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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 that will delay his return to the mound a bit, Ohtani will likely be the first player off the board in many leagues in 2025.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 capable of surging up past 200 runs-plus-RBI once again.

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

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.

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.

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 base paths. He should continue to bat first or second in the Arizona lineup under manager Torey Lovullo in 2025.

Among active players, only Giancarlo Stanton has more seasons with 25-plus homers than Machado. 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. Last season 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 in which his walk rate declined, as it has now each of the past four years. He still makes excellent contact, but the lower walk rate means the batting average is going to be at the mercy of the batted-ball luck dragons. There is little reason to think Machado will not have another 600-plus plate appearances 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.

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.

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 with 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 healthy in the spring. His glove at the hot corner remains an issue, with his -9 defensive runs saved marking eight straight seasons in which 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.

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 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. It would just be nice if he took advantage of those bigger bases and new rules limited pickoff attempts in his remaining prime years.

Another year, another season with back issues for Yelich, which this time required surgery and caused him to miss the final two-plus months of the campaign after also spending time on the IL earlier in the season. He was limited to 73 games but was back to producing at a near-MVP level when available with 11 home runs, 21 stolen bases and a .315/.406/.504 slash line, which is by far his best performance since he won an MVP and posted a 1.046 OPS over his first two years in Milwaukee during 2018 and 2019. The major difference for his production in 2024 was the launch angle, which at 5.2 degrees was his highest mark since 2020, and a career-high 40.7 percent pull rate. Having finally undergone the necessary surgery, there's hope that Yelich's back problems will now fully be in the rearview mirror, but that may be an optimistic assumption as he enters his age-33 campaign. He could see more time at designated hitter given the injuries and Milwaukee's strong outfield depth. If he's clear of the back issues and can sustain the 2024 production, Yelich would be back on an All-Star path in 2025, but those are a couple big "ifs" that carry plenty of risk for fantasy managers.

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.

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 with a rotator cuff strain. 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, so the skills of a low-end SP1 are there, he just hasn't shown that he can log SP1-caliber innings yet. 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.

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.

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

Sanchez had all the ingredients of a perfect sleeper heading into last season, having produced good numbers (3.44 ERA, 1.05 WHIP) backed by strong peripherals (24.2 K%, 4.0 BB%, 57.0 GB%) in 2023 but over a small enough sample (99.1 IP) that your leaguemates might have missed it. The sleeper buzz proved accurate, as he locked down a rotation spot all year and produced a 3.32 ERA and 1.24 WHIP over 31 starts. His strikeout rate did fall from a bit above average to a bit below (20.3%), but he remained strong in walk rate (5.8%) and groundball rate (57.4%). That groundball rate in particular was an elite mark, trailing only fellow lefties Framber Valdez and Max Fried among qualified starters. Those two provide evidence that a profile like this one, with elite contact management and good control making up for merely average bat-missing ability, can find success long-term.

After bouncing between the bullpen and rotation in 2023, Pivetta was mostly a starter in 2024. He once again had stretches of dominance but had an up-and-down season. The right-hander finished with a 4.14 ERA (3.51 xERA) over 145.2 innings. Pivetta lived in the strike zone - not unusual - with success (28.9 strikeout percentage) and failure (1.7 HR/9). He tends to hit a lot of barrels which can lead to elevated hard-hit rates, but he's pitched in a difficult market, missed some bats and doesn't walk many. That sounds like a major league starter, and the Red Sox extended him a $21.05 million qualifying offer, triple what he made in 2024. While the payday was enticing, Pivetta rejected the offer and will seek a multi-year offer. A couple of sources estimated he could get a three-year deal in the $50-60 million range.

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

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.

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

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

Expectations for Senga were high coming into 2024, especially with how he closed the 2023 season once he was fully acclimated to the major league environment. However, Senga pitched fewer major league innings than Spencer Strider in 2024, as a shoulder capsule injury late in camp shelved him until late July. Senga then came back to pitch on July 26 only to injure his calf muscle and then miss the remainder of the regular season. All we have to move forward with a valuation of the pitcher is the recency bias of his health around just how awesome his ghost fork pitch is for results. That fork ball had a 60 percent whiff rate in 2023, which is beyond absurd, but his cutter and four-seamer also did very well. There is no doubt Senga has the stuff to be a staff ace for the Mets and fantasy teams, but the recent health issues are a vivid reminder of what his downside can be. We almost suggest treating Senga as you did Chris Sale in 2024 drafts; focus on the upside while determining just how comfortable you are with the downside.

