Every year there are a handful of players who come out of nowhere to absolutely crush their value and play a major role in winning fantasy championships. In 2024, we saw players like Brent Rooker, Jackson Merrill, and Brenton Doyle finish Top 50 in fantasy points in most leagues with Rooker leading the way finishing Top 20. All three of these players were drafted outside the Top 250 with Doyle going undrafted for the most part. For this reason, I am always drafting for upside with youth versus safe, veteran-type players in the late rounds of fantasy baseball drafts.
While there is not an exact science in picking these players, there are a ton of signs that can point us in the right direction if we are looking in the right spots. This early in the draft season, it is crucial to pay close attention to the positional battles in Spring Training, especially when looking at young players trying to crack major league rosters. There is obviously some risk in drafting some of these players as you generally won’t be able to hold them if they start the season in the minors but the upside can be huge. This is another reason why I love drafting most of my teams at the start or at least the first half of Spring Training.
Earlier this month, I went over my breakout players from the American League and now let’s jump in and look at some of my favorite breakout players in the National League!
Fantasy Baseball Breakout Players: American League
James Wood (Washington Nationals)
Wood was traded to the Nationals a year after being drafted by the Padres in 2021 and has quickly pushed his way through the minor league system. After posting an impressive .353/.463/.595 slash line over 52 games at AAA last year, he got the callup to the show and flashed the upside we have all been excited about. While he hit just .264 across 79 games, he walked over 11% of the time and put up an impressive .354 OBP and 120 wRC+. He showed some power with nine home runs and had 40+ runs and RBI while also adding 14 steals. While he didn’t have enough at-bats to qualify, his Baseball Savant hit tool was near elite with 90th percentile rankings in xBA (.269), xwOBA(.351), Exit velo (92.8), hard-hit rate (52%), bat speed (73.9), chase rate (21%), walk rate (11.6%), and sprint speed (28.7).
Wood is definitely not going under the radar in 2025 fantasy baseball drafts in the pick 50-55 range but is being drafted as a second outfielder and with his five-category upside, could easily end up as a Top 10 outfielder this season.
Spencer Schwellenbach (Atlanta Braves)
Speaking of making it through the minors at a fast pace, Schwellenbach was just starting out at the A level just two seasons ago and is now primed for a key rotation spot with the Braves. He made his debut last year and after an up-and-down start to the season, was absolute fire down the stretch. Over his final 12 starts, he posted a 2.47 ERA, 3.03 xFIP, 0.96 WHIP, and struck out just over 25% of the batters he faced. He showed off his expanded arsenal of six pitches highlighted by a slider that created a 32% K rate and a 112 Stuff+ and a splitter that created a 42% K rate and 113 Stuff+.
Schwellenbach is currently going off the board as SP26 and has the upside to crack the Top 20 and possibly even approach the Top 10 by season’s end. Get your shares before the ADP rises any further.
Matt Shaw (Chicago Cubs)
The Cubs not getting Alex Bregman in free agency was a disappointment but definitely wasn’t a “sky is falling” scenario and the reason for that is Matt Shaw. He was drafted in the first round in 2023 and has already risen to #19 on MLB.com’s Top 100 prospect list and #1 for the Cubs. He showed his five-category fantasy upside in the minors last year with a .284 average, 21 home runs, 71 RBI, 78 runs scored, and added 31 steals. He is patient at the plate(11.9% walk rate), shows excellent discipline(18.2% K rate), and should not only transition nicely to the majors but also be a candidate for Rookie of the Year.
The value is still there for fantasy baseball managers as Shaw is still going off the board around pick 268 and outside the Top 20 at third base. He is easily one of my favorite breakout players for fantasy in 2025 redraft leagues and is a must for dynasty formats.
Nick Yorke (Pittsburgh Pirates)
Yorke hasn’t quite reached the hype of Shaw just yet but his time is coming. The former first-round pick by the Red Sox was traded to the Pirates last season and immediately made an impact at AAA with a .303/.385/.449 slash line over 175 plate appearances. He also got the opportunity for a cup of coffee at the major league level and while he struck out 28% of the time and hit just .222 over 42 at-bats, there is a lot to like about the underlying numbers. Small sample size or not, the expected stats popped off the page starting with an xwOBA of .377, xBA of .284, and xSLG of .509, all of which were in the 95th percentile range. He then flashed an elite barrel rate(15.4%), hard hit rate(50%), and LA Sweet Spot %(38.5%).
The other aspect I like is that he can add some speed and eventually could build into a five-category player. On top of that, he could also potentially give us three-position eligibility. Going undrafted in most redraft leagues, we can comfortably take a shot at his upside at the end of drafts.
Who are your favorite breakout players this season? Drop some names in the comments below. 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.
