The 2025 MLB season officially got underway with the Cubs and Dodgers in Japan, but we’re still in the thick of fantasy baseball draft season. With that in mind, we decided to pull together the Rotoworld Baseball staff to get their intel on the players they have drafted the most this spring.
Our fantasy analysts spend a lot of time in the offseason thinking about which players could be poised for a breakout season, whether because of opportunity, underlying skills, or just value relative to their average draft position. It’s one thing to write about it, but it’s another to go out and execute in an actual draft. That’s why this exercise carries some weight.
We hope it helps you leading into your drafts this week.
2025 Fantasy Baseball Draft Prep: Rankings, strategy, sleepers, mock draft results
Your one-stop-shop for Rotoworld’s preseason fantasy baseball content.
ROTOWORLD’S MOST DRAFTED PLAYERS FOR 2025
Bowden Francis SP/RP, Blue Jays
For me, it’s Bowden Francis. He’s actually one of seven guys that I have 100% of through my first 3 or four drafts and I’ve already written about Verlander. Francis was a dominant force in 2024 once he was finally given a full-time shot in the Jays’ rotation – going 4-2 with a 1.53 ERA and unfathomable 0.53 WHIP and a 56/7 K/BB ratio over 59 innings in nine starts after joining the rotation on August 7. He’s obviously not going to continue at that unsustainable level and flirt with a no-hitter every time out like he did in 2024, but there’s nothing in the skills profile that leads me to believe he can’t be an elite starting pitcher for fantasy purposes. The biggest concern here is going to be the jump in workload after throwing just 123 innings between the Jays and Triple-A Buffalo in 2024. Through the first eight NFBC Main Event drafts he’s held an ADP of 262 and I fully believe he’s going to deliver a substantial profit from that spot in the draft. – David Shovein
Victor Robles OF, Mariners
There’s an extreme reluctance from fantasy managers to believe Robles’ unexpected Seattle metamorphosis wasn’t a mirage simply because they’ve been burned multiple times in the past. The 27-year-old former top prospect failed to live up to those astronomical expectations for nearly a decade with the Nationals, but things immediately clicked with the Mariners where he experienced an uptick in hard contact, started striking out less, and ran with reckless aggression on the basepaths. It’s probably a stretch to forecast double-digit homers, but Robles appears to have finally arrived as a four-category impact fantasy contributor just entering his physical prime. He’s set to lead off for the Mariners ahead of generational talent Julio Rodríguez and possesses legitimate 50-steal upside after managing 30 thefts in just 77 contests last year in Seattle. He’s one of the best values in the entire fantasy landscape this spring as a borderline top-50 outfielder on draft day. – George Bissell
Gavin Williams RHP, Guardians
I have Williams on almost 100% of my teams and have written too many articles about him this off-season, so I am dangerously all-in. The short version of why I believe Williams is in for a big year is connected to three things. For starters, he is a 25-year-old who has been a high-end prospect. He’s a former first-round draft pick who posted a 33.1% strikeout rate in 115 minor league innings in 2022 and a 34.3% mark in 60.1 innings in 2023 before his MLB call-up. We know 2024 was impacted by an elbow injury that delayed his start to the season; however, Williams has no other injury red flags and claims to be healthy after extensive physical therapy in the off-season. He has also ironed out mechanical issues that resulted from that injury, leading to increased vertical movement on his fastball and refined shape on his slider. He also plans to bring back the cutter from last year which gives him two plus secondaries to go with an elite fastball. That’s a recipe for success to me. – Eric Samulski
Gavin Williams’ mechanical tweaks could lead to a breakout season in 2025
Eric Samulski looks at the offseason changes for Guardians’ starter Gavin Williams that make him a fantasy target.
