Rest of Season Fantasy Baseball Rankings and 2025 First Round

The calendar has flipped to September, and we are right in the middle of celebrating Labor Day Weekend. That means it is time for my yearly tradition of posting my final rest-of-season fantasy baseball rankings column of the season. First and foremost, a sincere thank you to everyone who has read this piece throughout the year. Even the ones who kept telling me I was too low on guys like Jared Jones and Paul Skenes. In many ways, especially those people. I am far from infallible, and neither are my rankings. Constructive criticism helps me rethink my process and take another look at a player’s ROS value. When you are trying to analyze hundreds of players at once, something may fall through the cracks. I appreciate all of you who keep me on my toes.

The other thing I like to do in conjunction with my final rankings column of the season is provide a sneak peek into the future. So, before we get into the ROS rankings, I present my projected 2025 first-round draft picks. Our draft lobby will be up before you know it, and it is never too early to start drafting!

2025 Fantasy Baseball Projected First Round

1.1: Shohei Ohtani (UT/P, Los Angeles Dodgers)

Once upon a time, when fantasy managers were drafting Shohei Ohtani in the 11th round in 12-team leagues, I wrote that Ohtani could steal 25 or 30 bases if he never threw a pitch. Guess I undersold it. Ohtani has already posted the first 43/43 season in MLB history, and there are still 30 days left. He has a real shot to go 50/50. Ohtani should be able to resume pitching next season. However, I do think Ohtani’s uber-aggressiveness on the bases this year is a direct result of him not pitching. He may also require some more days off at the plate than he has received this year. Ultimately, I think his 2025 offensive numbers will more closely resemble his 2023 output than this season’s. He should add about 100 innings of above-average pitching stats as well.

1.2: Bobby Witt Jr. (SS, Kansas City Royals)

Bobby Witt is probably going to stand between Aaron Judge and the American League Triple Crown this season. He leads the Majors with a .341 batting average. Not bad for a player who entered the year with a .265 batting average through his first two MLB seasons. He also leads MLB in hits and runs scored. And if that is not enough, Witt is about to post his second straight 30/30 season. He plays every day at a difficult position and is still just 24 years old. If I had to bet on one player to have a 40/40 season in 2025, it would be Bobby Witt Jr. He is probably the safest pick for all-around fantasy production in all of baseball.

1.3: Aaron Judge (OF, New York Yankees)

Aaron Judge broke the American League record for home runs two years ago, and it may not end up being his best season. Judge is putting up video game numbers in 2024, entering September with a .330 batting average, 51 home runs, and 123 RBI. Those numbers look even crazier when you consider that through New York’s first 33 games, Judge was sitting at .197-6-18. The biggest issue for Judge going forward from a fantasy perspective is that he will run less than just about every other first-round pick. His batting average is also likely to regress closer to his .288 career mark. But as long as Judge can remain healthy and hit 50 home runs, I doubt many fantasy managers will complain.

1.4: Jose Ramirez (3B, Cleveland Guardians)

This is where things get interesting. I think most people will have a clear-cut top three in Ohtani, Witt, and Judge in some order. After that, it feels like all bets are off. I suspect Jose Ramirez will be a popular choice for the fourth overall pick in 2025 drafts. He has an outside shot to go 40/40 this year, and he has six consecutive seasons (excluding the shortened 2020 season) with at least 20 homers and 20 steals. Ramirez also plays at a premium position in fantasy, especially now that Gunnar Henderson and Elly De La Cruz will lose third base eligibility in 2025. Having said that, I probably will not be taking Ramirez if I have the fourth pick next year. At some point, a player with a 53rd percentile hard-hit rate and 71th percentile sprint speed should see a dip in power and speed production.

