I released my massive Top 400 Starting Pitchers for Fantasy Baseball 2025 at the end of February and an updated version of The List – Top 100 Starting Pitchers last week (which you should absolutely read if you haven’t already!) and decided to leverage that into some smaller articles relating to guys you could target for specific categories or at certain times in your draft. You can find this article, and other similar ones, in our 2025 Draft Kit.
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Below are 5 Starting Pitcher Sleepers for 2025 drafts.
1. Dustin May (LAD, RHP)
He’s back! FINALLY! And y’all better pay attention. With May geting the SP #5 gig, I absolutely adore him for this year. He throws super hard sinkers with absurd horizontal break that completely wreck RHB. As they should, jutting inside viciously and returning stupid low ICR marks at 97+ mph. He’s made to go 6+ frames with ease based on that sinker alone, but he’s also flexed strikeout upside on the back of a 93 mph cutter and 86 mph curveball. As long as he’s actually healthy now post TJS and esophagus surgery (yep), this season should mark the beginning of him getting into rhythm to be a legit arm in the majors.
Sure, I do wish he had a little more whiffability and a changeup to go under the sinker for LHB, but give it time. The foundation is too good. I’m expecting the Dodgers to go with May or Miller out of camp and whoever it is, I want them on my teams.
Quick Take: If May gets the SP #5 job out of camp, I’m grabbing him everywhere I can. His 97+ mph sinker was a destroyer of bats and he was just beginning to achieve the potential whiffability in his 93 mph cutter and 86 mph curve. It’s all there, he just needs innings.
2. Grant Holmes (ATL, RHP)
I like The Real Estate Broker a lot. Holmes boasted three pitches with a 15%+ SwStr rate, 65%+ strike rate, and sub 40% ICR against RHB with his four-seamer spotting the edges, opening the doors for filthy sliders and curveballs. It was awesome. Small sample size of just under 70 IP, yes, but still awesome.
There are some warning signs against LHB, though. His four-seamer’s strength is precision against RHB that is simply not there against LHB with so many wasted armside and off the plate, which isn’t the worst thing – it’s his most hittable pitch, after all – but the pitches that land inside the zone are well inside the zone. Not great.
The slider and curve make up the slack, though. Both returned absurd 70%+ Strike rates at a 24% SwStr clip, and even with his slider returning a ghastly 50%+ ICR, contact wasn’t made enough for Holmes to struggle in the small sample.
Now that Atlanta hasn’t acquired significant depth, Holmes should be the #4 starter out of camp and in a position to hold a rotation spot once Strider returns – it’s rare for something not to break after a month into the year. With a longer leash and starting every five days on a winning club, Holmes looks to be a great sleeper target for all-around production at a cheap cost.
Quick Take: The heater’s strong precision against RHB allows the elite slider and curve to take center stage without the punishment we normally see from breaker-focused arms. There may be some struggles against LHB that need a changeup or cutter to ease the blow, but Holmes should return plenty of value in all formats at his late draft price.
3. Sawyer Gipson-Long (DET, RHP)
Sawyer underwent Internal Brace surgery in late April and was placed on the 60-day IL, which spells a return around the All-Star break as he’s had a setback with his hip as well but should be on your radar. I’d imagine he’ll be sent to the minors before getting placed directly back into the rotation, but…you may want to IL stash him. The dude has 7.5 feet of extension and was sitting 94 mph with a true sinker (93rd percentile drop!) with a slider and changeup that he refused to float upstairs. The guy is made to confound down in the zone and go the Neckbeard approach, while he could theoretically go upstairs with four-seamers at his extension and 1.4 HAVAA.
Sooooo yeah. Here’s a stupid fun sleeper, especially for your draft and holds. Sure, it’s not clear if he’ll be back to normal when he does arrive, but dang. This feels like a super unique skill set with shockingly stellar command that could be super real. Wow.
Quick Take: Gipson-Long has a unique mix of legit vertical pitches that he keeps down merged with Gilbert-esque extension that makes for a very legitimate starter if he’s fully healthy once returning. This is your ultra sneaky IL stash.
4. Max Meyer (MIA, LHP)
Meyer has a great slider. And that’s it. The four-seamer had one game of earning seven whiffs against Atlanta and failed to hit five otherwise, returning a sub 7% SwStr rate for the year. The changeup failed to return a 50% strike rate. But yes, it’s a great slider and he’s a young arm. I have little faith in his heaters massively improving with its poor shape & extension, making his changeup (or something else?) the only path toward consistent fantasy production.
Like his teammate Ryan Weathers, Meyer has been a new pitcher this spring and I’m excited for it. I’m a little tepid on the situation + is his four-seamer/slider combo enough? It’s hard to figure out who to favor here or if we should favor either in the first place. Give it a spin and let’s see what happens.
5. Richard Fitts (BOS, RHP)
He was kinda cool for a moment last year and with Bello and Crawford looking like they will be on the shelf for Opening Day, he’s in the running with Quinn Priester to be the #5 SP out of the gate. After flexing 94 mph last year and a bit of a Toby, Fitts is suddenly sitting 97+ mph, which is expected to go down a touch, but it came with a pair of breaking balls as well and hot DANG if there’s truth to this, he’s making the rotation and would be worth while in all leagues. Pay attention here.
Quick Take: If Fitts’ newfound velocity is real, everything takes a leap forward from last year. Pay attention to his spring outings and with an opening to take the #5 spot out of camp, he could be that guy you wish you were in on.