FantasyPros Staff | Wed, Mar 26th 2025, 1:04pm EDT

11 Bold Predictions from the Experts (2025 Fantasy Baseball)

With the season beginning on Thursday, it’s time to throw caution to the wind and get bold. Some of these predictions may sound a little crazy, but crazy things happen in sports. These predictions are bold because they assume that certain players will overcome significant obstacles or perform at a particularly high level in the upcoming season.

Our featured pundits are here to share bold fantasy baseball predictions for 2025.

Bold Predictions from the Experts

What is one fantasy baseball bold prediction (player-related) that you believe will happen this season and why?

Drake Baldwin (C – ATL)

“There is a realistic chance that Drake Baldwin does not give Sean Murphy a chance to return as the starting catcher for the Atlanta Braves. We already know that Baldwin will see plenty of playing time to open the season with Murphy out of action with a rib injury. Murphy struggled at the plate last season, slashing a career-worst .193/.284/.352, with 10 home runs and 25 RBI in 72 games. The 23-year-old Baldwin slashed .276/.370/.423, with 16 home runs and 88 RBI in 124 games between Double-A and Triple-A. If Baldwin can get off to a hot start, he should provide fantasy managers with a great return on his current ADP, which sits at 392 overall.”
– Jesse Garcia (FantasyPros)

Victor Robles (OF – SEA)

“Victor Robles will lead the majors in stolen bases. Lazy math tells us that if he stole 34 bases in 91 games last year then he could easily approach Elly De La Cruz‘s 67 steals from a year ago. It doesn’t usually work that way, of course. But Robles not only loved hitting in Seattle, he’s remade himself as a hitter the last two years, cutting his K% significantly and increasing his Hard Hit%. Batting leadoff in front of Julio Rodriguez will give him plenty of steal opportunities.”
– Pierre Camus (Fantasy Endgame)

Cam Smith (3B – HOU)

“Cam Smith hits 30 home runs and cruises to American League Rookie of the Year honors. My extremely bold prediction is that Smith outproduces Kyle Tucker, but I think there might be only one universe where that prediction hits, and it probably isn’t this one. But that’s how high I am on Cam Smith. Despite how disappointing rookie hitters have been over the last few years, I have a feeling Smith bucks the trend and emerges as an immediate contributor and must-start option in fantasy. The Astros believe in him, and I think a Summer hot streak can propel him to 30 HR and an AL ROY award.”
– Mike Maher (FantasyPros)

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (1B, 3B – TOR)

“Vladimir Guerrero Jr. will lead the league in home runs and RBIs and contend for the Triple Crown. The stars are lining up for Vladimir as he is in the last season of his current contract and is looking for a massive contract next season. He’s 26 years old and coming off of a 2024 season where he hit 30 home runs, 103 RBI, and a batting average of .323. His ADP is 13.4, and he will deliver 1st round stats with a 2nd-round pick.”
– Jeff Boggis (Fantasy Football Empire)

“Vladimir Guerrero Jr. will end up a Top 5 fantasy player. I would love to say he’ll end up No. 1, but unless part of his free agency plan is to start stealing bases regularly, that will be hard. The point is, I think he is in line for a monster season. FantasyPros projections have him at 31/94/99/5/.298, but I think he could go 40/100/100 and vastly outperform his ADP, which is hard to do when it is that high. A bounceback season from Bo Bichette and lineup protection of Anthony Santander could be all he needs to show off why he thought 15 years and around $600 million was an undervalued offer.”
– Kelly Kirby (FantasyPros)

Jackson Holliday (2B – BAL)

“After being much maligned in his rookie season, Orioles infielder Jackson Holliday will have a 20/20 season. His career .443 minor league OBP says not only does he possess good pitch recognition skills but that they’ll lead to plenty of stolen base opportunities. This is especially true when you consider last year’s rule changes that rebirthed the stolen base. His new load position and quieter lower half should allow him to have more balance and generate more power. So far, the Spring stats are encouraging, and remember, the O’s continue to make the park more hitter-friendly. Buy the dip on Holliday.”
– Joe Pisapia (FantasyPros)

