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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.

Judge had some noise surrounding his status during spring training around lingering pain from the toe injury after the incident with the right field wall at Dodger Stadium. Those concerns were not exactly assuaged when Judge had a .180/.315/.348 slash line a month into the regular season with three home runs. He hit three homers in one week toward the end of April and went on to hit 52 more the rest of the season and put up a Ruthian .349/.484/.768 slash line the rest of the season while driving in 133 runs and scoring 114 while chipping in nine steals. In a year where homers were down overall in the league, Judge nearly matched his 2022 season. About the only thing Judge has never done is have consecutive 50-plus homer seasons, but that is nitpicking. It will be interesting to see what happens should Juan Soto not return in free agency, as Soto's presence on base was a contributing factor in Judge setting a new career high in RBI.

Progress is not always linear, but Witt has been on an upward trajectory since breaking into the big leagues as the consensus No. 1 overall prospect in baseball in 2022. He improved upon all three elements of his slash line once again in 2024, adding nearly 60 points to his batting average to lead the majors at .332. At age 23/24, Witt played in all but one game for the Royals, earning his first All-Star selection and leading Kansas City to its first postseason appearance since 2015. He totaled 234 runs-plus-RBI while reaching 30 homers for a second straight season. The one area of decline was in the stolen-base department, as he fell back to 31 steals after totaling 49 the year prior. He was caught stealing 12 times in 43 attempts, but Witt ranked at the top of the sprint speed leaderboard at 30.5 ft/sec. Amazingly, there's still upside if he can improve his efficiency on the basepaths, and regardless he's already an elite fantasy producer. Despite a modest supporting cast, Witt should arguably be considered right alongside Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge at the very top of 2025 fantasy drafts.

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.

Ramirez shored up his Hall of Fame case with what very well could have been a 40-40 campaign if not for a rainout on the final day of the regular season. The third baseman was an All-Star for the fourth consecutive year (sixth overall) and helped lead Cleveland to the ALCS. He's as durable as they come; Ramirez played in 158 games in 2024 and has now reached at least 152 games in seven of the last eight full MLB seasons. While he's been in the majors for over a decade, Ramirez is still just 32 years old, so he's not at the age where one might suspect the skills could drop off the table. There was some giveback with his walk rate last season, which led to a 21-point drop in OBP, and the batted-ball numbers don't jump off the page. That said, Ramirez is great at pulling flyballs, and his run production improved significantly last season with help from the likes of Steven Kwan and Josh Naylor around him. Fantasy managers should be thrilled to have to settle for Ramirez in the first round.

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.

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.

When Tucker landed on the 10-day injured list in early June, his injury was labeled a right shin contusion. It wasn't until he was on the verge of his return in September that we learned Tucker was dealing with a fracture all along. Despite missing half the season, Tucker smacked 23 homers and stole 11 bases, though he only swiped one bag in 18 regular-season games following his return. Tucker took yet another step forward with his plate skills in 2024, walking more than he struck out in 336 plate appearances. Already a three-time All-Star heading into his age-28 season, Tucker has established an incredibly high floor with his pull-heavy approach from the left side. The steals may be somewhat in question coming off the shin fracture, but Tucker has been ultra efficient on the basepaths throughout his career, stealing 94 bases in 107 attempts. Now with the Cubs following a December trade, Tucker will still be an appealing choice in the first round as he plays for a huge payday next winter.

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.

Traded from the Padres to the Yankees in December of 2023, Soto put New York over the top in the American League last season. He posted 8.1 fWAR, the highest mark of his career and fourth in MLB behind Aaron Judge, Bobby Witt and Shohei Ohtani. Soto reached 40 homers for the first time ever, led the AL in runs scored with 128 and powered the club to the pennant with a .327/.469/.633 line and four homers in the postseason. A four-time All-Star before the age of 26, Soto received a historic payday from the Mets this winter. He's staying in New York but shifting from a park that was third best for lefty power, per Statcast, to the park that ranked 21st. His elite plate skills and proven durability give him a sky-high floor and top-five overall upside if his batting average swings toward the high end of his range of potential outcomes. The only drag in the rotisserie game is limited speed, but Soto isn't a total zero in the stolen base category, as he's swiped a total of 25 bags over the last three years.

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.

Henderson, through his age-23 season, already has more homers than Freddie Freeman, David Wright and Francisco Lindor had through their age-23 seasons. He has more runs scored at this age than Derek Jeter and Fernando Tatis Jr. Simply put, he has been everything that was expected of him and then some through two-plus seasons in Baltimore. Nearly every measure across the board has improved year over year with nary a hiccup to be found. Despite the unfriendly confines to the opposite field, Henderson had 23 of his 37 homers at home. The power waned in the second half of the season, as his slugging percentage dropped from .584 to .447. His struggles, along with Adley Rutschman's, were a big reason why Baltimore ended up in the wild-card spot and bounced in two games without a whimper. The second-half slump will likely be motivation for him as he works out all winter and prepares for another full season of play a taxing position. He is a first-round talent and will be one for the foreseeable future barring injury.

Duran built on his breakthrough 2023 season by walking more while fanning less. It was the third straight season with an improved strikeout rate and second consecutive with a better walk rate. A career high barrel rate helped Duran lead MLB in both double and triples, elevating his stead in points and Best Ball formats. He faded down the stretch, posting a 61 wRC+ in September, after ranging between 102 and 193 the prior five months. Fatigue may have been the season considering the only games Duran missed were in August due to a two-game suspension for an audible homophobic slur. This was the only blight on a season where Duran captured down ballot MVP votes. He rebounded from adversity before and is likely to do it again. The safe play is pulling back from a career year, but Duran has the skill set to keep getting better.

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.

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.

Skubal performed at a Cy Young level over 80.1 innings in 2023 following his return from flexor tendon surgery, but many questioned how many innings he would be able to handle in 2024. The southpaw ended up running away with the AL Cy Young Award, shattering all expectations and leading Detroit to its first postseason appearance in a decade. He totaled 192 innings during the regular season -- 42.2 more than his previous career high in 2021 -- and added 19 stellar frames in the playoffs (2.37 ERA, 20:2 K:BB). A power lefty, Skubal can pull the string on a changeup that dances in unexpected ways thanks to a phenomenon now known as seam-shifted wake. He also has a slider to help against same-handed hitters, who combined to slash just .186/.238/.248 against Skubal last season. The Tigers basically took him off the table in discussions at the trade deadline and were justified in doing so, as Skubal is already an ace with the potential to be one of the best starting pitchers in baseball for years to come. If there's anything to nitpick, it might be the modest overall chase rate (77th percentile), but keep in mind his low-whiff sinking fastball is a highly effective offering.

