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After Ronald Acuna established the 40-50, 40-60 and 40-70 clubs in 2023, Ohtani created a new exclusive club of his own in 2024, becoming the first player in major-league history to reach 50 homers and 50 steals in a season. It will go down as one of the greatest fantasy campaigns of all time, and the fact that he was coming off September 2023 Tommy John surgery makes it all the more impressive. His play was not affected by a gambling scandal involving his former interpreter, as Ohtani led the league or was in the 99th percentile in xwOBA, xBA, xSLG, average exit velocity, barrel rate and hard-hit rate, per Statcast. There is usually only one way for a player to go after a career year, and his return to pitching complicates things somewhat, but Ohtani is a once-in-a-lifetime talent and the unprecedented can be expected at this point. Even as a UT-only player coming off a torn labrum in his left shoulder suffered during the World Series, Ohtani will likely be the first player off the board in many leagues in 2025.

De La Cruz silenced his doubters with an All-Star season at age 22, smacking 25 homers with a league-leading 67 stolen bases. He struck out 17 times in his first 33 at-bats to begin the campaign, but De La Cruz quickly found his groove at the plate and would go on to finish as the No. 5 hitter in rotisserie leagues behind Shohei Ohtani, Aaron Judge, Bobby Witt and Jose Ramirez. In the end, De La Cruz cut a couple points off his strikeout rate, but it was still something of an eyesore at 31.3 percent. He's shown that he can offset the whiffs with walks and all of his other flashy tools, both on offense and defense, where he shined by standard and advanced fielding metrics. Surprisingly, De La Cruz was better on the road (126 wRC+) than at home (110 wRC+), which leaves open the question of what he's capable of when he really gets rolling at Great American Ball Park. Beware that his plate discipline profile leaves him open to batting-average variance.

Don't let Lindor's friendly smile fool you. He's a bad, bad man. Lindor fell one stolen base shy of a second straight 30-30 season and finished second in the National League in fWAR behind Shohei Ohtani. Some say the best ability is availability, and Lindor has missed a total of 13 games over the past three years. His strikeout rate has hardly budged and the shortstop has emerged as the Mets' leader on the field and in the clubhouse, making his 10-year, $341 million contract look like a bargain as opposed to an overpay. Somehow he wasn't an All-Star last season and hasn't been one since 2019, and some may flippantly slap the "compiler" label on him, but compiling is a good thing in the fantasy game. It's possible and perhaps likely that Lindor is surrounded by a better New York lineup as he enters his age-31 season.

Your eyes are not failing you; Schwarber's final 2024 batting average was five points above the league-wide average for the season. Perhaps now, the only issue to deal with him on draft day is that he is a man without a position, as he lost his outfield eligibility last season with Bryce Harper healthy enough to return to playing the field. Schwarber and Pete Alonso are the only players to hit at least 30 homers in each of the past five full seasons, and with Schwarber heading into the final year of his existing deal, the skills and motivation to continue that streak are both in play. The jump in batting average is directly correlated to his improved average on groundballs. We cannot fully credit the shift rule changes since they were present in 2023 when Schwarber hit .164 on groundballs, but the .300 batting average on grounders in 2024 was a huge surprise and certainly helpful given his 41.7% groundball rate last season was his highest in recent seasons. In short, the 2022-2024 window is very repeatable.

After delivering the best year of his career in 2023 with 54 homers, 139 RBI and a .283/..389/.604 slash line, Olson took a major step back last season and finished with 29 home runs and a .790 OPS. The decline was well earned, as the first baseman saw his average exit velocity dip two ticks to 91.5 mph, and his barrel rate and hard-hit rate dropped four points (to 12.4 percent) and nearly eight points (to 47.4 percent). Olson's batted-ball profile remained largely unchanged, but pitchers attacked him more aggressively (50.3 zone percentage), while he also swung at more pitches out of the strike zone. Atlanta's lineup as a whole went through some troubles, and the injury absences of Ronald Acuna and Ozzie Albies diminished the group significantly. Olson was still a productive piece, but fantasy managers likely overpaid while coming off a career-best year. Now entering his age-31 campaign, Olson is a strong candidate to rebound and has a high floor given the offense around him and the fact he's played in all 162 games in each of the past three seasons.

Betts missed close to two months of the 2024 campaign due to a fractured left wrist, but he returned to help lift Los Angeles to a championship with a .951 OPS and four homers in the postseason. Now a three-time World Series champion, Betts has been an All-Star in each of the last eight full MLB seasons. His slugging percentage was down close to 90 points from 2023, when he was an MVP finalist in the National League, but Betts still graded out as 41 percent better than league average by wRC+. While he's still just 32 years old, Betts is at the point where he may need a few more days off after battling various injuries and falling below 123 games played in two of the past four years. His speed is starting to dry up, but he knows how to pick his spots, as evidenced by his 16 steals in 18 attempts last season. Eligible at shortstop and outfield entering 2025 -- plus second base in leagues with a 15-game minimum -- Betts should continue to thrive while batting between Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman in the Dodgers' lineup.

Chourio inked an eight-year, $80 million extension with the Brewers in November of 2023 before making his MLB debut, and he lived up to the hype during his rookie campaign and finished with 21 homers, 22 steals and a .275/.327/.464 slash line in 148 contests. However, the road wasn't smooth for the young outfielder, as he struggled mightily through the first two months of the season and had a .581 OPS at the end of May. Chourio then got comfortable and had an .883 OPS the rest of the way, which likely would have been enough to win him National League Rookie of the Year most seasons, but Paul Skenes and Jackson Merrill were even more impressive. Chourio's numbers were supported by a .278 xBA and .438 xSLG, so there's no reason to believe the production is unsustainable. He'll turn just 21 years old in March and has as much upside as anyone in the sport while coming off an already strong rookie year.

A first-round pick in most fantasy leagues last spring, Carroll was a bust for the first four months of 2024. At the end of July, he sat with a .664 OPS and just eight home runs. He more than doubled that latter number with 11 long balls in August alone before adding three more in September to bring his total to 22 home runs for the season. He still ended up down more than 50 points in batting average and 40 points in on-base percentage from his National League Rookie of the Year campaign in 2023. As a result of his struggles during the summer, Carroll dropped to the bottom third of the Arizona order at various points and his opportunities to steal bases weren't as plentiful. The outfielder still ranked in the 96th percentile in sprint speed, led the majors in triples with 14 and scored 121 runs despite the ups and downs. At 24 years old, Carroll appears to have a 20-30 floor and top-five overall upside given his speed, even if he doesn't necessarily light up Statcast with his batted-ball numbers.

After suffering an ankle injury late in the regular season, Freeman struggled through the initial playoff rounds before catching fire in the World Series and sparking the Dodgers to a championship. He homered four times in the Fall Classic en route to the MVP award and in doing so became the first player in history to homer in six consecutive World Series games dating back to his time with Atlanta. His regular-season numbers took a sizable step backward, but he was still an All-Star for the sixth consecutive full season and finished as the No. 4 first baseman in traditional fantasy formats. Freeman's consistency gives him a case to still be the top 1B off the board entering 2025, although Vladimir Guerrero's age and upside will likely give him the edge in many drafters' minds. Regardless, Freeman is not showing serious red flags in terms of skill decline at 35 years old and he should be highly sought after as a building block easily capable of surging up past 200 runs-plus-RBI once again.

Ozuna had a resurgence in 2023 after two straight down years, and he was even better last season as he finished with 39 homers and a .302/.378/.546 slash line while playing in all 162 games for the first time in his career. His 154 wRC+ is the second-best mark of his career, trailing only the shortened 2020 campaign. He exclusively played designated hitter and is unlikely to see the outfield during 2025 in his age-34 season. Ozuna was the steadying force in an underwhelming and injury-plagued Atlanta offense last year, but there should be better support and more opportunities for counting stats in 2025. The veteran slugger has had some boom-or-bust tendencies in the past but has been one of the best hitters in baseball over the past two seasons, so it may be time to leave those reservations in the rearview mirror.

Only Giancarlo Stanton has more seasons with 25+ homers than Machado does. The Human Statue has 10 such seasons while Machado and Mike Trout are tied at nine. Machado continues to produce at a consistent level as 2024 was his 10th career season with at least 600 plate appearances, something only Carlos Santana and Freddie Freeman have done more frequently. 2024 offered a view of Machado's younger days with him stealing double-digit bases for the first time since the 2021 season and nearly swiping as many in 2024 (11) as he did the previous two seasons combined (12.) He pulled that off despite another season where his walk rate declined as it has now each of the past four seasons. He still makes excellent contact, but the lower walk rate means the batting avergae is going to be at the mercy of the batted ball luck dragons as is evident by the 40 points of batting average varieance the past three seasons. There is little reason why Machado should not continue to have another 600+ plate appearance season with the voluminous numbers that go along with that playing time. Consistent production such as what Machado offers is difficult to find in these volatile days.

Riley's 2024 season was one to forget. He suffered a fractured right hand in mid-August, ending his season, just when it seemed like he was hitting his stride after an uncharacteristically average first half. His first two months were downright bad, as Riley had a .228/.295/.353 line at the end of May (82 wRC+). From that point on, he looked much more like the player that slugged 33-plus homers with 93-plus RBI in each of the prior three seasons. Overall, his strikeout rate remained right around his career average of 25.7%, and he ranked in the 94th percentile or above in average exit velocity, barrel rate and hard-hit percentage. Entering his age-28 season, Riley remains an offensive force to be reckoned with, and there may be an opportunity to buy low coming off a down year. He should still be considered among the best of the rest behind Jose Ramirez at third base.

Turner missed more than six weeks of the 2024 season with a left hamstring strain, but he added almost 30 points back to his batting average to finish fourth in the National League at .295. He also fell just one stolen base shy of a fourth straight 20-20 season. His time with Philadelphia got off to a brutal start before a standing ovation amidst his struggles famously turned his 2023 season around. This past season was more in line with expectations -- including the IL stint. His walk rate dipped to just 5.0% and his barrel rate dropped by a point and a half to 6.9%. The advantage Turner used to provide in steals isn't as great anymore with his totals dropping back to the pack in recent years, but that's not to say Turner can't still be extremely valuable in fantasy baseball as he approaches his 32nd birthday in June. The shortstop hit exclusively in the two hole for the Phillies last season and is still surrounded by a good lineup to drive run-scoring opportunities.

Adames had a down year in 2023 with 24 homers and a career-low .717 OPS, but he rebounded last season in a contract year as he finished with 32 home runs, 112 RBI, 93 runs, 21 steals and a .251/.331/.462 slash line. That set a new career high for homers, which came as the result of an increased 20.6-degree launch angle. It wasn't all roses for Adames in 2024, however, as he took a major step back defensively with minus-16 Defensive Runs Saved and zero Outs Above Average, which is a difference of 24 and 16, respectively, from his 2023 figures in each category. A defensive bounce back in 2025 wouldn't be surprising, but he is unlikely to approach his 2024 offensive production, especially after signing a long-term deal with the Giants. Given that the Brewers were second in the majors in stolen-base attempts and the Giants ranked 28th, there's no reason to project Adames to approach his 21 steals from 2024, and he'll also be playing his home games in the fourth-worst park for righty power, per Statcast (Brewers' home park ranks sixth best).