Schwellenbach was one of the biggest surprises of the 2024 season, as he posted a 3.35 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 127:23 K:BB across 123.2 innings spanning 21 starts for Atlanta after getting the call in late May. He was especially stingy down the stretch, going 5-2 with a 2.47 ERA, 0.96 WHIP and six strikeouts for every one walk in his final 73 innings. While he had some prospect pedigree as a second-round pick in 2021, this level of success was impossible to foresee for a player that had not pitched above the High-A level coming into the season. After missing all of 2022 following Tommy John surgery, Schwellenbach made his professional debut in 2023, pitching a total of 65 innings that year. In another day and age, the jump from 65 innings to 168.2 total frames last season would scare some drafters off, but conventional wisdom regarding pitching injuries has been challenged in recent years. Most will be eager to draft an arm of this caliber, so long as the pitcher is ostensibly healthy in the moment. A jump in strikeouts is possible with his six-pitch mix and 96th percentile chase rate.

Duran missed the first month of the 2024 campaign due to a right oblique strain. Upon his return, the hard-throwing righty was called for most of Minnesota's save chances, though he was used earlier in games on occasion while ceding save opportunities to others. The flamethrower recorded 23 saves for a 53.5 percent team save share along with seven holds. Duran still averaged triple-digits on his fastball (100.5 mph, T-2nd among relievers), but his 28.9 percent strikeout rate and 14.8 swinging strike percentage both dipped from prior outputs. He maintained a 60-plus groundball percentage (99th percentile) for the third consecutive year, but his 61.5 LOB percentage attributed to inflated ratios. The upside remains of a top-five closer in the league, but Duran may have competition for closing duties, especially if Griffin Jax remains in the bullpen.

Seemingly everything that could go wrong did go wrong for Horton in 2024, and he went from one of the top pitching prospects in the game to a high-risk flyer in dynasty leagues. There were red flags from the jump, with Horton surprisingly not getting assigned to big-league spring training, and then curiously getting sent back to Double-A to start the year, rather than Triple-A. Once he got the bump to Triple-A at the end of April and we could track his starts on Statcast, it became clear that Horton was sitting 93 mph and touching 95 mph with his fastball after sitting at 95-97 mph in 2023 (touching 98 mph). Unsurprisingly, he was shut down with a shoulder strain at the end of May, and he never returned following an August setback. Horton had Tommy John surgery while at Oklahoma and his 88.1 innings in 2023 were a career high, so when factoring in his 2024 shoulder injury, the durability risk is off the charts. His slider is good enough that he could still end up being a closer or a 120-140 inning per year starter, but it makes more sense to hold or cash out this offseason than to buy in dynasty leagues.

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

A player named Will Smith has now been in each of the last five World Series with this version book-ending 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 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 seven 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 spent 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 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.

He's not a great defensive catcher, but Ramirez does enough things well to likely carve out a prominent role for Miami as early as this summer. Agustin makes his share of weak contact (23.7 Soft%), but he struck out 18.6 percent of the time and walked at an 11.3 percent clip, leading to a .361 OBP last year while splitting time between Double-A and Triple-A as a 22-year-old. He's not fast, but he stole 22 bases in 24 attempts and hit 25 homers in 126 games. The Marlins acquired Ramirez at the deadline along with two other prospects in exchange for Jazz Chisholm, and while there's nobody to really contend with at the big-league level (Nick Fortes has been worth 0.6 fWAR each of the last two seasons), Double-A catcher Joe Mack represents a viable challenger for catcher work in the coming years. Ramirez's poor defense could lead to him getting significant run at designated hitter, which could result in him being a top 10 fantasy catcher in terms of plate appearances during his prime.

