I am doing a series where I offer up three fantasy baseball thoughts for every MLB team. I’ll take a look at under-the-radar stats, playing time projections, projected roles, and off-season news to try and highlight the nuggets that might help you in your 2025 fantasy baseball drafts. We’ll do this thing in alphabetical order and next up are three thoughts for the 2025 Athletics.
3 Fantasy Baseball Thoughts for the 2025 Athletics
Lawrence Butler is a Dynamic Player
Even though he plays on the A’s, Lawrence Butler isn’t flying under the radar in early drafts. Butler is currently being selected with an ADP just shy of 100, and it’s for good reason. I’m not going out on a limb to say that Oakland is going to be a playoff contender this year, but they should be a little better than in years past. It’s not a huge leap based on their struggles, but it does make a difference when evaluating their players.
In 125 games last year, Butler settled right into the top of Oakland’s lineup. He hit .262 while contributing across all categories. Butler had 22 home runs to go along with 18 stolen bases while finishing with 57 RBI and 63 runs scored.
Seeing Butler be a threat on the base paths shouldn’t be a surprise, but the power was a little more than expected. Butler did have a .228 ISO and his .490 SLG was in line with his .486 xSLG. Butler did it with an 11.3-degree average launch angle, but an 11% barrel rate and 47.4% hard-hit rate are going to capture our attention.
Can Butler flirt with 30 home runs, 90 runs scored, and 20 stolen bases? The path there might not be that crazy, and it does come with a reasonable floor.
Brent Rooker Will be Overvalued in 2025 by a Few Rounds
Brent Rooker was a sneaky option over the last two years but the market correction here has been too large. Rooker is now going inside the top 75, and I simply don’t have the appetite to go that high. However, the price isn’t drastically wrong, but the value is gone.
Based on his numbers in 2024 though, it certainly makes sense. Rooker hit .293 with 39 home runs and 112 RBI while adding 11 stolen bases. While he was at it, Rooker also brought his strikeout rate down from 32.7% to 28.8%.
How do we feel about that batting average? Rooker benefited from a .362 BABIP as his batting average jumped from .246 the year prior. Ultimately, I’m not sure Rooker is more than a .260 hitter and that will impact his value.
In the power department though, Rooker’s ISO went from .242 to .269 to go along with a 16.6% barrel rate. When Rooker puts the bat on the ball good things happen as he hit the ball hard 49.6% of the time. His .562 SLG was eye-popping and it came with a .570 xSLG.
Aside from the batting average dip, we have to measure our comfort with the RBIs. The other issue is the lack of flexibility. In most leagues, Rooker is only eligible at utility and that could be a problem when constructing and managing a roster. However, if Rooker is still there two or three rounds later, sign me up. The problem is that we’ve already seen Rooker’s career best.
There is no Discount on Mason Miller
After saving 28 games last season, Mason Miller isn’t moving back into the rotation. He’s remaining as Oakland’s closer and there’s no reason for him not to. The only question is whether or not Oakland moves him at some point; likely during the season. That does create some issues as a large reason for Miller’s ADP is directly related to those saves. At this point though, we have to assume that he remains the A’s closer and draft accordingly.
For better or worse, this does give me stress, and Miller’s price will likely only get pushed up as we get closer to the season. There is both risk and reward here, but in the chase for saves, Miller’s upside is too big to ignore.
Last year he struck out 14.40 batters per nine innings on his way to a 2.49 ERA. Miller’s xERA of 1.76 provides more cause for optimism as hitters only barreled seven of 123 balls against the right-hander. It makes sense though as with an average fastball velocity of 101.1 miles per hour, making any contact is an accomplishment.
For more of the great fantasy baseball rankings and analysis you’ve come to expect from FantraxHQ, check out our full 2025 Fantasy Baseball Draft Kit! We’re here for you all the way up until Opening Day and then on into your championship run.