Remember when Merrill accompanied the Padres overseas for the Korea Series, but wasn't guaranteed to make the traditional Opening Day roster? He obviously stayed with the club, playing in 156 games and finishing second in the National League Rookie of the Year voting. A shortstop by trade, Merrill held his own in center field, displaying a plus arm and range. At the plate, he parlayed 68th percentile hard-hit and 78th percentile barrel rates into a 130 wRC+. The only hole in the Merrill's freshman season was a 4.9 percent walk rate, but fanning just 17 percent of the time masks a lack of patience. The Padres were mid-pack in steals, with Merrill chipping in with a useful 16 bags. It wasn't much, but Merrill undershot his xBA and xSLG, so he could benefit from positive regression. He lost shortstop eligibility, but in today's landscape Merrill's fantasy value is unaffected.

Cease had an up-and-down career through five years with the White Sox, but he delivered on his potential in 2024 after being traded to the Padres and posted a 3.47 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 224:65 K:BB over a career-high 189.1 innings. The right-hander had a career-best 8.5 percent walk rate, while a 29.4 percent strikeout rate ranked fifth best among qualified starting pitchers. He's entering his age-30 campaign and should be San Diego's ace in his final year of arbitration eligibility in 2025. Cease seems unlikely to recreate the 2.20 ERA from 2021 that resulted in a second-place finish in Cy Young voting since he significantly outperformed his peripherals that year, but he should continue to be a high-value fantasy starter in 2025 given his strikeout floor.

Wheeler hit 200 innings exactly during the 2024 regular season, marking his second time reaching that threshold. The right-hander continued to hammer the strike zone with six different pitches and remained an absolute headache for opposing batters. His ERA fell below 3.00 for the fourth time in the last five years and he set a new career high with 16 wins for the Phillies last season. Wheeler's K-BB rate exceeded 21 percent for the fourth consecutive year while is 0.96 WHIP was the best in the National League among qualified starters. Incredibly, Wheeler may still be under-appreciated. Never the most dominant arm in terms of strikeouts (career 9.6 K/9), Wheeler is approaching his 35th birthday in May. He's done a great job distancing himself from prior health woes, but the age and forearm blip from 2022 could push him behind some of the younger, flashier arms at the draft table.

Expectations were sky high for Skenes when he was called up by the Pirates for his big-league debut in May, and yet he exceeded expectations as a rookie, even earning the start for the National League in the All-Star Game. The right-hander struck out more than five batters for every one he walked (5.31 K/BB) and finished with a 1.96 ERA over 133 innings spanning 23 starts, the second-lowest ERA for a rookie pitcher since the earned run became an official stat in both leagues in 1913. With a devastating four-seamer that averaged 98.8 mph in 2024, five secondary pitches highlighted by the sinker and breaking ball, plus exceptional command of his repertoire, Skenes is already an ace and arguably the SP1 overall in fantasy baseball heading into 2025. However, the velocity, while great for getting results on the field, could be seen as something as a red flag given many of the game's hardest throwers have gone down in recent years due to elbow trouble. Skenes, who will still be just 22 years old at the start of the upcoming season, has avoided the operating table so far in his young career.

Nola posted a mid-4.00 ERA in 2023 and rebounded last season with a 3.57 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 197:50 K:BB over 199.1 innings. It's the first time he's failed to eclipse 200 strikeouts in a full season since 2017, and his 8.9 K/9 is the worst mark since his rookie campaign. The right-hander also surrendered 30-plus home runs for the second straight season. Nola's run of extreme durability has been impressive, and he hasn't missed a start since 2017. Zack Wheeler remains the clear ace of Philadelphia's staff, but Nola is a strong and reliable No. 2 arm even though his 92.1-mph average fastball velocity is down a half tick from a couple years ago. He hasn't produced a sub-4.00 ERA in back-to-back seasons over the past four years, but there's no reason he can't buck that trend in 2025.

Webb stands alone as the only pitcher to work at least 200 innings in each of the past two seasons and is one of just seven pitchers with at least 10 wins in each of the last four seasons. Whether you're in a traditional league or one which uses innings pitched rather than wins, Webb is a valuable fantasy asset. The workload helps make up for Webb's biggest weakness as he has to work the volume to get the strikeouts. Webb does not have the strikeout rate of most of his staff ace contemporaries, but the inning workload allows him to amass enough strikeouts not to hurt fantasy managers in the category. Webb's ratios were both the highest of the past few seasons which could be pointing to the stress of working 420.2 innings over the past two seasons and working more regular season innings than any other pitcher over the past three seasons. Webb is also left wanting for more offensive support as he won 36% of his starts thanks to below-average run support when he is on the mound. 2022 may be the high-water mark for his win potential unless the Giants find more hitting.

King came into the 2024 season as an uncertainty, but finished it as a star. King was part of the Juan Soto deal and had been a valuable Swiss Army knife for the Yankees as they had used him as an opener, a closer, and in all situations between as he worked 104.2 innings over 49 games. The question about King was how he would hold up as a full-time starting pitcher, something, he had never done at the big league level. In fact, the last time King started even 10 games in any season was in Double-A in the 2018 season. King silenced the critics and then some as he finished the season as the 16th-best starting pitcher in the final fantasy rankings and did well in the postseason too. King adjusted his repertoire by dialing back on the sweeper, adding a slider, and ramping up his changeup. His 19% K-BB% and .221 opponents batting average were in the top 20 for all starters with at least 150 innings of work. The big question now is how will King's body bounced back after a season in which his overall pitch count jumped 79% from the previous season.

Right elbow soreness put Greene on the injured list in mid-August and derailed his first All-Star campaign. He was able to return for two abbreviated starts at the end of September, which helped restore confidence in his health heading into the offseason. In total, Greene tossed a career-high 150.1 innings for the Reds and pitched to a 2.75 ERA, fourth lowest among pitchers with at least 150 frames. His 1.02 WHIP was seventh lowest among that group. Primarily a fastball-slider pitcher, Greene introduced a splitter and curveball while bagging his changeup last year. His strikeout rate dipped a bit, but it was still impressive at 27.7%, and he made huge strides with his home-run rate, cutting it by more than half to 0.72 HR/9. The second overall pick in 2017 is making good on his prospect promise. Now 25, Greene is right on the verge of ace status, with the ace workload representing his final hurdle.

The veteran left-hander was traded from Boston to Atlanta last winter and turned back the clock in 2024 with a 2.38 ERA, 1.01 WHIP and 225:39 K:BB over 177.2 innings, which along with an 18-3 record should net him his first Cy Young Award. Sale's 29 starts were the most he's made in a season since starting 32 games during his first year with the Red Sox in 2017, and it was a remarkable turnaround in his age-35 campaign after pitching in just 31 games across the previous three seasons. The big question at this point is whether Sale can sustain that resurgence, both in terms of effectiveness and availability. The stuff hasn't faded too much over the years, and he averaged 94.8 mph on his fastball last season, but there's always some risk with older pitchers, and he'll turn 36 years old in late March. The bigger immediate potential issue is availability, since one mostly healthy season doesn't eliminate the health concerns, especially at this point in his career. Still, Sale is a future Hall of Famer coming off arguably the best season of his career, and he'll certainly be worth the risk in 2025 if he's able to stay healthy again.

Gray reached the 200-strikeout plateau in 2024 in his first year with the Cardinals, marking the second time in his career he's gotten to that level. At 30.3 percent, he was one of just three qualifiers to fan 30 percent of the batters he faced, joining Chris Sale and Tarik Skubal. Gray's sweeper was once again his go-to pitch for swings and misses with a 44.4 percent whiff rate, although he topped a 20 percent whiff rate with four other pitches, as well. Problems with the home run ball away from cavernous Busch Stadium helped lead to a pedestrian 3.84 ERA, but ERA indicators suggest Gray should have been at least a half-run or so better than that. Gray hasn't reached 200 innings since he did it back-to-back years in 2014 and 2015 with the Athletics, but with an average of 28.2 starts and 156.1 innings over the last five non-COVID seasons, he compares favorably to most of his contemporaries.

Gallen turned in another solid but not ace-level season. His career 26.6 percent strikeout rate is very good, but not elite. Last year, it was a career low of 25.1 percent. After two years of declining walk rates, Gallen's 8.7 percent clip was smidge worse than average. Yielding only 13 homers in 148 frames kept Gallen's ERA in check, but if the 2025 baseball is livelier than the 2024 version, Gallen's ratios could suffer, unless he returns to a lower walk rate. Gallen's velocity was in sync with past seasons, so it's a matter of throwing more strikes. In 2023, 64.5 percent of his pitches were strikes, compared to only 61.9 percent last season. There was a time when Gallen fanned 28 percent of batters and was a back end SP1. He's now a solid SP3, with SP2 upside if he can throw more pitches in the zone.

Keller signed a five-year, $77 million extension at the start of spring training and was expected to lead the Pirates' rotation throughout the length of the contract. He took a backseat to Paul Skenes quickly, but Keller also lost some ground on the skills that allowed him to break out in 2023. In particular, his strikeout rate dropped four percentage points, thanks primarily to a less effective fastball that lost a tick of velocity. While that was a disappointing aspect of his campaign, Keller has established a safe baseline of performance as he's kept his walk rate in the 6.5 percent range in consecutive seasons, a considerable improvement from the early portions of his career. Overall, expect an ERA around 4.20 and a WHIP in the high 1.20s with around a strikeout per inning. That's the profile of a back-end starter in mixed formats, though Keller's durability arguably gives him a slight bump in value.

The Japanese right-hander's MLB career got off to a rocky start as he surrendered five runs in one frame during his debut against the Padres, but he posted a 2.34 ERA in his next 13 starts before landing on the injured list. Yamamoto returned down the stretch for eight starts between the regular season and playoffs, during which he had a 3.64 ERA to help the Dodgers win the World Series. He had a 105:22 K:BB across 90 innings during the regular season, making it clear why Los Angeles inked him to a massive contract last winter. He is likely to open 2025 as the Dodgers' ace since Shohei Ohtani's left shoulder surgery will delay his return to the mound, and Yamamoto's strikeout ability and potential for wins will once again make him a hot commodity come draft day.

The right-hander stepped in as Milwaukee's ace in 2024 with Corbin Burnes traded away and Brandon Woodruff recovering from shoulder surgery, but Peralta wasn't able to fully pitch up to ace level. He reached 200 strikeouts for the second straight season, and his 3.68 ERA and 1.21 WHIP in a career-high 32 starts are similar to his numbers from the previous couple seasons. Peralta improved slightly in run prevention, but a 4.16 FIP indicates the Brewers' strong defense likely played a role in that, while most of his other stats regressed slightly. Peralta flashed his ceiling in 2021 with a 2.81 ERA, 0.97 WHIP and 12.2 K/9, but he's been unable to replicate that production over the past few years. He's still been a high-level starter both in real life and for fantasy given the strikeout numbers and overall effectiveness, but at this point he doesn't seem likely to return to that 2021 level as he seems to have settled in as more of a No. 2/3 starter.

