Spring Training is in full swing, marking the true start of fantasy baseball draft season. Each new season brings the hope of a title to every team, the fans, and fantasy baseball managers. However, a gigantic first step in achieving that fantasy championship is nailing the draft, and your chances of doing so increase when you take the players you genuinely believe are primed for a breakout season.
Taking “your guys” and honing in on upside as the draft progresses maximizes your chance at getting the high-value studs who push your squad into title contention. Our featured analysts are back today to share who their must-haves are as we enter the season. Read on to see which breakout candidates you shouldn’t pass on.
2025 Fantasy Baseball Must-Have Players
Who is the one hitter outside the top 50 in hitter ADP you are targeting as a must-have on all your teams and why?
Jordan Westburg (2B, 3B – BAL)
“I’ve called second base this year’s position wasteland, so I am targeting Jordan Westburg in most drafts. The 26-year-old hit .264 last season, but his xBA was .281, which is in the 92nd percentile, and his xSLG was .491. According to RosterResource, Westburg is slotted to hit behind Gunnar Henderson and Adley Rutschman, two guys who excel at getting on base and will provide ample opportunity for counting stats. Additionally, if he can rediscover some plate discipline (4.9% walk rate), he should do even more damage when he makes contact. Westburg should also get a boost with the shortened left field wall at home, where he batted .303 in 2024.”
– Kelly Kirby (FantasyPros)
Luis Robert Jr. (OF – CWS)
“I’m targeting Luis Robert Jr. because he’s one year removed from a 37 HR, 20 SB season. Now, fresh off a down year, we can get Robert at a discount. It feels likely that the White Sox will trade their dynamic outfielder, which would improve team context, helping with counting stats.”
– Frank Ammirante (The Game Day)
Luis Garcia (2B – WAS)
“Here’s a list of every hitter who batted at least .280 with 15 home runs, 15 steals, and a strikeout percentage below 20 percent last season: Bobby Witt, Mookie Betts, Jackson Merrill, Jose Altuve, Trea Turner, and … Luis Garcia. Not bad company for someone going outside the top-100 picks after an age-24 breakout season. Garcia combined contact gains in 2023 with a hard-hit spike to put the full puzzle together last year. A .331 xwOBA supports his ascension, and there’s more scoring potential in a Nationals lineup that will have James Wood and Dylan Crews in the Opening Day mix. Garcia offers five-category balance (and perhaps some sneaky upside) at a reasonable cost.”
– Andrew Gould (FantasyPros)
Michael Toglia (1B, OF – COL)
“Michael Toglia isn’t a flawless hitter, hence his ADP of 183 as the 112th-ranked hitter. Still, he’s a Statcast darling who calls Coors Field home. According to FanGraphs, in 458 plate appearances last season, Toglia had 25 homers, 10 stolen bases, a .218 batting average, .244 expected batting average (xBA), .456 slugging, and .503 expected slugging (xSLG). Toglia is dual-position eligible (first base and outfield), boasts top-shelf power, a dash of stolen-base upside, and wouldn’t be as significant a drag on batting average if he hits closer to his xBA than his 2024 batting average.”
– Josh Shepardson (FantasyPros)
Riley Greene (OF – DET)
“Riley Greene is on the verge of becoming a fantasy standout on the heels of his first All-Star season. His power is almost fully developed, and he has the upside for 30 HR after hitting 24 in 2024. His .262 average seems modest, but he hit .288 the previous season; he should be able to level out his launch angle to find a happy medium between his ’23 and ’24 batted-ball outcomes. Although steals aren’t part of his game, Greene can be an excellent contributor in the other four categories and is a steal outside the top 100 overall picks.”
– Pierre Camus (Fantasy Endgame)
Isaac Paredes (1B, 3B – HOU)
“I’m targeting Isaac Paredes wherever I can get him. His ADP is 186.8 and he should provide tons of value with his move to Houston. According to Statcast, Houston is the best park for his skillset regarding expected home runs by park. He should have a decent chance at reaching 30 home runs for the second time in his career, and his patience at the plate will make him a serviceable Alex Bregman replacement.”
– Chase Davis (FantasyPros)
Who is the one starting pitcher outside the top 30 in starting pitcher ADP you are targeting as a must-have on all your teams and why?
Hunter Brown (SP – HOU)
“I get why people are afraid of Hunter Brown, but I’m targeting him everywhere. Yes, in his first eight starts of 2024, the 26-year-old had a 7.74 ERA and had allowed 21 walks in 37 1/3 innings. It was ugly. After that, though, he settled into the season and was great-to-spectacular the rest of the way. He struck out 179 batters in 170 innings and stopped walking everyone. Brown developed a powerful sinker last year, which seemed to be the turning point for his season, and his advanced metrics say he induces a whole lot of weak contact. I’ll roll the dice that he won’t be a total disaster for two months in 2025 and settle in as the Astros’ new ace.”
– Kelly Kirby (FantasyPros)
“Hunter Brown was knocked around through his first six starts last year before introducing a sinker to his repertoire and dominating the opposition for the rest of the season. Per FanGraphs, in Brown’s final 25 appearances (24 starts) spanning 147 innings, he had a 2.51 ERA, 3.33 xFIP, 3.57 SIERA, 1.12 WHIP, 7.7 BB% and 26.0 K%. Brown is a workhorse, and there was a tangible change that sparked his turnaround last season, enhancing the probability his final 25 appearances last year are an accurate representation of his skill level.”
– Josh Shepardson (FantasyPros)
Clarke Schmidt (SP – NYY)
“I love going after Clarke Schmidt, who is fresh off a 3.77 SIERA, 26.3 K% season in only 85.1 innings. Injuries deprived Schmidt of a true breakout, giving us a chance to get him at a reasonable price. If Schmidt can stay healthy this year, he could wind up as a major steal.”
– Frank Ammirante (The Game Day)
Ranger Suarez (SP – PHI)
“Ranger Suarez is going awfully cheap for someone who just registered a 3.46 ERA and 3.37 FIP last season. His second half was so horrid that drafters may have forgotten that he was a legitimate fantasy ace to start the year. Suarez boasted a 2.87 ERA and 116 strikeouts in 119.1 innings before landing on the IL with back soreness in late July. Last year’s first half is probably as good as it’ll ever get, but the southpaw could bounce back enough in a contract year to provide value as a late depth piece.”
– Andrew Gould (FantasyPros)
Shane McClanahan (SP – TB)
“Shane McClanahan will be almost 20 months removed from his last major league start when he takes the ball on Opening Day for the Rays. He’s already hitting 98 MPH in the spring and should be back to the form that made him a potential ace. He holds a career 33.4% Whiff% (MLB avg is 25%) alongside a 3.02 ERA and 1.10 WHIP. Just entering his prime at 27 years old and finally back to full health, McClanahan is an ace to secure in the middle of the draft before the competition does.”
– Pierre Camus (Fantasy Endgame)
Nick Pivetta (SP – SD)
“Nick Pivetta is going as the 64th starting pitcher off the board. He was the sixth-ranked starter with at least 140 innings last year in K-BB%. Pivetta has pitched for two different teams in his career, and each of those home ballparks ranks in the top 6 in park factor. He signed with San Diego this offseason, moving him to a more pitcher-friendly park for the first time in his career, hopefully cutting down the damage of his flyball tendencies.”
– Chase Davis (FantasyPros)
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