Let’s mock draft a 12-team, 5×5 category league using FantasyPros’ Draft Wizard. For this fantasy baseball mock draft, we’ll use the following positions: 1-C, 1-1B, 1-2B, 1-3B, 1-SS, 3-OF, 1-UTIL and 7-P. I randomized the draft order and am drafting from the fifth spot. You can find the draft board here.
Fantasy Baseball Mock Draft: 12-Team, Categories
1.05: Jose Ramirez (3B – CLE)
Jose Ramirez is as consistent of a fantasy player as it gets. He’s played in 152+ games each of the last five seasons, and has had a batting average between .279 and .283 each of the past four. His run and RBI totals can fluctuate due to his weak supporting cast; however, his home runs and stolen bases are never lacking. He’s as good a bet to go 30/30 as anyone.
2.08: Jackson Chourio (OF – MIL)
Jackson Chourio had nearly an identical season in 2025 to his rookie season the year prior. He finished with 21 homers, 21 steals, 88 runs, 78 RBI, and a .270 average. He provides a solid base of all stats, but doesn’t stand out in any particular category. Hopefully, he can take advantage of his low strikeout rate and take a step forward.
3.05: Cristopher Sanchez (SP – PHI)
Cristopher Sanchez was the sixth pitcher off the board. He broke out last year, but has put up back-to-back seasons of 180+ innings while making 30+ starts. His strikeout rate jumped to 26%, while his walk rate stayed steady at around 5.5%. He’ll be the anchor for the Phillies’ rotation with Ranger Suarez now in Boston and Zack Wheeler recovering from injury.
4.08: Mookie Betts (SS – LAD)
Mookie Betts had a disappointing year in 2025. In 150 games, he finished with 95 runs, 20 home runs, 82 RBI, eight steals, and a .258 average. It was the first year with the Dodgers that he’s had single-digit steals and the first time he wasn’t on a 30+ homer pace. He doesn’t hit the ball as hard as he used to, but his plate discipline is strong and he’s right in the middle of the best lineup in baseball.
5.05: Cole Ragans (SP – KC)
Cole Ragans may just be my favorite pitcher to target this upcoming season. If you had Ragans on your team last year, you may have a bad taste in your mouth. He ended the season with a 4.67 ERA and 1.18 WHIP, his worst marks since his first season. However, his K/9 was 14.3, and his xERA (2.67), FIP (2.50) and xFIP (2.45) were two full runs better than his ERA on paper.
He was limited to 61 innings due to injury, and that has been a recurring theme throughout his young career so far. However, he reached 186 innings in 2024, so we know it’s possible.
6.08: George Kirby (SP – SEA)
George Kirby joined a list of consistent, reliable starters who dealt with injury last season. In his 126 innings, he had a 4.21 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, and career-high 9.8 K/9. He wasn’t any better in the postseason, but his strikeout rate did improve. This is a blind bet on a guy that was a top-20 pitcher a year ago, whose first three seasons saw a 3.43 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and averaged 170 innings.
7.05: Maikel Garcia (2B, 3B, SS – KC)
Maikel Garcia broke out with 16 homers, 23 steals, 81 runs, 74 RBI, and a .286 average last season. He’s always hit the ball hard, and he improved his strikeout rate by four points from the year prior, bringing it down to an elite level at 12.5%. He’s set as the leadoff man in Kansas City and the changes to the fence dimensions should help.
8.08: David Bednar (RP – NYY)
David Bednar was traded to the Yankees at the deadline and was phenomenal. After the trade, he had a 2.19 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, and 12.8 K/9 with 10 saves. He had 39 saves in 2023 with the Pirates, so there’s a good chance he can push north of 30 saves for the Yankees.
9.05: Pablo Lopez (SP – MIN)
Pablo Lopez was limited to just 75 innings in 2025. Before his injury he was pitching well, 2.74 ERA and 1.11 WHIP. However, his xERA was closer to four and his strkeout rate took a dip from his previous two seasons.
