Monday Morning Dynasty Baseball Rundown (3/30/26)

I’ll be running down everything that caught my eye in the Dynasty Baseball world on most Mondays throughout the season here on the Brick Wall. The rest of the week you can catch my Rundowns on the Patreon. Here is the Monday Morning Dynasty Baseball Rundown (3/30/26):

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Munetaka Murakami – CHW, 3B/1B, 26.2 – If you know me, you know I can have a bit of a victory lap problem. I can’t help it. I get excited! So let me thank the Baseball Gods for protecting me against myself this year. If my targets were going off in the first 3 games, I wouldn’t be able to help myself! I would be too early victory lapping all over these pages like a maniac! So it’s super, super appreciated that none of my targets are really going wild crazy to start the season 😉 And some guys I wasn’t super all in on are going off, like Munetaka Murakami. He’s going Babe Ruth to start his MLB career with homers in 3 straight games, this one coming off Sproat at 102.1 MPH. I wasn’t super low on him or anything, I thought he would be a low BA slugger, and I actually ended up drafting him in my 12 teamer when he dropped, but I was a bit scared off by the huge swing and miss, and clearly that isn’t an issue so far. It’s still there though. He struck out 3 times in this one and he has a beyond danger zone 38.5% whiff%. MLB teams were scared off a bit too to be fair. But if you were all in on Murakami, live it up! You know I would be!

Kazuma Okamoto – TOR, 3B/1B, 29.9 – I also was solid but not super all in on Okamoto too, and he got his first bomb of his MLB career, going the opposite way at 110.4 MPH off Luis Morales. Damn impressive. I actually did like Murakami and Okamoto coming into the year, but if the early returns are correct, I didn’t like them enough, and I’m really hard on myself. I live and die with every opinion I made on a player this off-season, and I made an opinion on every player ha. I had a career Target year in 2025. Seriously, every Target I touched turned to gold, and I can’t help but thinking I could be in for some regression this year hah … or maybe this is just the opposite of my victory lapping problem. 3 bad games and I’m throwing in the towel hah …

Tatsuya Imai – HOU, RHP, 27.11 – Imai was the Japanese star I was fully buying into, ranking him 1st in FYPD’s, and of course he had a rough debut, going 2.2 IP with 3 hits, 4 ER, and a 4/4 K/BB vs. LAA. The splitter did nothing. The fastball sat 95.6 MPH, which is great to see, and it put up a 33% whiff%. The slider went 5 for 12 on whiffs. So it wasn’t a complete disaster, but clearly, not the start we want to see. We know the fantasy season isn’t decided by the first 3 games, but just tack Imai’s poor start onto the pile.

Owen Caissie – MIA, OF, 23.9 – I gave Miami a ton of shit for that Edward Cabrera for Owen Caissie trade, so with how these first 3 games are going for me, it’s only fitting that Owen Caissie is proving Peter Bendix right, drilling a 107.9 MPH walk off homer. He’s off to a great start, going 5 for 10 with a 17.6% whiff%. I’m like one of those Tik Tok girls who is dancing and crying at the same time. Baseball is back! But it’s not been a great first 3 games. Which I know is crazy to say after just 3 games, hah, but I can’t be the only one to live and die with this shit everyday. That’s why I love it. I’m in this shit! My Targets will have their day too! It’s just wasn’t on Opening Weekend.

Jordan Walker – STL, OF, 23.10 – I was passing on Jordan Walker, but I actually think I inadvertently ended up the high guy on him in my rankings at #368, so I’ll take my wins where I can get them in these first 3 games as Walker had himself a day, going 3 for 4 with a 114.9 MPH double, 105.8 MPH homer, and 95.7 MPH single. The homer was a pretty nice piece of hitting too. He’s upright and loose in the box with a bit of a leg kick, which is my favorite batting stance. Driveline looks to have done right by him. He now has a 1.400 OPS with a 8.3/16.7 K%/BB% in 3 games. I’ll take my wins any way I can get them in these first 3 games, even inadvertent ones!

