Around the League
Colson Montgomery-White Sox-SS
The White Sox are projected to be one of the worst lineups in baseball in 2025. On a macro level this is not ideal for fantasy production but what it does offer is playing time for young players. The White Sox are going to give SS Colson Montgomery every opportunity to figure it out at the major league level. He hit .214 with 18 HR, 66 R, 63 RBI, and 8 SB in 130 GP at Triple-A last year. He showed a good eye at the plate (12% BB) but struggled with contact (29% K). Montgomery had not shown a strikeout rate that high outside of a small 14-game sample in his first taste of Double-A. In 294 PA in 2023 split between High-A and Double-A he struck out 19% of the time. It is important to factor in the automated strike zone at Triple-A which could have had an effect on him. Montgomery hits the ball hard (113.8 mph maxEV) which is going to translate into power and he will be a non-zero stolen base threat (5-10 SB). This is enough to take a shot on him late in deep mixed leagues because his floor is a low AVG with a power bat and the ceiling includes his strike rate returning to the low 20% range which would help raise his AVG.
Nolan Gorman-Cardinals-2B
Nolan Gorman hit .203 with 19 HR, 42 R, 50 RBI, and 6 SB in 402 PA. The Cardinals have talked during the offseason about giving their young guys regular playing time in order to see what they got. The tough part is that they have a crowded roster that isn't conducive to Gorman playing every day unless they trade 3B Nolan Arenado. They have Arenado starting at 3B, Mason Wynn at SS, Willson Contreras at 1B, and then a battle between 2B Brendan Donovan and Nolan Gorman. Donovan can also play the outfield but that is crowded as well (Nootbaar, Scott III, Siani, Walker, Burleson, and Donovan). It will likely come down to how comfortable they feel with Lars Nootbaar playing CF because that would allow Burleson to DH and Donovan to play LF leaving 2B open for Gorman. Gorman is a flawed player who has real power (.213 ISO, 16% Barrels, and 112.3 mph maxEV) but also struggles with making contact (34% K). This profile would normally suggest a platoon bat but he has held his own against LHP (10% BB, 34% K, .707 OPS, and 98 wRC+) compared to RHP (10% BB, 34% K, .743 ISO, and 105 wRC+). Drafting Gorman requires having a plan to make up the average because he will be an asset in the power department but drag your AVG due to his high strikeout rate.
Christopher Morel-Rays-OF
Christopher Morel was traded from the Cubs to the Rays at the end of last season. Typically players traded to the Rays get a bump because there is faith that the Rays know what they are doing and have a plan for that player. The Rays likely saw a player that has positional flexibility (INF and OF) albeit he's not a good infielder. He also hits the ball hard (career 13% Barrels, 43% Hardhit, and 113.6 mph maxEV). Morel was plagued by a low BABIP (.233) compared to .320 and .303 the previous two seasons. He has a manageable strikeout rate (26% K) to go along with the power upside. If his luck improves he could be a .230-.240 hitter with 25+ HR and 5-10 SB. This makes him a nice upside play later in drafts because the Rays are going to give him regular at-bats.
Guardians RF Situation
Guardians top hitting prospect OF Chase DeLauter had core muscle surgery which is going to put him out 8-12 weeks. The hope coming into the year was that DeLauter would stay healthy after playing 39 games in 2024 and take control of right field. His injury opens up a competition for right field. Jhonkensy Noel, Tyler Freeman, and Johnathan Rodriguez are battling for playing time. They each offer a different skillset and fantasy outlook. Tyler Freeman is the prototypical Guardians hitter. He doesn't hit for power (3% Barrels and 45% GB) but does a good job controlling the strike zone (7% BB and 14% K). He hit .209 with 7 HR, 48 R, 32 RBI, and 11 SB in 383 PA. He suffered from a low BABIP (.227) which is why he hit .209 despite a low strikeout rate (14% K). He doesn't offer much in terms of fantasy because he has below-average power and counting stats. Freeman also does not steal enough bases to make the rest of his profile work. Jhonskey Noel is the opposite of Freeman. He hits for a low average due to a 32% strikeout rate but he makes hard contact (15% Barrels and .268 ISO). He's a legitimate 30+ HR bat with regular at-bats but that could come with a sub .220 AVG which the Guardians have not tolerated historically. Johnathan Rodriguez offers the most upside of the three. He hit .301 with 29 HR, 84 R, 94 RBI, and 8 SB in 508 PA at Triple-A. He showed strong plate skills for a power hitter (12% BB and 25% K) to go along with elite hard hit data (55% Hardhit and 116.8 mph maxEV). It will be important to keep an eye on this battle as we get closer to the season because if Rodriguez wins the job he offers a ceiling that is hard to find late in mixed-league drafts.
