One of the best ways to prepare for fantasy drafts is to practice by doing drafts. It can be hard to get 1 of your friends together for a mock draft, though. Luckily, FantasyPros offers a fantasy baseball mock draft simulator. There is a free version for all, but I recommend buying a membership, so you have full access to all the customizable aspects for your specific league.
For this article, I used the Draft Wizard to set up a traditional 12-team salary cap mock draft for a Roto league. I used standard rosters — 2-C, 1-1B, 1-2B, 1-SS, 1-3B, 1-CI, 1-MI, 5-OF, 9-P and three bench spots. If you’d like to follow along with the draft, you can do so by clicking this link.
- Fantasy Baseball Draft Rankings
- Fantasy Baseball Research & Advice
- Fantasy Baseball Average Draft Position (ADP)
- Fantasy Baseball News
Salary Cap Fantasy Baseball Mock Draft
I made mistakes. Most of my salary cap leagues are deeper formats, so I was not as aggressive as I should have been on the higher-priced players. I also left money on the table because of this, which is the cardinal sin of a salary cap draft. I tend to play the middle of these types of formats because that is often where the values are. Unfortunately, that was not the case in this fantasy baseball mock draft.
Catchers
I like catchers that don’t hurt you in batting average. I was unwilling to pay up for the top tier so these ended up being my targets. I love J.T. Realmuto, but there is a risk, as the team has said they would like him to catch less often this season. A return to health will solve a lot of woes, but we can’t treat him as if he is still a stud.
Freddy Fermin is a great bottom-of-the-barrel catcher who should deliver a good average at the position, but with Salvador Perez still around, he lacks upside in plate appearances. If Perez gets hurt or needs more time off, this could be a very sneaky pick. I probably should have gone with Agustin Ramirez, who is a nice upside play as a C2.
First Base
I love both of these first basemen and got them at good prices. Jake Burger has a ton of power and is moving to a much better park and team in Texas. I also love his 1B/3B eligibility.
Paul Goldschmidt may not be the guy he once was, but he is a valuable player moving to a much better park and team.
Second Base
Marcus Semien has missed a total of four games in the last four seasons. I know 2024 was a down year for him, but I think the Rangers as a whole will rebound and Semien will be a huge part of that.
Maikel Garcia is dual-eligible (2B and 3B) and has a ton of speed. There is reason to believe he can raise his batting average, as he is a great in-zone hitter.
Third Base
These are riskier picks as Royce Lewis has struggled to stay on the field and Junior Caminero is young. A shallower format is exactly the place to take those gambles because the waiver wire has replacement value.
Both of these hitters have 30+ home run upside and are extremely fun players to watch in 2025.
Outfielders
- Jackson Chourio (OF – MIL) – $32
- Jackson Merrill (OF – SD) – $24
- Lawrence Butler (OF – ATH) – $16
- Adolis Garcia /9OF, DH – TEX) – $6
- Victor Robles (OF – SEA) – $3
Jackson Chourio and Jackson Merrill are fun young studs with room to grow. Chourio especially has a limitless ceiling and could easily be a top-five pick in the future. Merrill has a safe floor for someone so young.
Lawrence Butler made massive changes in 2024, increasing his zone contact rate while not sacrificing power to do so. He is moving to a much better park and the A’s are getting better. Adolis Garcia is coming off of a disappointing season just like Semien and I expect him to rebound as well. Victor Robles was a pure speed and runs play when I needed that for my team.
Starting Pitchers
- Pablo Lopez (SP – MIN) – $16
- Spencer Schwellenbach (SP – ATL) – $14
- Justin Steele (SP – CHC) – $4
- Cody Bradford (SP – TEX) – $1
- Nick Martinez (SP, RP – CIN) – $1
- Max Meyer (SP – MIA) – $1
This is where I should have spent more money. I like all of these guys, especially my single-digit buys, but I would have had a much stronger staff spending $12 on Zac Gallen instead of $1 on Cody Bradford.
Pablo Lopez, Spencer Schwellenbach and Justin Steele are aces, giving me a lot more upside than the projections say. Bradford showed a lot of promise before his season was hit by injury and it appears the Rangers will give him a shot to win a rotation spot. Nick Martinez was amazing when he moved into the rotation. Max Meyer is a former first-round pick who is adding a new pitch this spring.
Bench
I took some massive upside gambles on Matt Shaw and Roman Anthony. They are my two Rookie of the Year picks this season and both are competing for the Opening Day roster. At worst, both will be up by the end of April, but I believe Shaw is virtually guaranteed a spot in Chicago.
Hayden Wesneski should be in the Astros’ rotation and has shown promise of being a really good starter when he was with the Cubs. The Astros acquired him in the Kyle Tucker deal, so I think they will give him a lot of opportunities.
Subscribe: YouTube | Spotify | Apple Podcasts | iHeart | Castbox | Amazon Music | Podcast Addict | SoundCloud | TuneIn