Once Baldwin got out of Mississippi (the worst Double-A park to hit in), his season took off. He slashed .298/.407/.484 with 12 homers and almost as many walks (52) as strikeouts (54) in 72 games at Triple-A. Baldwin followed that up with a .377/.452/.491 triple-slash and a 9:8 K:BB in 13 Arizona Fall League games. Baldwin showed last year that his command of the zone and bat-to-ball ability (79.7 Contact%) are pretty elite relative to most upper-level catchers. This helped lead to a 32.6 percent hard-hit rate and a 16.3 percent soft-hit rate, which are excellent marks for any minor-league hitter. With Travis d'Arnaud moving on, Baldwin is a clear top-two catcher on Atlanta's organizational depth chart from a talent standpoint, as of late November. Chadwick Tromp is still on the 40-man roster and is out of options, but Baldwin is a better overall player and should spend most or all of 2025 in the big leagues. Sean Murphy is coming off his worst full big-league season, and whether he can bounce back and handle 100-plus games will greatly impact Baldwin's output.

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

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.

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.

Alvarez missed more than 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.

Kelly split the 2024 campaign between Texas and Arizona and had a .238/.313/.374 slash line with nine home runs in 91 games. He split playing time behind the plate with both clubs and produced plus-four in Statcast Fielding Run Value. He then landed a two-year, $11.5 million contract with the Cubs in December and should serve as the veteran complement to Miguel Amaya, who performed well down the stretch last season. The pair are likely to see a fairly even split of playing time, with Kelly potentially having an edge given his experience, but even then he isn't likely to play in much more than 100 games.

Fermin had a mini-breakout in 2023 when he posted a .781 OPS with nine home runs in just 235 plate appearances. That led to more playing time in 2024, as he wasn't far behind Salvador Perez in starts at catcher (90 to 72) and added another 21 starts at designated hitter. Unfortunately, Fermin looked overexposed. His .271/.319/.366 batting line was still perfectly fine for a catcher, but his wRC+ dropped from 107 to 91, his xwOBA slipped from .333 to .279, his hard-hit rate went from 42.7 percent to 33.9 percent and his barrel rate dipped from 9.9 percent to 3.2 percent. Fermin is a good defensive catcher and should continue to get plenty of reps behind the dish on days Perez plays first base or serves as the DH. However, it's difficult to envision a competitive Royals club giving him ample time at DH again.

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

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

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

It was Pages - and not Willson Contreras or Ivan Herrera - who wound up leading the Cardinals in starts at catcher last season with 60. The reasoning behind that was due in part to Pages, as he drew trust behind the plate with his defense and handling of the pitching staff, but also because of shortcomings with the other two, whether it be injuries (Contreras) or throwing issues (Herrera). The Cardinals have elected to move Contreras off catcher in part due to those injuries problems, leaving Pages and Herrera to share starts behind the dish. The 26-year-old Pages has the pop for double-digit homers if he emerges as the 1A to Herrera's 1B, but Herrera has the much more intriguing offensive package.

Davis has proven everything he can in the minor leagues, maintaining a .290 batting average and .948 OPS across 798 plate appearances. That hasn't translated to the majors however, as he has a 30.2 percent strikeout rate paired with a 6.4 percent barrel rate in 377 plate appearances. Still only 25, it's too early to write off Davis entirely, particularly because the Pirates used the number overall pick to select him in 2021 Draft. At the same time, there's very little positive to point to in his big-league skills profile to suggest he'll turn things around. Davis' path to playing time is also unclear. Joey Bart, a resurrection project in his own right, looks to have an inside track to the starting catcher role while Endy Rodriguez will also be back in the mix after recovering from an elbow injury that cost him all of 2024.

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 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.

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 with 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 healthy in the spring. His glove at the hot corner remains an issue, with his -9 defensive runs saved marking eight straight seasons in which 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.

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.

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

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.