When both signed in MLB last offseason, some considered Imanaga's stuff to be on par with, if not better than countryman Yoshinobu Yamamoto. However, Imanaga lagged in command while sporting a high home run by Nippon Professional Baseball standards. To address both, the Cubs designed an apparatus to train Imanaga to throw his four-seamer up in the zone. His 1.4 HR/9 was high, but palatable. His high riser also helped yield a low .264 BABIP while generating a high 17.6 percent swinging strike rate. The biggest surprise was a scant 4.0 percent walk rate. A bloated 80.2 percent left on base mark fueled a 2.91 ERA, over half a run below expected. Even so, a mid-threes ERA with a strikeout rate around 25 percent plays in any format. Just don't pay for a repeat of last season's deflated ERA; a correction is likely on the way.

Snell didn't secure a contract for 2024 until signing with the Giants in mid-March, and the turbulent offseason carried over into the regular season. He joined San Francisco's rotation in early April but made just six starts and had a 9.51 ERA during the first three months of the campaign as he missed time due to groin and hamstring injuries. The left-hander was dominant once he returned from the injured list in July and closed the season with just 11 earned runs allowed in his final 14 starts, and he had a 114:30 K:BB over 80.1 innings during that stretch. Snell cashed in with a long-term deal with the Dodgers, so he is well positioned to log double-digit wins for the third time in his career. He's topped 130 frames in a season just twice in his eight full MLB campaigns, so fantasy managers shouldn't be counting on more than 20-to-25 starts. However, Snell won the Cy Young Award in those other two seasons, so he could be a league-winning pitcher if he's able to stay healthy.

Contreras had an .824 OPS in his first full year as a starter in 2023 after being traded from Atlanta to Milwaukee, and he delivered similar results in 2024 with a .281/.365/.466 slash line, 23 homers, 92 RBI and nine steals while playing in 155 games. The 27-year-old's framing numbers behind the plate took a major step forward during his first year with the Brewers, though those regressed significantly last season. Still, he's a much-improved defender from earlier in his career. Contreras' 131 wRC+ in 2024 was the best in MLB among catchers with at least 400 plate appearances by a significant margin, and he has a strong case to be considered the best catcher in baseball. He made 120 appearances at catcher and 35 at designated hitter, and his everyday presence in the lineup is a major boost to his fantasy value in an era where catchers are receiving more time off.

A Will Smith has now been in each of the last five World Series wtih this version bookending the three consecutive appearances by his name twin on the mound. Smith finished the season as a top five catcher and within the top 70 overall while while resuming full-time catching duties. Smith was able to take days off at DH before the arrival of Shohei Ohtani, but that luxury was not there in 2024 so Smith caught in 121 games and appeared in 7 more. His numbers did have a bit of a fall-off in the second half, no doubt in part to the resumption of all the time donning the infamous tools of ignorance. Smith's .272/.346/.492 first half line with 15 homers fell to .206/.295/.331 after the break. His .248 final average was the lowest of his career, but still a few points above the league average mitigating that issue. Ohtani will not need to take all the DH time in 2025, so some half-days off should be more available to Smith to keep him fresher throughout the season. After all, this is the only player with catcher eligibility who has had at least 500 plate appearances each of the past four seasons. You cannot beat that type of consistency and volume from a position of such scarcity.

Stephenson took a big step forward at the plate in 2024, raising his OPS from a career-low .696 to .782. He set career highs in home runs (19), runs (69) and RBI (66), fueled by improved performance and a rather surprising amount of playing time behind the dish. Stephenson went from 78 starts at catcher in 2023 to 112 last season, and he led the National League in total appearances at catcher with 127. After Stephenson suffered a collarbone injury and the third concussion of his playing career in 2022, the Reds made an effort to limit him, but the reins were off last season and he seemed to re-establish himself as the catcher of the present and future in Cincinnati. His defense improved by various metrics last year, although he still grades out less than favorably in terms of blocking, framing and pop time.

Alvarez missed over seven weeks with a torn UCL in his left hand, suffered while catching his fall after tripping while rounding second base. When healthy, he was the Mets regular backstop, his role again this season. Alvarez will be one of the youngest starting catchers at just 23 years old; his offense is still a work in progress. His 62nd percentile hard-hit rate was down a tick from the previous season, but still promising relative to his age. Alvarez's contact rate is below average, but it's improved a tick each of his last two seasons. His patience is above average, boding well for improved quality and quantity of contact. Behind the dish, he's an excellent framer, with a great pop time. All signs point to continued improvement, with more playing time. This is probably the last time he's a borderline option in one catcher leagues. Alvarez will be a staple sooner than later.

Fractures to his left forearm and left pinkie in separate incidents resulted in Contreras being limited to just 84 games last season. He was very productive when on the field, finishing with a career-high 136 OPS+ with 15 long balls over 358 plate appearances. Nearly 40 percent of Contreras' starts in 2024 came from the designated hitter spot, and the Cardinals plan to play him there and at first base regularly in 2025 with Paul Goldschmidt no longer around. Fantasy managers will be happy with that setup if it helps keep Contreras off the IL, as he's been a consistent source of offensive production, albeit one that typically falls shy of the elite at the position. The move off catcher increases his counting stat upside for 2025, but those in dynasty leagues should prepare for him to lose catcher eligibility heading into 2026.

Realmuto had a good five or six years with a claim to the "best catcher in baseball" title, but those days are probably over heading into his age-34 season. Realmuto used to be good for elite volume and elite productivity (both by catcher standards), but last year, he was good for neither. He started an average of 124 games behind the plate from 2021 to 2023, with only Martin Maldonado coming with 15 games of that mark, but in 2024, meniscus surgery in mid-June cost him nearly six weeks and limited him to 99 games caught. Those knee troubles also affected his ability on the basepaths, as he stole just two bases after averaging 17 steals over the prior three seasons. It wasn't all bad, as he remained a capable hitter. His .266/.322/.429 slash line was good for a 109 wRC+, and his 10.4 percent barrel rate marked his third straight season in double digits, even if it led to a modest 14 homers. Realmuto should remain useful in 2025, but he's no longer a five-category superstar.

Ruiz was basically a league-average hitter in 2023 but took a big step backward in 2024. Among players with at least 400 plate appearances, only Jose Siri had a worse on-base percentage than Ruiz's .260 mark, and only five players had an OPS lower than Ruiz's .619. The batted ball data wasn't any better, with Ruiz sporting an average exit velocity in the fourth percentile and a barrel rate in the sixth percentile. Ruiz remained an elite contact hitter with just an 11.1 percent strikeout rate, but even that wasn't enough to keep his average afloat, in large part because he hits so many weak fly balls and popups. Working in Ruiz's favor is that he plays a ton for a catcher, with only three other backstops accumulating more plate appearances than him since 2022. It allows him to accumulate enough stats to be a viable second fantasy catcher even if the rate stats are likely to be lackluster.

Murphy strained his oblique on Opening Day last season and wound up missing more than eight weeks of action. It turned out to be a harbinger of doom, as the 30-year-old suffered through his worst season with a lowly .636 OPS and sub-.200 batting average. Dating back to the 2023 All-Star break, Murphy is slashing just .181/.294/.323 across 432 plate appearances. He also has a 37 percent hard-hit rate over that stretch, which is down significantly from his career 42.4 percent mark. A spike in his ground ball rate (53.9 percent) also conspired to hold Murphy back in 2024. He's young enough and talented enough to return to being a starting-caliber fantasy catcher in 2025, and Murphy's playing time outlook went up after Atlanta declined Travis d'Arnaud's option and he wound up signing with the Angels.

Moreno slashed just .230/.313/.346 through the first three months of last season and ended June on the injured list with a sprained thumb. He would miss more time after that with an adductor strain, but when on the field he sported a robust .325/.418/.439 batting line across his final 36 contests. Moreno's 11.7 percent walk rate and 14.8 percent strikeout rate really stood out, and he was above average in terms of average exit velocity and hard-hit rates, too. Unfortunately, while he did loft the ball a little more in 2024, Moreno still pounded it into the ground at nearly a 50 percent clip. His power ceiling will always be limited unless he can reverse that tendency, but it feels like nitpicking to some degree since we're talking about a 25-year-old catcher who's already an above-average hitter.

Bart looked to be the latest example of the difficult transition from top catching prospect to reliable fantasy contributor, as he was designated for assignment by the Giants on March 31. However, he ironically resurrected his career at the expense of Henry Davis after being acquired Pittsburgh and served as the primary backstop for long stretches of the campaign. He earned those plate appearances by showcasing his power, highlighted by a 9.4 percent barrel rate and 111.5 mph max exit velocity. While not as flashy, equally important was Bart's improved infield flyball rate (6.5 percent compared to career 13.0 percent rate) and strikeout rate (25.9 percent compared to career 32 percent). That skills growth likely means Bart will have a role in 2025, but the path isn't as clear as would be anticipated. The Pirates are likely not ready to give up on the aforementioned Davis and will welcome back a healthy Endy Rodriguez (elbow). Regular at-bats at DH are possible if Andrew McCutchen isn't back or takes on a lesser role. If Bart finds his way into regular playing time, he has the chance to be a poor man's Cal Raleigh or Shae Langeliers, but the way this offseason progresses will provide more answers.

Goodman was picked up across a number of leagues amidst stretches of semi-regular playing time in Colorado, but his batting average ultimately settled at just .190. He hit .160/.189/.270 away from Coors Field. After being drafted in the fourth round in 2021, Goodman shot through the farm system, taking advantage of the favorable hitting conditions throughout the Rockies organization. That success has not yet translated to the highest level. Even with 14 home runs in 93 MLB games to date, Goodman has a career 59 wRC+ as he enters his age-25 season. The selling point here is catcher eligibility (23 appearances in 2024), but there is no track record in the majors to stand on. It's possible Goodman is not even on the big-league roster to begin the season given that he has multiple minor-league options remaining and no clear defensive home between catcher, outfield and first base.

Herrera's reputation as an offensive-minded catcher held true in 2024. Among Cardinals hitters to accrue at least 250 plate appearances, Herrera led the club with his .369 xwOBA. However, while he graded out fine as a framer and blocker of balls in the dirt, Herrera was so inept at throwing out opposing base stealers (he caught just four of them in 59 tries) that he was leap-frogged on the depth chart by the defensively-superior Pedro Pages during the stretches Willson Contreras was hurt. Contreras will move off catcher full-time in 2025, leaving Herrera and Pages to split starts behind the dish. Herrera's offensive upside makes him a fine fantasy sleeper, but he'll need to show some level of improvement with his throwing if he wants to outpace Pages in playing time.