Max Muncy – OAK, 2B/3B, 23.7 – … And you damn right one of my deep Targets got one yesterday. Muncy went deep at 104.8 MPH for his 1st of the year. That’s just about all he’s done this year, but it’s a start.

Jonathan Aranda – TBR, 1B, 27.10 – One of my biggest Targets of the year, Aranda, putting him nearly in the Top 100 and yelling from the rooftops that this guy is super underrated, is killing it to start the year, going 3 for 6 with 4 hard hit balls yesterday. He homered in game one and now has a 1.299 OPS in 3 games. Hey, I need to show some self love ha. It’s not all bad.

Kody Clemens – MIN, 1B/OF/2B, 29.10 – Another super deep target, Clemens, look at my boy hitting leadoff and stealing a bag. He hasn’t done much in 10 PA yet, and he’s in a platoon role, but I’m still smelling good things coming.

Wilyer Abreu – BOS, OF, 26.9 – And how about one of my favorite old school targets jumping in the action to cleanse my soul, going ballistic on a 3 for 4 day with a 107.8 MPH single, 103.4 MPH double, and 98 MPH home run. Here is how I closed out his Top 1,000 blurb, “As a platoon bat, 30 dingers with a mediocre BA and a few steals is a Top 200-250 dynasty asset, but if he hits lefties better, and gets a little luck, I’m not exaggerating when I say he might just mess around and pop out 40.” … I still believe there is a beastly season lurking in here

Sal Stewart – CIN, 1B/3B, 22.4 – I did go all in on Stewart, making him a Top 100 dynasty asset already, and he’s right back to raking, going 2 for 2 with a 107.1 MPH double and 2 walks. This coming off his 1st homer on Saturday. He’s now 7 for 10 on the season!

Nolan Gorman – STL, 2B/3B, 25.11 – Gorman was a light target for me based on power and opportunity, and he got on the board with a 108.8 MPH homer. He’s got a .900 OPS with a 20% K% in 10 PA. It’s not all bad!

Carter Jensen – KCR, C, 22.9 – Jensen gets off the Schneid too with a snot rocket at 99.6 MPH. That thing looked faster than that, but in technology we trust.

Drake Baldwin – ATL, C, 25.0 – Baldwin’s looking to build off his great rookie season with his 2nd bomb in 3 games, this one coming at 107.6 MPH. Dude is smashing the ball as usual to start the season. He’s still hitting the ball on the ground a lot, but the contact/hard hit combo looks even better in the early going. If you can’t improve your weaknesses, improve your strengths.

Connelly Early – BOS, LHP, 24.0 – We all loved Early, and Early loved us back in his first outing, going 5.1 IP with 1 ER, and a 6/2 K/BB at CIN. The 16.3% whiff% and 92.1 MPH EV against isn’t so hot, so I think good luck was in play here, but it’s better to be lucky than good. And he was good too with 18 called strikes. The fastball is also sitting 94.4 MPH, which is up a tick from 2025. Not perfect, but a positive first start for sure.

Payton Tolle – BOS, LHP, 23.5 – 4 IP, 5 hits, 4 ER, 6/2 K/BB at Triple-A. It’s Early’s world and like I feared this off-season, all the prospect guys, myself included, with Tolle over Early might come to regret it. Early-1. Tolle-0. ha

Didier Fuentes – ATL, RHP, 20.10 – 4 IP, 2 hits, 1 ER, 4/1 K/BB vs. KCR in a piggyback role … the Spring success has transferred into the regular season outing. He did it more with weak contact and called strikes than whiffs (16.7%), but that still works. It seems like only a matter of time before he gets into that rotation.

Nolan McLean – NYM, RHP, 24.8 – Not that there was any doubt, but McLean kept rolling in his first start, going 5 IP with 4 hits, 2 ER, and a 8/2 K/BB vs. PIT. He used a 6 pitch mix to put up a 38% whiff%. The 4-seamer sat 96.9 MPH. The secondaries missed bats. Nothing we don’t already know. He’s a young ace.