Vaughn picked the wrong year to significantly up his fly ball percentage. The first baseman's 45.8 percent fly ball rate in 2024 was more than 10 percentage points higher than his career mark coming into the season and his barrel rate was also a three-year high. And yet, he still fell shy of the 20-homer mark and also sported a sub-.700 OPS. Vaughn was a victim of the average fly ball distance and home runs were down across baseball, and it's always possible those marks go back up in 2025. However, Vaughn reverting back to being a ground ball hitter is also a distinct possibility. Ultimately, we have more than 2,000 plate appearances of evidence that Vaughn is simply an average hitter at a position usually reserved for big bats, and he's also part of the worst offense in baseball.

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

Horwitz was one of the few bright spots on a disappointing Toronto roster as he came up and more than handled his own in his rookie season at the plate. Horwitz earned his promotion with a .335/.456/.514 triple-slash line in 57 games in Triple-A Buffalo where he walked more often than he struck out. He finished the season with the Jays hitting .265/.357/.433 with 12 homers and a willingness to accept walks. Those numbers were mostly put up against righties because he did not hit lefties well. All 16 of his homers came off righties, as he hit .310/.416/.522 against them but had just six doubles and a .244/.340/.291 line against southpaws. He has both first- and second-base eligibility for fantasy purposes, but Horwitz figures to be done playing second base after a series of offseason trades led to him ending up atop Pittsburgh's first-base depth chart. He is likely to sit against most lefties when the Pirates are at full strength, but he has a high floor against right-handed pitching, especially after getting traded to this less crowded situation.

Stewart once again excelled as a hitter, although he was limited to 80 games due to a wrist injury that ended up needing surgery. The No. 32 overall pick in 2022, Stewart slashed .279/.391/.454 with eight home runs, a 14.8 percent walk rate and a 16.9 percent strikeout rate at High-A. His 27.1 percent hard-hit rate was decent for a player his age, while his 11.8 percent soft-hit rate was elite. Stewart makes contact at a strong clip (79.6 percent) and makes very good swing decisions, so it's just a question of which position he'll play and how much power he'll get to in games. Early in the year, he was such a good hitter that he was barreling a lot of balls to dead center field, which limited his home run output. Stewart is a better defender at third base than org. mate Cam Collier, so if one of them has to move to first base, Collier is the more likely option. While Stewart has seen time at second base, he probably doesn't have the mobility to play there long term. Assuming he makes a full recovery from wrist surgery, Stewart is an obvious candidate to break out as a power hitter in 2025, and he's already on track to have at least an above-average hit tool.

Smith has spent significant portions of the last two seasons in the minors - his 158 MLB plate appearances in 2024 were the fewest since 2020 - but has an opportunity for a larger role in 2025. First baseman Christian Walker, DH Joc Pederson and utility infielder Randal Grichuk all are testing free agency. The lefty-hitting Smith is coming off an encouraging season, posting a career-high in slugging (.547), hard-hit rate (44.0 percent) and barrel rate (14.7), while going deep a combined 22 times between Triple A and the majors. Smith was helpful down the stretch, when he posted a 1.061 OPS with six homers in 62 September at-bats. Smith's bat hasn't profiled at 1B/RF/DH during his career, but the small sample-size numbers in 2024 paint a different picture. Depending on what Arizona does with Walker/Pederson, Smith could play a larger role at first base or as the primary DH against right-handers.

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 base paths. He should continue to bat first or second in the Arizona lineup under manager Torey Lovullo in 2025.

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, and his availability for the start of the season is in question since he had not resumed hitting or throwing as of mid-January. His availability early in spring training should provide a better idea of his chances 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.

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.

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.

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.

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 in center field after the team acquired Gavin Lux to play second base. 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.

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

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.

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

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

Edman's recovery from offseason wrist surgery dragged on much longer than anticipated, as he didn't make his season debut until late August. The super utility player was a Dodger by that time, having been flipped there from the Cardinals at the trade deadline in a three-team deal with the White Sox. Edman clubbed a surprising six home runs in September before starring for the Dodgers in the postseason. The switch-hitting Edman has long been better from the right side of the plate, and he took that to the extreme during a small sample with the Dodgers in collecting a 1.299 OPS against lefties and .523 OPS versus righties. He's going to be an everyday guy in 2025 and is expected to see significant action in center field, however, but he offers plus defense at whatever position the team decides to use him. Edman did finish shy of 20 games played at shortstop and second base, so his positional eligibility could be limited.