Bailey won his first Gold Glove last season for his stellar work behind the plate. He seemed to take a small step forward at the plate, too, even if the surface-level numbers wouldn't necessarily point to that. Bailey cut his strikeout rate from 28.3 percent to 22.3 percent while upping his walk rate (5.9 percent to 8.7 percent), hard-hit rate (38.4 percent to 43 percent) and average exit velocity (88.7 mph to 91.3 mph). The switch-hitting catcher cratered after the All-Star break for the second straight year and is now a career .179/.238/.238 hitter in the second half (versus a .287/.343/.454 line in the first half). While that might suggest more days off would be wise, you can understand why the Giants have been reluctant to take the defensive stalwart out of the lineup. One concern with Bailey is that he's already made three trips to the 7-day concussion injured list, including two in the first half last season. That batted-ball data points to more offensive promise that Bailey has shown so far, but he also might just be a better real-life player than fantasy player.

Amaya took over as Chicago's unquestioned top catcher when the team cut Yan Gomes in June, but the youngster failed to do much with the opportunity. He batted just .232 with a .645 OPS, eight home runs and 47 RBI across 117 games. This came after hitting .214 with a .688 OPS across 53 games as a rookie in 2023. Amaya did flash a bit more offensive upside at times during his minor-league career, though his best traits as a player are probably on the defensive side of the equation, which doesn't do much for fantasy managers. Working in Amaya's favor heading into 2025 is the fact that he will likely retain his role as the Cubs' No. 1 catcher, unless the team brings in some veteran competition during the offseason. Playing time alone would give the 25-year-old some value in deeper formats, but until he displays more sustained success at the plate, Amaya will be hard to trust as a regular on many fantasy rosters.

Del Castillo was already having a breakout year at Triple-A Reno by the time he showed up in Arizona and acquitted himself well in 25 games while filling in for an injured Gabriel Moreno. The organization's Minor League Player of the Year, Del Castillo posted a 1.002 OPS and 26 homers in 2024 at Reno. Power numbers in the hitter-smooching Pacific Coast League are always taken with circumspection, but Del Castillo's jump from 2023 to 2024 was comical. He gained more than 300 points of OPS, 64 points of average and dropped his strikeout rate 12 points. Against MLB pitching, Del Castillo slashed .313/.368/.525 with four home runs in 87 plate appearances - and a much higher strikeout rate than he had in the minors. His bat may be able to carry him in the majors, but Moreno is entrenched as the No. 1 catcher, and Arizona may want a better defensive option as a backup.

After delivering the best year of his career in 2023 with 54 homers, 139 RBI and a .283/..389/.604 slash line, Olson took a major step back last season and finished with 29 home runs and a .790 OPS. The decline was well earned, as the first baseman saw his average exit velocity dip two ticks to 91.5 mph, and his barrel rate and hard-hit rate dropped four points (to 12.4 percent) and nearly eight points (to 47.4 percent). Olson's batted-ball profile remained largely unchanged, but pitchers attacked him more aggressively (50.3 zone percentage), while he also swung at more pitches out of the strike zone. Atlanta's lineup as a whole went through some troubles, and the injury absences of Ronald Acuna and Ozzie Albies diminished the group significantly. Olson was still a productive piece, but fantasy managers likely overpaid while coming off a career-best year. Now entering his age-31 campaign, Olson is a strong candidate to rebound and has a high floor given the offense around him and the fact he's played in all 162 games in each of the past three seasons.

After suffering an ankle injury late in the regular season, Freeman struggled through the initial playoff rounds before catching fire in the World Series and sparking the Dodgers to a championship. He homered four times in the Fall Classic en route to the MVP award and in doing so became the first player in history to homer in six consecutive World Series games dating back to his time with Atlanta. His regular-season numbers took a sizable step backward, but he was still an All-Star for the sixth consecutive full season and finished as the No. 4 first baseman in traditional fantasy formats. Freeman's consistency gives him a case to still be the top 1B off the board entering 2025, although Vladimir Guerrero's age and upside will likely give him the edge in many drafters' minds. Regardless, Freeman is not showing serious red flags in terms of skill decline at 35 years old and he should be highly sought after as a building block easily capable of surging up past 200 runs-plus-RBI once again.

It feels like not all that long ago that Harper was anointed "Baseball's Chosen One" while gracing the cover of Sports Illustrated as a 16-year-old, and similar to LeBron James in the NBA, Harper has managed to exceed seemingly impossible expectations. He reached 30 homers last season for the fifth time in his career while also surpassing 40 doubles for a second time. After an elbow injury and subsequent Tommy John surgery necessitated a full-time move to first base in 2023, Harper made only one trip to the injured list last season due to a low-grade hamstring strain. He played through wrist and elbow discomfort later in the campaign, which led to 30-game homerless drought. A two-time MVP and eight-time All-Star, Harper is still in search of that elusive World Series title, and that will be his and the Phillies' primary motivation in 2025. Expect well-rounded production around some missed time over the course of the long season.

Hoskins returned to action in 2024 after missing a season due to a torn ACL, and he popped 26 home runs in 131 games. That essentially sums up the positives for the veteran first baseman, who had the worst offensive season of his career with a .214/.303/.419 slash line and 28.9 percent strikeout rate. It's no surprise that he then exercised his $18 million player option with the Brewers for 2025, and he's likely to remain with the club through the offseason given that salary. Hoskins could rebound with another winter being between him and major knee surgery, and in a best-case scenario he replicates the 30 home runs and .794 OPS he posted with Philadelphia in 2022. He's entering his age-32 campaign, however, and a more modest improvement is more likely, assuming he's able to bounce back at all.

Encarnacion-Strand struggled to fill Joey Votto's shoes at first base in Cincinnati, slashing just .190/.220/.293 in 29 games before a fractured right wrist ended his season. When he first went down, Encarnacion-Strand was expected back in 4-to-6 weeks, but after receiving a second opinion, he opted for surgery. The Reds sent him to the Arizona Fall League for make-up at-bats, and those live reps should have given him some peace of mind and set him up for a relatively normal offseason heading into 2025. Part of the Reds' return for Tyler Mahle, Encarnacion-Strand still seems to be very much part of the organization's plans, though he won't be assured anything entering spring training. His power is off the charts, but he will likely struggle to find consistency until he refines his plate skills (28.5 K%, 3.3 BB% last season).

Arraez won his third straight batting title in 2024 and was also traded for the third year in a row, going from the Marlins to the Padres in a rare May swap. That teams have been so willing to part with a perennial batting champ speaks to how difficult it can be to ascertain the proper value of his unique skill set, which features a lot of batting average and not much else. Thankfully, in fantasy we have unbiased formulas to figure out that value, and Arraez finished outside the top-15 at second base and first base in spite of that .314 average. Arraez was better for five months in San Diego than he was in his one month in Miami last season even as he was playing with a torn UCL in his thumb for a large chunk of it. He should maintain his leadoff role in 2025 for a team that will provide plenty of firepower behind him. Still, Arraez will mostly remain a one-category contributor whose appeal on draft day will be fairly limited.

One of the few bright spots for the last-place Rockies in 2024, Toglia cracked 25 homers and stole 10 bags in 116 games between first base (107 games) and the outfield (15 appearances). After a couple years spent riding the shuttle between Triple-A and the majors, he found his way against big-league pitching. His batting average settled at just .218, but Statcast had Toglia at a .244 xBA on account of his impressive batted-ball metrics, and he walked at an 11.8 percent clip. He supplied most of his power away from Coors Field, hitting 17 of his 25 homers on the road. With a career strikeout rate of 33 percent and no MLB track record beyond last season, Toglia should be considered a risky option. That said, his slugging and home ballpark make him a reasonable gamble at a top-heavy first base position.

Busch joined the Cubs prior to the 2024 season after never really getting a shot at regular playing time with the Dodgers, and he quickly took advantage of the opportunity in the new locale. The 26-year-old settled in as the primary first baseman for Chicago and appeared in 152 games. Busch ended up recording 21 home runs, 65 RBI and a .775 OPS during his extended run, and he figures to head into 2025 as the team's top option at first once again. There are some limitations to his game from a fantasy perspective, as he doesn't really have a ton of positional versatility. The left-hand hitting Busch has also shown some vulnerability to southpaws during his career, so the Cubs not surprisingly limited his exposure to lefties last year. That caps Busch's upside heading into 2025, but as long as he plays most days against righties, Busch should be able to build on his promising 2024 campaign.

Candelario's first season with Cincinnati was a letdown after he inked a three-year, $42 million contract in December of 2023. He played through various injuries throughout the first half, including elbow, shin and hamstring issues, before a fractured left great toe ended his season in August. The Candy Man deserves credit for taking advantage of his new digs, hitting 15 homers at home to reach 20 for the season in 463 total plate appearances. That is about where the fun ends since his rate numbers crashed across the board. A career-low walk rate suggests he might have been pressing in Year 1 of a new deal, and the injuries likely played a part. There may still be power upside here and he is eligible at first base and third base entering his age-31 season.

It was a tale of two seasons for Wade, who appeared primed for a career year with a .329/.462/.445 slash line through 57 games but labored to a .638 OPS in the final 60 contests. Overall he hit just eight home runs in 117 games, with a 15.8 percent walk rate carrying a lot of his offensive value. His patience at the plate isn't a new attribute, as he has a double-digit walk rate in three of his four seasons with the Giants. A .331 BABIP may not be sustainable, but his career-best 43.7 percent hard-hit rate was encouraging and resulted in a .437 xSLG, which was notably better than his actual slugging figure of .381. Wade's fantasy value is limited outside of OBP leagues, but his solid average could come in handy for streamers if he's able to turn some of that strong contact back into home runs, which he's shown he can do at times with two campaigns in which he sniffed 20 long balls (he hit 18 and 17 home runs in 2021 and 2023, respectively). His .840 OPS against left-handed pitching was a stark improvement and could help him avoid a platoon at first base if he's able to sustain it.

Save for a couple of short stints in the bigs, Bride spent most of the first three months with Triple-A Jacksonville. He was called up for good in early but played sparingly until the Marlins shipped Josh Bell to Arizona at the trade deadline. Bride then played nearly every day, jumping between first base, third base and DH. He posted a .279/.365/.485 line as a full-time player. His quality of contact was below average, but his strikeout and walk rates were better than average. Even so, he outpointed his xBA by 50 points. With Jake Burger and Connor Norby cemented as the corner infield staters, Bride is relegated to backup duty with some time at DH. Let someone else draft 2024's good fortune. In this instance, it's better to be the bridesmaid.

Almost immediately upon his MLB return in July, Yepez was batting 2-4 in the Washington lineup, which speaks more to the Nationals' lack of impact bats last season than anything else. To be fair, Yepez hit over .290 in two of his three months in the majors. However, he's not the type of hitter you expect to see in the heart of the order long term. The pressure will be on for him to hit since he's mostly limited to first base and DH at this stage. Yepez showed an improved strikeout rate last season, but he supplied a rather empty batting average with below-average power. The Cardinals previously dumped Yepez and his projected volume for 2025 could go out the window with one poor stretch since he doesn't really provide any defensive value.