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.

After leading the league in the saves in 2022 and 2023, Clase fell just short of a three-peat. Still, his 47 saves led the American League and he was third among closers with an 88.7 percent team save share. Clase also became the Guardians' franchise leader in saves while breaking the team's single-season record for the category. The right-hander struggled during the 2024 playoffs, permitting three home runs and eight earned runs across eight postseason innings, but he was lights out in the regular season. Clase led the league with a 0.61 ERA and 0.66 WHIP over a career-high 74.1 innings, while ranking fourth among relievers with a 3.7 percent walk rate and .151 batting average against. He threw his devastating cutter a career-high 77.8 percent of the time at the highest velocity for that pitch type (99.5 mph on average), all while inducing weak contact and plenty of ground balls (57.4 percent). Clase is locked in as a top-3 closer for 2025 drafts.

Gilbert is Exhibit A for changing the wins category to innings pitched. He led MLB with 208.2 frames, but despite a top five xFIP and SIERA, his nine wins matched the totals of James Paxton, Cole Sands and Jared Koenig. Gilbert's control remains his primary asset, with a 4.6 percent walk rate checking in as the fifth best among qualified pitchers last season. He was both lucky and unlucky with a fortunate .236 BABIP and snake bit 69.5 percent left on base mark. Gilbert throws six pitches, with a four-seam fastball and slider leading the way in both quality and quantity. In today's landscape where five-and-fly is a solid outing, Gilbert logged 26 of 33 starts of at least six stanzas. Durability is an ally with his 97 starts and 585 innings since 2022, both ranking as fourth most in MLB. Gilbert should be in play for those wanting an ace.

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.

Valdez has settled in as the ace of Houston's staff over the past few years, and that trend continued in 2024 as he posted a 2.91 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 169:55 K:BB across 176.1 innings. A 3.36 xERA and 3.08 xFIP indicate he may have been a bit fortunate with the results, but those numbers are still strong and aren't anything to be concerned about. The left-hander's 16.2 percent K-BB% is solid if not a bit underwhelming for a pitcher of his caliber, as he continues to rely on inducing grounders (60.6 percent groundball rate). Valdez's recent track record of availability and effectiveness give him a strong floor, but his ceiling is more limited than the top-tier fantasy pitchers due to the lower strikeout totals.

Cole missed nearly the entire first half with elbow nerve inflammation but came back to make 17 starts, albeit not at the same level of dominance he had pitched at from 2018 through 2023. Cole's 25.4 percent strikeout rate and 17.9 K-BB% were his lowest rates since leaving Pittsburgh and the strikeout rate has now worsened each of the past four seasons. Perhaps it was the rust of missing so much early time as his walk rate was also his worst since 2018. Most of Cole's other measures held up well enough, but seeing his average fastball velocity dip below 96.0 mph for the first time in seven seasons is a bit unsettling. The velocity dip and the health scare are the first two signs of Cole showing he is not a machine in recent memory, which could make him a bit of a bargain in non-Gotham markets this winter.

Crochet's career trajectory has been anything but traditional as he made his MLB debut for the White Sox in 2020 without first playing in the minors, and he transitioned to the starting rotation in 2024 without having previously made a professional start. The left-hander was dominant despite being on the worst team in the history of MLB, and he finished the campaign with a 3.58 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 209:33 K:BB over 146 innings. Chicago elected not to trade him at the summer deadline and heavily monitored his workload across the final three months of the season, during which he never pitched more than four innings. He also labored in those final 14 starts with a 4.84 ERA, but those struggles aren't a major surprise given it was his first season as a professional starter. The Red Sox acquired Crochet for a package of prospects this winter, so he'll be pitching his home games in one of the most hitter-friendly parks in the game but should also get much better run support and defense than the White Sox gave him a year ago.

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 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.

Burnes was everything the Orioles could have hoped for when they traded for him, as he took the ball 32 times during the regular season and pitched to a 2.92 ERA, seventh lowest among qualified starters. The right-hander added eight innings of one-run ball in his lone postseason start before Baltimore was bounced by Kansas City. Now a free agent, Burnes is about to be paid like an ace long term, and deservedly so. There may be some slight yellow flags, including a 23.1 K% last season, down significantly from just a couple years ago, coinciding with a drop in whiff rate on his curveball. Burnes is now on the wrong side of 30, but throwing hard, limiting walks and racking up innings are among the many things he still does well on a baseball field. The underlying numbers over the past couple years point to him being more of a low-to-mid 3.00s ERA pitcher, but if the strikeouts ramp back up it would help to stave off regression.

For the second straight year, Kirby had the lowest walk rate among qualified starters. He got off to a rocky start with an eight-run blowup in his second outing of the year and a 4.33 ERA through his first 11 starts. However, Kirby then turned in nine consecutive quality starts from June 9 to July 26. Water usually finds its level, and Kirby's 3.53 ERA at the end of the year was pretty much right in line with the underlying skills (3.58 xFIP, 3.56 SIERA). He's now reached 190 innings in back-to-back seasons and is a huge piece of the best rotation in baseball. The only problem is that Kirby still has not shown any growth with his strikeout rate, which has hovered right around 23 percent in each of his three seasons in the majors so far. It's not out of the question that the right pitch-mix tweak could unlock another level with the punchouts, but that's purely conjecture at this point.

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.

The left-hander was limited to 14 starts due to injuries in 2023, but he stayed mostly healthy last season and finished with a 3.25 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 166:57 K:BB over 174.1 innings (29 starts). Fried has made at least 28 starts in four of the last five 162-game seasons, so availability hasn't been a consistent concern since he established himself in Atlanta's rotation. With that said, he's topped 180 innings just once in his big-league career, so he shouldn't exactly be considered a workhorse. Fried's 23.2 percent strikeout rate was on par with his career average as he continues to rely on inducing grounders (58.8 percent groundball rate), so his fantasy ceiling can be a bit limited compared to other marquee starters. That means he's a bit more reliant on the defense behind him than many top-level starters. Fried inked a long-term deal with the Yankees, who ranked 10th in outs above average last year, although it's fair to apply a slight free agent tax on him for his first year in a new pressure-packed situation.

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.

