“In the present day is a day that may reside in infinity,” as FDRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR….mentioned. It’s going to additionally reside in your hearts and minds for the following few months as you always test the 2025 fantasy baseball rankings for updates on projections, rankings and simply different little enjoyable bits of tid.
Earlier than we get into the high 10 for 2025 fantasy baseball (although I think about each single one among you has skipped this intro), I’m gonna lay down some exposition. Right here’s the place you observe us on Twitter. Right here’s the place you observe us on Fb. Right here’s us on Youtube. Right here’s us on Bluesky. Right here’s us on Instagram. Right here’s our fantasy baseball participant rater. Right here’s our fantasy baseball staff identify generator. Listed here are all of our 2025 fantasy baseball rankings. Right here’s the place eligibility chart for 2025 fantasy baseball. And here’s a image of my son. What a punim! You could not get all of these hyperlinks in such a useful, easy-to-use format once more this yr, so make correct notice. (Except you simply go to the highest menu on this web page that claims “Rankings” and click on it, however semantics, my over-the-internet good friend, semantics.) Additionally, right here’s Steamer’s 2025 Fantasy Baseball Projections for Hitters and 2025 Fantasy Baseball Projections for Pitchers. Rudy’s on high of it this yr! Sorta, he says to notice it’s Model 1.0, and tweaks will occur over the course of the following few weeks. Additionally, Rudy’s Draft Battle Room is prepared for all subscribers. Subscribe now, snitches!
Now my expositional half insists I breakdown some generalizations about these 2025 fantasy baseball rankings. The 2025 fantasy baseball rankings can be an ever-evolving mass just like the blob. This fantasy baseball high 10 for 2025 listing is as of proper now and will doubtlessly change with a giant damage or Bobby Witt Jr. quitting baseball as a result of he’s uninterested in being the most effective and desires to play aggressive Cornhole. (I’m undecided but the place Witt would rank in my Cornhole High 10.) So whereas it’s the 2025 fantasy baseball gospel, take it with a pill of salt. Tomorrow we are going to cowl the remainder of the highest 20 for 2025 fantasy baseball, then we are going to go across the horn with a high 20 (extra like 50) listing for each place. Then for pitchers and outfielders, I’ll flip the dial to 100 (extra like 120). Listed with every participant are my 2025 projections. Did I seek the advice of with anybody else who does projections? It will be ignorant to not, however, ultimately, these are my projections. Gamers want 5 video games began at a place to get included within the positional rankings. If I put somebody able, that’s the reason. Effectively, that’s whyahoo, truly.
Lastly, as with every listing within the 2025 fantasy baseball rankings, I can be mentioning the place I see tiers begin and cease. I take a look at tiers like this, if Bobby Witt Jr. and Shohei Ohtani are in the identical tier, it doesn’t matter if one man is ranked 2nd and one man is ranked first, they’re each very shut. It comes down to private desire. I would like the man at primary over the man at two, however you do you, I’ll do me and let’s hope we don’t go blind. Anyway, right here’s the highest 10 for 2025 fantasy baseball:
NOTE: All my 2025 fantasy baseball rankings are at the moment out there on Patreon for the value of a Starbucks espresso, for those who get a type of further grande frappuccino jobbers. Don’t look forward to the rankings to return out over the following month, and get all of them now.