Jose Soriano-Angels-SP
Jose Soriano had a breakout 2023 season. He posted a 3.42 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, and 11% K:BB. Soriano has a plus fastball that averaged 98.8 mph and a 97.7 mph sinker that led to a 59% ground ball rate. This is why despite a lower strikeout rate (21% K) Soriano has been able to succeed. He pairs an elite ground ball rate with enough strikeouts to maintain above-average ratios. In the second half, he raised his strikeout rate to 23% which resulted in a 3.39 xFIP which makes him a nice sleeper heading into 2025. A small improvement in his secondary pitches could translate into more strikeouts which would lead to an above-average profile. Even if he doesn't improve his secondaries, his floor is high enough to be drafted in mixed leagues and his ceiling is much higher.
Xavier Edwards-Marlins-SS
Xavier Edwards is expected to be the Marlins leadoff hitter. He hit .303 with 1 HR, 39 R, 26 RBI, and 31 SB in 70 GP. He displayed above-average plate skills (11% BB and 17% K) which got him on base at an elite clip (.397 OBP). This allowed him to steal 31 bases in 70 GP. The speed is legit and he was highly successful stealing bases (89% success rate). He had 35 stolen base opportunities in 2024 which if doubled for 140 GP would have been in the top ten in the league. Regression is going to happen mainly in the BABIP department (.398 BABIP) which is going to lead to a lower AVG but he should still have a plus batting average. Edwards has the potential to steal 50+ bases over the course of a full season but he is going to be below-average in the other three categories (HR, R, and RBI). Drafting Edwards requires a plan to make up the power because it would be surprising to see him hit more than 5 HR, with it likely closer to 1. Drafting someone like Aaron Judge or Shohei Ohtani in the first round makes it a little bit more palatable.
Joey Ortiz-Brewers-SS
Joey Ortiz is slated to begin the year as the Brewers' everyday starting shortstop. Ortiz hit .239 with 11 HR, 58 R, 60 RBI, and 11 SB in 142 GP. He showed plus plate skills (11% BB and 20% K). His average was low compared to his strikeout rate (20%K), batted ball profile (49% GB), and BABIP (.283). Ortiz is likely to regress in a positive manner but his approach (11% BB and 27% O-swing) doesn't allow him to put as many balls in play which gives him fewer chances to get hits. Ortiz hits the ball hard 111.5 mph maxEV) which shows his power potential if he makes a slight launch angle change. He plays good enough defense that he is going to play every day which gives him a nice floor (2024 season) and there is room for growth in 2025.
Josh Bell-Nationals-1B
Josh Bell signed a one-year deal with the Nationals this offseason. He is expected to be their everyday DH. He hit .249 with 19 HR, 62 R, 71 RBI, and 0 SB. Bell continues to produce below-average production despite strong underlying skills. He has good plate skills (20% K and 9% BB) and hits the ball hard (8% Barrels, 40% Hardhit, and 111.2 mph maxEV). The disconnect between his skills and production is the result of his ground ball rate. Bell struggles to elevate the ball (50% career ground ball rate). Despite being a switch hitter this problem has been an issue from both sides of the plate. It limits his upside and leaves him as a league-average hitter with no speed which is why he is going outside the top-15 first baseman.
