The National League West features the team all the other 29 fanbases in baseball now refer to as public enemy number one. The Dodgers have gone on quite the spending spree this offseason, forming the closest thing to a super team that we have ever seen. The nice part about fantasy baseball is that the other teams still matter. There are key position battles on the four other teams that could significantly impact fantasy baseball leagues. Keep reading to find out which battle from each NL West team is worth paying close attention to in Spring Training.
Spring Training Battles to Watch for Fantasy
Dodgers – Final Lineup Spot
The Dodgers’ accumulation of talent this off-season has them primed for another trip to the World Series. One could argue that what they did is well within the rules, and it is. However, I struggle to see the argument that this is good for the sport. I digress. Their stockpiling of Major League talent results in a plethora of young bats trying to find their way into the lineup. One of those acquisitions, Hyeseong Kim is battling for the starting second base role. The Dodgers’ other option is to shift Tommy Edman to second base and let Andy Pages take over as the starting center fielder.
Coming over from Korea, there are plenty of unknowns in Kim’s profile. How will Kim’s strong Korean League stats translate over to the Major Leagues? Ha-Seong Kim’s trajectory with the Padres comes to mind. Ha-Seong has turned into a solid player over the past few seasons but did not win a starting role until midway through his second season with the Padres. Hyseong could wind up taking a similar path with the Dodgers. For fantasy managers, Hyeseong’s speed is what stick out. He should be a plus base stealer and hit for strong average. There is likely not much power upside in his projection.
Pages got considerable playing time in 2024 but posted inconsistent results. Known as a power hitter throughout his Minor League career, Pages hit just 13 home runs but did post a solid barrel rate. He is a plus defender in center field but will need to keep his strikeout rate in check to reach his ceiling. If Pages shows off improvements to his contact skills and plate discipline in Spring Training, he could force the Dodgers’ hand.
As far as a rooting interest, both players have upside in different ways. Kim offers a safer floor with speed and contact that could prove valuable for fantasy managers. Pages meanwhile has multiple Minor League seasons with 25+ home runs and could reach 30 with regular playing time. The most likely scenario is that the two form a platoon limiting both of their value.
Rockies – Right Field Job
The Rockies’ perpetual rebuild rolls forward in 2025. The team has had several young players come up in recent years with very few sticking at the Major League level. More figure to come through their system again in 2025. Zac Veen, Sterlin Thompson, and Yanquiel Fernandez are all prospects who could see a promotion at some point this year. While the team waits for them, right field appears to be a battle between two players looking to prove themselves. After a quick one-year stop in Atlanta for 2023, Sam Hilliard returned to the Rockies last year and served as their backup outfielder. Battling Hilliard for the starting role is former prospect Jordan Beck who was limited to just 184 Major League plate appearances last season.
For fantasy baseball managers, there is a clear rooting interest here in Jordan Beck. Hilliard has been around since 2019. He has never accumulated more than 238 plate appearances in a season and his career wRC+ is 84. Hilliard is not a threat on the bases and runs strikeout rates of over 30%. Hilliard performing well in Spring Training and winning the job does nothing for his fantasy value.
Beck, however, possesses significant fantasy appeal. The 6’2” outfielder is just one season removed from going 25/20 with a .271 batting average in his first full professional season. He hit .319 with eight homers in 42 Triple-A games last season. Even with his struggles at the Major League level, he still stole seven bases with a 600 PA pace of 23 stolen bases. Even if Beck struggles in Spring Training, he should get the first crack at the starting role. However, the Rockies are gonna Rockie. Beck will need to show that he has improved his hit tool this spring. Chase and whiff rates above 33% makes sustainable success at the Major League level difficult. If Beck shows off an improved hit tool, he could reclaim his fantasy and dynasty value that was lost following his Major League debut last season.
Diamondbacks – Designated Hitter
The Diamondbacks focused on beefing up their rotation this off-season by adding Corbin Burnes. They swapped out Christian Walker for Josh Naylor but did not make any other moves in regard to their offense. That leaves one obvious opening in their lineup at DH. There are several directions the team could go in. They could give veteran hitter Pavin Smith a chance against righties. Getting Alek Thomas’ defense into the game and shifting Lourdes Gurriel Jr. to DH is another option. Then, there are two young hitters in Adrian Del Castillo and Jordan Lawlar, who will be in the mix during Spring Training. This is truly a battle that is up in the air and is one for fantasy managers to pay close attention to.
Both “veteran” hitters, Thomas and Smith, have shown flashes of fantasy relevance in the past. Thomas is still only 24 years old and hit four home runs in 17 games during Arizona’s magical 2023 playoff run. He hits the ball hard but struggles to consistently elevate it. A swing adjustment this spring would make Thomas worth paying attention to for fantasy. Smith meanwhile posted a 140 wRC+ in 60 games last season. Smith’s 600 PA pace last year was 34 homers. The biggest issue has been his struggles against lefties that will likely lead to a platoon regardless of his success in Spring Training.