1. Bobby Witt Jr. – That is the first tier of the 2025 fantasy baseball rankings. (Woo hoo!) This tier goes from right here till Ohtani. I name this tier, “Jobu, go away me the eff alone.” This tier identify is referring to the curse that has been positioned on the first tier in fantasy baseball, relationship again a millennial. Or no less than a yr or three. I take advantage of the identical lede yearly. Pardon me, if I write solely 50,000 phrases for the rankings and never 50,000 phrases plus the intros. This yr, I modified “Ronald Acuña Jr. quitting baseball as a result of he’s uninterested in being the most effective and desires to play aggressive Cornhole” to Bobby Witt Jr. and all of it clicked. The primary tier is cursed! Sure, issues click on that quick for me. I went again appeared on the final three years of numbers ones and it was Acuña, Trea Turner and Bo Bichette (was I actually drunk rating Bichette primary?). Now you may say, “Okay, you had literal crackers in your head,” however I promise you, I used to be kind of near-consensus. I don’t go far outdoors the field on the tippy-top ranks. They’re apparent! Additionally, Fantasy Professionals mentioned I had the most effective fantasy baseball rankings final yr, so Trea was the most effective that yr, Acuña was clearcut final yr and Bichette…Effectively, he was coming off a 2021 season when he was primary on the Participant Rater, so primary couldn’t have been far off, as unlikely because it appears now. Final yr individuals had been like, “If I don’t have the primary choose and get Acuña, ought to I simply give up the league and join a brand new league till I get the first choose?” What I’m saying is, this high tier feels cursed earlier than we even begin the season. To attempt to offset The Curse, I put Bobby Witt Jr. at primary over Ohtani, although Ohtani looks like, effectively, if not the most effective participant ever in baseball in his prime, then near it. His stats can be higher than Witt’s, however Witt simply feels a tad safer. Extra on Ohtani in his blurb.
As for Bobby Witt Jr., barring a fluke damage, he looks like a lock for a high 5 season. I simply wrote this was a cursed tier, then mentioned “barring damage.” I actually mentioned that? Am I silly? Am I literal rock of dumb? So, I say he’s a lock for a high 5 season and never a lock for a primary ranked season as a result of flukey guys come out of all over the place (and non-flukey flukes). Aaron Decide, for unstints, if he stays wholesome, he’s going to hit 55+ HRs and .310, and be higher than Witt as he was final yr. Or Ohtani, if he goes 50/50 with 20+ wins? He’s gonna be the highest man general. Or somebody extra flukey, like, say Mookie Betts goes 30/30 with 130 runs and 110 RBIs? That is likely to be the highest man. Or Captain Woo Cubano lastly hits 50 HRs. Or, effectively, the chances are infinite for high of the Participant Rater. All proper, not infinite. Kevin Newman isn’t going to be the highest fantasy participant. I say Witt is a lock for high 5 as a result of he’s neutrally a 30/30/.300 hitter with nice counting stats. That’s a high 5 yr. He additionally feels extremely secure for a yr that good. Barring damage or The Curse or Jobu or anything the Fantasy Baseball Overlord has in retailer. 2025 Projections: 112/33/102/.314/37 in 611 ABs
2. Shohei Ohtani – A man who simply went 54/59/.310 with an opportunity for a 20-win, 3.30 ERA and 200 Ks? The perfect hitter and a high 5 starter? In a single participant? That sounds fairly good! What if I informed you Ohtani might additionally save 50 video games as a lights-out nearer? What if I informed you he might juggle dwarves whereas driving a unicycle? What if I informed you he deferred all his stats from final yr to this yr and he was about to go 100/100/1.000? What if I informed you he transfused all his blood out for Nutter Butter creme and Nuttani would soften in the summertime solar right into a puddle however the Guggenheims would do a giveaway the place everybody in attendance obtained a cookie biscuit that they may dip into an Nuttani puddle of creme? Sounds fairly good, huh? What if none of this stuff matter? What if the one factor that mattered was: How is his shoulder? He slid within the World Sequence and tore his labrum. He had surgical procedure and the Dodgers say he’ll be wonderful for Spring Coaching. Truthfully, if that makes him wonderful for hitting however not pitching, it is likely to be higher for fantasy. That’s not even contemplating weekly leagues, the place you virtually assuredly won’t ever pitch him, till you get midway via Could, are falling behind in pitching classes and are completely pitching him. The injured shoulder was not his throwing shoulder, so he ought to be all techniques go for every thing. Due to the shoulder damage and surgical procedure, I put him 2nd as an alternative of 1st general.
