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Fantasy Baseball Player Notes

2025 Fantasy Baseball Draft Notes

Corbin Carroll Note
Corbin Carroll photo 8. Corbin Carroll CF,RF
Corbin Carroll experienced the common sophomore slump after a standout Rookie of the Year campaign, though his performance improved in the second half of the season. Despite this rebound, he fell short of expectations tied to his first-round ADP. Carroll managed to hit 22 home runs (11 in August alone), surpassed his rookie run total with 121 scored (compared to 116 in 2023), and ended just two RBI shy of his debut season's mark. However, his slash line took a notable hit, dropping to .231/.322/.428 from .285/.362/.506. His stolen bases also declined, with 35 steals in 2024 compared to 54 the previous year, even though he played in more games. Carroll's potential as a five-category contributor remains appealing, and his final stats will likely land between his rookie and sophomore campaigns. However, fantasy managers may feel more comfortable selecting him in the second round rather than the first.
9 weeks ago
Ketel Marte Note
Ketel Marte photo 26. Ketel Marte 2B
Ketel Marte went off in 2024, setting new career highs in home runs (36) and RBIs (95). He added 93 runs and seven stolen bases while slashing .292/.372/.560, rewarding fantasy managers who took him on draft day and catapulting him into the 2B1 position heading into 2025. Marte missed some time last season with an ankle injury and has only played in 150 or more games twice in his career, so there is some injury risk baked in. However, at age 31, he seems primed for another monster season and is one of only two second basemen capable of a 30/100/100 season. Draft him with confidence.
9 weeks ago
Corbin Burnes Note
Corbin Burnes photo 38. Corbin Burnes SP
Corbin Burnes started 32 games for the Orioles in 2024, throwing 194 1/3 innings while striking out 181 batters. He had a shiny 2.92 ERA and 1.10 WHIP and signed a six-year contract with the Diamondbacks in the offseason. Now entering his age-30 season, there are a couple of red flags regarding the righty going forward. The biggest one is his K%, which continued its decline for the fifth year in a row. Last year's 23.1 strikeout rate moved him directly into the 50th percentile of pitchers, which is a tough pill to swallow for many fantasy managers. The good news is that his other underlying metrics remain strong, though his ERA will probably land closer to 3.4 than the 2.9 we enjoyed in 2024. Overall, Burnes is still an ace, albeit not at the same level he once was.
9 weeks ago
Josh Naylor Note
Josh Naylor photo 74. Josh Naylor 1B
Josh Naylor rewarded fantasy managers who drafted him in 2024. He played 152 games for the Guardians, hitting 31 homers with 108 RBIs and scoring 84 runs. Batting behind Steven Kwan and Jose Ramirez definitely has its perks. Naylor is now in Arizona to be the slugging first baseman in the order behind Corbin Carroll and Ketel Marte. While 30 home runs might be too lofty of an expectation, Naylor should land in the 25/80/90 range in 2025, and he should see some improvement in his .249 batting average, which was suppressed due to an outlier BABIP of .246. He leads the second tier of first basemen that you can have for a cheaper cost in the middle rounds.
9 weeks ago
Zac Gallen Note
Zac Gallen photo 104. Zac Gallen SP
Zac Gallen had a respectable but not fantastic 2024 season. The 29-year-old started 28 games and pitched 148 innings, racking up 156 strikeouts and ending with a 3.65 ERA and 1.26 WHIP. Nothing in his profile stands out as "outstanding." He had a 25.1% strikeout rate, the lowest of his major league career but not terrible. The most concerning stat of 2024 is the jump in his walk rate from 5.6% to 8.7%. If he doesn't correct that area, his ratios will continue trending in the wrong direction. As it stands, Gallen is a decent addition at SP3 or SP4.
9 weeks ago
Eugenio Suarez Note
Eugenio Suarez photo 145. Eugenio Suarez 3B
Eugenio Suarez delivered a strong fantasy performance in 2024, hitting 30 home runs, driving in 101 runs, scoring 90 times, and adding 2 stolen bases. His .256/.319/.469 slash line aligns closely with his career .248 batting average. Suarez's power is supported by an 11.3% Barrel Rate and a .469 SLG, though his 27.5% strikeout rate remains a concern. At 33, Suarez will probably offer solid overall stats, but fantasy managers will probably need to ride out extreme ups and downs throughout the season.
9 weeks ago
Brandon Pfaadt Note
Brandon Pfaadt photo 170. Brandon Pfaadt SP
Brandon Pfaadt delivered a mixed performance in the 2024 season, recording an 11-10 win-loss record over 32 starts for the Arizona Diamondbacks. He pitched 181.2 innings, with a 4.71 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, and 185 strikeouts. The ERA is entirely misleading as his xERA was 3.78 and xFIP was 3.58. Pfaadt demonstrated exceptional control, issuing only 42 walks throughout the season, and he maintained an average exit velocity of 88.8 mph, a hard-hit rate of 36.8%, and a barrel rate of 6.9%. While these aren't great, they are an improvement on his debut in 2023. Pfaadt is an intriguing SP4 with the upside for more.
