As we ramp up the fantasy baseball draft season, the time for a fantasy baseball mock draft is now. Most take part in mock drafts to determine the best potential plan of attack to achieve the best draft results. Of course, the results can vary based on draft spot, league competition and more.
My task is to take part in quick mock drafts using the FantasyPros fantasy baseball mock draft simulator. I will draft from the front and back of the draft, discussing the results and other potential picks available.
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In the end, remember these are just mock drafts. They should be used to help build a better player pool concept, to realize when to target pitchers, certain hitting positions or statistics and more. Let’s look at my results for picking sixth in a 12-team mock draft. Click here for the full results.
Fantasy Baseball Mock Draft
The lineup for this 12-team draft is 2-C, 1-1B, 1-2B, 1-3B, 1-SS, 1-CI, 1-MI, 5-OF, 1-UTIL, 8-P and four bench spots.
1.06: Kyle Tucker (OF – CHC)
Kyle Tucker is one of the best floor first-round picks on the board. If I draft in the middle of the first round, I will take all of the Tucker shares I can get. He has 30/30 upside with a solid batting average and counting stats. His new home in Wrigley does not concern me at all.
Others Considered: Corbin Carroll (OF – ARI)
2.07: Trea Turner (SS – PHI)
According to some fantasy analysts, Trea Turner had a bit of a down season, but he still hit 21 home runs while stealing 19 bases and hitting .295. The speed hopefully returns in 2025, which would make Turner a steal in the middle/end of the second round.
Others Considered: Jackson Merrill (OF – SD)
3.06: Wyatt Langford (OF – TEX)
I am all about the price tag on Wyatt Langford this draft season. As the team reports, hopefully, the oblique injury is minor. If Langford is OK, he is an excellent third-round pick.
Langford has 20/20 appeal. Pairing Langford, Turner and Tucker to start a draft brings three players with tons of power and speed to set the table for your team, allowing statistical flexibility as the draft continues.
Other Considered: Logan Gilbert (SP – SEA)
4.07: Dylan Cease (SP – SD)
With the offense off to a great start, it’s time to draft an ace for the staff. Dylan Cease has shown strong ratios in recent seasons, with 200+ strikeouts year after year. If you do not take one of the top four or five starting pitchers on the board, Cease becomes a great ace to target later.
Other Considered: N/A
5.06: Teoscar Hernandez (OF – LAD)
Teoscar Hernandez returning to the Dodgers is excellent for his fantasy appeal. He has 30+ home run upside with plenty of run production and a nice batting average. He adds to the power and run production sources while providing a nice batting average and a few steals.
Others Considered: Devin Williams (RP – NYY)
6.07: Christian Walker (1B – HOU)
With plenty of steals on the team, drafting Christian Walker at a weak first-base position makes sense. He should flourish in Houston, providing 30+ home runs and plenty of runs.
Power later in drafts with three to four other ROTO categories is hard to come by, making a sixth-round pick of Walker very appealing.
Others Considered: Mason Miller (RP – OAK)
7.06: Willson Contreras (C – STL)
I like to get at least one of the top catchers on the board, and Willson Contreras fits that bill. Year after year, he puts up solid numbers, but recent injuries have skewed some production.
The Cardinals want to play Contreras at first base this season, which should help keep him healthy and lead to a massive fantasy season.
Others Considered: N/A
8.07: Lawrence Butler (OF – OAK)
Lawrence Butler continues to go too late in drafts. He is coming off a 22/18 season with a .262 average in 125 games. He made some adjustments at Triple-A, which paid off when he got his chance with the A’s.
Butler will play every day for the A’s this year — a 20/20 floor seems legitimate. That means four players in the first eight rounds bring 20/20 floors. It’s a great start to stacking the five ROTO categories.
Others Considered: Andres Munoz (RP – SEA)
9.06: Jhoan Duran (RP – MIN)
By drafting hitting aggressively, I have put myself behind the eight-ball in terms of pitching. The elite closers were already off the board, so it was time to start grabbing some saves.
Jhoan Duran is good for 20+ saves but not much more, as the Twins use him in many different roles. Duran will rack up strikeouts and saves, giving him a nice fantasy floor.
Others Considered: Mark Vientos (3B – NYM)
10.07: Junior Caminero (3B – TB)
Junior Caminero has all the makings of a fantasy superstar. He dominated the Minor Leagues and will finally get his chance to showcase his skills at the big league level.
Caminero brings plenty of power with nice countings stats. Third base gets ugly as the draft goes on, so using a 10th-round pick on Caminero is a strong move.
Others Considered: Robert Suarez (RP – SD)
11.06: Ryan Walker (RP – SF)
With the closer situation getting murky, I wanted to double-tap. Adding Ryan Walker’s massive upside is an excellent pairing with Duran.
Walker was great over the last month and a half of the season once he took over closing duties for the Giants. He collected 10 saves with elite ratios and strikeouts. Walker has the potential to be a top-five fantasy closer this season.
Others Considered: Jake Burger (1B, 2B – TEX)
12.07: Xander Bogaerts (2B, SS – SD)
With so many home runs and steals locked up already, drafting Xander Bogaerts and his elite batting average skills to man second base fits the team build. Bogaerts can add 15-20 home runs with 10+ steals to go with his strong batting average. He’s a great floor player.
Others Considered: Jack Flaherty (SP – DET)
13.06: Carlos Rodon (SP – NYY)
It’s round 13 and I only have one starting pitcher. It’s time to start taking some serious upside plays. Carlos Rodon has been great in two of the last three seasons when he’s been healthy. He has had a sub-4.00 ERA with 200-strikeout upside. If Rodon can succeed again this year, he’ll be a steal this late.