With one of Thomas and Smith likely to lock down the role this spring, that leaves Del Castillo and Lawlar on the outside looking in. Del Castillo put up strong numbers in his 25-game sample last season but a 32.2% strikeout rate makes his success suspect. Injuries limited Lawlar to just 23 games last season but he hit .367 in 12 games at Triple-A. Lawlar will need to prove that he is healthy this spring as well as show off better contact skills. He has the power and speed combination that could turn him into an elite fantasy asset but fantasy managers should temper expectations for 2025.
Giants – Starting Pitcher Slot
Most of the attention this Spring Training is going to focus on how Bryce Eldridge performs. The Giants’ top prospect will be battling for the starting first base job, but considering his age, this article is going to assume he is not in real contention to win the Opening Day first base job. The real battle to watch is for the back of San Francisco’s starting rotation. The addition of Justin Verlander makes this rotation a bit more crowded than it was projected to be. Kyle Harrison, Jordan Hicks, and Hayden Birdsong will all battle it out for the two final spots in San Francisco’s rotation.
Jordan Hicks and Kyle Harrison feel like the safe bets to win the final two spots. Harrison made 24 starts for the Giants last season. He finished with a 4.56 ERA and an underwhelming strikeout rate. Harrison has a strong two-pitch mix in his fastball and slurve but will need to find more consistency with his changeup to develop into a reliable fantasy option. Hicks started for the first time since XX and was excellent through his first 11 starts. Toward the end of May, fatigue seemed to set in and Hicks eventually finished the year out in the bullpen. Hicks’ velocity was down significantly as a starter and the team could be best served moving him back into a high-leverage relief role.
The person with the chance to force Hicks back to the bullpen is Hayden Birdsong. The 23-year-old right-hander made 16 starts for the Giants striking out an impressive 27.9% of batters. All three of Birdsong’s secondary offerings generated a whiff rate of over 30%. Poor control is Birdsong’s kryptonite. His 13.7% walk rate led to a 4.75 ERA and 11 home runs in just 72 innings of work. For fantasy managers, Birdsong’s ceiling is higher than Hicks but he will need to show off improved command this spring if he wants to earn a rotation spot to start the season.
Padres – Designated Hitter
The Padres are a popular team to go on a run in 2025. After rebounding nicely last season, the team is primed to be led by superstars Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr. once again. While San Diego certainly has strong pieces, their depth remains concerning. The way things project, the team currently has plenty of holes in their Opening Day lineup. The two most glaring holes overlap with each other at DH and left field. There are several players in the mix with almost none of them on any fantasy radars. Two lineup spots are open for the taking with Eguy Rosario, Tirso Ornelas, Mike Brosseau, Tyler Wade, and Brandon Lockridge all battling for playing time in Spring Training.
For fantasy managers, the name to know is Tirso Ornelas. Ornelas signed as an international free agent back in 2016 and has worked his way slowly through San Diego’s system. After struggling early in his career, Ornelas has put together back-to-back solid seasons for the Padres’ Minor League affiliates. Standing at 6’3”, Ornelas packs plenty of raw pop from the left side. He has tweaked his approach in recent seasons to get to his pull side more while making more of an effort to elevate the ball. This led to a career-high 23 homers last season and has caused a dramatic spike in his HR/FB rates. Ornelas has good contact skills and could turn into a solid power/batting average fantasy asset. Roster Resource has him projected to platoon but Ornelas hit .301/.383/.463 off of lefties last season.
Outside of Ornelas, there is not a lot of fantasy appeal from the other options. Eguy Rosario is out of options and has put up strong numbers in the Minor Leagues. The issue is a suspect hit tool that has led to high strikeout rates in each of his Major League stints. Rosario has good speed and gets to his barrel well but without a consistent hit tool it is difficult to envision him becoming a reliable fantasy asset. San Diego is not going to hand him the Opening Day DH role. Rosario will need to show off an improved hit tool to win the job this spring.
Mike Brosseau and Tyler Wade fall into similar buckets. Both are veteran utility infielders who have struggled to find their footing at the Major League level. Brosseau does not offer much of any upside for fantasy managers. Wade at least has pus speed and will accumulate a handful of stolen bases with regular playing time. Wade started on Opening Day for the Padres last year and could get the veteran nod again this year.
Then there is Brandon Lockridge who split last season between the Padres and Yankees. Lockrdige does not have much power but has hit for strong batting averages with great stolen base numbers throughout his Minor League career. His stolen base production offers upside for fantasy managers that some of the other options do not have. The rooting interest for fantasy managers is Tirso Ornelas and Brandon Lockridge to win the roles. Ornelas offers the most fantasy upside here and could turn into a solid asset. Lockridge simply offers the most upside of the remaining four players. His potential for 40 stolen bases is something the other options do not have. If he could decrease his ground ball rate there could be 10-15 homer power as well.
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.