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

Among active players, only Giancarlo Stanton has more seasons with 25-plus homers than Machado. 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. Last season 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 in which his walk rate declined, as it has now each of the past four years. He still makes excellent contact, but the lower walk rate means the batting average is going to be at the mercy of the batted-ball luck dragons. There is little reason to think Machado will not have another 600-plus plate appearances with the voluminous numbers that go along with that playing time. Consistent production such as what Machado offers is difficult to find in these volatile days.

Riley's 2024 season was one to forget. He suffered a fractured right hand in mid-August, ending his season, just when it seemed like he was hitting his stride after an uncharacteristically average first half. His first two months were downright bad, as Riley had a .228/.295/.353 line at the end of May (82 wRC+). From that point on, he looked much more like the player that slugged 33-plus homers with 93-plus RBI in each of the prior three seasons. Overall, his strikeout rate remained right around his career average of 25.7 percent, 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.

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

Bohm's 2024 stats were a nice representation of the league as a whole. Bohm made more hard contact, had a higher barrel rate and a higher average exit velocity than he did in 2023, yet he hit five fewer homers on the season despite a nearly identical amount of plate appearances. That playing time consistency is one of Bohm's endearing qualities, as he is just one of seven third basemen with 600-plus plate appearances in each of the past three seasons. Bohm was also granted the honor of hitting cleanup in Philadelphia for most of the season, which allowed him to match his 2023 RBI total despite having 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.)

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.

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

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.

Shaw's game was built for standard 5x5 fantasy, as he could be a 25-homer/25-steal infielder who hits for a high average during his prime years. A sturdy, athletic 5-foot-9 second baseman who has spent a signifiant amount of time at third base over the past year, Shaw figures to debut at the hot corner on Opening Day after Isaac Paredes was shipped to Houston as part of the return for Kyle Tucker. Shaw slashed .284/.379/.488 with 21 homers, 31 steals and strong hard-hit data (29.7 Hard%, 13.4 Soft%) in 121 games at Double-A and Triple-A, and his command of the zone didn't lessen after his promotion to Triple-A. If Shaw embraced pulling the ball more regularly (Oppo% over 40% at both stops) he could reach another level as a power hitter, but he already has a high floor and high ceiling in our game and is ready for primetime.

House came into 2024 clearly projecting as the Nationals' third baseman of the future and with a chance to reach the majors late in the year. However, his aggressiveness at the plate got exposed in his first run against Triple-A pitching, and now his long-term outlook is less clear. He has all the physical tools required to hit for plus power and play a good third base, so it will just come down to House's hit tool. He has never been mistaken for a patient hitter, but his 28.8 percent strikeout rate and three percent walk rate at Triple-A illustrates a hitter who was overmatched. House doesn't turn 22 until June, so he's still got time to figure things out, but he'll need to greatly improve his swing decisions. He has elite bat speed, but that may have led to him developing bad habits earlier in his career. Jose Tena looks worthy of more playing time this year at third base, so there is potentially a viable contender with House for long-term work at the hot corner in Washington.

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

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.

Triolo surprisingly claimed the starting second base job out of spring training in 2024, beating out Liover Peguero and Ji Hwan Bae for the role. He was ultimately displaced by Nick Gonzales but stuck in the majors for the entirety of the season and logged 446 plate appearances while filling in for Ke'Bryan Hayes at third base. Triolo's value in the majors comes almost entirely from his glove, which is evident from his 86 wRC+ and .099 ISO across 655 career plate appearances. In addition to the lack of power, Triolo doesn't check any other box for fantasy production, as his career 27.6 percent strikeout rate has held him to just a .242 batting average. Triolo has had some success on the basepaths with 14 stolen bases across 16 attempts. However, his inability to get on base consistently will prevent him from racking up enough bags to overcome the rest of the deficiencies in his profile in more standard mixed leagues. On the other hand, Triolo should find a decent amount of playing time due to his defensive versatility and ability, so he could be a reasonable depth option in NL-only or extremely deep mixed leagues.