Raleigh's 34 homers led all catchers. His 91 long balls since 2022 are 18 more than the next backstop. However, Raleigh's power comes at the expense of batting average. He's fanned at a 28 percent clip over the past two seasons, and his 50% fly ball rate in that span suppresses BABIP. Volume is usually a benefit, except with batting average. Still, playing more than most non-catchers is a huge boon to counting stats. Raleigh is one of the best in the league behind the plate, so he's going to continue to log more playing time than others at the position. Raleigh's skills are stable, so if you construct a roster to absorb his batting average, Raleigh's counting stats yield a huge edge. An above average walk rate boosts "Big Dumper" in points and OBP formats.

Perez has now hit at least 20 homers in each of the last eight full seasons, a run last seen by a cather when Brian McCann had a similar run from 2008-2016. McCann went onto hit 37 homers over the course of his final three seasons as all those years of volume catching caught up to him. It is a lesson which Kansas City has given credence to as Perez has kept his games played at catcher between 77 and 91 games since a recent peak of 124 games in 2021. Perez retains his first base eligibility from 2023 as the Royals look to keep his bat in the lineup while keeping him fresh as long as possible. The effort was well-intended, but the midwest summer heat is tough to beat and Perez saw his 125 first half wRC+ fall to 101 in the second half. William Contreras was the only catcher to outproduce Perez in fantasy value last season and we see little reason why Perez will not once again attempt to best that list in 2025. This time around, his ADP is not going to be a triple-digit number.

Diaz took over as Houston's primary backstop in 2024 and hit 16 homers with a .299/.325/.441 slash line in 148 games, with 99 of those starts coming behind the plate. He was unable to recreate the 23 home runs and .846 OPS he posted in 2023, but the regression isn't a major surprise since he's now handling the most demanding defensive position after previously working as the secondary option. He was also much more productive in the second half of 2024 as he got more comfortable with the added defensive responsibilities. It wouldn't be surprising if Diaz cracks the 20-homer plateau in 2025, and there's plenty of potential for counting stats given Houston's strong lineup. He should again be a reliable fantasy catcher with enough upside to be one of the better producers at the position.

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.

O'Hoppe was limited to 51 games in 2023 due to a torn labrum in his shoulder, but he stayed mostly healthy last season and played in a career-high 136 contests. He clubbed 20 homers and had a .244/.303/.409 slash line with 56 RBI and 60 runs scored, but he may have deserved some better results with a 46.3 percent hard-hit rate that led to a .256 xBA and .470 xSLG. O'Hoppe had reverse splits with a .743 OPS against right-handed pitching compared to a .592 OPS versus lefties, but there's reason for optimism he'll rebound there since he hit lefties well during his time in the minors. Now entering his age-25 campaign, O'Hoppe's offensive production isn't near the top of the position, but he's a solid fantasy option that carries upside while heading into just his second full MLB season.

Baltimore efforted to have Rutschman's bat in their lineup as much as possible as Rutschman played in 90 of the 96 games before the break while hitting .275/.339/.441 and providing stalwart defense behind the plate when he was not DH'ing. Perhaps the volume of play caught up with him, as Rutschman limped to the finish line with a .207/.282/.303 second half and was non-existent in Baltimore's quick exit from the playoffs. It is troubling to see the young hitter's slugging percentage in decline each season he has been in the big leagues as well as a disturbing trend in his production against righties. His wRC+ against righties has declined roughly 40 points versus the prior season each of the last two seasons, and while we are not forecasting him slipping any further against righties, a 45.8 percent flyball rate against righties did him no favors in a dead-ball year and helps explain the 48-point drop in his batting average.

Langeliers was the Athletics bell cow catcher for the second straight season. His 137 games and 534 plate appearances were both career highs while his 131 appearances behind the plate were second most in MLB. Fewer strikeouts and more plate appearances from hitting higher in the order fueled personal bests in homers, runs and RBI. He features above average, but not elite quality of contact, but even with the improvement, his strikeout rate is high. Despite poor defense, the Athletics are committed to Langeliers with no one in the pipeline to challenge him for playing time. His power will play anywhere, though Langeliers could benefit from leaving The Coliseum. Just 27 years old, he could continue to improve his strikeout rate, but is best considered a plus power, low average backstop hitting in the meat of a less potent lineup.

Wells had a breakout full season debut to the point where he was hitting cleanup for the Yankees down the stretch of the season. Wells had a history of strong strikezone judgement in the minors always willing to accept walks and pull homers, but his rookie debut in 2023 lacked the plate discipline. 2024 was a return to that discipline with stellar defense beind the plate led by stellar framing work. Wells did better at the plate as the season went on with a 113 wRC+ in the second half compared to a 97 wRC+ in the first half (100 is average.) 8 of his 13 homers came on the road, which dispels the assumption the lefty took advantage of the short porch at Yankee Stadium. The lefty did have extreme troubles against lefty pitchers though with a 59 wRC+. The Yankees did attempt to limit his exposure to lefties throughout the season, but 2 extra base hits in 77 plate appearances against lefties outlines the hard cap on Wells's upside. His defensive framing and blocking endears him to the pitchers, but overexposure to lefties will hurt his overall fantasy production. Wells is not another Matt Nokes, but there's also a case here where Wells follows a Kevin Maas path at the plate which was fun while it lasted.

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.

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.

Whether it was World Series hangover, simple regression or a combination of the two, Heim experienced a sharp decline in performance last season. The switch-hitting catcher easily led the position with 95 RBI in 2023 while adding 18 home runs, but those numbers fell off in 2024 to 59 and 13, respectively. Heim's hard-hit rate fell to a career-low 36.4 percent, his barrel rate dropped to a career-worst 5.9 percent and his pull rate dipped significantly to 38.3 percent last season. When you add in that he's a fly ball hitter and the ball didn't travel as well league-wide in 2024, that means lots of lazy flyouts. Heim was again much worse after the All-Star break (.527 OPS) than he was before it (.644 OPS) and now has a career .579 OPS in the second half versus a .732 OPS in the first half. A scaled back workload would make sense, and that's expected to happen after the Rangers brought in Kyle Higashioka to share time with Heim.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Toronto was once again a disappointing club, especially offensively, but the blame cannot be placed on Guerrero. His 2021 numbers were inflated by the minor-league parks Toronto played in that season, yet the combination of his reputation and that product was the perfect storm to push his valuation through the roof. 2024 saw him finish as the top first baseman, the 7th-best hitter, and 8th overall in fantasy rankings for a club that finished last in the division and led the league in stranding runners. Guerrero drove in 103 runs and nearly scored 100 runs despite the lack of a consistent supporting cast around him, and conditions are not likely to change heading into 2025 outside of potentially a healthy Bo Bichette in the lineup. Guerrero is a free agent after the 2025 season and could command a king's ransom in a trade this winter or on the open market a year from now. The rededication to his conditioning certainly helped him have a MLB-stadium career year in 2024 and there is no reason he cannot at least repeat that success in 2025.

