Let’s get right to it!
- As a reminder, these rankings are geared toward a standard, daily, 12-team H2H redraft league, as that is typically the most popular fantasy baseball format. They will only factor in the five standard categories: Runs, RBI, Home Runs, Batting Average, and Stolen Bases.
- I would recommend not paying super close attention to the specific ranks of each player, and honing in more on the respective tiers that they’re in. Each tier represents a grouping of players that I think could arguably perform at a similar level, and/or carry similar levels of risk in terms of injury concerns or playing time obstacles. If Player X is ranked at No. 55 and Player Y is ranked at No. 65, but they’re in the same tier, it means that I personally prefer Player X, but think there’s a valid argument to be made for Player Y performing just as well.
- I take rankings like this as more of an art than a science. Every person’s rankings are influenced by their own biases, strategic philosophies, determinations of risk, and projections. It’s why no two rankings are ever exactly alike. My way of evaluating and ranking players has worked out well for me over the years, but it might not be a great fit for you. I can’t possibly predict your team’s specific needs, your league mates’ player evaluations, or your current waiver wire, and if I could it’d be weird. In a bad way.
- This is a safe space for me where I answer to no one but myself…and you if you leave a comment.
- I’m doing my best to use five starts or 10 appearances as the threshold for positional eligibility. I have not included presumed eligibilities based on likely new positions, but once those eligibilities are earned I’ll add them in. This is just a maintenance thing and we will update eligibility throughout the season. Feel free to let me know if I’m missing any!
Ranking Philosophy
To keep things in the same ilk, here are a couple of notes on how I generally evaluate hitters before we dive in:
- In 12-team formats, I just don’t see much value in guys who only provide stolen bases. It’s an important category, especially in Roto, but in shallower formats, there are too many other (and better) ways to get the steals you need without sacrificing production in the other categories.
- If I want to get some insight on whether what I’m seeing is new or if it’s just normal fluctuation, I’d use my favorite tool—the rolling chart, which I’ll also reference as appropriate. You can also get rolling charts from sources like FanGraphs or Baseball Savant. If you have any questions about how to do that or how to read these charts, reach out to me!
- No stat is an island and they should all be taken in proper context. For ranking purposes, the primary starting points I use are plate discipline, wRC+, quality of contact metrics (also known as Statcast batted ball data), lineup context, and the skills we can measure using tools such as our PLV Hitter Attributes (available for PL Pro members). I also use various projections (some free, some I buy) and dollar value generators.
- Positional eligibility, and specifically multi-eligibility, is neat but also isn’t a huge factor in many 10- and 12-team leagues anymore due to the prevalence of multi-eligible players. It’s of more value in deeper contests like the NFBC, or in leagues with limited roster moves (draft and hold leagues, transaction limits/costs, extremely short benches, etc.), but even then the value is fairly situational and context-dependent.
- On a similar note, I don’t penalize players for only qualifying in the utility slot. At most, it is a mild inconvenience if a DH-only player is available at a great value and you already have filled your utility spots.
- Anyone talented enough to make it to the big leagues can be brilliant or putrid for 50 to 100 at-bats—regardless of true talent. Heck, it could even last over a month with no change in potential or skill. It also could be wildly meaningful. We can’t and don’t know which of these will be true until it’s over, though track record, scouting, and trends can give us hints.
- If you’d like input on a player or have any feedback, your best bet is to reach out to me on the website formerly known as Twitter (@ifthechufits) or in the comments below!
Read The Notes
- These rankings talk about what I generally project for a player, but these rankings are not projections. They include projections but also take into account performance risk, injury risk, team context, ceiling, and floor.
Check out the Hacks & Jacks podcast featuring Scott Chu and Joe Gallina, which also happened to be a finalist for Best Baseball Podcast of 2021 by the Fantasy Sports Writers Association (FSWA)!
I also host an AMA in the r/fantasybaseball subreddit every Friday (starting sometime in late March) starting around noon ET that lasts through the rest of the day and into the weekend, so feel free to join the fun and ask questions or make comments.
Tier 1
- No changes at the top. These three guys are my first three off the board in standard formats.