Hunter Greene-Reds-SP
Hunter Greene has been named the Reds Opening Day starter. Greene is coming off a breakout 2024 season (2.75 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, and 18% K:BB). It was the first time he was able to throw over 150 IP (150.1 IP) in his major league career. He also took a major step forward in terms of production. He used his elite stuff to get strikeouts (28% K) and limit home runs (0.72 HR/9) which was his biggest issue in the past. It doesn't help that his home park is one of the best in the league for power but he has the stuff to overcome it. The introduction of his splitter did just enough to keep hitters off his fastball. Previously, he was fastball up in the zone and slider down which became a predictable pattern. The threat of a pitch that looks like a fastball but ends up down was enough to keep hitters from hammering his fastball. Batters hit .264 against his fastball in 2023 and that dropped to .184 in 2024. Green is likely going to show regression in 2025 but he has the pure stuff to be an above-average starter. However, his home park limits his upside.
Lawrence Butler-Athletics-OF
Lawrence Butler signed a seven-year, $65.5 million contract extension with the Athletics. Butler is coming off a breakout 2024 season in which he hit .262 with 22 HR, 63 R, 57 RBI, and 18 SB in 451 PA. He showed strong plate skills (8% BB and 24% K) and hit the ball hard (11% Barrels, 47% Hardhit, and 113.1 mph maxEV). Butler hits enough fly balls (37% FB) to be successful and he does a good job of going pullside or up the middle (32% Pull and 40% Center). He's got the potential to go 25 HR/20 SB with a respectable AVG (.250). The Athletics offense should also improve by moving out of the Coliseum which will hopefully lead to more counting stats. Butler has the upside to be one of the top fantasy players this season due to his power/speed potential.
Shane Baz-Rays-SP
Shane Baz gave up 6 ER over 3 IP with 4 BB and 0 K in his most recent spring start. It is just spring training but it would be nice to see Baz having a strong spring. He returned from injury last year and posted a 3.06 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, and 13% K:BB over 79.1 IP. His ratios looked great but the underlying skills were concerning. His strikeout rate was 22% which was well below the 26% he posted in 27 IP in 2022 and throughout his minor league career. He also had a 4.33 SIERA last year which is a signal of his true talent based on his skills. His fastball sat 95.6 mph which is down from the 97 mph he showed when he first debuted. Baz's strikeout numbers being down is the result of his slider disappearing. He still threw the pitch but it was not the putout pitch it had been previously. Baz is going to need to find that pitch to make good on his prospect pedigree. If not, we will see a season closer to his SIERA this season.
Red Sox Outfield Situation
Wilyer Abreu's chances of being ready for the start of the season is in question. He has not appeared in a spring game yet due to a gastrointestinal virus. Abreu has lost weight due to the issue and has not been able to swing a bat. He has only been tracking pitches during bullpens. Abreu is an interesting fantasy option for 2025. He hit. 253 with 15 HR, 59 R, 58 RBI, and 8 SB in 447 PA. Over a full season he has 25 HR/10 SB upside. He hits the ball hard (11% Barrels, 50% Hardhit, and 114.4 mph maxEV). Abreu does struggle with strikeouts (28% K) which results in the lower batting average. He also hits a high percentage of fly balls (47% FB) which results in a lower BABIP and AVG. If Abreu misses time to start the year the Red Sox are likely to go with a combination of Rob Refsnyder, David Hamilton, and Nick Sogard. It is possible they also experiment with Masataka Yoshida in the outfield depending on how the Rafael Devers situation plays out. If he has to DH then Yoshida is going to have to play outfield. Yoshida has been a productive major league hitter (career .285 AVG with 25 HR and 10 SB in 1001 PA). He has shown the ability to make contact (13% K) and hit the ball hard enough (6% Barrels, 39% Hardhit, and 112.3 mph maxEV). The Red Sox have been very hesitant to play him in the outfield. Rob Refsynder is going to get the most playing time but he is still not fantasy-relevant outside of daily moves leagues. He hit .283 with 11 HR, 32 R, 40 RBI, and 2 SB in 307 PA. He primarily faced LHP in which he hit .302 with 8 HR, 14 R, 23 RBI, and 1 SB. His success was backed up by his quality of contact metrics (10% Barrels, 43% Hardhit, and 111.5 mph maxEV). With that being said he had a career year at the age of 33 which makes it hard to buy into him being anything other than a small-side platoon batter.
