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 Cincinnati Reds.
3 Fantasy Baseball Thoughts for the 2025 Cincinnati Reds
Brady Singer Deserves More Attention
I’m not saying that Brady Singer will be a league winner, but the right-hander can be a solid piece of the back half of your rotation. We all know the state of pitching around the league these days, and depth is more critical than ever. You can never have enough of it, and reliability is more critical than ever.
The further down the draft board you go, the more questions than answers and sometimes it feels as if you are just throwing darts. When it comes to Singer though, it feels like I’m missing something. I’m not going to advocate for the former first-round pick to be a top-200 option, but I’ll take him around pick 350 all day.
Last year, Singer made 32 starts and pitched 179.2 innings. That alone matters in today’s game, and the right-hander was involved in the decision for 22 of those starts. Singer finished with a 9-13 record, but as the Royals continue to improve, that mark could easily flip. He isn’t going to overpower the opposition, but Singer does strike out 8.52 batters per nine innings.
Singer had a solid 3.71 ERA last year and with a walk rate under three batters per nine innings (2.71) he also had a solid FIP of 3.93. He may not be an ace, but he is a consistently solid option to fill in your rotation.
No One is Forgetting About Matt McLain
Matt McLain is just 89 games into his big league career, and injuries forced him to the sidelines for the entire 2024 season. With that being said, it wouldn’t be surprising to see McLain fly under the radar entering the 2025 season. However, with an ADP of 113, that’s not the case. While it does represent a multiple-round discount compared to last season, expectations remain unchanged for the second baseman.
Assuming McLain is at full health, which he appears to be, that is a discount worth taking. While there are some macro-level health risks in play, nothing in the overall skill set has changed. McLain was set to return from his torn labrum last season until rib injury put those plans on ice. It’s good news though that we did get 59 plate appearances from McLain in the Arizona Fall League. He emerged from that unscathed with four home runs, 12 RBI, and a .240 average.
In 89 games in 2023, McLain hit 16 home runs with 14 stolen bases. That combination of power and speed is certain to draw attention as he also scored 65 runs and drove in 50. He currently slots into the middle of Cincinnati’s batting order which also helps his production. He’s not going to hit .290 again like he did two years ago, but with anyone argue with a .260 average? That’s especially true when it comes with 25 home runs and 20 stolen bases. McLain’s RBI and runs total will be a function of his staying on the field, with 80/80 reasonable.
There is Value in Christian Encarnacion-Strand
Especially with young players, it’s interesting to watch the year-to-year fluctuation in draft cost. Granted nothing went right for Christian Encarnacion-Srand in 2024, but we are getting him about 100 picks lower this season than a year prior.
For as explosive as his power tools are, Encarnacion-Strand still needs to put the bat on the ball. In 63 games in 2023, he was able to do so despite a 29% strikeout rate. Despite that, he still hit .270 on the season, but more importantly, it came with 13 home runs and 37 RBI.
While the strikeouts stayed the same last year, Encarnacion-Strand’s batting average dropped to .190. A wrist injury, that ultimately ended his season after 29 games does deserve some blame. With eight games in the Arizona Fall League, Encarnacion-Strand did prove he was healthy. He didn’t go deep, but Encarnacion-Strand did finish with a .385 average and seven RBI.
It was a small sample size last season, but a .293 SLG is never going to be appealing. However, Encarnacion-Strand has consistently shown power throughout his career, and his .446 xSLG and .245 xBA paint his 2024 season in a slightly better light. He’s still the same player we were drafting multiple rounds earlier last year. Embrace the discount in 2025.
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.