Tier 2
- Some mild shuffling here. Consider this a reminder to never bench Elly De La Cruz.
- I’m not mad at Gunnar Henderson or Mookie Betts, this is just a stacked tier.
Tier 3
- Remember when Francisco Lindor had a .197/.280/.359 line at the end of April? We were wrong to doubt him.
- Bryce Harper has put together some hits lately, but he only has two home runs and nine RBI in his last 27 games. He’ll be stronger in September, but it’s been a frustrating stretch for those relying on him for their playoff push.
Tier 4
- Freddie Freeman didn’t fall far in the ranks, but he did drop down a tier after a disappointing August where he hit just a single home run and so far has just six RBI. The return of Betts should have helped Freeman pile up some RBI even if the ball stayed in the yard, but that has yet to come to fruition.
- Trea Turner has just two steals in the second half. That’s the same amount as Carlos Santana, Nick Castellanos, and Gabriel Moreno, who can be generously described as “not that slow.”
- I was very worried about Matt Olson because there was nothing in the underlying data that suggested he’d been unlucky or was “on the verge” of a breakout, but that’s the thing about guys with massive talent — they can just turn it on one day. He has 10 home runs and 28 RBI in his last 30 games, and while the batting average is a pedestrian .248, you have to be happy that you’re at least getting the other categories after waiting so long for the guy to turn it around.
Tier 5
- Corbin Carroll has become more patient at the plate, hitting the ball in the air more, and hitting balls to the pull field more. It’s not exactly what he was doing at his best in 2024, but when you’re as talented as Carroll, you can have more than one way to be successful (just like how elite pitchers have more than one way to pitch a good game). I don’t think this is the Carroll we will see in 2025 in terms of batted ball profile or approach, but that isn’t a bad thing.
- No, I don’t think you should drop Julio Rodríguez. Matt Olson and Corbin Carroll were not showing signs of a rebound before rebounding because, well, it doesn’t always work that way. Sometimes, things just click. I think that will happen with J-Rod, and when it does, he’ll be among the best players in baseball.
- Don’t drop Adley Rutschman, either. Fun fact, if I am mentioning not to drop a guy, it’s because I have been asked earnestly whether someone should drop them. I get the sentiment behind it, but those kinds of bets rarely pay off and the risks are high.
- Willy Adames is having a quietly great season, currently rated as the 27th-best hitter in fantasy so far in 2024 per the FanGraphs Player Rater. He is chasing less this season and is also getting better fortunes on batted balls, and that combined with the career high in stolen bases means big fantasy profits for those who took a flyer on a rebound after a headache-inducing 2023.
Tier 6
- Welcome back, Jazz Chisholm Jr.! As I was writing this, Jazz hit his second home run in his last three games, and while he’s been pushed down to seventh in the lineup twice in the last three games, that’s largely due to the Yankees seeing a barrage of southpaw starters of late. He’ll hit keep hitting in the heart of this lineup and that’s a great place to be.
- Marcus Semien is providing some value from pure volume as he’s well on his way to a sixth-consecutive season (excluding 2020) with at least 700 plate appearances. Semien hasn’t gotten the ball in the air the way he has in years past, and he’s been considerably more likely to pop it up in the infield when he does get under the ball. Semien’s down year is still enough for him to be the seventh-best second baseman in fantasy so far this season, though that’s almost entirely driven by volume and the fact that second base has been remarkably thin at the top.
- Royce Lewis might be human when healthy and that’s lame.
- Bryan Reynolds should bounce out of this slump soon (he had three hits in the fireworks show between the Pirates and Cubs), though the 28.7% strikeout rate so far in the second half is unusual for Reynolds and I’m hoping it’s just a blip on the radar. The reason for the slide in the ranks is more about a recalibration of his ceiling in Pittsburgh than it is about anything happening for him recently.
Tier 7
- Mark Vientos had a bit of a slump, which is a normal and reasonable thing and has rebounded splendidly. Sure, the plate discipline right now is hideous (44.4% over his last 12 games with just a 3.7% walk rate), but he’s kept the ground ball rate down (which is key) and as long as he turns the whiffs around in the next week or so, I won’t be concerned.
