This article is part of our Sorare MLB series.
It's only been a handful of games for every team this season, even the Dodgers and Cubs. In terms of long-term, season-long projections for MLB players, the smartest thing to do remains to look at track records. Last season can tell you more than a few games this year.
However, these Sorare recommendations can be more in the moment. In my first piece of the season, I looked at last year. This time around, I do want to look at the early returns on the 2025 campaign. That is what I will use for my upgrades, holds, and downgrades. At some point soon, I'll do something in the vein of a "buy low, sell high" set of recommendations vis-à-vis starts I think will not be sustained, positively or negatively. Here, though, let's embrace a slight sample size. After all, your Sorare lineup isn't set in stone.
Card prices shown reflect the most recent limited card sale price for each player on the Sorare Marketplace as of April 2.
UPGRADES
Eugenio Suarez, ARI ($22.73): Suarez has soared out of the gate with five home runs through six games. We all know that guys can start hot and cool off on the home run front. This is a streak, but it is also all the data we have. I'm a Tigers fan. I remember Chris Shelton. That being said, Suarez had 30 home runs last season. In 2019, he hit 49 home runs with the Reds. Suarez's power is legit, and he's been locked in to start 2025. He already has two games with over 20.0 Sorare points.
Nathan Eovaldi, TEX ($6.64): Five pitchers have two quality starts already this season. One pitcher has thrown a complete game. That man is Eovaldi, and he has a 1.20 ERA with 17 strikeouts in 15.0 innings. On top of that, he has two starts with over 30.0 Sorare point already. Now, Eovaldi is 35. This is probably just a couple fine starts in a row. However, over the last five seasons, he's had ERAs between 3.63 and 3.87. That's steady, reliable performance, the kind that gives a pitcher a high floor, which usually means steady Sorare production.
Michael Conforto, LAD ($4.56): The Dodgers' plan is clear, and also sensible. If a lefty is starting, Conforto will be on the bench more often than that. He's already missed two games, but since Los Angeles has played eight games he's seen six games of action. Also, Conforto has been crushing it, as he's posted a .368/.500/.737 slash line and had 28.0 Sorare points Wednesday against Atlanta. He wouldn't be the first guy to join the Dodgers and then take his game to another level. Just look at his teammate Tommy Edman.
HOLDS
Fernando Tatis, SD ($54.35): "Great player is playing great" is the phrase that encapsulates who is a hold right now. Clearly, Tatis will not sustain his .423 batting average, but that's also indicative of a torrid start. It's also helped him do a ton of damage on the base paths. Tatis has stolen five bases already. He's had issues staying on the field, and when a player isn't healthy it's hard for him to swipe bags. If Tatis can stay reasonably healthy, maybe play 150 games for the first time in his career, he could — could — put up numbers in the vein of Ronald Acuna's MVP season.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto, LAD ($27.13): Speaking of health, Yamamoto arrived in MLB with so much hype, and then injuries cut into the experience. He only made 18 starts as a rookie, though he had a 2.60 FIP and 4.77 K/BB rate. Yamamoto was great! This season he's been just as good, with starts of 23.5 and 26.5 Sorare points. Now, he's only pitched five innings in both starts, but these days that's not all that uncommon. He's hoping he stays healthy this time around.
Oneil Cruz, PIT ($23.00): Cruz has two home runs and six stolen bases. Neither of those is surprising. He's struck out seven times in seven games. That is also not surprising. What is notable, though, is that Cruz has walked six times already. Cruz walked 51 times in 146 games last season. Walking isn't exciting, but getting on base is a pathway to value, for both an MLB team and your Sorare lineup.
DOWNGRADES
Rafael Devers, BOS ($21.25): Devers picked up two hits Wednesday. He also didn't strike out. Why is that remarkable given Devers' track record? Well, because the 28-year-old has gotten off to a horrendous start. He has hit .087 and slugged .130. On top of that, he's already struck out 15 times through six games. Already, Devers has three games with negative Sorare points. Maybe he's struggling to acclimate to not playing in the field, but that's not going to change as long as Alex Bregman is around.
Justin Steele, CHC ($10.62): Steele got to three starts before any other MLB pitcher. Unfortunately for him, none of them has been a strong outing. That includes a start with 8.5 Sorare points. Steele has a 6.89 ERA and has already allowed five home runs. Now, in the past, Steele has been good at keeping the ball in the park. Maybe this is fluky. He had a three-game stretch last season of allowing at least one home run as well and then things turned around. Maybe this time that doesn't happen, though.
Dylan Crews, WAS ($9.88): Not every vaunted prospect hits the ground running. That doesn't mean they won't pan out eventually. Crews is one of the top prospects in baseball, and last year he stole 12 bases in 31 games. Already the Nationals have given the young outfielder a day off to reset, which isn't ideal given that the season has been going on for about a week. Also, it didn't work. Crews returned to the lineup Wednesday and didn't get a hit. He now hasn't picked up a single hit through five games this season. Maybe the Nationals will decide Crews need some more seasoning, or more than a one-day reset.