Marte set a new career high with 36 home runs last season, four more than he hit during the infamous juiced-ball year of 2019. He also lifted his batting average above .290 after it dipped as low as .240 in 2022. Despite making a trip to the injured list in the second half with an ankle sprain, Marte exceeded 90 runs and 90 RBI for the second time ever, finishing as a top-15 hitter in traditional fantasy formats. Once a part-time outfielder, Marte now plays second base pretty much exclusively. At 31 years old, Marte is a risk to miss time, as he's reached 150 games just twice in his career. However, his plate skills are super steady, propping up his floor. While not a burner, Marte is capable of chipping in 5-to-10 steals given his instincts and efficiency on the basepaths. He should continue to bat first or second in the Arizona lineup under manager Torey Lovullo in 2025.

McLain was forced under the knife in late March to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder and never made it on to a big-league field in 2024. He appeared to be nearing a rehab assignment in August, but a stress reaction in his rib cage took a return off the table. The 25-year-old was able to make up for lost time a bit in the Arizona Fall League, where he slashed .240/.356/.520 with four homers, 12 RBI and one stolen base across 59 plate appearances. Durability has become a major question mark after he also missed the final month of his rookie season in 2023 with an oblique strain. However, McLain still appears to be a priority for the Reds, likely at second base although he also got a brief look in center field during the AFL. While projecting a full season's worth of at-bats would be foolish entering 2025, McLain has shown an intriguing power/speed combo when on the diamond, and the boost provided by Great American Ball Park is no small one. Don't forget about him at the draft table.

Albies was limited to 99 games in 2024 as he spent significant time on the injured list due to a fractured wrist and fractured toe, and it's the second time in the past three seasons he's failed to reach 100 games played. The three-time All-Star underwhelmed at the plate when available and had a .251/.303/.404 slash line with 10 home runs, eight steals, 51 RBI and 50 runs scored, with a 95 wRC+ being the second worst of his career. Albies has been an elite producer when healthy overall, but whether he's able to stay on the field over the past few years has basically been a coin flip. His ceiling is as high as any second baseman in the league -- especially given the rest of Atlanta's offense and the potential for counting stats -- but that ceiling comes with plenty of risk given the up-and-down availability and recent performance.

Hoerner is one of the most consistent players in the league, with his wRC+ ranging between 103 and 108 over the last four seasons. He's better for fantasy teams since steals aren't captured by wRC+ and Hoerner has averaged 31 steals over the last three seasons. Hoerner's game is putting the ball in play 90 percent of the time, mostly line drives and grounders. His career hard hit rate is 31.6 percent, with last season's 27.7 percent being a career worst, but he fanned at his lowest rate ever. This is a risky profile, dependent on batted ball fortune. Hoerner had surgery on his right flexor tendon in October, but he's expected to be ready for opening day. Players with batting average and steals as chief assets grade well with a formulaic ranking method but are often faded by those using a more subjective approach. He can be a fantasy asset, but it takes the right team build.

Stott's big steps forward in his sophomore season two years ago hinted at a very promising age-26 campaign. Instead, he slipped to a .245/.315/.356 slash line, with his 88 wRC+ barely an improvement on his 84 wRC+ as a rookie. He did make plenty of contact, striking out just 16.3% of the time, but a 30.8% hard hit rate meant that most of that contact resulted in weak outs. He cleared the fence just 11 times, the sixth-fewest among batters who came to the plate at least as often as he did. Despite an underwhelming performance at the plate, Stott preserved a fair amount of his fantasy value by stealing 32 bases, tied for 13th in the league and one more than his previous career high. Stott should keep running in 2025, and his bat could take at least a modest step forward in his age-27 season, but don't expect a sudden power breakout.

Cronenworth's 2024 campaign was a near carbon copy of his 2022 season, as he hit the same amount of homers (17), drove in five fewer runs (83) and batted two points higher (.241) over 28 fewer plate appearances. The infielder has established a pretty predictable skill set over his time in the majors -- he makes good contact (both his chase rate and whiff rate last year were just below the 90th percentile leaguewide) but doesn't hit the ball with enough authority (his hard-hit rate has been below the 30th percentile in four straight seasons) to produce more than middling power numbers. Cronenworth's lack of speed (he's never stolen more than six bases in a season in the majors) further drags down his fantasy profile, though he does get a boost from having eligibility at both first and second base and from hitting in a potent lineup. Overall, the parts add up to a rosterable fantasy middle infielder -- the second-base eligibility is particularly important given the current dearth of impactful hitters at the position -- best left for the very late rounds of drafts.

Turang delivered an underwhelming rookie campaign at the plate in 2023 with a .585 OPS in 137 games, though he did bring some value on the basepaths with 26 stolen bases. He took a significant step forward as a sophomore and finished 2024 with a .254/.316/.349 slash line, seven home runs, 57 RBI, 72 runs and 50 steals in 155 contests. It initially looked like he was headed for a full offensive breakout since he had .292/.354/.417 through the first three months of the season, but he struggled to a .551 OPS over the final 75 games of the year. Turang maintained a regular spot in the lineup through the struggles thanks to his elite defense (plus-22 Defensive Runs Saved), which was rewarded with a Gold Glove at second base. He improved his hard-hit rate over three percentage points to 29.4 percent and his average exit velocity by 1.5 ticks to 87 mph, which combined with a double-digit increase in his groundball rate (to 52.8 percent), better allowed him to take advantage of his speed. Turang's strong work on the basepaths and respectable batting average give him a decent fantasy floor, and there's some upside beyond that if he can capture that first-half form and cement himself atop Milwaukee's lineup, at least against right-handed pitching.

The Nationals' patience with Garcia paid off with a 111 wRC+ season, by far his best. An uptick in exit velocity aided career bests in hard-hit and barrel rates. Garcia also lofted a few more flyballs, though his 32.5 percent clip was still below average. Even so, Garcia doubled his previous career high with 18 long balls while also swiping 22 bags, more than twice his past high-water mark. The only downturn was with his strikeout rate where Garcia gave back some of the previous season's gains. Defense at the keystone is below average, which could eventually be an issue, but he seems safe this season. There is danger paying for a repeat of a breakout season, but Garcia's improvement was supported by underlying metrics, so it's a matter of trusting he'll sustain the elevated level as opposed to fearing regression.

If Arizona Fall League fantasy leagues existed, Durbin would be a first-round pick. In 2024, he set the AFL single-season record with 29 steals, and he also has the career AFL record with 50 steals (on 53 attempts) in his 47 games on the fall circuit. Durbin should get his chance to show how much his game translates at the highest level this year after getting traded to Milwaukee as part of the return from the Yankees for Devin Williams. Durbin slashed .287/.396/.471 with 10 home runs, 29 steals, a 12.5 percent walk rate and a 9.9 percent strikeout rate in 82 games at Triple-A. Durbin is listed at 5-foot-6, 185 pounds and logged a very poor 20.9 percent hard-hit rate and a 27.2 percent soft-hit rate in the minors in 2024, but so far, he has been able to ambush enough pitches to the pull side to hit for respectable game power. That trend may not carry over, at least initially, in the majors, but Durbin should get a fair opportunity with the Brewers due to his defensive versatility, ability to get on base and ability to steal bases in bunches. He is eligible at second base but could add third base eligibility early in the year.

McNeil won the National League batting title in 2022 with a .326 batting average, but the past two years have been a much bumpier road with a .270 average in 2023 and career-low .238 mark last season. He missed most of the final month of the 2024 regular season due to a fractured wrist but returned to action during the playoffs. McNeil isn't a great defender but will have dual-position eligibility with 110 appearances at second base and 28 in the outfield last year. His middling power and speed (38 home runs and 22 stolen bases over the past four seasons) limit both his floor and ceiling, and the drop in batting average has cratered his one elite category. A 30.8 percent hard-hit rate last year was his best figure since 2021, but McNeil also had a career-worst 14.6 percent strikeout rate. He's on the wrong side of 30 and has been on a downward trajectory the past two years, so he likely isn't worth more than a late-round flier with high-average potential if he bounces back.

After a flexor tendon issue limited him to just 95 games in 2023, Donovan stayed healthy in 2024, reaching career highs in games (153) and plate appearances (652). That helped lead to career bests in home runs, RBI and runs, too, although the 28-year-old's .759 OPS and 115 wRC+ were both low-water marks. It was due mainly to Donovan's walk rate falling for the second year in a row down to 7.2 percent, which is below average and a far cry from the 12.8 percent mark he had as a rookie. He still had a solid .342 OBP thanks to an elite contact rate keeping his average up, but the Cardinals moved away from Donovan as their regular leadoff man in June and Masyn Winn grabbed that gig. Because he's not a standout in any statistical category, Donovan really needs a prime spot in the batting order to elevate his standing in fantasy leagues.

Gorman struck out at a 31.9 percent clip in 2023, but it was acceptable because he also walked at an 11.4 percent rate, boasted a 48.5 percent hard-hit rate and slugged 27 home runs. However, the strikeout rate ballooned to 37.6 percent in 2024, the walk rate dropped to 8.5 percent and the hard-hit rate tumbled to 38.6 percent. Gorman was optioned back to Triple-A Memphis in late August following a particularly brutal stretch and stayed there for the remainder of the season. A 16.7 percent barrel rate last season showed that Gorman can still sting the ball when he makes contact, but he will have to get the swing and miss down to an acceptable level for the quality of contact to matter. Gorman will turn just 25 in May, and St. Louis' plan for a youth movement means he should get another opportunity in 2025.

Gonzales failed to win the Pirates' second base job out of spring training, but an injury to Ke'Bryan Hayes gave him a chance in the majors in early May. He took advantage while relying on his contact ability and hit tool-the primary factors that led to him being a top prospect - as his strikeout rate dipped below 20 percent for the first time in any significant sample at any level as a pro. A groin injury cost Gonzales all of August, ultimately limiting him to 387 plate appearances. While it was a promising sample, it is worth noting that Gonzales still posted just a 94 wRC+, .307 wOBA and .128 ISO. He's the favorite to man second base for the Pirates in 2025, but his fantasy appeal will likely be limited due to a relative lack of speed and power. Some solid contributions in batting average and counting stats are possible, but both were arguably bloated in 2024 thanks to a .347 BABIP with runners on base and .352 with runners in scoring position. Gonzales is a fine middle infield option in deeper leagues, but he shouldn't be viewed as much more until (or if) his skills take another step forward.

