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 Minnesota Twins.
3 Fantasy Baseball Thoughts for the 2025 Minnesota Twins
Matt Wallner Will be Interesting
Matt Wallner’s power is prolific. There was buzz surrounding him entering last season but Wallner didn’t have a breakout season as expected. However, he did hit 13 home runs and drive in 37 runs in 261 plate appearances. If we take the high strikeout rate (36.4%) out of the equation, there is still one more issue holding Wallner back.
He simply can’t hit left-handed pitching. Granted he wasn’t really given a chance to show what he could do last year as he had just 44 plate appearances. However, Wallner hit just .184 with one home run which failed to generate optimism. On a career basis though, Wallner isn’t much better as he’s hitting .144 in 108 plate appearances.
However, the power and what happens when Wallner makes contact makes him an interesting 2025 option. At his current ADP, around pick 290, it warrants further investigation. Last year, Wallner posted a .264 ISO as his power was commensurate with the preseason buzz he received. Regular playing time paints an optimistic picture as long as you can live with a batting average closer to .240 than his .259 mark last year.
Wallner had a 17.5% barrel rate to go along with a 53.2% hard hit rate. Now, all we need is for Wallner to put the bat on the ball more often.
Ryan Jeffers Needs to Play Every Day
When will the Twins just submit to Ryan Jeffers truly being their number-one catcher? Last season they came the closest they ever have as he played in a career-high 122 games. Jeffers delivered with 21 home runs and 64 RBI, but his average had a substantial dip. After hitting .276 in 2023, Jeffers dropped down to .226 last year. A .238 BABIP though does give us some measure of optimism for a bounce-back effort.
From a batted ball perspective, Jeffers did take a step back last season. Perhaps the additional playing time did catch up to him as Jeffers struggled in the second half hitting just .206. The power production did stay relatively in line though.
If you wait on the catcher position, especially in two catcher leagues, Jeffers is a solid option. With all of the youth at the position, someone like Jeffers could fade to the background.
Pablo Lopez is a Value This Season
I know that sounds like an interesting statement to make with Pablo Lopez is coming off the board in the fifth round of 15 team leagues. However, that does represent a two to three round discount from a year ago.
For the third straight season, Lopez made 32 starts. His ERA did jump from 3.66 to 4.08, but with an xERA of 3.70 and a 3.65 FIP, Lopez’s performance wasn’t that far off. Lopez still struck out more than a batter per inning, 9.62, while reducing his walks to just 1.99. On a composite level, everything else looked in line to where we expected it to be for the right-hander.
If there’s any more optimism you are looking for, Lopez’s ERA in 81.1 innings in the second half last season was just 2.77. That is momentum we can carry into 2025 with ease.
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.
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