9 weeks ago
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. Note
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. photo 191. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. LF
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. delivered a solid fantasy season in 2024, recording 18 home runs, 75 RBIs, 72 runs scored, and seven stolen bases over 133 games. His .279/.322/.435 slash line aligns closely with his career averages. Notably, Gurriel's 18.3% strikeout rate marked a career best, placing him in the 70th percentile among MLB hitters. However, his 5.2% walk rate remains below league average, potentially limiting his on-base percentage. As he enters his age-31 season, Gurriel is expected to maintain his role as Arizona's primary left fielder, offering consistent power and batting average contributions for fantasy managers.​
9 weeks ago
Jake McCarthy Note
Jake McCarthy photo 211. Jake McCarthy LF,CF,RF
Gabriel Moreno Note
Gabriel Moreno photo 212. Gabriel Moreno C
Justin Martinez Note
Justin Martinez photo 227. Justin Martinez RP
A.J. Puk Note
A.J. Puk photo 274. A.J. Puk SP,RP
Merrill Kelly Note
Merrill Kelly photo 275. Merrill Kelly SP
Eduardo Rodriguez Note
Eduardo Rodriguez photo 357. Eduardo Rodriguez SP
Pavin Smith Note
Pavin Smith photo 359. Pavin Smith 1B,LF,RF
Jordan Lawlar Note
Jordan Lawlar photo 439. Jordan Lawlar SS
Geraldo Perdomo Note
Geraldo Perdomo photo 444. Geraldo Perdomo SS
Kevin Ginkel Note
Kevin Ginkel photo 448. Kevin Ginkel RP
Ryne Nelson Note
Ryne Nelson photo 537. Ryne Nelson SP,RP
Joe Mantiply Note
Joe Mantiply photo 563. Joe Mantiply RP
Ryan Thompson Note
Ryan Thompson photo 574. Ryan Thompson RP
Trey Mancini Note
Trey Mancini photo 607. Trey Mancini 1B,LF,RF
Jose Herrera Note
Jose Herrera photo 627. Jose Herrera C
Garrett Hampson Note
Garrett Hampson photo 667. Garrett Hampson 2B,LF,CF
Jordan Montgomery Note
Jordan Montgomery photo 747. Jordan Montgomery SP
Jalen Beeks Note
Jalen Beeks photo 749. Jalen Beeks RP
Adrian Del Castillo Note
Adrian Del Castillo photo 769. Adrian Del Castillo C
Alek Thomas Note
Alek Thomas photo 776. Alek Thomas CF
Randal Grichuk Note
Randal Grichuk photo 858. Randal Grichuk LF,RF
Shelby Miller Note
Shelby Miller photo 1003. Shelby Miller RP
Kendall Graveman Note
Kendall Graveman photo 1029. Kendall Graveman RP
Yilber Diaz Note
Yilber Diaz photo 1032. Yilber Diaz SP
Kyle Nelson Note
Kyle Nelson photo 1073. Kyle Nelson RP
Drey Jameson Note
Drey Jameson photo 1135. Drey Jameson RP
Kyle Amendt Note
Kyle Amendt photo 1169. Kyle Amendt
Blaze Alexander Note
Blaze Alexander photo 1225. Blaze Alexander 2B,3B,SS
Andrew Saalfrank Note
Andrew Saalfrank photo 1281. Andrew Saalfrank RP
Jeff Brigham Note
Jeff Brigham photo 1332. Jeff Brigham RP
Cristian Mena Note
Cristian Mena photo 1339. Cristian Mena SP
Tommy Henry Note
Tommy Henry photo 1353. Tommy Henry SP
Blake Walston Note
Blake Walston photo 1371. Blake Walston RP
Brandon Bielak Note
Brandon Bielak photo 1448. Brandon Bielak SP,RP
Scott McGough Note
Scott McGough photo 1458. Scott McGough RP
John Curtiss Note
John Curtiss photo 1480. John Curtiss RP
Bryce Jarvis Note
Bryce Jarvis photo 1495. Bryce Jarvis RP
Rene Pinto Note
Rene Pinto photo 1537. Rene Pinto C
Aramis Garcia Note
Aramis Garcia photo 1559. Aramis Garcia C
Ildemaro Vargas Note
Ildemaro Vargas photo 1568. Ildemaro Vargas 2B,3B,SS,LF
Jorge Barrosa Note
Jorge Barrosa photo 1627. Jorge Barrosa LF
Tim Tawa Note
Tim Tawa photo 1630. Tim Tawa 2B