Estrada was a key piece of San Francisco's infield in 2022 and 2023, but he had a .590 OPS in 96 games last season before being outrighted off the MLB roster in late August. The veteran infielder was able to secure a one-year contract with the Rockies for 2025, and he's expected to serve as their primary second baseman. Estrada had a .266/.319/.408 slash line during those two productive years with the Giants, and he totaled 28 homers, 44 stolen bases, 111 RBI and 134 runs across the two seasons. His career strikeout and walk rates (20.1 percent and 4.6 percent, respectively) illustrate his strong contact skills, and playing half his games at Coors Field could provide a boost to his offensive outlook. Estrada could have some fantasy viability if he's able to recapture that prior form, but the poor production in 2024 isn't guaranteed to remain in the rearview mirror.

Only Giancarlo Stanton has more seasons with 25+ homers than Machado does. The Human Statue has 10 such seasons while Machado and Mike Trout are tied at nine. Machado continues to produce at a consistent level as 2024 was his 10th career season with at least 600 plate appearances, something only Carlos Santana and Freddie Freeman have done more frequently. 2024 offered a view of Machado's younger days with him stealing double-digit bases for the first time since the 2021 season and nearly swiping as many in 2024 (11) as he did the previous two seasons combined (12.) He pulled that off despite another season where his walk rate declined as it has now each of the past four seasons. He still makes excellent contact, but the lower walk rate means the batting avergae is going to be at the mercy of the batted ball luck dragons as is evident by the 40 points of batting average varieance the past three seasons. There is little reason why Machado should not continue to have another 600+ plate appearance season with the voluminous numbers that go along with that playing time. Consistent production such as what Machado offers is difficult to find in these volatile days.

Riley's 2024 season was one to forget. He suffered a fractured right hand in mid-August, ending his season, just when it seemed like he was hitting his stride after an uncharacteristically average first half. His first two months were downright bad, as Riley had a .228/.295/.353 line at the end of May (82 wRC+). From that point on, he looked much more like the player that slugged 33-plus homers with 93-plus RBI in each of the prior three seasons. Overall, his strikeout rate remained right around his career average of 25.7%, and he ranked in the 94th percentile or above in average exit velocity, barrel rate and hard-hit percentage. Entering his age-28 season, Riley remains an offensive force to be reckoned with, and there may be an opportunity to buy low coming off a down year. He should still be considered among the best of the rest behind Jose Ramirez at third base.

It would have been difficult for Suarez's first season in the desert to get off to a worse start. The 33-year-old was sitting on a .196/.279/.312 batting line and had homered only six times through the end of June. One of the game's streakiest hitters then went on an epic three-month run which saw him slash .312/.357/.617 with 24 homers and 69 RBI across his final 78 contests. All told, Suarez finished with his fifth career 30-homer season, his third 100-RBI season and a career-high 90 runs scored. There will eventually be a season where Suarez won't be able to get up off the mat, but Suarez's batted-ball data in 2024 was right along with his recent norms and his strikeout rate was actually his lowest in six seasons. He should remain a productive, albeit inconsistent, fantasy asset again in 2025.

Muncy's 135 wRC+ this past season was his highest mark in three years. Unfortunately, it came over only 79 games, as the veteran infielder was shelved for more than three months with a nagging oblique strain. Muncy took his extreme fly ball tendencies to even greater lengths in 2024, with his 54.2 percent fly ball rate representing the highest mark of his career and the second-highest in all of baseball among players with at least 250 plate appearances. His 16.7 percent HR/FB rate was his second-lowest as a Dodger, however, which isn't surprising since the ball didn't carry as well across the league. The left-handed-hitting Muncy's effectiveness versus lefty hurlers has waned in recent years. It's led to fewer starts for the 34-year-old against southpaws, but to this point it hasn't been a strict platoon situation.

Chapman lingered on the free-agent market last offseason before finally agreeing to a one-year contract with two player options with the Giants in early March. The fit proved to be a good one, as he went on to have his best offensive season since 2019 and inked a six-year, $151 million contract extension in September. Chapman remained among the game's elite in terms of quality of contact and he did so while cutting his strikeout rate to 24.4 percent, which was easily the lowest it's been since the aforementioned 2019 campaign. The 31-year-old even stole 15 bases, which more than doubled his career total coming into the season. While it might be tempting to throw that number out as a fluke, Chapman does boast a surprising 84th percentile sprint speed. He'll again have to deal with Oracle Park in 2025 - where he hit just nine of his 27 homers - but Chapman showed he's capable of overcoming that to be a top-10 fantasy option at third base.

Bohm's 2024 stats were a nice representation of the league as a whole. Bohm made more hard contact, had a higher barrel rate, and a higher average exit velocity than he did in 2023, yet he hit five fewer homers on the season despite a nearly identical amount of plate appearances. That playing time consistency is one of Bohm's endearing qualities as he is just one of seven third baseman with 600+ plate appearances in each of the past three seasons. Bohm was also gratned the honors of hitting cleanup in Philadelphia for most of the season, which allowed him to match his 2023 RBI total despite the fewer homers. The homer decline was offset by a career-best 44 doubles. Bohm's groundball rate puts a soft cap on his home run upside. He has shown a bit more loft in recent seasons, and Bohm setting a new career-high in pull rate in 2024 may be a sign he's going to join the elevate and celebrate mindset which proliferates baseball these days. A hand issue, which led to an IL stint in early September was certainly a second half factor in (.681 OPS) compared to his first half (.830 OPS.)

Despite not making the Opening Day roster last spring, Vientos finished third on the Mets with 27 homers during the 2024 regular season, and he led the team with five long balls in the postseason. It was a breakout campaign at 24 years old, as Vientos added more than 200 points to his OPS from the year prior. He has a career strikeout rate of 30 percent, but he blisters the ball when he makes contact. His barrel rate ranked in the 92nd percentile and he crushed lefty pitching to the tune of a .300/.338/.546 slash line last season. A second-round pick in 2017, Vientos is paying dividends for New York, but speed is not part of the equation and his defense at third base graded out poorly, which has led to speculation he could be on the move to first base if Pete Alonso departs in free agency. The club will almost certainly find a way to keep Vientos' powerful bat in the lineup.

Arenado's power output has trickled down every year since he arrived in St. Louis and it bottomed out to just 16 home runs in 2024. Part of that was probably out of his control with fly ball distance being down league-wide, but he also posted career lows in average exit velocity (86.3 mph), hard-hit rate (31.6 percent) and barrel rate (3.2 percent) and one of his lowest fly ball rates (39.1 percent). Dating back to August of 2023, Arenado hasn't hit more than four long balls in any of his last eight months. A rebound is possible, but with cavernous Busch Stadium as his home and his 34th birthday coming shortly after Opening Day, it's difficult to say a bounce-back is probable.

McMahon hit the ball harder than he ever has in 2024 with an average exit velocity in the 91st percentile and hard-hit rate in the 92nd percentile. He also hit lefties better than he had in years (.740 OPS). Unfortunately, he ended with just a .714 OPS versus righties and a dreadful second half (.592 OPS) wiped out all the good work he did in the first half (.797 OPS, 14 home runs). McMahon has never been even a league-average hitter in terms of OPS+ and his swing-and-miss issues mean he's more likely to hurt than help in the average department. However, the 30-year-old has been very durable and will keep getting the Coors Field boost, assuming the Rockies continue to resist any trade overtures.

Norby was part of a long list of good prospects with the Orioles who were blocked at the major-league level, but he was finally freed at the trade deadline in a deal that sent him to the Marlins. The 24-year-old showed off both the good and bad parts of his profile during his 36-game audition in Miami, as he put up a 1.043 OPS with six home runs in his first 18 contests before cratering to a .481 OPS with one home run and a 34.5 percent strikeout rate in his final 18 tilts. Norby smacked 26 home runs and stole 16 bases combined between the majors and minors in 2024 but also struck out at a 29.5 clip, including a rate of 33 percent in the big leagues. With a 14.8 percent barrel rate and well above average fly ball and pull rates, Norby should provide power even in Miami if he can make enough contact.

Ortiz was shipped to the Brewers from the Orioles in the Corbin Burnes trade in February, and the infielder delivered a solid rookie campaign with 11 home runs, 11 steals, 60 RBI, 58 runs and a .239/.329/.398 slash line in 142 games (511 plate appearances). He primarily played third base, where he produced plus-eight Defensive Runs Saved and plus-11 Outs Above Average, but he's expected to shift to shortstop in 2025 following the departure of Willy Adames. Ortiz wasn't typically a huge threat for homers or stolen bases in the minors, but he could push past the 15-15 mark in an everyday role. His strong defense and 11.3 percent walk rate should provide some stability to keep him in the lineup through slumps, but he'll more than likely be hitting in the bottom half of Milwaukee's order.

Marte was suspended 80 games by Major League Baseball in March for violating the joint drug prevention and treatment program. Despite a rough offensive showing during his rehab assignment, Marte was brought back to the Reds' active roster on the first day he was eligible, debuting with a three-hit game June 27. He finished with an ugly .210/.248/.301 line across 242 plate appearances. Once a top prospect and centerpiece of the Luis Castillo trade, Marte has lost some of that shine in the last calendar year, but the 23-year-old still has time to regain the goodwill of the fans and trust of the front office. While his limited range at third base leaves some question about his future at the position, the power-speed combo and hitter-friendly park give him some buy-low appeal entering 2025. First things first, he will have to earn his keep under new manager Terry Francona.

Acquired from Cleveland last year in the Lane Thomas deal, Tena got a look in Washington over the final two months, mostly at third base (35 games). He smacked a walk-off hit in his team debut Aug. 10 and finished with a respectable .274 average, three homers and six steals in seven attempts across 164 plate appearances for the Nationals. Tena has some speed and has reached double-digit homers in the minor leagues several times, but it will be tough for him to stick at the hot corner long term given the general offensive expectations at the position. Realistically, he may be best suited for a utility role, but as he enters his age-24 season in 2025, Tena appears tentatively set for an extended audition as a lineup regular between third base and second base.

De La Cruz silenced his doubters with an All-Star season at age 22, smacking 25 homers with a league-leading 67 stolen bases. He struck out 17 times in his first 33 at-bats to begin the campaign, but De La Cruz quickly found his groove at the plate and would go on to finish as the No. 5 hitter in rotisserie leagues behind Shohei Ohtani, Aaron Judge, Bobby Witt and Jose Ramirez. In the end, De La Cruz cut a couple points off his strikeout rate, but it was still something of an eyesore at 31.3 percent. He's shown that he can offset the whiffs with walks and all of his other flashy tools, both on offense and defense, where he shined by standard and advanced fielding metrics. Surprisingly, De La Cruz was better on the road (126 wRC+) than at home (110 wRC+), which leaves open the question of what he's capable of when he really gets rolling at Great American Ball Park. Beware that his plate discipline profile leaves him open to batting-average variance.

