MLB DFS Core Plays - April 8

That’s how you give the WooSox faithful at Polar Park something to remember for years to come. The legend continues to grow as Anthony’s latest gargantuan blast to right-center field carried a stratospheric 115.6 mph exit velocity. It’s the longest home run tracked by Statcast at any level in baseball this season, per MLB.com’s Allison Mast. It was also his 10th round-tripper of the year. It’s mystifying what the Red Sox are doing at this juncture since Anthony is certainly capable of providing an offensive spark, even in his first exposure to the big leagues. There’s been zero indication that a call-up is imminent, but fantasy managers should anticipate Anthony arriving at Fenway Park at some point soon. There’s nothing left for him to prove in the minors.

The bat looks fine. Kurtz walloped a colossal homer and also added an RBI single in his first rehab contest as he makes his way back from a hip flexor strain that put him on the shelf back in late May. The 22-year-old top prospect might only need another game this weekend before he’s ready to rejoin the Athletics’ lineup. Fantasy managers should anticipate Kurtz being back in the big leagues at some point in the coming days.

There’s a legitimate argument for pushing Burns ahead of Bubba Chandler and Andrew Painter as the top pitching prospect in the fantasy landscape. The second-overall selection from the 2024 MLB Draft retired 17 consecutive batters to open his latest outing and was still hitting 98 mph during his seventh inning of work. He allowed just three singles over seven frames and didn’t hand out a free pass. The 22-year-old phenom holds a microscopic 1.68 ERA and 75/9 K/BB ratio across 53 2/3 innings (11 starts) this season between Double-A Chattanooga and High-A Dayton. He might be ready to pitch in the big leagues by the second half.

Misiorowski touched triple-digits on 14 pitches and allowed just two hits over five strong frames in his latest dominant outing on the doorstep of the majors. Milwaukee doesn’t exactly have a spot for him in their current rotation, but they should strongly consider making one in a couple weeks. The hard-throwing 23-year-old righty is up to 80 punchouts over 63 1/3 innings and also boasts an International League-best 2.13 ERA across 12 starts.

Griffin’s phenomenal professional debut continued Saturday when he legged out an inside-the-park home run as part of his 21st multi-hit performance of the season. The 19-year-old phenom is slashing .338/.398/.536 with nine round-trippers and 26 steals across 50 games for Low-A Bradenton. He leads the entire Florida State League with 70 hits and ranks second in home runs, trailing only Phillies breakout prospect Aroon Escobar in the power department. Based on his current trajectory, Griffin is likely to finish the year as a top-five caliber prospect for dynasty purposes.

Mauricio gets the combo meal in a blowout win over the lowly Rockies. Still counts. The 24-year-old has his first homer of the 2025 campaign, and the steal is also his first after being recalled from Syracuse on Tuesday. Mauricio is still young enough to live up to the lofty expectations he once had, but fantasy managers shouldn’t be rushing to add the infielder just yet.