The Polar Bear continued his downward trend at the plate in 2024, as his 34 homers, 88 RBI and .788 OPS are the worst full-season totals of his career. However, Alonso came alive in the playoffs with four homers and a .999 OPS in 58 plate appearances, including a clutch three-run home run in the ninth inning against the Brewers in the NL Wild Card Series to save the Mets season. He also played in all 162 regular-season games and hasn't missed more than 10 contests in any of his six MLB campaigns, so Alonso is as reliable as it gets from an availability perspective. It's not an ideal time to hit free agency given the trajectory of his production and that he turned 30 years old this winter, but he's likely a safe bet to hit 30-plus homers again in 2025. Alonso's outlook could vary depending on which team he signs with, both due to the potential change in supporting cast and home ballpark.

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.

Naylor had a wonderful season of volume as he has embraced the role of hitting cleanup for the Guardians behind the likes of Steven Kwan and Jose Ramirez. Naylor rarely took a day of and remained in the lineup against righties and lefties to set career highest in the run production categories. The overexposure to lefties was part of the reason for his batting average tumble as he hit .224 against lefties in 174 plate appearances but the 70 point tumble in his batting average against righties hurt Naylor more. Naylor's contact rate remains one of the better ones for a slugging first baseman, and kudos to him for not falling into the trap of changing his approach once it was obvious the changes to Progressive Field made the wind patterns more favorable to homers from lefties. Naylor did hit 17 of his 31 homers at home, which was one more than what Naylor did over the entirety of the previous two seasons at home. Repeating 30+ homers will be tough for him given his historical HR/FB rates, but another season of 600+ plate appearances will make it possible.

Since the start of the 2022 season, Pete Alonso and Matt Olson are the only first baseman who have hit more homers than Walker. Walker's 95 homers over the past three seasons, along with most of his other metrics, has been a model of consistency. The 11 steals in 2023 was a surprise which was not repeated in 2024, but the rest of his stats would fit nicely into the Spiderman meme of guys pointing at one another. Walker missed more than a month with a late July oblique injury and returned in early September to hit just three homers the rest of the season. The lost time clearly cost Walker a repeat of a 30+ homer season and that late overall slump (.231/.319/.423) further impacted him repeating his counting stats. We can't explain why 22 of his 26 homers came off fellow righties, but over the course of his career, he has been rather split neutral. If you are a fantasy manager who likes to bucket their options for drafts, Walker is a solid option if Alonso, Olson, Guerrero or Freeman don't make it back to you in a snake draft or the acquisition cost on that quartet is too high for your liking.

Burger clubbed 63 of the quietest home runs over the past two seasons, including 14 last year at loanDepot Park, which squashes right-handed power. Burger's 84th percentile barrel rate helped, though his .814 road OPS was significantly better than his .705 home mark. After getting dealt to Texas this offseason, he'll be in for a massive upgrade in home cooking, as Globe Life Field is the fourth-best park in the game for righty power. Burger seemingly sells out for power with 86th percentile bat speed and a 25.9 percent strikeout rate last season. That said, he's fanned at a lower clip each of the past three years. If Burger adheres to the Khris Davis plan, he'll hit the same .250 he's posted the last three seasons. He sports eligibility at first and third, adding to his appeal, but it's possible Burger gets the majority of his starts at designated hitter in 2025.

Go ahead, pinch your thumb and index finger together and shake it in the air. Italian Breakfast was a big part of the surprising Kansas City offense until he broke his thumb attempting to catch a throw from Lucas Erceg which went into Jeremy Pena running to first. Pasquantino missed the rest of the regular season but still managed to drive in 97 runs with 19 homers. Pasquantino hit 19 homers in his first 558 major league plate appearances across 2022 and 2023 and then duplicated that effort in his third season while continuing an excellent approach at the plate. Fully solving lefties is the last piece of this puzzle because he is truly at his best when righties are on the mound. The concerns heading into 2024 coming off shoulder surgery were alleivated with his results, and the winter off should allow the thumb injury to fully heal. As long as Pasquantino can remain slotted behind Bobby Witt Jr and in front of Salvador Perez, he is in the best possible spot for this lineup and should easily drive in 100 runs and push to 30 homers. Despite the incomplete season, he finished in the top ten for first baseman, and his acquisition cost for 2025 drafts will be high.

The fall for Goldschmidt in 2024 was precipitous, but it actually began the year prior. Goldschmidt got off to a hot start in the first two months of 2023 following his NL MVP 2022 campaign, but since June of that year he's accumulated just a .250/.320/.413 batting line over 1,094 plate appearances. His strikeout rate last season jumped up to a career-high 26.5 percent, while his walk rate bottomed out at a career-low 7.2 percent. Also worrisome is that Goldschmidt struggled versus fastballs for the second year in a row after previously destroying them throughout his career. Given that he's now 37, it seems as though he's simply not capable of catching up with the heater anymore. A free agent, Goldschmidt will get a shot to bounce back somewhere. He did sport a healthy 49.6 percent hard-hit rate when he made contact, so perhaps there might be a little juice left if he lands in a favorable environment.

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.

Diaz still hit the baseball harder than most players in the league did in 2024, but not at the same frequency he did during his career-best 2023 season. Even more concerning may be the fact his GB/FB ratio was its lowest of the past four seasons as he fell back into the familiar trap of too many groundballs. Diaz was at his best in 2023 when he hit .326 off fastballs and .387 off breaking balls but those measures fell to .287 and .278 respectively in 2024. Perhaps Diaz felt the pressure of needing to generate offense for a team which struggled to score runs most of the season as his O-Swing% was the worst of his career. The surrounding cast's struggles particularly ate into Diaz's runs scored, as he scored 40 fewer times in 2024 and drove in 13 fewer runs despite 21 extra plate appearances and a career-high 145 games played. Diaz is entering the final year of his three-year extension with Tampa Bay and could very well be dealt before the 2025 season begins if the club is confident enough in what Jonathan Aranda showed in September.