- Josh Naylor is about to finish his second straight month with a slugging percentage south of .400, though the strong plate discipline and decent counting stats are making it a weatherable storm. He actually has more walks than strikeouts in his last 10 games, but that doesn’t take the sting away from the .357 OPS in that stretch. I think Naylor can get some harder contact going soon and be a useful contributor, but I understand if you’re benching him in favor of other options in the short term.
- Steven Kwan is probably fine. He’s not hitting as many line drives lately and more of his hits are going the opposite way, but not in any extreme way that suggests anything more than random small sample noise.
- Cal Raleigh is a classic power hitter and that means he’s streaky. That’s a feature, not a bug.
Tier 8
- One home run and eight RBI over 32 games does not get the job done, Will Smith. I mean, he knows that better than anyone and wants to be successful, but the real question for us is what to do in fantasy. If it’s the final 2-3 weeks of your season (which is the case for many H2H players), you can consider cutting him for a hot catcher who has upside like Tyler Stephenson (who might be available in a 10-teamer), Ryan Jeffers, or Keibert Ruiz. Miguel Amaya, though, would be a stretch, ditto Adrian Del Castillo. The difference is the length of the track record and how projectable the players are. Amaya and Del Castillo are total wild cards, while Jeffers, Ruiz, and Stephenson are both safer and have an upside that can be based on more than two weeks of performance. Those of you who play through the end of September, though, have a tougher decision on your hands. This ranks suggests I am still holding in most reasonable scenarios.
- Have a month, Seiya Suzuki. He might be even higher if the injury risk was lower.
- Brent Rooker has been fairly pedestrian over his last 15 games, hitting .259/.338/.397 with just two home runs and six RBI. Oakland’s offense has also returned to reality and has been a below-average offense during that stretch. The streaky nature of Rooker’s game and the subpar offense surrounding him have me apprehensive about projecting him as a top-50 player in September. Honestly, I’m just hoping the bottom doesn’t fall out. Rooker is more of a 30-35 home run type of player than a 40+ home run type, but his unbelievable July reminds us that he can carry an offense for a while if he gets hot.
Tier 9
- Love to see Triston Casas looking strong coming back from his injury. The 34% strikeout rate should come down closer to 28-30% as he continues to adjust back to major league pitching, and again, the important thing is that Casas is hitting the ball hard. This is a guy who could be close to a top-40 hitter going into next season, maybe even higher depending on how we look at the injury risk compared to the upside. OBP leaguers can even shoot a little higher.
- Michael Toglia is a walking machine of late, with a 19.8% walk rate (and just a 24.4% strikeout rate) over his last 21 games. Even if he only walks 10% of the time with a 25% strikeout rate, we could see a nice bump in the black hole that is his batting average.
Tier 10
- Nolan Arenado will likely keep bringing the ratios and some counting stats, but the home runs seem to be a lost cause.
- Dansby Swanson’s strong second half continues, but now with a new development: speed! Swanson has stolen eight bases this month while hitting a handful of home runs and putting upo decent counting stats. He’s playing like a top-six shortstop over the last 30 days and even better over the last two weeks, and it’s not as tough Swanson has never been successful before. I don’t think he can do this kind of thing for a whole season, doing it for another month is within his abilities.
- I love Colt Keith and love seeing him hit .405/.432/.548 in his last 10 games coming into Wednesday’s action. There’s no speed but he should grow into a 22-25 home run guy as soon as next season with solid ratios.
Tier 11
- Brandon Lowe is streaky. If there’s a second baseman worth swapping him out for, I suppose you can, but that only makes sense if you’re trying to get short-term speed and don’t mind giving up a potential power source.
- Michael Harris II has ceded the leadoff role in the last two games, but even if he continues to bat sixth, there’s a path to fantasy success. This rank assumes, though, that he can retake that leadoff spot (at least against righties) in due time.
- Junior Caminero finally got some extra-base hits out there and had yet another today (a triple). As long as he keeps his head above water in September, Caminero is likely to project as a 30 home run bat next season.
- Spencer Torkelson has a 168 wRC+ since coming back up to the majors and has instantly shown he has found a way to tap back into his power. I’m hoping to see a strong close to the season for Torkelson, who has previously shown he has 40-home run power over an extended period of time.