Don't let Lindor's friendly smile fool you. He's a bad, bad man. Lindor fell one stolen base shy of a second straight 30-30 season and finished second in the National League in fWAR behind Shohei Ohtani. Some say the best ability is availability, and Lindor has missed a total of 13 games over the past three years. His strikeout rate has hardly budged and the shortstop has emerged as the Mets' leader on the field and in the clubhouse, making his 10-year, $341 million contract look like a bargain as opposed to an overpay. Somehow he wasn't an All-Star last season and hasn't been one since 2019, and some may flippantly slap the "compiler" label on him, but compiling is a good thing in the fantasy game. It's possible and perhaps likely that Lindor is surrounded by a better New York lineup as he enters his age-31 season.

Turner missed more than six weeks of the 2024 season with a left hamstring strain, but he added almost 30 points back to his batting average to finish fourth in the National League at .295. He also fell just one stolen base shy of a fourth straight 20-20 season. His time with Philadelphia got off to a brutal start before a standing ovation amidst his struggles famously turned his 2023 season around. This past season was more in line with expectations -- including the IL stint. His walk rate dipped to just 5.0% and his barrel rate dropped by a point and a half to 6.9%. The advantage Turner used to provide in steals isn't as great anymore with his totals dropping back to the pack in recent years, but that's not to say Turner can't still be extremely valuable in fantasy baseball as he approaches his 32nd birthday in June. The shortstop hit exclusively in the two hole for the Phillies last season and is still surrounded by a good lineup to drive run-scoring opportunities.

Adames had a down year in 2023 with 24 homers and a career-low .717 OPS, but he rebounded last season in a contract year as he finished with 32 home runs, 112 RBI, 93 runs, 21 steals and a .251/.331/.462 slash line. That set a new career high for homers, which came as the result of an increased 20.6-degree launch angle. It wasn't all roses for Adames in 2024, however, as he took a major step back defensively with minus-16 Defensive Runs Saved and zero Outs Above Average, which is a difference of 24 and 16, respectively, from his 2023 figures in each category. A defensive bounce back in 2025 wouldn't be surprising, but he is unlikely to approach his 2024 offensive production, especially after signing a long-term deal with the Giants. Given that the Brewers were second in the majors in stolen-base attempts and the Giants ranked 28th, there's no reason to project Adames to approach his 21 steals from 2024, and he'll also be playing his home games in the fourth-worst park for righty power, per Statcast (Brewers' home park ranks sixth best).

Swanson was one of the worst-hitting regulars in baseball for the first four months last season, slashing a sickly .219/.291/.346 with nine home runs and seven stolen bases in 99 contests. He got hot over the final two months to salvage his campaign, collecting a .283/.351/.471 batting line with seven long balls and 12 steals. However, Swanson's batted-ball data was actually worse from August on, so it might simply have been the result of some BABIP luck. Swanson's ground ball rate has been way up in his first two seasons with the Cubs as compared to his last few years in Atlanta, which includes a career-high 49.9 percent ground ball rate in 2024. The 31-year-old could easily return to being a 20-plus home hitter if he can reverse that trend. Even if he doesn't, Swanson offers a safe floor.

Tovar laughed in the face of the sophomore slump theory and had a very productive 2024 season, albeit with some flaws. Tovar once again played nearly everyday, but set new career highs in all run producing categories while also elevating his batting average. He was not as much of a help in OBP leagues as his .295 OBP was a direct result of an anemic 3.3% walk rate. It is one thing when Judge or Schwarber strike out 200 times because they're hitting 45+ homers while also walking 125+ times in a season. Tovar hit 26 homers while striking out 200 times an walked 23 times all season. We have seen 21 instances of a player strike out at least 200 times in a season and Tovar has the lowest walk total in that group. Tovar's home/road splits were surprisingly close to neutral, especially for a Colorado hitter as his homers were evenly split while the batting aveage was a difference of 16 points. Tovar will be there to volume his way through production again for Colorado but managers and fans should expect a step or even two steps back rather than a step forward.

Abrams' achievements on the field in 2024 were overshadowed by a lapse in judgment late in the year when he stayed out past curfew at a Chicago casino, resulting in a trip back to Triple-A as punishment. It was an unfortunate way to end his first All-Star campaign. His first three months were especially productive; Abrams hit .283/.344/.513 with 13 homers and 14 steals through the end of June before dipping to .203/.260/.326 in the second half. There were rumors that September's violation of curfew wasn't a completely isolated incident, which calls the shortstop's maturity into question, but the team is standing by the 24-year-old and believes the wakeup call will have the desired effect. While Abrams is still a little rough around the edges, he brings to the table an appealing combination of power, speed, youth and upside.

Winn was dreadful during a cup of coffee with the big club down the stretch of the 2023 season, but that didn't stop the Cardinals from handing him their starting shortstop gig heading into 2024. The youngster rewarded the club's faith with a quality rookie season, as Winn collected a .730 OPS with 15 home runs and 11 stolen bases while playing 150 games. Ten of Winn's 15 long balls came after the All-Star break after the infielder tweaked his approach to eke out more power, but it came at the expense of 37 points of batting average. Winn was the Cardinals' leadoff hitter from June on, which helped boost his counting stats, but with just a .290 OBP from the leadoff spot, he's no guarantee to stay there, especially not versus righties. The shortstop had an .818 OPS against left-handers in 2024 but just a .691 OPS versus right-handed pitching.

It's not often that a breakout comes with just one home run, but Edwards slashed an impressive .328/.397/.423 with 31 steals over 303 plate appearances for Miami last season, putting himself firmly on the map after a long, winding road as a prospect. Edwards, a supplemental first-round pick by the Padres in 2018, was traded twice before he reached the majors, first to the Rays and ultimately to the Marlins in 2022. He missed the start of last season with a foot infection and was initially optioned upon activation from the 60-day injured list in late May. Eventually he seized hold of an everyday job on the strength of his contact skills and speed. Edwards is willing to take a walk and the totality of his offensive contributions added up to a 128 wRC+ last season, best on the team. The glaring issue is the total lack of home-run power, but the 25-year-old shortstop can have utility with the proper roster construction.

Fitzgerald's overall production was somewhat predicted by his work in the minors the previous two seasons as he was a 20-20 player in both Double-A and Triple-A in the San Francisco system. He made the club out of camp, but did not see consistent playing time and was even sent back down to Triple-A until the just before the All-Star break. He homered in his last start before the break, and then proceeded to homer in each of the first four games after the break. That magical week was fun, but Fitzgerald only went on to homer nine more timest he season of the season with a .263/.311/.455 triple-slash line in the second half. The homers and steals were there, but so wwere the strikeouts as Fitzgerald has consistenly had below-average strikeout rates throughout his professional career. He made his living off hunting for fastballs hitting .328 (.287 xBA) with 9 of his 15 homers coming off fastballs, but his expected batting averages off non-fastballs was near .150 with a 44% whiff rate. The Giants have already said this winter that they are looking to add an everyday shortstop which potentially speaks to their desire to use Fitzgerald as a super-utility player as well as their acknowledgement that this is a risky skillset to bank on for an everyday player. You would be wise to give credence to their expressed thoughts and actions.

A lot of the prospect shine has come off Lawlar due to a mounting injury history and some uncertainty about how much he'll hit at the highest level. Lawlar's season began with him getting optioned from big-league camp March 10, as Arizona didn't entertain the idea of him beating out Geraldo Perdomo for the everyday shortstop job and only wanted Lawlar on the big-league roster if he were going to play regularly. He had surgery for a torn ligament in his thumb in late March and returned within the initial 8-to-10 week timeline in early June. He went 8-for-20 with a home run, a triple and two doubles in his first four games with Triple-A Reno before suffering a Grade 1 left hamstring strain. Lawlar's recovery may have been rushed, as he aggravated the hamstring during his rehab assignment in early July and didn't return until mid-September. He played in 119 games in 2023 and 100 games in 2022, so while Lawlar has some major injuries on his ledger, the injury-prone tag wasn't applicable prior to 2024. His dynasty value is on a tipping point this offseason, as there are merits for buying low and for cashing out. He's a priority follow early in spring training.

The Padres elected to shift Bogaerts to second base early in spring training, but he still ended up making 20 starts at shortstop when Ha-Seong Kim was out due to injury, though Bogaerts himself was limited to 111 appearances overall with a shoulder fracture. That should give Bogaerts dual-position eligibility in most formats for 2025, but his .688 OPS is a more pressing concern. He totaled 11 home runs and 13 stolen bases, and his .381 slugging percentage was the lowest since his rookie year in 2014. Now entering his age-32 campaign, Bogaerts has an underwhelming .276/.332/.415 slash line in two seasons since inking an 11-year, $280 million contract with the Padres, which is a far cry from the .880 OPS he posted across his final five years in Boston. The solid batting average gives him a stable floor in one category, but Bogaerts' diminishing power -- which was often middling anyway in his prime -- will continue to limit his upside as a fantasy asset, unless he can turn back the clock. Given what's left of the contract, he should have every opportunity to get back on track.

Many scoffed at the idea of Arcia replacing Dansby Swanson at shortstop in Atlanta, but Arcia has been a net-positive player over the past couple years, less so in 2024. His numbers fell off almost across the board after a surprise All-Star campaign in 2023, with the most painful in fantasy being a 46-point drop in batting average to just .218. He equaled his homer total from the year prior with 17 and continued to provide well-above-average defense, which keeps him penciled in atop the depth chart at shortstop entering 2025. Atlanta could very well look to upgrade at the position before long since Arcia has limited offensive upside and is now on the wrong side of 30.

Perdomo, who went down with a knee injury in early April and missed two-plus months, had career-bests in average (.273), slugging (.374) and OPS (.718) over 98 games in 2024, but a deeper look reveals he exceeded expected rates. Ahh, the benefits of a favorable BABIP (.317), which also pumped up his wRC+ (101). He continues to exhibit elite plate discipline though his walk rate fell to 9.3%. Had the organization's plans for 2024 played out, prospect Jordan Lawlar would challenge Perdomo in 2025 or have been called up last year when Perdomo was out, but Lawlar had his own drama. He injured his thumb late in spring training, missed two months, then injured a hamstring and finished with just 14 games played outside of the Arizona Complex League. That means Perdomo is a lock to open the season as the starter at shortstop, but the organization is deep at the position.

Betts missed close to two months of the 2024 campaign due to a fractured left wrist, but he returned to help lift Los Angeles to a championship with a .951 OPS and four homers in the postseason. Now a three-time World Series champion, Betts has been an All-Star in each of the last eight full MLB seasons. His slugging percentage was down close to 90 points from 2023, when he was an MVP finalist in the National League, but Betts still graded out as 41 percent better than league average by wRC+. While he's still just 32 years old, Betts is at the point where he may need a few more days off after battling various injuries and falling below 123 games played in two of the past four years. His speed is starting to dry up, but he knows how to pick his spots, as evidenced by his 16 steals in 18 attempts last season. Eligible at shortstop and outfield entering 2025 -- plus second base in leagues with a 15-game minimum -- Betts should continue to thrive while batting between Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman in the Dodgers' lineup.

