Everybody enters their fantasy baseball draft with a plan. The plan is never fully executed. Curveballs are thrown, pitches are swung and missed, and sometimes, you find yourself down in the count looking for ways to make things work. A perfect example is not drafting enough of one specific category. Say you loaded up on stolen bases early, and slowly all of your power options disappeared off of your board. Do not worry, this article has you covered. If you are looking for cheap power late in your fantasy baseball draft this is for you. This article identifies eight hitters going after pick 300 in drafts that have big home run upside late in your draft.
Cheap Power to Target in Fantasy Baseball
Tyler Soderstrom, 1B – ATH
Would it even be a fantasy baseball article that I wrote if it did not feature Tyler Soderstrom? This is now the fourth time that Soderstrom has appeared in one of my pieces. With the off-season winding down, this will probably be the last but hopefully, you get the point by now. Soderstrom has a significant fantasy upside. He is going as the 1B25 in drafts at pick 301 this off-season which is far too low. He just barely meets the criteria for this cheap power article but is a prime player to target.
Soderstrom has a strong track record of producing big-time power in the Minor Leagues. In total, Soderstrom has accumulated 72 homers in 1,288 Minor League plate appearances. That is a 600-plate appearance pace of 34 homers. After a slow start to his Major League career, Soderstrom showed off similar power down the stretch last season. Soderstrom hit eight homers in his final 145 plate appearances which would have been good enough for 33 over the entire season. His barrel rate was 14.6%, his average EV was 91.9 mph, and his hard-hit rate was 49.6%.
Even if the rest of the Soderstrom breakout falls short, he still has elite power at a cheap cost. Not many players have 40-homer upside outside of the top 300 picks. If you waited on first base and need some home runs, grab Soderstrom late. Fantasy managers will not be disappointed with this pick.
Carlos Santana, 1B – CLE
A few years ago, it felt like Carlos Santana’s career was nearing the end. He struggled to produce in Philadelphia before turning into a salary dump. Since the start of 2022, Santana has played for five different teams and 2025 will mark his third stint with the Guardians. Nobody wants to take Santana in their fantasy baseball draft, but if you need some pop he is next to free. Santana is being drafted as the 33rd first baseman off the board in drafts outside of pick 450. This is not a sexy pick. This is not even a fun pick. However, this is a pick that provides your fantasy team with some home runs at an extremely cheap cost.
Santana’s glory days are behind him at this point. Nobody is expecting Santana to hit 34 home runs again like he did in 2015 and 2019. However, the fall-off has not been nearly as drastic as many thought. Santana has managed to hit at least 18 home runs in every season he has played (excluding COVID). Considering that is 13 seasons in a row, that is incredibly impressive. Santana hit 23 home runs in each of the last two seasons. His barrel rate has decreased over the past few seasons, but his pull rate helps keep his power afloat. He has a great feel for pulling the ball and feels like a safe bet for 20 home runs again in 2025.
The Guardians do not just throw money around. Yes, they have Kyle Manzardo and other young players, but they handed Santana $12 million this off-season. He is going to be in an everyday role to at least start the year. Not many players going after pick 450 are guaranteed an Opening Day lineup spot. While Santana’s power potential is not as prolific as some of the other batters in this article, his cost is essentially nothing. Santana can hit 20 homers with a good walk rate and decent counting stats. That is always valuable which makes Santana a great player to target at the end of drafts.
Nolan Gorman, 2B – STL
Prior to last season, Nolan Gorman seemed to be one of the rising stars at second base for fantasy baseball managers. Sure, his hit tool was suspect, but on the surface, it seemed like Gorman had the power to overcome that. In his first full professional season, Gorman hit 27 homers in just 119 games. The expectation was that Gorman would be able to hit 30+ in the next season, helping to offset any negatives his batting average caused. Well, instead, Gorman played in just 107 games at the Major League level and saw his average drop to .203. His 19 home runs were not enough to keep him in an everyday role and his draft price has plummeted in 2025. Could now be a good time to buy low?
The simple answer is probably not. Gorman’s hit tool is really bad and has been really bad throughout his professional career. Gorman ranked in the first percentile for both whiff and chase rates last season. Not only is he extremely aggressive, but he struggles to make contact on just about everything. His whiff rate on fastballs was even up over 33%. Through the first three seasons of his career, Gorman owns a career strikeout rate of 34.1%. He does not steal many bases either making it even more difficult to justify his selection in drafts.
However, this article is focused on cheap power. Power is something that Gorman still has plenty of. Even in the abysmal 2024 season, Gorman’s batted ball data still was great. Gorman posted a barrel rate of 16.7% which ranked in the 98th percentile in all of baseball. His HR/FB& of 17.9% is well above the Major League average. Although Gorman’s overall process at the plate is not very good, his power is elite:
If Gorman is able to maintain a starting role throughout 2025, his draft price could be a steal. His batting average is going to hurt, and the stolen bases will not be great, but if you need power late, the assumption is that you already solved those other two categories earlier… at least that is the hope. Where things stand, Gorman is penciled into a starting role for the Cardinals. There is also the possibility that Nolan Arenado gets traded and Gorman could shift to third base later in the season. Gorman is currently being drafted as the 2B33 at pick 447. Gorman has 30+ homer upside if he can stay in the lineup. If you are searching for power late, especially at a thin second base position, seeing if Gorman can bounce back is a worthy risk to take. The best part is, it will not cost you much.
Orelvis Martinez, 2B/3B – TOR
Orelvis Martinez first needs to win a starting role in Spring Training. Even if he does not, he should find himself in the Major Leagues early on in the 2025 season. Once he is up, Martinez has as much raw power as anybody from the middle infield area. He is going as the 2B54 in drafts at pick 655. This is free. If you have an extra roster spot or are looking to find some cheap power late, Martinez is certainly a name to circle.
