When I was in elementary school, our teacher wanted us to create a class cookbook. Each of us had to make a different dish. We would have to explain how we created our plate and provide a picture if possible. This was long before camera phones, so pictures were not a requirement. It was also before the internet and entire networks on television dedicated to food, so you couldn’t pull a stock photo or use whatever dish had won last season’s cooking competition. Your submission had to be something you could make if asked.
I came home and discussed it with my mother. I asked what she thought I should submit for the project. She suggested I make a salad. And I’m not talking about a salad with some fancy proteins added in or homemade dressing. She told me to take a head of lettuce, a tomato, and cucumber, chop them up, put them in a bowl, and top them with whatever dressing was in the fridge. I don’t remember if she trusted me to cut the food myself properly. What I do remember is beefing up my submission by describing how I (ok, my mom) cut the tomatoes into triangles. Take that, unnamed classmate who made chicken cacciatore!
I would like to tell you that my culinary skills have improved dramatically since then. However, that is sadly not the case. When I am left to my own devices, hot meals consist of me reheating something that someone else made. The good news is that recipes are readily available nowadays if I find myself in a situation where I need to make something.
What does any of this have to do with fantasy baseball? Thanks for asking, dear reader! I like it when we can interact like this. If a dullard like me can follow a simple recipe, then surely a savvy fantasy baseball player like yourself can benefit from a similar approach. And even if you are not a seasoned player, there are several essential ingredients you will need to stock up on early in drafts. With this in mind, I have created a 10-round Recipe for Success in 2025 fantasy baseball drafts.
10-Round Recipe for 2025 Fantasy Baseball Drafts
Most recipes have a few standard building blocks vital to the finished product. Some of these include proteins, grains, and vegetables. I will defer to those better versed in the culinary arts than I to equate these items to Major League Baseball players’ archetypes. But I do know that without these staple ingredients, your meal isn’t going to be very good, regardless of which additives you introduce. In that sense, we can apply much of the same logic to drafts. The first half of the draft is when you build the foundation of your roster. You can add value later in drafts with sleepers, but it is difficult to overcome a poor start. So, let’s dig into the must-haves early in drafts. The meat and potatoes, if you will.
Heaping Helpings of Power and Pitching
Because every draft is different, I honestly cannot say that you must take X number of hitters or Y number of starting pitchers in the first 10 rounds. One of the characteristics of a good fantasy baseball manager is to find value at each pick. You should take what the draft gives you and be willing to zig when others are zagging. Remaining flexible is of paramount importance. Having said that, you need to ensure you draft plenty of power from your hitters early on.
The good thing about many of the power hitters available early in drafts is that they are well-rounded players who also contribute in other areas. That bonus becomes increasingly challenging to find as the draft goes on. You can find power later, but many of the power hitters available after Round 10 can drain your batting average and/or provide little to no speed. You can find speed later in drafts, but it will likely come with a lack of power. Finding power early in drafts will keep you ahead of the game. Does that make them like proteins or carbs? Food for thought.
The same emphasis should be placed on starting pitching, and arguably to a greater degree. As mentioned, some hitters can contribute in multiple categories throughout the draft. But finding a pitcher who can give you double-digit wins and above-average numbers in strikeouts and ratios becomes increasingly tricky later in the draft. As a result, positional runs often occur early in drafts with starting pitchers. Sometimes, two or three starters will suffice within the first 10 rounds. There are other drafts in which you will need four or five. The main thing is that your pitching needs to be on point. You can get away with having a weak bat among your 14 starting hitters. But that is usually not the case for starting pitchers.
Each fantasy baseball manager starts nine pitchers weekly in a standard Fantrax league. Suppose the average team goes with a 6-3 starter-reliever split. With starting pitchers pitching fewer innings per start than ever before and several teams potentially toying with six-man rotations, those six starters may only give you 30-40 innings in a given week. A bad start or two can ruin your ratios, especially in weekly Roto leagues. Pitchers also historically have a greater risk of injury than hitters do. That means reinforcements are highly recommended. Your Roto recipe will rarely be diluted by having too many quality starting pitchers.
Robust Runs and RBI
At the risk of oversimplifying things, power hitters are highly coveted in fantasy baseball drafts because they can contribute in four of five traditional Roto categories with one swing of the bat. Not only does a home run help you gain ground in that category, but a home run is also a hit, which boosts the batting average. Every home run also results in a run scored and at least one run batted in. However, home runs are not the only important ingredient in your 10-round recipe. Vinnie Pasquantino and Alec Bohm finished 2024 as top-20 run producers without either corner infielder reaching 20 home runs. Anthony Volpe and Willi Castro posted top-25 run totals while contributing just a dozen round-trippers each.
A hitter’s spot in his team’s everyday lineup is always subject to change. Hot streaks and slumps alike can often change the mind of a Major League manager. Platoons frequently have a hand in how a skipper aligns his starting nine in a particular game. But it is generally a good idea to target hitters who are projected to hit near the top of the lineup. Runs and RBI are volume categories. More plate appearances generally lead to an uptick in both categories. Base ingredients like runs and RBI are necessary to help create a balanced fantasy baseball roster.
Ample Amounts of Average
In a standard 5 x 5 Roto league, ratios are often the most difficult categories to make up as the season progresses. 14 starting hitters in your lineup often produce north of 300 plate appearances per week. By the time we get to the dog days of summer, the impact of a temporary boost in batting average dwindles. That is why you must factor this category into your calculus early in drafts. At the same time, this category can be the bane of a fantasy manager’s existence due to its relative variance.
In 2023, Corbin Carroll hit .285, while Kyle Schwarber hit .197. Last year, Schwarber hit .248, and Carroll hit .231. It is relatively easy to project that Schwarber will approach 40 home runs with a full complement of plate appearances in 2025. However, there is a big difference in fantasy value between .248 and .197. Because of that inconsistency, many fantasy managers consider punting or ignoring batting average. I advise against that strategy. I am not saying you should draft Luis Arraez over Schwarber. However, I do prefer players like James Wood and Seiya Suzuki slightly over Schwarber this year in Roto leagues. Of course, positional flexibility factors into that particular decision for me. Still, you do not want to ignore batting average early in drafts.
A Sprinkle of Saves and a Dash of Speed
It has long been a mantra throughout the fantasy baseball community that saves and speed are the most manageable categories to catch up in as the season progresses. That is true because of turnover. I’m not talking about the delicious flaky pastry that is often filled with fruit. I am referring to the change that often accompanies a 162-game grind. Relief pitchers who hold their team’s closer role from March through September are increasingly difficult to find. Aside from the inherent injury risk that often accompanies late-inning relievers, every team in the league has multiple pitchers who could close games under the right conditions. Many Major League teams are not shy about removing a pitcher from the closer’s role after a rough patch. I do not mind grabbing a relief pitcher in the first 10 rounds of a draft. But do not overpay for saves.
Speed can be more predictable, which is why players like Elly De La Cruz are first-round fantasy picks. But this is another category you do not want to overindulge in early in drafts. Like saves, stolen bases can also emerge from unlikely sources. Last year, Victor Robles, Xavier Edwards, and Dairon Blanco each had over 30 steals. None of them had 100 plate appearances through last year’s All-Star break. If you diligently work the waiver wire, you can catch up in stolen bases later in the season. Grabbing some power bats who contribute to stolen bases early in drafts is a much more prudent strategy than chasing speed. Lest we forget that Esteury Ruiz was drafted in many a league within the first 10 rounds last year. Talk about leaving a bad taste in your mouth.
Now that you have the 10-round recipe for success, get in the draft lobby and cook up a winner! The best part is that there is always room for seconds!
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.