- Tyler Fitzgerald is fading a bit of late, which isn’t necessarily a surprise as the strikeouts have come back and he’s not a guy who is going to walk much more than average. As of right now, I am looking at Fitzgerald as the type of player who will likely hit .240-.250 with power, speed, and considerable volatility due to the strikeouts. I think he can be a 20/20 player in 2025, which might sound like a huge undersell after he put up 16 home runs and 18 steals in his first 80 career games, but that is because I expect long droughts as he adjusts to new ways pitchers attack him.
- Jonathan India’s decision-making skills are exciting even if his power and speed sort of aren’t. The more I think about it, though, the more I realize that he’s in a perfect position to get the most out of his limited physical tools because the Reds play in a tiny home ballpark and have an extremely aggressive manager on the basepaths.
Tier 12
- I want to give Matt Wallner more of a boost, but he’s either going to sit or not perform against lefties.
- Jackson Holliday will have ups and downs and I lost sight of the full range of outcomes in all the excitement.
- Kerry Carpenter is going to get some playing time against lefties, which is neat, but for now I just hope he continues to crush righties.
Tier 13
- Austin Wells should get more playing time when the Yankees stop facing left-handed starters every day.
- Shea Langeliers could go off on another tear at any time, but if you need a higher floor or ratios, look elsewhere.
- Gleyber Torres is hitting well lately and leading off. That’s enough to get us excited.
- Jorge Soler got hurt at a terrible time and has looked terrible since coming back. If he turns it around and leads off again, that’s awesome. If he continues to slump and hits towards the bottom (or worse yet, in a platoon), he’s droppable.
- Josh Jung just can’t get a feel for contact right now. Being injured all the time messes you up.
- Parker Meadows has pop, speed, and is locked in. 12 extra-base hits, five steals, and a .329/.363/.592 line since returning to the big leagues and is now the leadoff man on a regular basis. He’s still sitting once or twice a week, but it’s not necessarily a platoon and I’m interested to see how big of a role he can carve out by the end of the year in center field.
- Connor Norby has at least one hit in every game he’s played for the Marlins and has been an extra bases machine by swatting five doubles and two home runs. Strikeouts and plate discipline in general will likely be an issue, and he’s likely to be streaky, but Norby’s ceiling is exciting.
- Welcome back, Ha-Seong Kim! I have no idea where to rank you.
Tier 14
- Whit Merrifield is the leadoff guy in Atlanta now, I guess, and why not? He’s shown fantastic plate discipline since joining his new team (15.4% walk rate, 17.3% strikeout rate), and while he doesn’t have much power, he’s still got some speed left in his legs. If you need runs or steals to replace what you lost when Xavier Edwards went down, this is the perfect place to start.
- Ramón Laureano is yet another blast from the recent past in Atlanta who is surging out of nowhere after struggling mightily with a different team earlier in the year. Laureano has entrenched himself in the corner outfield and is an everyday staple in the lineup these days. While he doesn’t have the speed he once had, he’s hit five home runs this month and is putting plenty of balls in play.
Tier 15
- If you don’t need speed, you can probably drop Victor Robles, who has fallen to ninth in the order with the return of Crawford.
- If you’re holding Tyler O’Neill, it’s because you want one more crazy stretch where he hits six home runs in six games like he did at the end of August. The final line (which currently stands at .258/.346/.518 with 23 home runs) is deceiving as O’Neill has two months marred by poor performance and injury, and three months where he was fantastic. This is the pattern I expect to continue in 2025, so while the full season line will be enticing, just remember that it’s a roller coaster.
- Jhonkensy Noel is a streaky power hitter who is on a hot streak and has forced his way into regular playing time. That playing time will dissolve if he slumps, but while he’s hitting you can go ahead and stream him for power.
- Brendan Rodgers has been brutal of late, but he’s in Coors for the rest of the week so if you have him you might as well hold him.
- Daulton Varsho has been strong for about a month and I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop. Now that I’ve ranked him, it’s all but certain to happen immediately.