Lowe boasts a .359 on-base percentage in his four seasons as the Rangers' primary first baseman, which is the sixth-best mark at his position over that time. He has not been a consistent fantasy contributor over that stretch, however. Lowe popped 27 home runs while batting .302 in 2022, but in his three other seasons with Texas he's hit between 16 and 18 home runs and batted between .262 and .265. The 29-year-old also saw his quality of contact diminish for the second year in a row in 2024. Lowe's on-base skills and quality glove should continue to afford him regular opportunities, but you can aim higher in shallower fantasy leagues.

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).

After a slow first week, Casas found his stroke, batting .268/.359/.625 in the 16 games before being felled by torn cartilage in his left ribcage. He returned after missing nearly four months, posting a .239/.333/.433 line. A 33.3 percent strikeout rate in that span indicates Casas' timing was off from the extended absence while his 11.8 percent walk rate to end the season suggests he was less patient than usual. Casas' quality of contact was in sync with the previous season. Casas was supposed to record fewer strikeouts last season, but the injury derailed those plans. Instead of having evidence that Casas took the next step, we're still betting on the come. There's no denying potential power. It's still unclear whether Casas will be a four-category monster, or a batting average risk. He also needs to show he can play 150 games. Caveat emptor; the market isn't likely to discount Casas.

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.

Altuve was an everyday presence in the lineup last season after being limited to 90 games in 2023, though he wasn't as productive at the plate with a .789 OPS being his worst full-season mark since 2013. He still delivered 20 homers and 22 steals, which was his best work on the basepaths in seven years, but it's fair to wonder if Father Time is starting to catch up to him. Altuve will turn 35 years old in May, and it's worth noting that his .264 xBA and .406 xSLG were each 30-plus points lower than the actual figures. He has significantly outperformed those expected stats throughout his MLB career, but it's more of a concern as he moves through his mid-30s. Altuve is still a decent bet for a high batting average, another 20-20 campaign and strong counting stats in 2025, but the risk of a fall-off is increasing with each passing season.

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.

Like many other Rangers hitters, Semien struggled last season. The difference between Semien and most of his teammates is Semien's game is subject to more variance, and his underlying metrics were nearly identical to his recent levels, he simply didn't enjoy the same outcomes. Barrel rate, hard-hit rate and strikeout rate were typical. The only small change was a small drop in launch angle, generating fewer fly balls, resulting in Semien's fewest homers in a full season since 2018. He also failed to steal double digit bases for the first time ever in a full season, but running often wanes in an off year. After missing just one game the prior three seasons Semien was out for a whooping three. Clearly that was tongue-in-cheek, but Semien is now 34 years old, so expecting a seventh consecutive full season with over 700 plate appearances is aggressive. He's still one of the best at a weaker position, but Semien can't get the same plaudits for durability and reliability as previously.

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.

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.

Westburg had a solid sophomore campaign in the Charm City despite Lord Walltimore stealing some homers from him. Westburg, in fact, loved hitting at home where he hit .303 with half of his homers there compared to a .228 average on the road. Westburg was at his best at home against righties, which is the exact opposite of what we would expect from a righty hitter in Baltimore, but the numbers back it up. His percentile rankings are heavily red despite both his bat speed and chase rate being near the bottom third of the league along while his swing and miss rate and walk rate were in the bottom 20th percentile. Westburg suffered a broken hand after being hit by a pitch on July 31st which nearly cost him the rst of the season. Westburg made it back in spirit with a week left in the season, but went 5 for 32 with one extra base hit when factoring in the two games of the postseason. Westburg should be 100% this spring and should be hitting near the top of the lineup as he looks to build upon his successful 2024 campaign while remaining dual eligible at second and third on draft day.

Keith inked a six-year, $28.64 million contract extension with the Tigers last January, which ensured his spot on the Opening Day roster even as he had yet to play an inning in the big leagues. The youngster had stretches when he looked like one of Detroit's better hitters, specifically in May - when he had an .881 OPS - and July - when he collected a 1.048 OPS and clubbed seven homers. Keith was pretty dreadful in the four other months and also did very little during the Tigers' surprising postseason run. The 23-year-old's 87.8 mph average exit velocity and 5.6 percent barrel rate were both well below average, but a 19.8 percent strikeout rate and .305/.352/.366 line versus southpaws for the left-handed swinger was encouraging. Keith could take a step forward in 2025, but he'll always be held back to some degree by being a lefty hitter at Comerica Park.

Gimenez has developed into one of the game's best defenders at any position. Unfortunately, he regressed at the plate in 2024 for the second straight season, managing a lousy .638 OPS and wRC+ of 83 while popping only nine home runs. He also ranked in the bottom 10 percent in baseball both in hard-hit rate (28.5 percent) and walk rate (4.1 percent) for the second year in a row. Gimenez was not a lost cause in fantasy, however, thanks to 30 stolen bases and a 15.3 percent strikeout rate which allowed him to keep his head above water in the average department. The left-handed hitting Gimenez was dreadful versus southpaws in 2024 (.574 OPS) and looks like more of a bottom-third of the lineup hitter, but his defense ensures his spot in the everyday lineup. For fantasy, think of him as a stolen-base specialist and consider anything else he might provide to be a bonus.

Torres closed out the final six weeks of the 2024 regular season on a heater in slashing .313/.386/.454 over his final 39 contests after the Yankees moved him back to the leadoff spot. It was too little, too late in terms of his overall fantasy impact last season, however, as Torres finished the campaign with 10 fewer home runs, nine fewer stolen bases and nearly 100 fewer points of OPS from the previous season. It was an ill-timed walk year, and unfortunately inconsistency has been a staple during Torres' career. Torres does still offer plus power potential at second base, but with 15 homers in 2024 and nine in 2021, there are no assurances there, particularly when factoring in a likely departure from Yankee Stadium.

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.

After breaking out to the tune of 14 homers and 14 steals in just 69 games as a rookie, Gelof endured the dreaded sophomore slump last season. He struggled mightily with strikeouts, fanning an AL-worst 188 times, which resulted in a 56-point drop in batting average to .211. Gelof showed signs of recovery in June only to post OPS marks below .700 in each of the final three months. The Athletics had nothing to lose and kept Gelof on the field at second base, affording him the opportunity to rack up 17 homers and 25 steals across 547 plate appearances. Gelof and the rest of the A's will be playing their home games at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento in 2025 -- home of the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats of the Pacific Coast League -- which would seem to bode well for the offense. The pressure will be on for Gelof to bounce back and prove he should be considered part of the organization's long-term future.