Let’s be practical, if he’s pitching, he’s not stealing wherever near 50 luggage. He had a excessive of 26 steals earlier years whereas pitching. Even when his return to the mound is delayed, because the Dodgers are saying, he’s not going to be working wherever close to as a lot. After he simply damage himself, he won’t steal greater than 12. The facility doesn’t appear overly affected by his pitching each sixth (seventh?) day. However he’s virtually human and Nearly People hit 45-ish homers after they’re pitching vs. 55 HRs after they’re not. I hate to say it, however I feel we simply noticed the most effective hitter yr we’re ever seeing from him. Then once more, something is feasible. He’s 99% Nutter Butter! 2025 Projections: 107/45/118/.294/20 in 576 ABs, 10-4/2.96/1.08/154 in 123 IP
3. Elly De La Cruz – This can be a new tier. This tier goes from right here till Gunnar. I name this tier, “That’s a Dub Route.” I’ll contact on what the tier identify means on the finish of this blurb. The primary tier of fantasy baseball has been cursed, as talked about within the 1st tier. This quantity two tier feels about as stacked as we’ve had it in a while. As clearcut as the primary tier is, this 2nd tier has so many guys who’re interchangeable, who don’t have any set method they should be ranked. By which I imply, for those who needed to place E! at 5 and Gunnar at three, then I’m wonderful with it. Or Decide at three and Gunnar at 4 and E! at 5, then cool. Or–Effectively, you get the purpose. I say this in each tier within the rankings, “These guys are interchangeable, however that is how I might draft them.” For this tier, it feels much less like how I might draft them and extra like how I might draft them for one draft, then flip the script for the following. Which means: If I drafted E! already, I would take Gunnar third in my subsequent draft. Whereas, if I had the first choose of the draft, I’m taking Witt each time. I’ll go down with Witt, and now I sound like an AI attempting to order a cheesesteak. “I’ll go down with Witt.” Shut up, AI, you don’t eat human meals!
As for E!, his Ok% went from 33.7 to 31.3 from the ages of 21 to 22. I do know, that is gonna sound loopy, however at one level Bobby Witt Jr. was thought of a candidate to hit .220, and now he’s a .320 hitter. Witt by no means struggled with Ks (which makes it even odder all of us thought he was going to hit .220 his complete profession), however guys get higher. I do know! This can be a model new idea! I hope I didn’t shock you an excessive amount of after I dropped that nugget of smarts on you. In Triple-A, E! hit .297 with a 26.9%. If E! will get his Ok% right down to 26% within the majors, he’s going to hit .280. No method, proper? You realize what he hit final yr? Oh, he simply hit .259. After all, individuals are anticipating him to hit decrease, as a result of projections by no means take a look at a 22-year-old and assume he might be higher. Even is he does hit .250 or decrease, he’s going to hit 25+ HRs and steal 50+ luggage. That’s the best path to the most effective hitter in baseball from this tier, so I ranked him on the high of it. A simple path to the most effective hitter? A simple route for a win? That’s a Dub Route. A Dub Route is the route a participant might take to being the most effective hitter in baseball, and so they’re ranked how arduous it will likely be for them to Dub Route. 2025 Projections: 111/30/72/.267/51 in 602 ABs
4. Aaron Decide – He’s acquired a Dub Route that he ran as soon as already in 2022, however he didn’t Dub Route final yr (simply behind Ohtani) and he wasn’t near a Dub Route in 2023 or 2021. That’s sorta this complete tier although. All of them have Dub Routes, whether or not they’ve Dub Route’d earlier than. What would cease Decide from a Dub Route? An damage, which I hate to challenge for as a result of there’s no method of understanding. A man who’s 7-feet four-inches, weighing in at 520 kilos and hailing from Grenoble, France who goes by the identify Aaron The Large can be extra susceptible to accidents. I don’t assume that’s a stretch (one thing he doesn’t have to do to get down the cereal, by the by). It’s gonna suck when Aaron the Large begins having again pains. They’re by no means going to go away. We haven’t seen any nagging accidents but from him although, so I don’t wish to put that on him. He has battled quote-unquote flukey accidents although. When you may have appendages that reach fifteen ft out of your physique, you might be extra inclined to accumulate accidents, I feel. This can be a great distance of claiming, Aaron The Large can be a 50-homer, 120-RBI man or a 35-homer man in 120 video games. Right here’s to splitting the distinction: 2025 Projections: 104/46/112/.307/10 in 509 ABs