Still, this is a veteran pitcher with 180+ innings in each season from 2022-2024. His ERA and WHIP are usually on the higher side, but he can provide volume and strikeouts when he’s on. Eury Perez was the next starter off the board, and I’d probably rather take the gamble on him.
10.08: Brandon Nimmo (OF – TEX)
Brandon Nimmo is my second outfielder to pair with Chourio. Last season, he batted .262 with 25 homers, 13 steals, 81 runs, and 92 RBI. He’s played in 150+ games in four straight seasons, and he’s added some speed in recent years. He was traded to the Rangers this offseason and is expected to bat leadoff.
11.05: Jo Adell (OF – LAA)
Jo Adell finally did something for all the years of elite prospect status. His 37 home runs ranked ninth in the Majors, and his 98 RBI put him in the top-20 there too. His strikeout rate has been much more manageable over the past two seasons (26.4% in ’25) and it’s led to real tangible production.
12.08: Taylor Ward (OF – BAL)
Taylor Ward is making the move to Baltimore and joins a much more potent lineup. Fangraphs has him slated to bat leadoff ahead of Jordan Westburg, Gunnar Henderson and Pete Alonso. He doesn’t offer much speed, but his walk rate is solid and the run potential is huge. Ward put up a career-high 36 homers and 103 RBI last year.
13.05: Ranger Suarez (SP – BOS)
Ranger Suarez is coming of back-to-back seasons with 150+ innings and a sub-3.50 ERA. Each season, though, he has produced at an ace-level caliber in the first half, before falling apart in the second half. Last year, his first half ERA (2.15) was two runs better than his second half (4.40). He signed with the Red Sox this offseason and we’ll see if they can fix his second half struggles.
14.08: Spencer Torkelson (1B – DET)
Spencer Torkelson bounced back last year with his second career 31-homer season. He finished with 82 runs and 78 RBI, as well. Fangraphs currently have him batting fifth, but anywhere from the three to five hole would make sense. Torkelson followed up his first 31-homer season in 2023 with 10 homers and getting sent down to the minors. Let’s hope this time around is a little more consistent.
15.05: Ivan Herrera (C – STL)
There are so many catchers worth drafting, Ivan Herrera feels like a steal in round 15. He’s expected to play DH and get full-time at-bats. He had 19 homers and 66 RBI in just 107 games last year. His strikeout and walk rates are above average, and his quality of contact is well above average. His career .286 average in 700+ plate appearances is impressive for the 25-year-old.
16.08: Ryan Walker (RP – SF)
Ryan Walker tends to be my fall back option if I’m waiting on saves. He resumes his role as closer for the Giants with Camilo Doval moving at the trade deadline last season.
Walker was a rollercoaster of production last year. He struggled to start the year, slowly improved, peaked in July and August before he again struggled to close out the year. He still limited hard contact, but his strikeout rate dropped by 9.5%. Any pitcher that drops that much strikeout rate is going to struggle.
Draft Wizard Insights
The Draft Wizard gave this draft a B Grade (84/100). I’m projected to finish fourth in runs, fifth in steals, fifth in ERA, and eighth overall in the league.
This team is solid, although I’ve already talked myself out of a few of the pitcher selections. George Kirby, Pablo Lopez, and Ranger Suarez all have more risk than I was accounting for.
If this league were to play out, I’d probably not take Walker in the 16th round, but with only 16 rounds and trying to balance the categories, he should get plenty of opportunities.
I feel good about the offense. I’m projected no worse than seventh in any category, except average where I’m projected ninth. Between Jose Ramirez, Jackson Chourio, and Maikel Garcia, I should be decent in steals. Spencer Torkelson, Jo Adell, and Taylor Ward can provide some power. While Ivan Herrera, Mookie Betts, and Brandon Nimmo can provide some average boost and solid counting stats.
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