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 Red Sox called up Hamilton from Triple-A Worcester early in April when Trevor Story sustained a shoulder injury. The utility infielder wasn't expected to be a regular, but Story's injury lingered, and Vaughn Grissom's groin/hamstring left a hole at second base that was never adequately filled. Hamilton answered the call, playing 56 games at shortstop and 36 at second base. His walk rate wasn't as good as in the minors, but an elevated BABIP allowed Hamilton to take advantage of his base-stealing prowess - he finished second on the team with 33 steals in 98 games. His season ended in late August due to a fractured finger, but Hamilton made a greater impact than his .248/.303/.395 line might suggest. The club is expected to go with a Story/Grissom middle infield, so Hamilton will have to win a utility backup role. Red Sox manager Alex Cora is unlikely to waste a roster spot on a pinch-running specialist.

Rengifo's wRC+ increased for the second consecutive season, but he was limited to 78 games with three IL visits. The first was for an illness with the others due to wrist inflammation. He underwent season-ending surgery to correct the issue in early August but is expected to be 100 percent in the spring. Rengifo's game is putting the ball in play. By design or otherwise, last season Rengifo increased his contact, hitting more line drives and grounders. His average benefited, but at the expense of power. However, with new manager Ron Washington wanting the club to run, Rengifo obliged with 24 bags, six more than he totaled in his first 448 games. He qualifies at second base and third base with the chops to dabble at shortstop. Rengifo will likely focus on the keystone this season, hitting at or near the top of the order. He'll still run, but with 37th percentile sprint speed and a 77 percent success rate, Rengifo will be challenged to match last season's pace.

Ramirez shored up his Hall of Fame case with what very well could have been a 40-40 campaign if not for a rainout on the final day of the regular season. The third baseman was an All-Star for the fourth consecutive year (sixth overall) and helped lead Cleveland to the ALCS. He's as durable as they come; Ramirez played in 158 games in 2024 and has now reached at least 152 games in seven of the last eight full MLB seasons. While he's been in the majors for over a decade, Ramirez is still just 32 years old, so he's not at the age where one might suspect the skills could drop off the table. There was some giveback with his walk rate last season, which led to a 21-point drop in OBP, and the batted-ball numbers don't jump off the page. That said, Ramirez is great at pulling flyballs, and his run production improved significantly last season with help from the likes of Steven Kwan and Josh Naylor around him. Fantasy managers should be thrilled to have to settle for Ramirez in the first round.

Chisholm enjoyed the healthiest season of his career as he finally broke the 125 games played total in a season while splitting his time between Miami and New York. The games played was not the only career high as he also set a new high in every counting category as well as batting average and strikeout rate. The change in venues from the spacious Marlins Stadium to the coziness of Yankee Stadium did wonders for Chisholm, as he hit 11 of his 24 homers in the 46 games with the Yankees while also stealing 18 of the 40 bases. We have known for some time what Chisholm is capable of while on the field, but the time lost in 2021-2023 due to multiple injuries impacted his value. He now gets to play the final two seasons of his arbitration years in a much better stadium and lineup than what he experienced in Miami and the cost of acquisition this winter will rise accordingly. The decision fantasy managers must make: Is the juice worth the squeeze given how much time the talented player has missed over the past four seasons? The 3B and OF eligibility is a nice added bonus.

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.

Devers delivered a typically productive season, albeit dampened by lingering soreness in both of his shoulders, costing him the last eight games of the year. The shoulder issues were not reflected in his numbers, with Devers nearly matching the previous season's performance. Though, he took a slightly different path, with his highest strikeout rate since 2020, but more walks and his highest barrel rate since 2021. Devers chased less; his contact in and out of the zone dipped, perhaps due to his aching shoulders. He's expected to be fully heathy in the spring. His glove at the hot corner remains an issue, with his -9 defensive runs saved marking eight straight seasons where Devers was a below average defender. Moving to first base, or even DH, could be in the works, but for at least one more season, Devers checks in as one of the most consistently productive third basemen.

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.

Caminero's 2024 debut came much later in the season than fantasy managers had hoped for when drafting him prior to the season. Tampa Bay premier prospects are always delayed by service time manipulation, but Caminero's progress was twice disrupted by left leg injuries which led to him playing just 53 games in Triple-A and eventually 43 games at the big-league level. The overall numbers were not nearly as impressive as what he did in 2023, but the quad and hamstring injuries never allowed him to get into much of a rhythm. It is important to remember he already has over 200 plate appearances at the big-league level before his 22nd birthday, as he will not turn 22 until early July. The sample sizes remain too small to draw any conclusions, but Caminero has six of his seven homers against righties while his batting average against righties is nearly 100 points below what he has done against lefties. Caminero should be with the Rays for the entirety of the 2025 season as long as his body holds up, but expect more growing pains.

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.)

After playing just 70 games in his first two seasons due to a myriad of injuries, including two torn ACLs, Lewis looked set to become a star. Alas after hitting a home run on Opening Day, he pulled up with a hamstring injury and missed 58 games. He returned on fire at the plate by hitting nine home runs with a .984 OPS in 23 games when he returned. He then missed two weeks with adductor strain. When he returned in late July, he slumped at the plate for the first time of his career and had an underwhelming second half of the season. He hit just .207 with six home runs and a .620 OPS over his final 56 games. Whether it was not being used to the wear of a long season or bad luck (.248 BABIP over that stretch), Lewis looked mortal at the plate for the first time. He also struggled at third base (-2 Defensive Runs Saved) with the Twins giving him some time at second base for a likely move there in 2025. Lewis also did not attempt to steal any bases due to injury concerns despite decent speed. Still, he hit 16 homeruns in 82 games and posted a 108 wRC+ and was well above average in most advanced batted-ball metrics. He could bounce back with some better luck and a move to second base as he's enter his prime as he'll turn 26 next season.

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.

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.

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.

After a breakout 2023 with Tampa Bay and a good start to 2024, Paredes was shipped to the Cubs over the summer prior to the trade deadline. The move returned him to the team that drafted him back in 2015, though he never actually played for Chicago during that previous stint, as he was traded to Detroit as a prospect in 2018. Paredes struggled a bit initially in his debut for the Cubs, and his OPS across 52 games with his new team was just .632, compared to the .792 OPS he posted in 101 games for the Rays. Still just 25 years old, Paredes should be able to get back on track in 2025. He popped 20 home runs and recorded a .739 OPS as a 23-year-old back in 2022, then followed that up with 31 long balls and an .840 OPS a year later. Paredes also tallied an impressive 98 RBI during that 2023 campaign. The young infielder is just a .232 career hitter and may never make huge strides there, but he's already displayed good power potential at the MLB level, and that's where he should be able to once again make his mark in 2025.