Alex Bregman – CHC, 3B, 32.0 – I warned that people were majorly overreacting to Bregman signing with Chicago, and that this wasn’t an Isaac Paredes situation by any stretch, and then Bregman went out and eased those fears immediately. He jacked out 2 bombs in Chicago yesterday at 102.7 MPH and 100.3 MPH. He put up a career best by far Hard Hit% last year at a very strong 44.4%, and he might be coming for more this year.

Brandon Sproat – MIL, RHP, 25.6 – 3 IP, 6 hits, 7 ER, 3/4 K/BB vs. CHW … I wasn’t going all in on Sproat this off-season, and that looked like the right move after game one. I’m just trying to get my wins where I can ha. The big stuff is there with a 96.8 MPH fastball, but it’s just not dominating MLB hitters with a 22.5% whiff% and 90.1 MPH EV against. This was against a White Sox lineup he should have success against too. Obviously we need to give Milwaukee more time with him, but if it were me, Logan Henderson would have been in this start.

Dustin May – STL, RHP, 28.7 – Another guy I wasn’t chasing with his strong spring, May put up a dud in his first game, going 4 IP with 10 hits, 6 ER, and a 3/1 K/BB vs. TBR. He went 4 for 30 on whiffs, which was always my worry. The guy just doesn’t miss enough bats. The fastball was sitting 96.3 MPH, so better days might be ahead, but he’s still not my guy.

Colson Montgomery – CHW, SS, 24.1 – Montgomery had his best game of the young season, going 2 for 3 with a 108.6 MPH single and 103.6 MPH Grand Salami, both off Sproat. He’s looking to build off his electric rookie year, and while the swing and miss is still there in the early going (33.3% K%), so is the power.

Everson Pereira – CHW, OF, 25.0 – Pereira is getting his shot, and the power is not in question, putting up his 1st of the year at 103 MPH. He also tacked on a 107.1 MPH single. Dude can smash it, but he’s a still a whiff machine with a 45.5% K%. Looks like the same guy to me, but he’s got power and opportunity, which is something.

Joey Wiemer – WSH, OF, 27.2 – They took Dylan Crews from us, but they gave us back our old friend Joey Wiemer, and he’s taking advantage, going 3 for 3 with a 108.9 MPH single, 103.3 MPH triple, and 100.2 MPH homer off Shota Imanaga. He got 3 hits with a dinger in game one too. He’s in a short side of a platoon role right now, which is hard to buy into, but if he keeps hitting like this, I’m sure he will get more opportunity. He’s a worthy pickup in most league sizes. The big talent was always in there. I’m not guaranteeing a huge season, but he’s worth the stab if you got a spot.

Carmen Mlodzinski – PIT, RHP, 27.1 – Mlodzinski won the 5th starter job, and he’s out to hold it, going 4.1 IP with 6 hits, 2 ER, and a 8/0 K/BB vs. NYM. The 21.6% whiff% is not as impressive as that K rate, and the 95.6 MPH EV against shows the stuff got hit hard too. The heater was also down a tick+ to 94.4 MPH. Good outing obviously, but I’m not ready to crown him yet. Staying cautious.

Emerson Hancock – SEA, RHP, 26.10 – 6 IP, 0 hits, 0 ER, 9/1 K/BB vs. CLE … how could I not mention Hancock after a performance like that, but I’m still not in on this. He put up a 23.5% whiff%, which doesn’t back up the K% and the fastball sat only 93.5 MPH. He induced weak contact and obviously pitched really well, but I’m not jumping in yet.

Rhett Lowder – CIN, RHP, 24.1 – 5 IP, 3 hits, 2 ER, 5/2 K/BB vs. BOS … really encouraging outing for Lowder with a 32.6% whiff% and 87.4 MPH EV against. The fastball sat 93.7 MPH and missed a respectable amount of bats (23% whiff%). The slider put up a 40% whiff% and the changeup notched a 75% whiff%. I always had Lowder down as a rock solid MLB starter, and this start at least locked that in for me. He showed a touch more than solid potential too here.