The outlook for Hayes could write itself at this point in his career, as his lack of power and injuries have continued to hold back his fantasy potential. He managed only 396 plate appearances in 2024 while spending two stints on the injured list with back inflammation that cost him a combined two months of the campaign. Even when he was on the field, it was Hayes' worst showing from a skills perspective. His groundball rate jumped to 52.7 percent, which limited him to just four home runs and a .058 ISO. Nearly 2,000 plate appearances into his career, the breakout that the fantasy community has been waiting for from Hayes appears unlikely to occur. However, his defense should keep him locked into an everyday role at third base and his ability to steal bases (11 on 13 attempts in 2024) keep him on the radar in deep mixed formats and NL-only leagues.

Alexander made the Diamondbacks' Opening Day roster last season and played his way into regular looks in April, finishing the month with a .941 OPS and three home runs. He then slashed only .210/.272/.229 with a 29.6 percent strikeout rate the rest of the way and spent most of the second half back in the minors. Alexander put up an .819 OPS versus lefties but just a .538 OPS against right-handers, and much of his contact came on the ground with a 51.7 percent ground ball rate. The Diamondbacks are set at the three infield positions Alexander plays, and none of them need a short-side platoon partner, so it might take an injury or two for the 25-year-old to see regular playing time with the big club.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. Concerns about Abrams' maturity and work ethic are now just as valid as unrest over his 11th percentile chase rate (35.2 percent) or 29th percentile average exit velocity (88.2 mph). 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.

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).

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

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.

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

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 every day, 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 percent walk rate. It is one thing when Judge or Schwarber strike out 200 times because they're hitting 45-plus homers while also walking 125-plus times in a season. Tovar hit 26 homers while striking out 200 times and 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 average 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.

Lopez was waived by the Giants in the first week of the 2024 season, but he was promptly picked up by the Marlins and assigned to Triple-A Jacksonville. He was called up by mid-April, initially serving in reserve capacity. Lopez hit his way into the starting lineup, which is where he stayed, other than a short IL stint for lower back inflammation. Lopez parlayed a 17.3 percent strikeout rate and a 53.6 percent groundball clip into a .270 batting average. He doesn't hit the ball hard, but 86th percentile sprint speed helped Lopez log an infield hit rate twice the league average and swipe 20 bases. He's a plus defender at second base and can play all around the infield and outfield. He'll be given a chance to be the regular second baseman but also can handle a utility role. Batting average and steals provide a floor, but unless he's playing every day, Lopez has limited fantasy allure.

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.

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

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.

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

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 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. It would just be nice if he took advantage of those bigger bases and new rules limited pickoff attempts in his remaining prime years.

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.

Suzuki's decimals were eerily like the previous season's, but he took a slightly different route. His quality of contact ticked up but so did his strikeouts. However, Suzuki rarely chases and he walks at an above-average clip, so there's hope he can revert to lower strikeout levels while retaining elevated hard-hit and barrel rates. Durability remains an issue with Suzuki missing at least 24 games for the third straight season, though he did manage a career high plate appearances in 132 games. He missed almost a month early with an oblique strain, then played regularly the rest of the way. Suzuki more than doubled the number of steals he gathered over his first two seasons, yielding three ways he can improve: more contact, better health and continuing to ramp up running. There is a lot to like here.

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 for Los Angeles once again after he re-upped on a three-year, $66 million deal in late December.

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

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

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

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

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

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.

Harris' 2024 campaign was a bit of a microcosm for Atlanta's season as a whole, with high expectations being derailed by injury and underwhelming performance. The 22-year-old played in 110 games as he missed two months due to a hamstring injury, and his .722 OPS was nearly 100 points lower than his 2023 figure. Harris still hit 16 homers but had a career-worst .154 ISO, and he stole just 10 bases after recording 20 steals in each of his first two campaigns. He had a .283/.318/.506 slash line in 43 games after returning from the injuries, and it's possible he was laboring prior to the stint on the injured list. Harris posted his best defensive season with 11 Defensive Runs Saved and a plus-eight Outs Above Average, which should help him retain an everyday role through any offensive struggles. Harris is a strong candidate to rebound in 2025 and could deliver his first 20-20 campaign if he's able to stay healthy.