5. Gunnar Henderson – Projections are humorous. Not mine — in fact! I imply different individuals’s projections. Invariably, they take 5 to 10 % off a man’s earlier season. I genuinely get giddy after I see a man with projections from another supply which can be higher than his earlier season, particularly when it’s somebody who performed a full season. Had so as to add that caveat, as a result of there’s all the time gonna be guys who play, like, 50 video games, then get projections for 162 video games and so they’re clearly going to be higher. Attempt discovering a man who performed a full season final yr whose projections are higher. It’s not simple. Projections anticipate Gunnar to fall in energy, pace, runs and common, and mainly identical for RBIs. Why? He ain’t taking that Dub Route if he does. Let’s see…*appears to be like at Gunnar’s Statcast*…so, he has a few of the greatest stats in baseball. I suppose issues might go incorrect for him, however he hits the ball as arduous as anybody, has a near-perfect swing, is in a stacked lineup, that ought to be getting higher, and his dwelling stadium’s fences had been moved in. My largest challenge with him is he’s hitting leadoff, as an alternative of third, however that may hold his steals within the 20s vs. falling again to the kids or ten, as they had been in 2023. He’s additionally 23 till June and appears like he’s headed straight for a Dub Route for a lot of, a few years. 2025 Projections: 121/39/103/.289/17 in 609 ABs
6. Juan Soto – This can be a new tier. This tier goes from right here till Tucker. I name this tier, “Justin B. and Norm L. Schplease.” All these guys on this tier want is to dial up their mates Justin B., who goes by Simply, and Norm L. Schplease, then all they should do is ask Justin B. and Norm L. Schplease, “What’s the secret to Simply B., Norm L., I have to know, Schplease? I would like you to inform me the key to Simply B., Norm L., I have to know, Schplease.” There’s no cause to assume any of the blokes on this tier can’t return stable fantasy worth. Have all of those guys failed up to now? Sure, as not too long ago as final yr for Tucker. However to succeed they Simply B., Norm L. Schplease.
As for Soto, right here’s what I mentioned this offseason, “The yr is 2045. All of the years after 2038 have been a blur as a result of, seven years prior, I used to be hit by a flying automobile, and now my frozen head is in a jar, and the visibility may be very poor via formaldehyde. One thing nobody talks about! “Hey, Charlie, how effectively are you able to see in that cup jar your head is in?” That’s what you don’t hear! However guess what, it’s not nice! Don’t fret; I’m method forward of Ted Williams in line to get one other physique, as a result of it’s alphabetical. Haha, eat a D, Ted! Taking a summer time trip this yr for the first time in forty years as my 100-something-year-old Cougar drives my head to see Juan Soto get inducted into the Baseball Corridor of Fame, which she retains saying in its entirety and I hold gurgling into the formaldehyde jar, “You possibly can simply say, ‘Corridor of Fame.’ You don’t should say ‘Baseball Corridor of Fame,’ we all know the place we’re going.” On the journey, I start to recount all of Juan Soto’s achievements — his 600+ homers, his .295 profession common, his .415 profession OBP, which tied fellow inductee, Jordan Walker, who grew to become an enormous star the yr after I finished drafting him in each league. A head journey higher than any Dennis Hopper ever went on.