Eric Lauer – TOR, LHP, 30.10 – Lauer killed it in 2025 to no fanfare, and now he’s doing it again in 2026, going 5.1 IP with 3 hits, 2 ER, and a 9/1 K/BB vs. ATH. He doesn’t throw hard at 91.2 MPH, but the pitch was a bat missing machine with a 39% whiff% (12 for 31). The cutter and change missed bats too, leading to a 37% whiff% overall. At full health, this rotation is super crowded, but Lauer is going to make it as hard as possible to pull him. And as we all know, how often is a rotation actually at full strength?

Mick Abel – MIN, RHP, 24.8 – 3.1 IP, 8 hits, 5 ER, 4/4 K/BB vs. Bal … we ain’t in spring anymore, and just like last year in the majors, Abel got hit up. He missed bats with a 33.3% whiff% and he induced weak contact with a 81.2 MPH EV against. So it wasn’t a complete disaster. It was poor control mixed with poor luck. If you took a shot on him this off-season, I wouldn’t want to throw in the towel quite yet, but not the start you want to see.

Luis Morales – SAC, RHP, 23.7 – 4.1 IP, 5 hits, 5 ER, 5/2 K/BB vs. TOR … continuing from the spring, he’s just not putting it together. The 96.9 MPH 4-seamer just doesn’t miss enough bats and gets hit up. So it’s good to see the usage is up on the 97 MPH sinker (18% in this one). And that pitch was good with a 60% whiff% and 82.5 MPH EV against. We need to keep seeing more of that and less of the 4-seamer. The sweeper and change missed tons of bats too, leading to a 29% whiff%. The ingredients are in here. He just needs more tinkering.

Bailey Ober – MIN, RHP, 30.9 – 4 IP, 4 hits, 3 ER, 1/1 K/BB vs. BAL … the velocity dip from the spring is still here with the fastball sitting 89.8 MPH. The bounce back doesn’t look like it’s coming, and in fact, it looks like he’s going to slide further.

Coby Mayo – BAL, 1B, 24.4 – I get on Mayo when he drops O-fers, so how about some love for his first good game of the season, going 2 for 4 with a double, 2 hard hit balls, and 0 K. He needs some early success to let that confidence build.

Carlos Lagrange – NYY, RHP, 22.10 – 4 IP, 4 hits, 1 ER, 3/0 K/BB at Triple-A … not a super standout start, but any 0 BB outing gets a mention from me. The fastball “only” sat 97.9 MPH and went only 1 for 15 on whiffs. He was amped in spring and I think he’s calming down a bit now ha. Still would have liked to see more swing and miss on the pitch though. The sweeper/change/slider missed bats though, and again, the most important thing to see is the control.

Walker Jenkins – MIN, OF, 21.1 – 2 for 3 with a 101.8 MPH double at AAA. He’s healthy. He’s hitting (3 for 7). That’s all we can ask for.

James Tibbs III – LAD, OF, 23.6 – Leave it to LA to get the big breakout out of Tibbs, dropping 2 bombs yesterday on a 3 for 4 day. Great for Tibbs. Great for LA. But I mean, he just has nowhere to play there. Now we need to root for him to get traded yet again.

Spencer Jones – NYY, OF, 24.11 – Speaking of being blocked, Jones might not even be next man up (that is Dominguez), but he’s doing all he can to keep the pressure on, going 3 for 8 in a doubleheader with a 109.1 MPH homer and 3 K. He has a 195 wRC+ with a 38.5% K% in 3 games. That’s what he does.

By Michael Halpern (@MichaelCHalpern)
Email: michaelhalpern@imaginarybrickwall.com
Twitter: Imaginary Brick Wall (@DynastyHalp)
Blue Sky: Dynasty Halp (@ImaginaryBrickWall)

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