Others Considered: Kodai Senga (SP – NYM)
14.07: Tyler Stephenson (C – CIN)
Tyler Stephenson is one of my top C2 targets this draft season. He brings a nice batting average, which is tough to find at the position.
Stephenson should also hit 15+ home runs and produce plenty of RBI hitting in the middle of the Reds lineup. Stephenson is a stud. A healthy season could lead to a top-10 fantasy catcher performance.
Others Considered: Nick Castellanos (OF – PHI)
15.06: Paul Goldschmidt (1B – NYY)
Paul Goldschmidt is coming off a down season, but a season where he finished strong in the second half. He heads to the Bronx to find his grove again as he approaches the end of his career.
Goldschmidt should hit in the middle of the Yankees lineup, which could lead to a lot of RBI and runs scored to go with 20+ home runs. Goldschmidt makes for a strong corner infielder.
Others Considered: Sandy Alcantara (SP – MIA)
16.07: Cristopher Sanchez (SP – PHI)
Cristopher Sanchez is not the ideal SP3 on a fantasy roster, but here we are. Sanchez showed plenty of improvements last season in strikeouts and throwing 181.2 innings.
Sanchez brings an elite ground ball skill set as he resembles a poor man’s Framber Valdez. If Sanchez can reach that Valdez-like appeal, he could be a fantasy steal.
Others Considered: Masyn Winn (SS – STL)
17.06: Tyler O’Neill (OF – BAL)
Health is always Tyler O’Neill’s biggest opponent. When healthy, O’Neill has hit 30+ home runs. He heads to Baltimore this season with the left-field fence moved in, which is a significant plus for O’Neill.
The new Oriole is worth a gamble later in drafts as he can be a massive fantasy producer, but he’s an easy waiver wire drop if he gets injured.
Others Considered: Jordan Romano (RP – PHI)
18.07: Nathan Eovaldi (SP – TEX)
Nathan Eovaldi is coming off a great season where he threw 170.2 innings with a 3.80 ERA and 3.64 SIERA. He had a quality 17.8% K-BB with a 13% SwStr. When Eovaldi is healthy, he’s a great fantasy pitcher, making him a nice SP4, especially for a roster waiting on pitching.
Others Considered: Zach Eflin (SP – BAL)
19.06: Ryan Mountcastle (1B – BAL)
Like O’Neill, I am buying into a return to power glory for Ryan Mountcastle. He changed his approach at the plate when the Orioles moved the left field wall back.
Before the move, Mountcastle showcased 30+ home run upside. If he returns to those power numbers, Mountcastle is a power machine in the 19th round.
Others Considered: Spencer Arrighetti (SP – HOU)
20.07: MacKenzie Gore (SP – WAS)
MacKenzie Gore has continued to improve as he gets stretched out over the last two seasons. Gore has had nice ratios while improving his walk and home run rates.
Gore has plenty of strikeout upside to go with the ratio improvements. If he makes more improvements, he will be a great late-round pick.
Others Considered: Nick Pivetta (SP – SD)
21.06: Connor Norby (2B, 3B – MIA)
Connor Norby had a nice run with the Marlins after he was acquired from the Orioles last season. Norby has a little power to go with a nice batting average.
Norby is young and may continue to improve as he gets a full season of playing time with the Marlins. He’s a nice middle infielder option if you wait to fill that position in drafts.
Others Considered: Rhys Hoskins (1B – MIL)
22.07: Kenley Jansen (RP – LAA)
In 12-team leagues, drafting three closers is a must. Kenley Jansen’s price tag will continue to climb, but hadn’t yet in this mock, making him an auto-pick this late in drafts. Jansen continues to record 20+ saves with nice ratios, even though his strikeout rates have slowly diminished as he ages.
Others Considered: Christopher Morel (2B, 3B, OF – TB)
23.06: Nick Lodolo (SP – CIN)
It’s time to continue taking upside starting pitcher options late. Nick Lodolo has a significant strikeout upside and an elite skillset but has been unable to stay healthy.
The injuries he has dealt with in recent years do not involve his arm, so I am not too worried. If Lodolo had been healthy last season, he would have gone a lot earlier in drafts. I will continue grabbing as many Lodolo shares as possible at this great price tag.
Others Considered: N/A
24.07: Garrett Mitchell (OF – MIL)
Garrett Mitchell is one of my most drafted late-round outfielders. He missed the start of last season due to injury and finished the season with eight home runs, 11 steals and a .255 batting average over 69 games.
Mitchell is expected to play centerfield and hit cleanup for the Brewers this season. There is tons of upside potential in drafting Mitchell this late.
Others Considered: Andrew Vaughn (1B – CWS)
25.06: Jesus Luzardo (SP – PHI)
Jesus Luzardo had an injury-riddled season last year with the Marlins after a great 2023. He’s now with the Phillies, who say he’s healthy and ready to roll. I will take that risk every draft at Luzardo’s ADP. He was on his way to a Cy Young-level skillset before last season, so it’s time to see what he has in 2025.
Others Considered: N/A
26.07: Walker Buehler (SP – BOS)
Walker Buehler had a horrible 2024 season but showcased some of his excellent skills in the postseason. He heads to Boston to hopefully regain his elite level of pitching. He would be a great last pick in any draft if you need pitching.
Others Considered: Max Scherzer (SP – TOR)
Draft Wizard Insights
The middle draft pick lets you get a great floor player to build your team around and an early second-round pick to pair with it. In this draft, I waited on pitching, which significantly impacted my grade — B (84/100). I ranked second in hitting but 10th in pitching. It’s a 12-team league, so I am willing to stream pitching if necessary. I like the squad, especially the elite power production.
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