Progress is not always linear, but Witt has been on an upward trajectory since breaking into the big leagues as the consensus No. 1 overall prospect in baseball in 2022. He improved upon all three elements of his slash line once again in 2024, adding nearly 60 points to his batting average to lead the majors at .332. At age 23/24, Witt played in all but one game for the Royals, earning his first All-Star selection and leading Kansas City to its first postseason appearance since 2015. He totaled 234 runs-plus-RBI while reaching 30 homers for a second straight season. The one area of decline was in the stolen-base department, as he fell back to 31 steals after totaling 49 the year prior. He was caught stealing 12 times in 43 attempts, but Witt ranked at the top of the sprint speed leaderboard at 30.5 ft/sec. Amazingly, there's still upside if he can improve his efficiency on the basepaths, and regardless he's already an elite fantasy producer. Despite a modest supporting cast, Witt should arguably be considered right alongside Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge at the very top of 2025 fantasy drafts.

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.

Henderson, through his age-23 season, already has more homers than Freddie Freeman, David Wright and Francisco Lindor had through their age-23 seasons. He has more runs scored at this age than Derek Jeter and Fernando Tatis Jr. Simply put, he has been everything that was expected of him and then some through two-plus seasons in Baltimore. Nearly every measure across the board has improved year over year with nary a hiccup to be found. Despite the unfriendly confines to the opposite field, Henderson had 23 of his 37 homers at home. The power waned in the second half of the season, as his slugging percentage dropped from .584 to .447. His struggles, along with Adley Rutschman's, were a big reason why Baltimore ended up in the wild-card spot and bounced in two games without a whimper. The second-half slump will likely be motivation for him as he works out all winter and prepares for another full season of play a taxing position. He is a first-round talent and will be one for the foreseeable future barring injury.

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.

Seager's tenure with the Rangers has been wildly successful so far, as he led the club to a championship in 2023, winning World Series MVP for a second time, and has now been an All-Star in all three seasons with Texas. However, he's done little to distance himself from the sketchy health reputation he developed during his time with the Dodgers. He underwent sports hernia surgery in September, which kept him from reaching 125 games played for the third time in four seasons. Granted, the shortstop played in even fewer games (119) in 2023 when he was the runner-up for regular-season MVP, and he still reached 30 homers last season despite the missed time. With a brilliant .290/.360/.512 slash line across his decade in the majors, Seager is well established as an absolute menace from the left side. Prospective fantasy managers will want to bake in an IL stint or two and may want to prioritize stolen bases with subsequent draft picks depending on the scoring format, given the 30-year-old is essentially a zero in the category.

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).

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.

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.

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.

The 24-year-old shortstop took a major step forward during his sophomore campaign in 2024 and finished with 23 homers, 30 steals and a .761 OPS in 155 games. He also provided plus-11 Defensive Runs Saved, though his range was limited with minus-five Outs Above Average. Neto was drafted during the first round of the 2022 Draft and has only 287 professional games under his belt, so he could continue to improve as he matures. He's a cornerstone piece up the middle for the Angels and got more starts in the two-hole than any other spot in the lineup last year. Early-November shoulder surgery clouds his status for Opening Day, and it could prevent him from achieving what otherwise seemed likely to be another 20-20 season.

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.

Pena has failed to build upon a promising rookie season from 2022 which also featured ALCS and World Series MVP honors. He's been a reliable stats accumulator from a fantasy perspective, however, making him a solid starting option even at a robust position in shortstop. Pena finally began to take advantage of that elite sprint speed in jumping up to 20 stolen bases in 2024, and it's possible there's more in the tank there if he's able to refine his technique (he has just a 69 percent success rate over the last two seasons). He also cut down on the strikeouts for the second year in a row with a rate of just 17.4 percent in 2024, making Pena a solid bet for batting average even as he's a super aggressive hitter. While not a standout in any area, Pena makes for a viable option at shortstop once the bigger names are off the board.

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.

There were fewer high-profile busts in 2024 than Bichette. Bichette's 2024 season was ruined by a calf injury and later a finger injury which required offseason surgery, so even when he did play, the results were terrible. Bichette was coming off a three-year run of volume peaking with the nomadic 2021 ballpark situation which helped his overall numbers as every counting category for him has since declined each of the past four seasons. You know things were tough for Bichette when he hit .225 on the season after never hitting below .275 at any level of professional baseball. Bichette is entering the final year of full team control with Toronto. A fully healthy Bichette could hit leadoff in 2025 which could help him produce somewhere along his 2022-2023 span of production. 2021 simply is not repeatable because the run environments in Dunedin and Buffalo were contributing factors which are no longer in play as Rogers Centre, even with its new configurations, is much more neutral. 2024 was a terrible season, but you should look to pounce if you see his market value is too heavily coated in recency bias.

Judge had some noise surrounding his status during spring training around lingering pain from the toe injury after the incident with the right field wall at Dodger Stadium. Those concerns were not exactly assuaged when Judge had a .180/.315/.348 slash line a month into the regular season with three home runs. He hit three homers in one week toward the end of April and went on to hit 52 more the rest of the season and put up a Ruthian .349/.484/.768 slash line the rest of the season while driving in 133 runs and scoring 114 while chipping in nine steals. In a year where homers were down overall in the league, Judge nearly matched his 2022 season. About the only thing Judge has never done is have consecutive 50-plus homer seasons, but that is nitpicking. It will be interesting to see what happens should Juan Soto not return in free agency, as Soto's presence on base was a contributing factor in Judge setting a new career high in RBI.

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.

When Tucker landed on the 10-day injured list in early June, his injury was labeled a right shin contusion. It wasn't until he was on the verge of his return in September that we learned Tucker was dealing with a fracture all along. Despite missing half the season, Tucker smacked 23 homers and stole 11 bases, though he only swiped one bag in 18 regular-season games following his return. Tucker took yet another step forward with his plate skills in 2024, walking more than he struck out in 336 plate appearances. Already a three-time All-Star heading into his age-28 season, Tucker has established an incredibly high floor with his pull-heavy approach from the left side. The steals may be somewhat in question coming off the shin fracture, but Tucker has been ultra efficient on the basepaths throughout his career, stealing 94 bases in 107 attempts. Now with the Cubs following a December trade, Tucker will still be an appealing choice in the first round as he plays for a huge payday next winter.

