Bold 2025 fantasy bets paid off unevenly: Boyd delivered 31 starts, 14 wins and a 3.21 ERA, but the post-season wear raised durability concerns for 2026. Lodolo’s ERA/WHIP improved while strikeouts dipped. Noah Cameron flashed as a rookie value. Emmanuel Clase and Calvin Faucher hit value in volatile bullpens, while a host of bets missed, underscoring the perils of workload and aging in bold predictions for next season.

Texas plans a heavy rotation refresh around Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi, with Jack Leiter ready to step forward and Kumar Rocker in the mix. The challenge is adding reliable depth behind the pair while rebuilding a bullpen and retooling the lineup to keep the rotation competitive into 2025.

Dylan Cease stands as the marquee target, but price and market dynamics could push the Rangers toward middle- and back-end options like Zack Littell, Michael Lorenzen, Adrian Houser or Dustin May, offering durability, innings, and upside without blowing budget—plus internal prospects ready to push for a larger role.

Blake Snell joined the postseason pantheon with eight innings of one-hit, 10-strikeout work, the lone baserunner a Durbin single that Snell promptly erased with a pickoff. Two dominant playoff starts now read 14 innings, two hits allowed, 19 Ks. The night echoed Don Larsen’s 1956 perfection and underscored Snell’s rare, blowtorch control in October, elevating Dodgers’ title odds and cementing his legacy as a playoff force.