- Pete Crow-Armstrong has done a massive correction on his strikeout rate while also improving his walk rate via making smarter swing decisions, and it’s having the results we’d expect. Over his last 29 games, PCA has four home runs, eight steals, and a .292/.346/.531 line. The counting stats leave a bit to be desired as he’s still hitting near the bottom of the order, but if he can remain even a mostly average decision-maker, we should see the physical ability be showcased with the bat instead of just the glove.
- Miguel Amaya was once a well-regarded prospect and is on absolute fire right now, so stream away. I don’t have a lot of expectations, but if you lost Bart and want a sparkplug, this is it.
- Keibert Ruiz, on the other hand, is the safer play. Higher floor, lower ceiling. He’s my pick in points leagues or where you’re trying to hold a lead in ratios.
- Dylan Crews, the other Nationals outfielder of the future, is now up. He’s a top-10 prospect in his own right, but he doesn’t bring the massive power Woods has and for fantasy purposes is a tier or two below Woods in terms of upside. He did just hit his first major league home run, though, so at least there’s that.
- Geraldo Perdomo is a slap-hitter who is hot and can be slotted into either middle infield spot.
Taxi Squad
This year, the Taxi Squad will be a handful of players at each position who either are on the cusp of the list or have been hot topics of late.
Players are listed in no particular order.
Another update: Relevant hitters who hit the IL will end up in the IL Stashes section until they return to the active roster.
Catcher
- Francisco Alvarez (C, NYM) — Unable to unlock his prodigious power.
- Connor Wong (C, BOS) — Fine streaming catcher.
- Jonah Heim (C, TEX) — His history of being mediocre is a lot longer than his history of being good..
- Danny Jansen (C, BOS) — Only interesting right now as a trivia question.
- Kyle Higashioka (C, SDP) — Decent streaming catcher.
- Sean Murphy (C, ATL) — Playing about half the time now.
- Freddy Fermin (C, KCR) — Getting some time at DH gets him on my radar. Can provide batting average, but the rest is hit or miss.
- Logan O’Hoppe (C, LAA) — I like the talent but catcher is too deep to wait for a turnaround on a team that seems checked out.
First Base
- Paul Goldschmidt (1B, STL) — I can’t believe it has come to this.
- Jonah Bride (1B/3B, MIA) — I hoped the surge of home runs had something behind it, but he should still be useful in points leagues.
- Juan Yepez (1B/OF, WAS) — Not walking or hitting for power in August. Not striking out either, though, so at least there’s that.
- Luke Raley (1B/OF, SEA) — Power and speed that comes with streakiness and contact issues.
- Carlos Santana (1B, MIN) — Streamable in spurts, especially in OBP.
- Ty France (1B, CIN) — Playing every day so far and hits fourth against lefties.
- Justin Turner (1B/2B/3B, SEA) — In a platoon.
- Luken Baker (1B, STL) — Walks, has pop, and might get some run at DH with Contreras on the IL.
- Nolan Schanuel (1B, LAA) — Back to being a points league play.
- Ryan O’Hearn (1B/OF, BAL) — He’s great against righties, but he actually sat against one recently and it scares me.
- Michael Busch (1B, CHC) — Platooned and cold.
Second Base
- Tommy Edman (2B/SS/OF, LAD) — He’ll play and is an OK speed streamer. The bat should not be trusted (except against lefties, maybe).
- Nick Gonzales (2B, PIT) — Has power and hits in the middle of the order, but I want to see if he brings the approach he had pre-injury before ranking him again.
- David Hamilton (2B/SS, BOS) — If he starts hitting second again with regularity, he’ll be back on the list.
- Zack Gelof (2B, OAK) — Hasn’t been able to recreate any of the 2023 magic.
- Nolan Gorman (2B, STL) — Maybe he’ll get right in the minors? He’s only a hold in exceptionally deep dynasty formats.
- Dylan Moore (2B/3B/SS/OF, SEA) — Speed streamer.
- Spencer Horwitz (1B/2B, TOR) — Hits near the middle of the order but not doing much with it.
- Isiah Kiner-Falefa (2B/3B/SS, PIT) — Plays regularly but has an extremely low ceiling.
Third Base
- Josh Smith (3B/SS/OF, TEX) — Now in a platoon.