Garrett Mitchell OF, Brewers
Injuries have hindered Mitchell’s development, but even so, he’s thus far hit .264 with 13 homers and 20 steals in 365 plate appearances as a major leaguer. The Brewers are counting on him as their regular center fielder and will likely start out with him batting no lower than fifth against righties. Mitchell still needs to work on shedding some strikeouts, but continued health and everyday at-bats will likely help there. He has top-notch bat speed, and he doesn’t often chase bad pitches. There’s sufficient five-category potential to make him a top-25 fantasy outfielder this year, yet he can still be had at the end of mixed-league drafts. – Matthew Pouliot
Heliot Ramos OF, Giants
A highly-touted prospect for several years, Ramos finally broke out with the Giants in 2024, slashing .269/.322/.469 with 22 homers, 72 RBI, and six steals across 518 plate appearances, earning All-Star honors. His improved contact rate came with top-tier batted ball metrics, including a 14.5% barrel rate that fully supports his power output and gives him a 30-homer upside. While the 25-year-old outfielder had drastic splits, crushing left-handed pitching to a 1.189 OPS, his 26.8% strikeout rate and 47.3% hard-hit rate suggest he can certainly improve against right-handers. There’s a good chance he’s leading off against left-handers, which can lead to a few more stolen base opportunities. He’s already shown a willingness to run this spring with a couple of steals. And chipping in some speed with plenty of power would make him an incredible value at his current draft cost of around 200. Ramos profiles similarly to someone like Riley Greene, another breakout pick being drafted several rounds earlier. – Jorge Montanez
Andres Muñoz RP, Mariners
Sometimes, I find “player x has a new pitch” talk to be a smidgen annoying. But whether it’s because I’m cursed to be a Mariner fan or something else, I can’t stop watching Munoz’s new change; a pitch that has reportedly shown 10 inches of vertical drop. He’ll combine that pitch with a fastball that still touches 101 mph, and one of the better sliders in baseball. Seems pretty good to me, and yet I’ve been able to draft Munoz outside of the top 100 in several leagues this year, which doesn’t make a ton of sense. He’s locked in as the closer of a good — albeit flawed — Seattle team, and we’re talking about a pitcher that ranked in the 99th percentile in generating swings-and-misses with a whiff percentage of 39.6, and keep in mind that he did that before introducing this new change. Sure there’s a chance that Munoz won’t get every save opportunity for Seattle, but that’s true for every reliever in modern baseball. He’s a top five closer to me, and the fact that you could get him as your second closer is both baffling and a real chance to win the saves category. – Christopher Crawford
Fantasy Baseball Bullpen Report: Top closers, saves projections for 2025, sleepers, outlooks for MLB teams
A look at each MLB team’s bullpen situation going into the 2025 season.
Reese Olson SP, Tigers
Olson has a lot going for him. He was on his way to a true breakout season in 2024 with a 3.23 ERA and 1.18 WHIP over 103 innings before a shoulder injury took a huge chunk out of his season. He did come back in September though and gave the Tigers a few solid outings in the playoffs, so health is not a concern heading into this season. Moreover, he has an incredible combination of off-speed pitches with his slider and changeup. The slider works incredibly well with his sinker against right-handed batters and forced a 50.9% whiff rate against them last season. His changeup got more than 50% whiffs against righties as well, but was more valuable as his out-pitch against lefties. Both work well to hide his subpar fastball(s) and his command of each is so good that he can throw each to any batter. It also helps that he calls Comerica Park – one of the best pitchers’ parks in the league – home. So far this spring, he’s been throwing a tick harder and experimenting more with his curveball. Any incremental improvements there could catapult him into the top-30 starting pitcher discussion and his floor feels like a fringey top-50 type of arm. Over the last week, he’s been drafted as the 66th starting pitcher on the NFBC and I’ve been happy to jump that price and trust him in the middle of my rotation. I see a Tanner Bibee-light here. – James Schiano
Paul Goldschmidt 1B, Yankees
Goldschmidt hit .230 in the first half of 2024, but bounced back with a .270 average in the second half. He’s entering his age-37 season, but the first baseman isn’t done yet. According to the Baseball Forecaster, Goldschmidt had 28 xHR in 2024 compared to the 22 actual home runs that he hit. He’s played at least 151 games in each of the last three seasons. Goldschmidt’s ADP has remained around 180 for all of draft season. He’s going around Michael Toglia, who might sink your batting average. Goldschmidt, on the other hand, can provide a little bit of everything. His run totals should be solid in the middle of the Yankees lineup and there’s a chance we get one last vintage Goldschmidt year. – Nick Shlain
Fantasy Baseball Mock Draft Q&A
Eric Samulski and James Schiano of Rotoworld, Yahoo Sports’ Scott Pianowski, and more are hosting a LIVE fantasy baseball mock draft (12 team, 5×5 roto, snake draft) and answering your questions to help you get prepared for your fantasy baseball drafts
Read the full article here