Chourio inked an eight-year, $80 million extension with the Brewers in November of 2023 before making his MLB debut, and he lived up to the hype during his rookie campaign and finished with 21 homers, 22 steals and a .275/.327/.464 slash line in 148 contests. However, the road wasn't smooth for the young outfielder, as he struggled mightily through the first two months of the season and had a .581 OPS at the end of May. Chourio then got comfortable and had an .883 OPS the rest of the way, which likely would have been enough to win him National League Rookie of the Year most seasons, but Paul Skenes and Jackson Merrill were even more impressive. Chourio's numbers were supported by a .278 xBA and .438 xSLG, so there's no reason to believe the production is unsustainable. He'll turn just 21 years old in March and has as much upside as anyone in the sport while coming off an already strong rookie year.

A first-round pick in most fantasy leagues last spring, Carroll was a bust for the first four months of 2024. At the end of July, he sat with a .664 OPS and just eight home runs. He more than doubled that latter number with 11 long balls in August alone before adding three more in September to bring his total to 22 home runs for the season. He still ended up down more than 50 points in batting average and 40 points in on-base percentage from his National League Rookie of the Year campaign in 2023. As a result of his struggles during the summer, Carroll dropped to the bottom third of the Arizona order at various points and his opportunities to steal bases weren't as plentiful. The outfielder still ranked in the 96th percentile in sprint speed, led the majors in triples with 14 and scored 121 runs despite the ups and downs. At 24 years old, Carroll appears to have a 20-30 floor and top-five overall upside given his speed, even if he doesn't necessarily light up Statcast with his batted-ball numbers.

Remember when Merrill accompanied the Padres overseas for the Korea Series, but wasn't guaranteed to make the traditional Opening Day roster? He obviously stayed with the club, playing in 156 games and finishing second in the National League Rookie of the Year voting. A shortstop by trade, Merrill held his own in center field, displaying a plus arm and range. At the plate, he parlayed 68th percentile hard-hit and 78th percentile barrel rates into a 130 wRC+. The only hole in the Merrill's freshman season was a 4.9 percent walk rate, but fanning just 17 percent of the time masks a lack of patience. The Padres were mid-pack in steals, with Merrill chipping in with a useful 16 bags. It wasn't much, but Merrill undershot his xBA and xSLG, so he could benefit from positive regression. He lost shortstop eligibility, but in today's landscape Merrill's fantasy value is unaffected.

A femoral stress reaction in Tatis' right quadricep cost the shortstop-turned-outfielder more than two months of the 2024 season. He showed little rust down the stretch, however, slugging .578 with seven home runs in his final 22 regular-season games. He didn't stop there, adding four homers in seven postseason contests. Overall, his running was down; Tatis' stolen-base total fell from a career-high 29 to just 11 last season as his sprint speed ranked in the 77th percentile. Whether related to prior PED use or not, the simple fact is that over the past two seasons Tatis has not come close to replicating the kind of rate power we saw from him before his wrist injury and subsequent PED suspension in 2022. The good news is that neither the power nor the speed need to fully return for Tatis to return to fantasy superstardom, but it would be nice if he took advantage of those bigger bases and new rules limited pickoff attempts in his remaining prime years.

Happ matched his career high with 25 homers and set new career highs in runs (89) and RBI (86) last season. He also fell just one stolen base shy of matching his high-water mark of 14 steals set the year prior, swiping 13 bags in 15 attempts. While not a superstar, Happ has panned out just fine for the Cubs as a first-round pick back in 2015. More of a utility man early in his career, Happ eventually settled in to left field and has now won three consecutive Gold Gloves there. The switch hitter draws walks at a high clip (career 12.0 BB%), which helps offset a rather high strikeout rate and middling batting average. Bump him up in leagues that count OBP over average, though his durability and consistency make him an appealing option in all formats. Entering his age-30 season in 2025, Happ has reached at least 153 games in each of the last three years.

Reynolds is on a four-year run of production after the 2020 season scared so many into thinking 2019 was a fluke. What is particularly impressive is just how consistent Reynolds has been over these most three seasons with his counting category production around the volatility of what batting average brings to the table. Yes, his walk rate has declined a bit in each of those seasons which has cut into his OBP rates, but the new stolen base environment uncovered more value for Reynolds so he is now a true five-category contributor hitting in the top of the lineup. The switch-hitter is at his best as a lefty, and has come to really enjoy hitting at PNC as well. 2024 saw him once again feast on fastball with 17 of his 24 homers coming off heaters. This continues a trend of him hitting at least 16 homers off fastballs in each of the past four seasons. The one negative to look at was a second half performance with a .261/.338/.380 slash line and 6 homers compared to the .284/.347/.487 with 18 homers before the break. Maybe mix in a day off here and there in 2025?

Castellanos was one of just four players to appear in all 162 games last season, allowing him to reach 23 homers, six steals, 80 runs and 86 RBI on a respectable but unexciting .254/.311/.431 slash line. With no obvious threats to his playing time, $40 million remaining on his contract over the next two seasons and a fairly durable health track record, he could be one of the better compilers in fantasy baseball again in 2025, riding everyday at-bats in a strong lineup with a hitter-friendly home park to big counting-stat totals. But we can't ignore the fact that his real-world profile already looks ill-suited to an everyday job on a contender, with his lack of walks (6.2%) keeping him to a modest 105 wRC+ and a lack of value with his legs or glove limiting him to 0.4 fWAR. A step back at the plate in his age-33 season could threaten his everyday role even without an obvious alternative on the roster, leaving him unable to post the totals fantasy managers are used to.

Nimmo played in at least 151 games for the third straight season as he continues to put the "injury prone" label behind him, though he spent much of 2024 playing through plantar fasciitis. The outfielder's offensive production took a hit, and he finished with a .224/.327/.399 slash line, though he still delivered 23 home runs, 15 steals, 88 runs and a career-high 90 RBI. It's the first time he's posted an OPS below .800 since 2019, and it's unclear exactly how much of a factor the injury played in his dropoff. Nimmo is a strong candidate for a bounceback in 2025 given his track record, and he could be even more valuable if he can bring the rate stats back up while maintaining the career-best run production.

The 2021 second-round pick made his MLB debut in 2024 and quickly adjusted to The Show with nine homers, 14 steals and a .264/.354/.427 slash line in 79 games. His upside for counting stats should get a boost if the Nationals make any significant additions to their lineup during the offseason. Wood turned 22 years old in September and showed good patience at the plate with an 11.7 percent walk rate, though he also had a 28.7 percent strikeout rate, which is consistent with his swing-and-miss tendencies from the minors. Wood exclusively played left field in his first taste of the majors, but more time at designated hitter could be in store if he's unable to improve upon the minus-seven DRS and minus-six OAA he posted in nearly 700 innings. There's still plenty of upside here given his raw power and strong early performance, but Wood's contact issues could be problematic as he gets more exposed to major-league pitching.

It wasn't always pretty, but Steer turned in a 20-20 season while leading the Reds with 92 RBI. He seemed to run out of gas at the end, limping to a .165 average in September, which dragged him down to just .225 for the season. Steer's strikeout rate remained identical to his 2023 mark at 20.9% and he added a couple points to his hard-hit rate. However, his BABIP cratered from .318 to .260. His relatively pull-heavy approach from the right side makes him a nice fit in Great American Ball Park, but his batted-ball profile is underwhelming and the band box doesn't completely hide his flaws. While he's now lost third-base eligibility in fantasy baseball, Steer retains eligibility at first base and outfield entering his age-27 season in 2025. In theory, Steer and the entire Reds team should benefit from new manager Terry Francona's experience and expertise.

First off the board in nearly all drafts last spring, Acuna suffered a complete tear of the ACL in his left knee in late May, ending his season. President of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos said in November that Acuna is unlikely to be ready for Opening Day in 2025, and he had previously indicated the outfielder's absence could extend into June on the lengthier end of his timetable. Acuna's numbers were down virtually across the board before the injury, as he managed just four homers in 222 plate appearances while his strikeout rate more than doubled to 23.9%. He dealt with meniscus irritation in his right knee in spring training, which could explain some of the issues. A four-time All-Star and former MVP entering his age-27 season, Acuna is on a Hall of Fame trajectory, but the fact that he tore both ACLs in the span of three years has to bring into question his durability and the sustainability of his production, at least to the levels we've seen so far in his career. It may be best to set expectations closer to 2022 when he was coming off his prior knee repair surgery.

Either advanced metrics aren't capturing what drives Bellinger's success, or he's been fortunate for three seasons. Since 2022, Bellinger has outperformed his xwOBA. Two years ago, it was by a whopping 53 points then last season the delta fell to 21 points. Bellinger sports the combination of mediocre quality of contact with a low strikeout rate, leading to variance. If true, the regression monster and Lady Luck will have words, so don't be surprised if Bellinger's numbers tumble. Durability is also an issue with 130 games played each of the past two seasons, and an average of 125 spanning the past four years. Bellinger's stolen bases dropped last season, though his 82 percent success rate (9-for-11) bodes well for a return to double digits. Someone is likely to draft Bellinger's name brand and inflated stats. Don't get in their way.

Cruz missed nearly all of 2023 due to a fractured ankle but avoided the injured list last season and played in 146 games. He provided plenty of fantasy production with 21 homers, 22 steals, 76 RBI, 72 runs and a .259/.324/.449 slash line, but his 30.4 percent strikeout rate illustrates the ongoing concern with the swing-and-miss in his stroke. A 20-20 campaign is nothing to sneeze at, though the homer total is still a bit underwhelming given he hit 17 long balls in just 87 games as a rookie in 2022. Cruz also committed 24 errors with minus-nine DRS in 112 contests at shortstop, which led to the Pirates moving him to center field for the final month of the season. It was his first time playing center field as a professional, and he posted minus-three DRS in 195 innings. Having a full offseason to get more comfortable with the position should help immensely, and Pittsburgh is reportedly committed to keeping him in the outfield. Fantasy managers will benefit from the dual-position eligibility for at least 2025, and another 20-20 campaign -- with room for growth -- should be the expectation for Cruz.

(O') Doyle ruled in 2024 as he evolved his defensive-first 2023 approach to a more balanced approach in 2024 becoming one of the biggest fantasy surprises for someone who was overlooked in many drafts last winter. Doyle's improvement had a direct correlation to his reduction in contact rate as he improved his strikeout rate by nearly 10 full percentage points while reducing his swinging strike rate nearly four full percentage points. Doyle was arguably the most improbable of the 19 players who finished with at least 20 homers and 20 steals in 2024 because of how badly he looked in 2023 offensively. The ace he always has up his sleeve is his defense in centerfield is unmatched on the Colorado roster and those abilities are necessary in the spacious outfield at home. Doyle, like most Colorado hitters, hit much better at home (.313) than on the road (.211), but that was the exact opposite of what happened in his rookie season when he hit .168 at home and .236 on the road. Home/road splits are always a volatile measure, but Doyle's defense is as constant as they come. The challenge for Doyle in 2025 is to avoid the script Nolan Jones played from 2023 to 2024.