So, the Mets signing Juan Soto now means we are able to sit again and see if the Mets can curse among the best gamers in baseball. This actually can be a take a look at. My cash’s on Horny Dr. Pepper, however I’m not counting the Mets out. There’s no less than a 20% probability the Mets flip Soto into Bobby Bonilla, half two. Name him Mo’nilla. Truly, don’t, don’t put that on him. So, the facility and common are simple, and the counting stats gained’t endure greater than, say, his yr in San Diego when he had 97 runs and 109 RBIs. The one bugaboo in his recreation? 12 steals is his high mark. So, 95/35/110/.290/12? Appears like Gunnar Henderson minus 10 steals. Have a look at these numbers: 9, 6, 12, 7. Juan Soto’s financial institution password? No, his steal totals over the past 4 years. Although, might that be his financial institution password too? I suppose, which is why I’m glad he didn’t defer any of his $765 million. ‘Member after we thought he can be a 600 million-dollar man? Haha, foolish us.
Sorry, you bought outbid
— Razzball (@razzball.bsky.social) December 8, 2024 at 7:21 PM
Truly, what’s actually hilarious? The Six-Million Greenback Man TV present. Six million? What’s he a catcher for the Rays?” And that’s me quoting me! 2025 Projections: 93/37/111/.288/11 in 564 ABs
7. Jose Ramirez – Trying on the Historic Participant Rater (and I skipped 2020 utterly), however I feel Jose Ramirez’s highest rating on the finish of the yr was 4th general (in 2018 and final yr). That goes again to who may take a Dub Route. I don’t assume JoJoRam’s going to take a Dub Path to the highest. That’s why he’s not in that tier. That’s to not say JoJo sucks. Since 2017, he’s solely missed two years the place he didn’t seem within the high 10 general. In 2019, he went 23/24/.255, and simply had his worst yr. Funnily sufficient, that was the yr I informed you to keep away from him. Natch, snitches! JoJo additionally missed in 2023 when he went 24/28/.282. Fairly apparent that he’s by no means terrible, if these are his worst years. He’s additionally by no means the most effective, so you need to ask your self how a lot you desire a man who ought to be stable, who simply turned 32. No signal of slowing, clearly, however that has to return in some unspecified time in the future, doesn’t it? To not reply, however to squint your eyes such as you’re both pondering very arduous or taking a quantity two. Pay attention, JoJo, I would like you to speak to my mates, and Simply B., Norm L. Schplease. 2025 Projections: 103/36/111/.276/28 in 604 ABs
8. Francisco Lindor – He’s averaged 32/30 over the past two years. One love for Horny Dr. Pepper, as a result of you realize I like him, but when he did that, he would’ve ranked even increased. Actually (Gray’s acquired extra!), Lindor had $31.4 in fantasy worth in each 2022 and 2023. Soto had $29.5 in 2023 and a horrible yr in 2022. So, for those who had been to common the final three years collectively (sure, Soto was a bit higher final yr), Lindor’s been higher. That is me defending my Lindor rating for the individuals who will invariably say, “Wow, that’s excessive for Lindor. Or relatively, you might be smoking reefer and clearly excessive whereas rating Soto. Ha, I freakin’ acquired you, Gray, you big fool!” I used to be shocked to see Lindor being drafted beneath Tucker, Carroll, JRod and others and method after this rating. Lindor will get no respect by any means. Lindor will simply return worth value this draft spot if–[phone rings] Simply B., Norm L. Schplease? I used to be simply excited about you. 2025 Projections: 112/32/93/.276/30 in 603 ABs