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.

Traded from the Padres to the Yankees in December of 2023, Soto put New York over the top in the American League last season. He posted 8.1 fWAR, the highest mark of his career and fourth in MLB behind Aaron Judge, Bobby Witt and Shohei Ohtani. Soto reached 40 homers for the first time ever, led the AL in runs scored with 128 and powered the club to the pennant with a .327/.469/.633 line and four homers in the postseason. A four-time All-Star before the age of 26, Soto received a historic payday from the Mets this winter. He's staying in New York but shifting from a park that was third best for lefty power, per Statcast, to the park that ranked 21st. His elite plate skills and proven durability give him a sky-high floor and top-five overall upside if his batting average swings toward the high end of his range of potential outcomes. The only drag in the rotisserie game is limited speed, but Soto isn't a total zero in the stolen base category, as he's swiped a total of 25 bags over the last three years.

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.

Duran built on his breakthrough 2023 season by walking more while fanning less. It was the third straight season with an improved strikeout rate and second consecutive with a better walk rate. A career high barrel rate helped Duran lead MLB in both double and triples, elevating his stead in points and Best Ball formats. He faded down the stretch, posting a 61 wRC+ in September, after ranging between 102 and 193 the prior five months. Fatigue may have been the season considering the only games Duran missed were in August due to a two-game suspension for an audible homophobic slur. This was the only blight on a season where Duran captured down ballot MVP votes. He rebounded from adversity before and is likely to do it again. The safe play is pulling back from a career year, but Duran has the skill set to keep getting better.

After underwhelming throughout the vast majority of the regular season, Rodriguez caught fire again late to reach 20-20 for the third straight year to begin his MLB career. Arbitrary endpoint warning: Rodriguez sat with a .660 OPS, 11 homers and 40 RBI on the morning of Aug. 28. He would go on to slash .349/.386/.597 with nine homers and 28 RBI over his final 29 games, though it wasn't enough to drag the Mariners and their bottom-10 scoring offense to the postseason. He was efficient on the basepaths, but his attempts dipped, in particular after he returned from an IL stint due to a right ankle sprain. Rodriguez struggled against offspeed pitches to the tune of a .173 average and .199 xBA last season, but he made up for it to an extent by punishing fastballs. While his strikeout and walk numbers have not shown any tangible improvement in his three years in the league, and he looked more like a star than a superstar in 2024, it's important to remember he's still just entering his age-24 season.

Alvarez set career-high marks in games played (147) and plate appearances (635) while clearing 30 homers for the fourth consecutive year. He suffered a right knee sprain during the final week of the 2024 regular season, but Alvarez was able to return for the wild-card round. It's almost scary what Alvarez has been able to do with his strikeout rate, lowering it to just 15 percent last season while keeping his Statcast page crimson red with elite batted-ball numbers. He has a long history of knee problems, including double knee surgery in August of 2020, but Alvarez has few peers when on the field, ranking behind only Aaron Judge in wRC+ (165) over the past four seasons. Alvarez retains outfield eligibility after making 53 starts in left field, but he should continue to see most of his time at designated hitter. Taking advantage of the bigger bases and new rules limiting pickoff attempts, Alvarez added six steals last season, after coming into the campaign with two career steals. Fantasy managers would probably prefer he not run at all given his injury history.

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.

Bucking the traditional prospect path, Langford made the Rangers' Opening Day roster last spring and debuted in the big leagues after just 44 games in the minors. The fourth overall pick in 2023, Langford struggled out of the gates last season, posting a .588 OPS through his first 31 MLB games before a right hamstring strain put him on the injured list. He would go on to bat .300 or higher in two of the final fourth months while adding eight homers in September to bring him up to a 110 wRC+ for the season. On the strength of 98th percentile sprint speed, Langford stole 19 bases in 22 attempts. While it wasn't the Rookie of the Year campaign many expected, he showcased a highly advanced plate approach for a 22-year-old (20.6 K%, 9.2 BB%). His strong finish should renew excitement heading into 2025. There is no track record to stand on, but the foundation is there, and a step forward could easily vault Langford into the top 15 among fantasy outfielders.

Santander could not have written a better script for his 2024 numbers as he heads into free agency. The switch-hitting slugger hit a career high 44 homers while also setting career highs in runs and RBIs despite Lord Walltimore stealing a handful of homers from him. The challenge now is that Santander is likely not returning to Baltimore who absolutely has to prioritize re-signing Corbin Burnes and the club is literally still feeling the financial sting of paying Chris Davis who fell into steep decline in his 30's after his last big contract. Santander should hit for power wherever he goes but may begin spending more time at DH with another club as he is a defensive liability in right field. When you combine the likelihood of Santander playing in a new city and park along with him coming off a career year, one should set their expectations somewhere along his 2023 numbers on the high end for 2025 with 2021 being his floor. The power will play anywhere, but many a fantasy manager has been burned overpaying for someone coming off a career season and heading to a new team.

Hernandez is arguably one of the game's most underrated sluggers, even after he helped lift the Dodgers to a championship in 2024. Signed to a one-year, $23.5 million contract last winter, he popped a career-high 33 homers with 99 RBI during the regular season, both second on the team to Shohei Ohtani. Hernandez has now reached 25 homers in each of the last five full MLB seasons, and he's driven in 90-plus in three of the last four years. The outfielder hits the ball so hard that he's rarely a batting-average drain despite a K rate of nearly 30 percent for his career, while his defensive deficiencies are not enough to cost him playing time, at least not at this stage. The steals are the cherry on top from a fantasy standpoint, but it would not be a surprise if he fell back to single digits in 2025. Expect him to hit in the heart of the order wherever he ends up.

After enjoying a career year in 2023 recording a 126 wRC+, Garcia turned in his worst season, posting a 92 wRC+. He continued to sting the ball with 87th percentile hard-hit rate and 85th percentile barrel rate, but both lagged the previous year's near-elite levels. Garcia fanned at the same clip, but he was less patient, perhaps from pressing. Garcia eclipsed triple digits in runs and RBI in 2023, buoyed by his success and the Rangers scoring the third most runs in the league. Last year, the club dropped to 18th with Garcia registering career lows in runs and RBI. Totaling 25 homers and 11 steals in an off year speaks towards Garcia's floor. Reverting to 2023 is a big ask, but splitting the difference and matching 2022's level is a reasonable expectation, plus the Rangers offense should be more productive.