- Jace Jung (2B/3B, DET) — Worth a scoop in OBP leagues as he’ll walk plenty. Not sure if we see the power right away, though.
- Noelvi Marte (3B, CIN) — There’s a little life here, but I’m not sure I’m that interested in chasing it in standard-sized leagues.
- Matt Vierling (3B/OF, DET) — Hitting third in Detroit is slightly more appealing now that they’re healthier.
- Coby Mayo (3B, BAL) — He’ll be fine, eventually.
- José Caballero (2B/3B/SS, TBR) — Speedy and streaky slap-hitter who sits two or three times a week.
- Gio Urshela (1B/3B, ATL) — His new team has quickly given him the everyday job with Riley out.
- Christopher Morel (2B/3B/OF, TBR) — Too much ugly contact and unable to sustain production when he heats up.
- José Tena (3B/SS, WAS) — Poor hit tool but has the power and aggression to go on a tear now and again.
Shortstop
- Willi Castro (2B/3B/SS/OF, MIN) — Versatile, speedy, and consistently inconsistent.
- Paul DeJong (SS, KCR) — Power streamer.
- Ernie Clement (3B/SS, TOR) — Seems to be the guy who will get time with Bichette out.
- Jose Miranda (1B/3B, MIN) — In a platoon.
- Orlando Arcia (SS, ATL) — Plays every day, but runs extremely hot and cold (mostly the latter).
- J.P. Crawford (SS, SEA) — Straight back to the leadoff spot, though whether he does enough to be relevant is another matter.
Outfield/DH
- Trevor Larnach (OF, MIN) — In a platoon, power streamer/flyer.
- Alex Verdugo (OF, NYY) — He has been given golden opportunities and he continues to squander them, from a fantasy perspective at least.
- David Peralta (OF, SDP) — In a platoon.
- Lane Thomas (OF, WAS) — An unbelievable fall (for fantasy purposes) as Cleveland is sitting him at least twice a week with no particular rhyme or reason to it.
- Nolan Jones (OF, COL) — Just doesn’t seem to have it.
- Victor Scott II (OF, STL) — Playing well and running, but I expect more downs than ups in 2024 due to the hit tool.
- Jarred Kelenic (OF, ATL) — In a platoon, and somehow on the short side of it.
- Lars Nootbaar (OF, STL) — In a platoon.
- Jasson Domínguez (OF, NYY) — Might see him in September, but it’s a crowded outfield situation.
- Cedric Mullins (OF, BAL) — In a platoon.
- Jesse Winker (OF, NYM) — In a platoon.
- Kyle Stowers (OF, MIA) — In a platoon.
- Eloy Jiménez (DH, BAL) — In a platoon.
- Jesus Sanchez (OF, MIA) Hits the ball hard but doesn’t pull it much, killing his home run upside.
- Jordan Beck (OF, COL) — He’s up, but the strikeouts are really hard to stomach.
- Andrew Benintendi (OF, CWS) — Slappy leadoff hitter on one of the worst offenses of the modern era.
- Jacob Young (OF, WAS) — Speedsters in Washington have the greenest of green lights.
- Harrison Bader (OF, NYM) — Has speed and some pop with terrible contact and extreme injury risk.
- Pete Crow-Armstrong (OF, CHC) — Has speed and is playing, but I have little faith in the bat at this point.
- Wyatt Langford (OF, TEX) — The walks are cool but nothing else is.
- Brandon Marsh (OF, PHI) — Cold and hits near the bottom of the order.
- Rece Hinds (OF, CIN) — Those first six games in July were cool but I’m not adding him in any format.
- Michael Conforto (OF, SFG) — In a platoon.
IL Stashes
This section has been expanded to include players who may be on your radar for 2025
- Willson Contreras (C, STL) —
- Gabriel Moreno (C, ARI) — Points and OBP catcher who can provide ratios and a bit of counting stats with single-digit power and speed.
- Joey Bart (C, PIT) —
- Endy Rodríguez (C, PIT) — Former top-20 prospect with a plus hit tool. Should be the primary backstop in 2025.
- Patrick Bailey (C, SFG) — Completely fell apart in August. Droppable but a fringey streamer who is dependent on BABIP.
