MLB Spring Training is right around the corner! It’s not long before the action begins. Now is the time to prepare for your fantasy baseball drafts. Here’s a look at a fantasy baseball mock draft using our FREE mock draft simulator. You can check out the full fantasy baseball mock draft results below, and we dive into a few of the notable picks.
2025 Fantasy Baseball Mock Draft Picks & Predictions
1.04 Elly De La Cruz (SS – CIN)
There are two primary ways to win the stolen base category in 2025 fantasy baseball. You can wait and hodge-podge together a few guys to get there. Or you can draft Elly De La Cruz. The 22-year-old shortstop arrived in speedster fashion in 2024, racking up 67 stolen bases in 160 games. He also hit 25 home runs and scored 105 runs. Sure, his K% is in the sixth percentile at 31.3, and he isn’t going to do much for your batting average. However, he can single-handedly deliver an SB win in weekly H2H leagues. Interestingly, ELDC hit more home runs away from Great American Ball Park (13 to 12), so there is room for growth with his power numbers if he unlocks that cheat code of a home stadium. Elly is a first-round draft pick with significant upside in 2025.
2.09 Freddie Freeman (1B – LAD)
Freddie Freeman dealt with an ankle injury in 2024 that limited him to 147 games, his lowest total since 2017. He also failed to hit .300 for the first time since 2019. Some of this is attributable to an outlier BABIP of .306, well below his career average. However, the rest of his fantasy profile remained strong as he hit 22 homers, drove in 89, scored 81 times, and stole nine bases. Freeman will be playing his age-35 season, which could scare off some managers on draft day, but he still bats squarely in the middle of the best lineup in baseball and has not shown any indications of serious decline. He remains a safe bet to set and forget in your first base slot.
5.04 Gerrit Cole (SP – NYY)
Gerrit Cole is this year’s winner of the “Are we witnessing the decline?” award, given annually to the former superstar ace who had an injury-plagued year and returned looking like a much lesser version of himself. Cole is now 33 and pitched only 95 innings in 2024 due to an elbow injury that ate up the first half of the season. His K% dropped for the fourth straight season down to 25.4, and his walk rate jumped to 7.4%, the worst of his career since his first year in Houston. Is he a good bounce-back candidate for 2025? It’s possible, as we can’t be sure how much his injury lingered through the season. But he could just as easily struggle in the same way or with the same injury. Either way, the dominant, set-and-forget version of Gerrit Cole may be gone. Be careful on draft day.
6.09 Framber Valdez (SP – HOU)
Framber Valdez continued his steady ways in 2024, starting 28 games and pitching 176 1/3 innings. He finished the year with a 2.91 ERA and 1.11 WHIP and struck out 169 batters. Valdez lives and dies by the ground ball, sitting in the 99th percentile in ground ball rate at 61.7%. There is nothing particularly wrong with Valdez, though when he gets hit, he gets hit hard, and his xERA was a half-run higher at 3.41. The trick with him in fantasy is simply that he doesn’t strike out as many batters as other pitchers drafted in the same vicinity. He does offer the safest floor, so depending on where else you want to take your risks, Valdez may be a worthwhile SP2 anchor to your staff.
15.04 Nick Castellanos (OF – PHI)
Nick Castellanos struggled mightily through the first two months of last season, leaving fantasy managers questioning his value. His batting average plummeted to uncharacteristically low levels, a stark contrast to his typically strong starts. By May, many deemed him droppable, a surprising turn for the usually reliable 32-year-old. Fortunately, Castellanos found his stride as the season progressed, performing more like the player managers anticipated on draft day. Heading into this year, he projects as a solid OF3/OF4 option in the Phillies’ lineup, with the potential to deliver even more if he can recapture his usual hot start.
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.
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | SoundCloud | iHeartRadio