Matt Wallner (OF – MIN)

“Matt Wallner is starting the year in the leadoff role against righties in a role similar to Kyle Schwarber with the Phillies, and he has the potential to deliver 30 HR there with a full year of opportunity. After already heating up with 6 HR this spring, I predict that he’ll hit well enough during the year that the Twins will be forced to play him every day, and he’ll finish the season as a top 100 player. I see him getting 500 PA while hitting .250 with 30 HR, with the potential for 80 R and RBI. In leagues that account for OBP or have daily lineup changes, his value will be even higher, but Matt Wallner will become a regular starter in all fantasy leagues by the end of the season.”
– Luke Gloeckner (Mr. Cheatsheet)

Gavin Lux (2B – LAD)

“Gavin Lux will finish in the Top 15 at second base. Lux showed excellent second-half splits last season. His OPS jumped from .562 to .899 (credit: @Nati_Sports ). He was one and a half years removed from his ACL injury at that point. Lux is going to get a lot more games and plate appearances than the projection systems expect. They all currently project about 113 games and around 450 PA. What if we bumped that to 580, half the time in a great ballpark for hitters? That will push Lux into a Top 15 ranking at the position this season.”
– Mike MacGregor (Draft Buddy)

Elly De La Cruz (SS – CIN) | Jazz Chisholm Jr. (3B, OF – NYY)

“Elly De La Cruz and Jazz Chisholm Jr. will have 40/40 seasons. This is going to be the most exciting regular season chase to the finish we’ve seen since Mark McGwire and Swingin Sammy Sosa resuscitated life back into baseball with their chase of Roger Maris’ single-season home run record. This time, it’s going to be by both the gallup and the mallets of Elly De La Cruz and Jazz Chisholm Jr. BOTH are going to rage their way to 40-40 seasons. Only six players in the history of baseball have accomplished the incredible dual-threat feat of hitting 40 home runs while stealing 40 bases in one season. Shohei Ohtani, Ronald Acuna Jr., Alex Rodriguez, Barry Bonds, Alfonso Soriano, and Jose Canseco are the only members of one of the rarest groups that have done it. In 2025, two will do it in the same season, one in each league. For Elly the Great, the drama will come down to whether he can mash the 40 bombs he’ll need to pull it off. De La Cruz could steal 40 by the fourth of July – he stole 67 in 2024 – but it will be September 24th before he swats the historic 40th homer. For The Jazz Man, his previous highs are 24 home runs and 40 steals right on the target button. 30/30 would be one heck of a season in the Bronx for Jazz, but I’m flying through that stop sign and moving right to 40/40. Both have the athleticism, the pop in their bats, the benefit of friendly home ballparks as well as competitive teams that will be pushing to win every game from the jump to the finish and the supporting casts around them to enhance their statistical performance. These are two of the most electric players in the game in the perfect places at the perfect time to do something historical, and 2025 is going to be that memorable season for this dynamic duo.”
– Chris Mitchell (FantasyData)

Brent Rooker (DH – ATH)

“My bold prediction is Athletics outfielder Brent Rooker will hit 50 doubles and 50 home runs this season. The slugger set career-highs in 2024, blasting 39 home runs to go along with 26 doubles while also driving in 112 runs and posting a .562 slugging percentage in 145 games. Combine that with the move to a more hitter-friendly home ballpark in Sacramento and fantasy managers could be rewarded with a fantasy season to remember from Rooker as the centerpiece in the middle of a young Athletics lineup filled with potential entering the 2025 season.”
– Chris Schommer (FantasyPros)

Mike Trout (OF – LAA)

“Mike Trout plays 130 games in 2025. That would be the most games played since 2019. He takes on two small IL stints but mostly stays healthy. This brings Trout back to being a top-three-round player. He hits 35 home runs, steals 10 bases, and is more valuable in the fantasy than Michael Harris or Teoscar Hernandez.”
– Chris Welsh (FantasyPros)

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