5×5 Fantasy Baseball Rotisserie Rankings for 2025: Draft Day Update!

We are less than one week away from the official beginning of the 2025 Major League Baseball season. Of course, after the two-game Tokyo Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs, we will have to wait another week before the traditional Opening Day. But the wait is almost over, and fantasy baseball drafts will be fast and furious over the next week or two. With that in mind, I wanted to update my 2025 fantasy baseball rankings.

Last month, I ranked exactly 500 players. This time around, I added a few more names to the player pool. Below I will mention some players that have moved up my board over the last month. Of course, a player moving from the 160 spot to 100 is probably more significant than a player going from 500 to 400. So I am not strictly going by the number of spots a player moved. I am also going to focus primarily on those players that are currently in the top half of my updated rankings. Most of the players who I have dropped significantly since my last update are due to injury or demotion, so there is not much reason to dive too deeply into those.

I will probably tweak these again between now and Opening Day. But I think the current version of my rankings below should provide a solid guide for your drafting needs.

Fantasy Risers, Last 30 Days

Pete Alonso, First Base, New York Mets (from 50 to 36)

The New York Mets had just re-signed Alonso when I posted last month’s rankings. I do not go out of my way to draft Alonso because I try to protect batting average early in drafts. Having said that, even last year’s .240 average isn’t terrible when compared to the league average, which continues to drop. Alonso could very well lead the league in runs batted in hitting behind the on-base machine that is Juan Soto.

Justin Martinez, Relief Pitcher, Arizona Diamondbacks (from 258 to 200):

If the Arizona Diamondbacks announced tomorrow that Justin Martinez was their closer, you could make the argument that he would be a top-100 fantasy pick. Martinez is expected to compete with A.J. Puk for the job, and Arizona may very well mix and match between the two. Either way, Martinez has elite stuff including an unhittable splitter. Even without a ton of saves, he should rack up plenty of strikeouts while posting solid ratios. That likely makes Martinez more valuable than the fringe/streamer type of starting pitchers.

Ryan Walker, Relief Pitcher, San Francisco Giants (from 136 to 108)

As I was saying… is Ryan Walker a better pitcher than Martinez? I would say it is debatable. The difference is that Giants’ manager Bob Melvin has named Walker his closer. With so many teams seemingly refusing to go with a Bonafide closer, that makes Walker a top-12 fantasy relief pitcher as we approach Opening Day. Camilo Doval looms, so Walker may not have the loosest leash. But the upside is significant given his current role and how he pitched last season.

Also worth mentioning: Trevor Megill, Milwaukee Brewers (from 209 to 172)

Alex Bregman, Third Base, Boston Red Sox (from 110 to 89)

Alex Bregman was still a free agent when I posted last month’s rankings. In the days that followed, Bregman joined the Boston Red Sox. Not only is he hitting in a prime spot in a potent lineup, but he may also see time at second base. That would open Bregman up to dual-eligibility in most fantasy baseball formats, increasing his stock even more.

Nick Pivetta, Starting Pitcher, San Diego Padres (from 200 to 162):

I have always been a fan, so perhaps that plays into my bumping him up a bit. Pivetta posted a 3.51 xERA and 3.50 xFIP last season. He ranked 20th or better in each category among 81 pitchers with at least 140 innings pitched. Pivetta also had the eighth-highest strikeout rate among that subset of pitchers. He should also benefit from pitching in front of one of the best bullpens in the Major Leagues in 2025.

Oneil Cruz, Shortstop/Outfield, Pittsburgh Pirates (from 36 to 30)

Oneil Cruz has flashed considerable upside in his brief MLB career. However, he has yet to put it all together for a full season. The tantalizing upside and the dual-eligibility are tough to ignore. Cruz hit .277 after the All-Star break last year. That is a far cry from the .233 mark he posted in 2023. If he can carry those gains into 2025, he has a first-round upside.

Brent Rooker, Utility, Athletics (from 48 to 40)

After Brent Rooker faded a bit down the stretch in 2023, I was among those who did not have a ton of interest in Rooker heading into last year. All he did was post a 164 wRC+, good for seventh among 129 qualified hitters. Rooker also finished fifth in ISO and 11th in xwOBA. The biggest issue with drafting Rooker is that he is currently only eligible at the UT position. However, if you can adjust your lineup accordingly, Rooker should continue to pay dividends.

Sandy Alcantara, Starting Pitcher, Miami Marlins (from 163 to 139)

I generally do not make it a habit to target pitchers coming off a major surgery. But Sandy Alcantara has looked outstanding in Spring Training, and is reportedly not going to have a strict innings limit. Time will tell if that ends up changing. However, Alcantara has been excellent when healthy over the past several years. With several high-profile starters already dealing with injuries, Alcantara’s stock continues to rise. He is shaping up to be a solid mid-round fantasy pick.

Also worth considering: Cristopher Sanchez, Philadelphia Phillies (from 151 to 129)

Updated 2025 Fantasy Baseball Rankings

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.