting .441 with two home runs, two stolen bases and more walks than strikeouts. With teams being incentivized by MLB to bring their youth up faster, Nationals GM Mike Rizzo has indicated Wood will be up soon. The team isn’t competing this year, so service time is in-play, but an early-May arrival seems likely.
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The rookie love from the fantasy community is immense, and you need to be proactive if you want these kids on your roster. If you wait for Skenes or Wood to be called up, it will be too late. Mark your calendar for service time clearance and make those moves a week or two earlier if you can afford the bench space. Doing it before their arrival puts you in the driver’s seat for your league.
Howard Bender is the head of content at FantasyAlarm.com. Follow him on X @rotobuzzguy and catch him on the award-winning “Fantasy Alarm Radio Show” on the SiriusXM fantasy sports channel weekdays from 6-8 p.m. Go to FantasyAlarm.com for all your fantasy baseball news and advice.