- Christian Walker (1B, ARI) — Core injuries are tough to gauge. Hoping he’s back for September.
- Ryan Mountcastle (1B, BAL) —
- Jeimer Candelario (1B/3B, CIN) — Droppable unless you’ve got an open IL spot.
- Anthony Rizzo (1B, NYY) — Not expecting an impact in 2024 but should play somewhere in 2025.
- Christian Encarnacion-Strand (1B, CIN) — Solid 2023 followed by abysmal 2024. Power is legitimate, though.
- Ketel Marte (2B, ARI) — Hopefully a short stint on the IL.
- Ha-Seong Kim (2B/3B/SS, SDP) — Unless you need speed or have a free IL spot, you might just drop him.
- Ozzie Albies (2B, ATL) — For fantasy purposes, Albies is out for the season. He’ll be a bounce-back/buy-low candidate for 2025.
- Jordan Westburg (2B/3B, BAL) — A broken hand likely keeps him out of your playoff push, though he may be back in late September.
- Luis Rengifo (2B/3B/SS/OF) — Hopefully he can recover fully by next season.
- Matt McLain (2B, CIN) — Mild setback, but could still be back by the end of the month.
- Brooks Lee (2B/3B/SS, MIN) — Should be more consistent with more playing time, should be relevant in 2025.
- Ronny Mauricio (2B/SS, NYM) — 20/20 upside in 2025, but the aggressive approach could cause problems.
- Xavier Edwards (2B/SS, MIA) — He should be back in time to make an impact, especially if you need speed.
- Austin Riley (3B, ATL) — For fantasy purposes, this ends his season.
- Bo Bichette (SS, TOR) — He’ll be out multiple weeks and if my IL was full with top-75 guys, I’d probably cut him.
- Carlos Correa (SS, MIN) — Good signs so far. Could be back by the end of the month.
- Trevor Story (SS, BOS) — I’m not interested for 2024 but he’s under contract until at least the end of next season and will get looks when healthy.
- Kyle Tucker (OF, HOU) — This thing keeps dragging on. He could be back for September. Top-five player on return.
- Fernando Tatis Jr. (OF, SDP) — Top-20 on his return, which is hopefully mid-September.
- Christian Yelich (OF, MIL) — Just kidding he’s done.
- Mike Trout (OF, LAA) — Done for the year.
- Byron Buxton (OF, MIN) — Not surprising in any way but still a bummer. Should be back by early September
- Evan Carter (OF, TEX) — Likely out for the season.
- Heston Kjerstad (OF, BAL) — Not relevant for 2024 but he’ll be someone to watch for in 2025.
- Ronald Acuña Jr. (OF, ATL) — Obviously, he’s a drop in redraft leagues. Still top-5 in dynasty.
- Esteury Ruiz (OF, OAK) — When allowed to play, he will steal bases.
- Kris Bryant (OF, COL) — He’s on the books until 2028 and will play when healthy.
- Andrew McCutchen (OF, PIT) — Makes good decisions and is useful in OBP, but will he give it another go in 2025?
- Jung Hoo Lee (OF, SFG) — I’m not too worried about the shoulder issue impacting him in 2025. Solid points league potential.
Photos by Icon Sportswire | Design by J.R. Caines (@JRCainesDesign on Twitter and @caines_design on Instagram)
Why is Friedl ranked so high? He’s had a horrible year with no signs of improving.
He’s moving up most weeks due to attrition. He still has a fantastic opportunity and could turn it around at any moment. I decided to give Friedl another week when I saw that he’s gone from the 25th percentile in decision-making to the 75th percentile throughout the month. If you don’t need speed, though, he’s potentially droppable in some formats.
Hi Scott,
I’m curious about how you feel about Ceddanne Rafaela. I have him in Dynasty and was planning to keep him but the large drop and the fact he remains in the 8 or 9 hole concerns me for the future. Thanks for your response.
Rafaela is extremely aggressive, so that power and speed comes with big swings in ratio when he’s hot or cold. He’s worth holding is a guy who hits 20/20 with a .250 average is a solid play (which in dynasty it usually is), but be ready for the ups and downs that come with guys who swing a lot.