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Fantasy Baseball Player Notes

2025 Fantasy Baseball Draft Notes

Yordan Alvarez Note
Yordan Alvarez photo 14. Yordan Alvarez LF,DH
Yordan Alvarez set a career-high by playing in 147 games this season. He showcased his power with 35 home runs, complemented by 88 runs scored, 86 RBIs, and a career-best six stolen bases. Alvarez posted an impressive .308/.392/.567 slash line, ranking within the Top 7 across several key offensive categories in all of baseball. While his walk rate dipped from 13.9% to 10.9%, his strikeout rate also improved, reflecting a continued ability to make selective, quality swings. Although stolen bases won't be a significant part of his game, Alvarez remains a reliable contributor in four key categories, cementing his status as a strong first-round option heading into 2025.
6 weeks ago
Jose Altuve Note
Jose Altuve photo 37. Jose Altuve 2B
Jose Altuve bounced back from his injury-plagued 2023 and played 153 for the Astros in 2024. He hit 20 home runs and stole 22 bases, the most since 2017. However, he is now entering his age-35 season, and we need to ask if the decline is in store sooner rather than later. His expected stats suggest Altuve experienced more luck than usual last season. His xBA was .262, compared to his final line of .295. Hix xSLG is perhaps even more concerning, dropping below .400 for the first time since 2015. The chances of him reaching 20 steals again seem low, but he can still get to the 15 mark fairly easily. Second base remains a difficult position to fill, so Altuve still has plenty of value. But don't pay for the player of yesteryear in case Father Time arrives early in 2025.
6 weeks ago
Josh Hader Note
Josh Hader photo 57. Josh Hader RP
Josh Hader signed his deal with Houston in the offseason and then went out and showed why he'd earned it. The 30-year-old appeared in 71 games, pitching exactly 71 innings and securing 34 saves while blowing only four. He struck out 105 batters and ended with a 3.80 ERA and 0.96 WHIP. He still had a walk rate of 9%, but this was a vast improvement compared to his 13% rate in 2023. He maintains a superb K% (37.8), and batters still only hit .173 against him. The Astros are perhaps not the juggernaut they once were, but they have a top 5 closer with the ability to save 35+ games. When the initial run of closers begins, Hader will be among them and worth a pick if you want to target relievers early.
5 weeks ago
Framber Valdez Note
Framber Valdez photo 61. Framber Valdez SP
Framber Valdez continued his steady ways in 2024, starting 28 games and pitching 176 1/3 innings. He finished the year with a 2.91 ERA and 1.11 WHIP and struck out 169 batters. Valdez lives and dies by the ground ball, sitting in the 99th percentile in the ground ball rate at 61.7%. There is nothing particularly wrong with Valdez, though when he gets hit, he gets hit hard, and his xERA was a half-run higher at 3.41. The trick with him in fantasy is simply that he doesn't strike out as many batters as other pitchers drafted in the same vicinity. He does offer the safest floor, so depending on where else you want to take your risks, Valdez may be a worthwhile SP2 anchor to your staff.
5 weeks ago
Christian Walker Note
Christian Walker photo 68. Christian Walker 1B
Christian Walker has been chronically undervalued for most of his career. Over the past three years, he has been a model of consistency, though an oblique injury cut into his production in 2024. He was traded from Arizona to Houston in the offseason, where he will bat in the middle of the order and provide protection for Yordan Alvarez. While he is heading into his age-33 season, Walker should be the fifth first baseman off the board in most drafts and should provide similar production to the four above him at a much cheaper cost.
1 week ago
Hunter Brown Note
Hunter Brown photo 100. Hunter Brown SP
While the exact number of fantasy managers who dropped Hunter Brown early in 2024 isn't known, it would have been completely justified, given how he started the season. In his first eight starts, 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 is the exact type of pitcher to target now that he seems to have a repertoire of pitches that works for him, including a powerful sinker that he developed last season. He has some sleeper and league-winning potential in 2025.