9. Kyle Tucker – Traded to the Cubs. Loopy how Alex Bregman reached free company and Kyle Tucker approached it and the Astros determined to enter full punt/rebuild mode. Fairly pathetic of a dynasty dismantling when all of the Astros wanted to do was hit up the Lowe’s and get a louder trash can. Don’t boo me! Boo them! Wanna hear one thing much more pathetic? Going the opposite method was Hayden Wesneski, Isaac Paredes and Cam Smith. Wait, that’s not even the pathetic half but! I heard Isaac Paredes was going to Houston and I considered how that’s not dangerous for fantasy, as a result of the Crawford Containers are so good for his swing and Minute Maid, simply basically. So, I began to craft a joke about how Isaac Paredes was gonna eat in Minute Maid, uh, drink? Eat oranges? Ya know what I imply, so I began to analysis Minute Maid and that’s after I came upon the Astros are rebranding! Minute Maid is turning into Daikin Park, and I imagine that was after I had my first boomer-screaming-at-kids-on-the-lawn second. What the eff is a Daikin Park? Are you attempting to say daikon? Just like the effin’ radish? Did you go from the Juice Field to the Radish Field? What are we doing right here?! I suppose Isaac Paredes is gonna eat in his new dwelling. Eat freakin’ radishes! Any hoo! With Kyle Tucker, there won’t be a extra Simply B., Norm L. Schplease man on this Simply B., Norm L. Schplease tier. Calling up Simply B., Norm L. Schplease for Tucker and staying on the cellphone to say the opposite guys on this tier. Assuming Tucker doesn’t assume what he did final yr was the brand new Norm L. Schplease. If he didn’t return on the finish of final yr, I would’ve been decrease on Tucker, however not solely did he return, he hit effectively. Each different yr Tucker’s Simply B., Norm L. Schplease is 30/30 and he’s solely 28, so I don’t see a cause to not anticipate the identical. Final yr, truly appears to be like like Tucker was on tempo for–[Mr. Prorater crashes through front door] “Did you name me?” Hey, Mr. Prorater, are you able to knock subsequent time? “Knocking’s for sissies! Hey, you wanna know what Tucker would’ve carried out final yr if not for the flukey damage?” Certain, okay, sure. “40/30/.290.” Yeah, possibly we wish the brand new Norm L. Schplease however the brand new Norm L. Schplease is what Tucker was doing final yr earlier than the damage. 2025 Projections: 106/36/97/.296/23 in 569 ABs
10. Fernando Tatis Jr. – This can be a new tier. This tier goes from right here till the highest 20 for 2025 fantasy baseball. I name this tier, “It’s The We’re Again Period.” Is there extra We’re Again, then how Again we’re when each man is a 30/30 man or Juan Soto, who’s a forty five/10/.300 hitter, or Decide, who’s a 55/10/.300? That feels fairly Again. Capitalized We’re Again ranges of being Again? Yeah, we’re big-time Again. That is as Again as I can keep in mind in a while. We’ve legit energy guys who can hit for common, and the Pitch Clock 12 provides 12 steals to everybody’s backside line so all of these 30/20 statlines grew to become 30/32’s. You don’t know the 30/32’s? They opened for Wilco. Welcome to the We’re Again Period. Hitting is Again. It’s the period, and we’re in it.
As for Enjoyable The Jewels, it’s sweeps week for him. You could have heard of sweeps earlier than. It’s when TV stations throw out all their stunts to attempt to get essentially the most scores ever. Like Matlock could have a visitor look by Rod Carew and he’ll speak to Kathy Bates about Passover as they fall in love, nevertheless it’s not gonna work and Rod leaves her on the altar. Or the information could have a phase like, “Sizzling new casseroles for 2024,” only for the scores, if casseroles had been liked by everybody. Tatis has nothing to do with that type of sweeps. That is all a couple of excessive flooring that Tatis has that I wish to sweeps onto my staff. Under no circumstances complicated! If Tatis had been to have stayed wholesome final yr (he didn’t; stress response in his quad), he would’ve simply made the highest general tier. Tatis is definitely value this draft choose, and certain will give far more. It’s scorching casseroles, it’s Rod Carew marrying Matlock, it’s the We’re Again Period, and, excuse me, whereas I Sweeps him onto my staff. 2025 Projections: 93/34/96/.281/28 in 586 ABs