It can be helpful to get an early sense of where the experts stand in terms of initial fantasy baseball draft rankings. We’ll have you covered as we approach the spring and new season, but for now let’s take a look at 2025 fantasy baseball rankings.
2025 Fantasy Baseball Rankings
| RK | PLAYER NAME | TEAM | POS | BEST | WORST | AVG. | STD.DEV | ECR VS. ADP |
| 1 | Shohei Ohtani | LAD | DH1 | 1 | 3 | 1.1 | 0.3 | 0 |
| 2 | Bobby Witt Jr. | KC | SS1 | 1 | 3 | 1.8 | 0.4 | 0 |
| 3 | Aaron Judge | NYY | OF1 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 0.4 | 0 |
| 4 | Elly De La Cruz | CIN | SS2 | 3 | 8 | 5.8 | 1.5 | 0 |
| 5 | Juan Soto | NYM | OF2 | 3 | 9 | 6 | 1.8 | 1 |
| 6 | Gunnar Henderson | BAL | SS3 | 4 | 10 | 6.1 | 0.9 | 1 |
| 7 | Jose Ramirez | CLE | 3B1 | 4 | 13 | 6.8 | 1.7 | -2 |
| 8 | Kyle Tucker | CHC | OF3 | 5 | 20 | 8.2 | 1.4 | 0 |
| 9 | Mookie Betts | LAD | OF4 | 4 | 14 | 8.6 | 2.4 | 0 |
| 10 | Corbin Carroll | ARI | OF5 | 6 | 19 | 11.1 | 1.2 | 1 |
| 11 | Fernando Tatis Jr. | SD | OF6 | 9 | 19 | 11.3 | 2 | -1 |
| 12 | Paul Skenes | PIT | SP1 | 5 | 31 | 13.7 | 3 | 2 |
| 13 | Francisco Lindor | NYM | SS4 | 6 | 20 | 13.8 | 1.8 | 0 |
| 14 | Yordan Alvarez | HOU | OF7 | 11 | 20 | 14.2 | 1 | 3 |
| 15 | Tarik Skubal | DET | SP2 | 4 | 26 | 14.9 | 2.8 | 1 |
| 16 | Julio Rodriguez | SEA | OF8 | 11 | 28 | 15.3 | 2.9 | -4 |
| 17 | Vladimir Guerrero Jr. | TOR | 1B1 | 11 | 18 | 15.6 | 1 | -2 |
| 18 | Bryce Harper | PHI | 1B2 | 14 | 27 | 18.5 | 1.3 | 0 |
| 19 | Freddie Freeman | LAD | 1B3 | 12 | 33 | 19.3 | 1.8 | 2 |
| 20 | Jarren Duran | BOS | OF9 | 9 | 53 | 21.7 | 5.1 | 0 |
| 21 | Zack Wheeler | PHI | SP3 | 16 | 34 | 22.3 | 3.4 | 2 |
| 22 | Ronald Acuna Jr. | ATL | OF10 | 7 | 30 | 23.3 | 5.5 | 0 |
| 23 | Jackson Chourio | MIL | OF11 | 17 | 47 | 23.6 | 7.2 | -4 |
| 24 | Trea Turner | PHI | SS5 | 16 | 58 | 24.1 | 2.7 | 0 |
| 25 | Ketel Marte | ARI | 2B1 | 21 | 31 | 25.6 | 2.5 | 0 |
| 26 | Rafael Devers | BOS | 3B2 | 22 | 34 | 27.7 | 2.2 | 0 |
| 27 | Matt Olson | ATL | 1B4 | 23 | 34 | 28.9 | 3.4 | 1 |
| 28 | Jackson Merrill | SD | CF1 | 22 | 54 | 29.2 | 5.8 | 1 |
| 29 | Jazz Chisholm Jr. | NYY | OF12 | 22 | 69 | 29.6 | 5.4 | -2 |
| 30 | Austin Riley | ATL | 3B3 | 24 | 39 | 30.8 | 3 | 0 |
| 31 | Logan Gilbert | SEA | SP4 | 20 | 43 | 32.5 | 4.9 | 0 |
| 32 | Chris Sale | ATL | SP5 | 21 | 57 | 33.1 | 5 | 3 |
| 33 | Manny Machado | SD | 3B4 | 22 | 55 | 33.8 | 3 | -1 |
| 34 | Corbin Burnes | ARI | SP6 | 30 | 89 | 36 | 3.3 | -1 |
| 35 | Corey Seager | TEX | SS6 | 29 | 60 | 37 | 7.4 | 3 |
| 36 | Jose Altuve | HOU | 2B2 | 24 | 61 | 37.9 | 5.5 | 3 |
| 37 | Dylan Cease | SD | SP7 | 29 | 53 | 39.6 | 5.6 | 5 |
| 38 | Garrett Crochet | BOS | SP8 | 23 | 70 | 41.5 | 10.3 | -2 |
| 39 | Ozzie Albies | ATL | 2B3 | 26 | 185 | 42.3 | 9 | 2 |
| 40 | Cole Ragans | KC | SP9 | 36 | 78 | 42.6 | 3.4 | 0 |
What is Fantasy Baseball?
Fantasy baseball is an online game where participants act as managers of virtual baseball teams based on real-life Major League Baseball (MLB) players. The performance of these players in actual games determines the results in the fantasy league. It’s a blend of skill, strategy, and a little bit of luck, akin to the real-world decisions team managers must make.
Basic Strategy for Fantasy Baseball Success
1. Understand Your League’s Format and Scoring
Before drafting your team, it’s essential to understand the scoring system and rules of your specific league, as this will influence your drafting and management strategy. Knowing whether you’re in a points-based, category-based, or head-to-head league will guide you in selecting players whose strengths align with the scoring system.
2. Drafting Your Team Wisely
A solid draft is the foundation of a successful season. Here are a few tips for the drafting phase:
- Balanced Team: Ensure you have a balanced team with a mix of power hitters, average hitters, speedsters, starting pitchers, and relievers.
- Position Scarcity: Be aware of the depth of talent at each position. Some positions, like shortstop, may have fewer high-quality players, making it beneficial to draft a top player at that position early.
- High-Floor Players: Early in the draft, focus on players with a proven track record of consistency.
- Upside Picks: In the later rounds, look for “upside” players. These are athletes who have the potential to outperform their draft position.
3. In-Season Management
- Stay Active: Constantly look for ways to improve your team through waivers, trades, and free-agent pickups.
- Mind the Matchups: Pay attention to player matchups, platoon splits, and ballparks. Starting a pitcher in a hitter-friendly park, for example, can be risky.
- Injury Management: Stay on top of player injuries and have backups ready for your key players.
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