1 week ago
Yainer Diaz Note
Yainer Diaz photo 111. Yainer Diaz C,1B,DH
Yainer Diaz became the Astros' starting catcher in 2024, which put a dent in his power numbers given the physical responsibilities of playing the position more regularly. In 148 games, he hit 16 homers with 84 RBI and 70 runs while slashing .299/.325/.441. For some, the catcher position in fantasy is about finding someone who isn't going to hurt you, and Diaz offers that, particularly in batting average. His xBA was the exact same as his actual, and he has a career average of .291. It's possible that the 26-year-old could cross the 20-homer mark in 2025, but you should draft him for his average and RBI potential.
5 days ago
Jeremy Pena Note
Jeremy Pena photo 160. Jeremy Pena SS
Isaac Paredes Note
Isaac Paredes photo 189. Isaac Paredes 1B,3B
Spencer Arrighetti Note
Spencer Arrighetti photo 240. Spencer Arrighetti SP
Ronel Blanco Note
Ronel Blanco photo 255. Ronel Blanco SP
Chas McCormick Note
Chas McCormick photo 334. Chas McCormick LF,CF,RF
Bryan Abreu Note
Bryan Abreu photo 429. Bryan Abreu RP
Cristian Javier Note
Cristian Javier photo 465. Cristian Javier SP
Luis Garcia Note
Luis Garcia photo 487. Luis Garcia SP
Hayden Wesneski Note
Hayden Wesneski photo 563. Hayden Wesneski SP,RP
Jake Meyers Note
Jake Meyers photo 580. Jake Meyers CF
Mauricio Dubon Note
Mauricio Dubon photo 605. Mauricio Dubon 1B,2B,3B,LF,CF,RF
Tayler Scott Note
Tayler Scott photo 678. Tayler Scott RP
Victor Caratini Note
Victor Caratini photo 693. Victor Caratini C,1B
Forrest Whitley Note
Forrest Whitley photo 701. Forrest Whitley RP
Bryan King Note
Bryan King photo 710. Bryan King RP
Lance McCullers Jr. Note
Lance McCullers Jr. photo 745. Lance McCullers Jr. SP
Kaleb Ort Note
Kaleb Ort photo 784. Kaleb Ort RP
Bennett Sousa Note
Bennett Sousa photo 817. Bennett Sousa RP
Steven Okert Note
Steven Okert photo 833. Steven Okert RP
Colton Gordon Note
Colton Gordon photo 850. Colton Gordon SP
AJ Blubaugh Note
AJ Blubaugh photo 900. AJ Blubaugh SP
Miguel Castro Note
Miguel Castro photo 921. Miguel Castro RP
Nick Hernandez Note
Nick Hernandez photo 932. Nick Hernandez RP
Rafael Montero Note
Rafael Montero photo 966. Rafael Montero RP
Shawn Dubin Note
Shawn Dubin photo 970. Shawn Dubin RP
J.P. France Note
J.P. France photo 1002. J.P. France SP
Ryan Gusto Note
Ryan Gusto photo 1010. Ryan Gusto SP,RP
Luis Contreras Note
Luis Contreras photo 1030. Luis Contreras RP
Taylor Trammell Note
Taylor Trammell photo 1238. Taylor Trammell LF,CF,RF
Jacob Melton Note
Jacob Melton photo 1282. Jacob Melton CF,RF
Shay Whitcomb Note
Shay Whitcomb photo 1339. Shay Whitcomb 3B
Luis Guillorme Note
Luis Guillorme photo 1340. Luis Guillorme 2B,3B
Pedro Leon Note
Pedro Leon photo 1344. Pedro Leon RF
Ben Gamel Note
Ben Gamel photo 1359. Ben Gamel LF,RF
Jon Singleton Note
Jon Singleton photo 1372. Jon Singleton 1B
Zach Dezenzo Note
Zach Dezenzo photo 1416. Zach Dezenzo 1B
Jesus Bastidas Note
Jesus Bastidas photo 1463. Jesus Bastidas SS
Quincy Hamilton Note
Quincy Hamilton photo 1490. Quincy Hamilton LF,CF,RF
Kenedy Corona Note
Kenedy Corona photo 1492. Kenedy Corona CF,RF
Cooper Hummel Note
Cooper Hummel photo 1513. Cooper Hummel 1B,LF