Martinez has been in the Blue Jays’ system since signing with them as a free agent out of the Dominican Republic back in 2018. As soon as Martinez came stateside, he caught the eye of fantasy managers. He hit 28 home runs in his first full professional season and then followed that up with 30 in 2022. Martinez is a fly ball hitter who gets to his pull side well and barrels the ball up at a high clip. That is all that you can ask for in a power hitter. His HR/FB% has consistently been above the Major League average and profiles to stick throughout his career. There is 30+ home run upside here if Martinez can hit enough.
Hitting enough is the biggest question. Martinez has struggled with strikeouts throughout his professional career. What makes his profile even more risky is his fly-ball tendencies. While that is great for his home run output, fly balls produce low BABIPs. When you combine that with Martinez’s high strikeout rate, you have the potential for a very low batting average. Martinez has made strides in recent seasons to hit more line drives and lower his strikeout rate, but it remains to be seen if this can stick at the Major League level.
Martinez may not play enough at the Major League level this season to be fantasy-relevant. However, the cost is nothing. ZiPS projects Martinez for 19 home runs in just 447 plate appearances. He is one injury, or Ernie Clement’s struggles, away from regular playing time. He is worth throwing on the end of your bench if you are in need of home runs.
Paul DeJong, SS/3B – WAS
After hitting below The Mendoza Line for two straight seasons with decreasing power, it seemed like Paul DeJong’s Major League career was over. He played for three different teams in 2023 and hit just .207 with a 65 wRC+. Credit to DeJong though as he made the most of an opportunity with the White Sox and revived his career last season. Now in Washington, DeJong seems primed for an everyday lineup spot and could provide sneaky power at a very cheap price in drafts.
Early in his Major League career, DeJong was a rising star in fantasy baseball circles. He hit 25 homers with a .285 average his rookie season, but it was all downhill after that. DeJong’s strikeout rate plagued him and his home run rate was too inconsistent to keep him in the lineup. Last year, DeJong’s power returned. He hit 24 home runs between the White Sox and Royals. The key to DeJong’s resurgence was an increase in his barrel rate. DeJong posted the second-highest barrel rate of his career while continuing to hit plenty of balls in the air. DeJong’s batting average was still underwhelming but his power was surprisingly useful for fantasy managers.
The Nationals have a lot of potential depth at third base. Jose Tena could work his way into the starting lineup and has shown promise in his Minor League career. Brady House has his own hit tool concerns but has been one of the team’s top prospects for years. However, right now, DeJong is projected as the everyday starter. He has dual eligibility at shortstop and third base and is going at pick 574. An everyday starter with 25-homer potential going outside the top 550 picks is a player worth targeting if you need power late in your draft.
Trevor Larnach, OF – MIN
There is a player going outside of the top 400 picks in drafts who has posted double-digit barrel rates for three straight seasons, has an average exit velocity of 92 mph, a max EV of 113.2 mph, a 45.1% hard-hit rate, and an 80th percentile xSLG. This feels too good to be true right? Trevor Larnach is coming off his best Major League season to date. He hit .259 with a .434 slug and 15 homers in 400 plate appearances. The former first-round pick has made massive improvements to his hit tool and seems poised for a breakout. He is off to a fast start in Spring Training and could be the perfect pick late in drafts if you need a power boost.
Standing at 6’4”, Larnach’s raw power is obvious. He has a pretty left-handed swing and barrels the ball up with consistency. Despite only 15 home runs, it is easy to see that he was unlucky in this category. Less than 50% of Larnach’s barrels left the yard last season. This is well below the Major League average. If Larnach continues to receive everyday playing time, he is easily a threat for 20+ home runs in 2025.
Regular playing time is the key. To this point in his career, the Twins have primarily kept Larnach in a platoon. He hit .261 against righties last season but saw his average drop to .227 against lefties. He also did not hit a home run off of a lefty last year. Getting playing time against lefties will be key to Larnach’s success in 2025.
However, even if that does not happen, Larnach still possesses significant power upside late in drafts. Fantasy baseball managers will not have to pay much for him. Even if Larnach is stuck on the strong side of a platoon, he still can reach 20 home runs in 2025. He is worth taking a shot on if you are searching for home run upside later on in drafts.
Tirso Ornelas, OF – SDP
The goal has been to try and find a way to work Tirso Ornelas into one of my articles this whole off-season. Finally, here is he. Ornelas has been in the Padres’ system since 2016 when he signed with them out of Mexico. Ornelas’ progression through the Minor Leagues has been slow but he finally seemed to put everything together last season. Now, Ornelas is on the brink of making his Major League debut and could open the season as the team’s everyday left fielder. Despite this, he is going as the OF130 in drafts at pick 665. This price is not reflective of the upside Ornelas’ possesses. He is a great option if you are looking for outfield and home run help late.
Throughout his time in the Minor Leagues, Ornelas has shown off strong contact skills. Ornelas prioritized contact early in his career spraying the ball to all fields and hitting the ball on the ground frequently. As he has grown and matured, the power upside was obvious, but it required an adjustment. Ornelas started to make that adjustment in 2023 and put it on full display in 2024. He started hitting the ball in the air more and getting to his pull side more frequently. As a result, his home runs spiked to a career-high 23 last season.
Ornelas is carrying over his success from 2024 into Spring Training in 2025. The sample size is small, but Ornelas is doing everything right. His strikeout rate has been minuscule, he is walking a lot, and he is making loud contact. He hit a 114.2 mph double in a game showing off his raw power potential. Ornelas has both upside and opportunity. A dynamic duo for fantasy baseball. Grab Ornelas late in drafts if you are in need of an outfielder with home run upside. He could turn into a reliable Major League player as early as this season.
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.
