5 Fantasy Baseball Sleepers to Draft for Runs (2025)

The forgotten offensive category in fantasy baseball is runs scored. Runs aren’t as flashy as home runs or as exciting as stolen bases. Yet, if a regular baseball team could pick one category to lead in, with 100% certainty, it would be runs.

For individual players, runs scored is a volume-based statistic. The more often that you get up to bat, the more likely you are to get on base. The more likely you are to get on base, the more likely you are to score a run. Therefore, when it comes to sleepers to target for runs, it’s important to keep lineups in context. We want to look for batters with a good on-base percentage (OBP) hitting toward the top of lineups.

Below are five such sleepers to help you with your search for runs.

Fantasy Baseball Sleepers to Draft for Runs

George Springer (OF – TOR)

Age decline has begun to set in on George Springer. Last season, he posted his worst home run total (19) in a full season since 2015. He also recorded the worst batting average of his career (.220). Yet, Springer can still be a late addition if you need runs late.

In his three seasons in Toronto, Springer has scored 89, 84 and 74 runs. The pessimist will look at those numbers and notice the yearly decline. That is true, but his average draft position (ADP) has fallen dramatically, too — from a top-65 selection just a few seasons ago to outside the top 200. While Springer may not be the player he was in his prime, he should continue to bat leadoff for the Blue Jays in front of sluggers Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Anthony Santander.

Jorge Soler (OF – LAA)

Runs aren’t typically the category we think of when it comes to Jorge Soler. That would be the power production categories. While he can help in those as well, he is a sneaky good option for runs scored.

Soler was traded to the Los Angeles Angels earlier this offseason. There are already reports from Angels manager Ron Washington that he expects Soler to be in the top third of the batting order. It’s not an unfamiliar spot for him. Even in what was a perceived down season between San Francisco and Atlanta in 2024, Soler still spent most of his time in that range, including 41 games batting leadoff. Because of that, he was still able to score 84 runs. Soler should be locked into an everyday lineup spot with the Angels, and the runs scored should come in droves.

Victor Robles (OF – SEA)

Victor Robles should be the poster boy for needing a change of scenery to get his career back on track. He was claimed by the Seattle Mariners shortly after being released by the Washington Nationals. He showed skills with his new team that make him a sleeper for runs scored.

Robles only played 77 games with the Mariner but still set career-best marks in stolen bases (30) and batting average (.328). The Mariners believed in them enough to give him a new contract. Considering he was already batting leadoff at the end of last season, you have to expect he’ll start in that spot again this year. Do I expect Robles to post a .393 OBP again as he did in the short sample last season? No, but even if it falls closer to the .340 range, he should score plenty of runs from the top of that lineup.

Tommy Edman (SS, OF – LAD)

The first name on this list who is unlikely to bat towards the top of their lineup is Tommy Edman. That said, batting towards the bottom of the Dodgers’ lineup is going to be the equivalent of batting higher in many lineups. It’s also possible the Dodgers rest veterans in their lineup regularly, which could move Edman higher than expected.

Edman didn’t return last season until the middle of August, as his recovery from wrist surgery was much slower than expected. He finished the regular season with 20 runs scored in 37 games played. In the postseason, he got smoking hot and helped the Dodgers win the World Series, including being named the National League Championship Series (NLCS) MVP.

We’ve already seen Edman be a standout in runs scored before in his career. He scored over 90 runs in both 2021 and 2022 while still a member of the St. Louis Cardinals.

Kyle Manzardo (UTIL – CLE)

Not every prospect that gets called up hits the ground running. It took longer than expected for Kyle Manzardo to get called up to the Major Leagues, and he initially struggled, which earned him another trip back to the Minor Leagues. His September return was better and has him as a possible late sleeper for runs scored.

In September, Manzardo scored seven runs, with five home runs, eight RBI and a .270 batting average. He’s currently projected to bat second in the Guardians’ lineup, right ahead of Jose Ramirez. Other than a 2023 blip, Manzardo has consistently posted strong OBP numbers in the Minor Leagues, including a .398 last season with Triple-A Columbus. If he can get on-base at even a .333 rate, like he did in September, that should lead to a lot of runs scored. Be aware that he is only utility-eligible to begin the 2025 season. With the signing of Carlos Santana to play first base, barring injury, that is unlikely to change.

Articles MLB MLB Draft Advice Sleepers George Springer Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Anthony Santander Jorge Soler Victor Robles Tommy Edman Kyle Manzardo Jose Ramirez Carlos Santana