1.5: Elly De La Cruz (SS, Cincinnati Reds)

10 players in the Major Leagues currently have at least 30 stolen bases this season. Elly De La Cruz has 61. That type of advantage cannot be understated. And at 22 years old, we may just be seeing the tip of the iceberg. De La Cruz “only” stole six bases in August and was still a top-50 fantasy player for the month. If and when he can cut down his strikeout rate, De La Cruz will be a fantasy baseball cheat code. He will no longer have dual eligibility in 2025, but his upside will make him a popular first-round pick.

1.6: Juan Soto (OF, New York Yankees)

Juan Soto has already set a career-high in home runs and may also eclipse personal bests in runs and RBI. He is also second in the Majors in walks despite hitting in front of one of the hottest hitters on the planet. Soto and Aaron Judge are putting up one of the most offensive historic seasons for a pair of teammates in Major League Baseball history. And Soto still does not turn 26 years old until next month. Soto has firmly put his subpar 2022 season behind him with back-to-back stellar seasons. Even if Soto signs with another team next season (please Baby Jesus do not let that happen), he will still be a coveted first-round fantasy pick next year.

1.7: Mookie Betts (2B/SS/OF, Los Angeles Dodgers)

Mookie Betts has had a bit of a down year by his lofty standards. He has only 14 home runs in 90 games after swatting 39 a season ago. Missing nearly two months with a broken hand will do that to you. I expect Betts to return to his 30-homer form next year. He should also once again be able to surpass 100 runs and RBI in a loaded Dodger lineup. I listed Betts as triple-eligible, which I anticipate will help his draft stock. Shohei Ohtani is the only other player in my projected first round with multi-positional eligibility. However, keep an eye on Betts’ status at second base. Betts has only played 17 games there this year, and just one since returning from the IL.

1.8: Ronald Acuna Jr. (OF, Atlanta Braves)

Ronald Acuna Jr. was the consensus number-one overall fantasy pick this season. I had the first pick in my two biggest money leagues and wondered aloud when Acuna’s leg would be amputated. While that thankfully was not necessary, Acuna Jr. did tear his ACL in May. Sorry, y’all. Anyway, early reports indicate that Acuna’s rehab is going well. Barring any setbacks, he should be ready for Opening Day of 2025. Some fantasy managers may be hesitant to draft Acuna with an early pick after being burned this year. But I am ready to be hurt again. We will not see another 70-stolen base season next year. However, Acuna should still put up huge numbers given a full allotment of games.

1.9: Kyle Tucker (OF, Houston Astros)

Speaking of someone having his leg amputated… I saw a video of Kyle Tucker running the bases the other day. But at this point, it could just be AI for all I know. He may be in a bunker somewhere being held against his will. Tucker has now been out of action for 90 days with what was termed a shin contusion. He was on pace to hit about 45 home runs and steal 25 bases before his injury. So if we can indeed verify his whereabouts, Tucker should be near the top of most draft boards come next March.

1.10: Paul Skenes (SP, Pittsburgh Pirates)

Fangraphs credits Skenes as a top-five fantasy pitcher this season, which is crazy considering his first start came in May. Razzball has him as a top-three starter in terms of fantasy dollars earned per start. Tarik Skubal and Chris Sale are ahead of Skenes on both sites’ respective lists. But I think the hype surrounding Skenes is going to vault him ahead of those guys come Draft Day. Skenes may see limited action during September but should be fully unleashed in 2025. He could very easily put up numbers akin to Spencer Strider’s 2023 campaign.

1.11: Gunnar Henderson (SS, Baltimore Orioles)

It is hard to argue against drafting Gunnar Henderson in next year’s first round given his production this season. Henderson has made solid contributions across the board. He is currently in the top 10 in the Majors in runs scored and home runs. He also ranks in the top 30 in RBI while ranking well above average in stolen bases. His .286 expected batting average (91st percentile) suggests that he could take another step forward in that category. Henderson hits right in the middle of one of the best young lineups in the league and should continue to post huge numbers in all categories next year. The only strike against Henderson is that he will no longer carry dual eligibility in 2025. Still, he should be highly sought after in next season’s drafts.

1.12: Fernando Tatis Jr. (OF, San Diego Padres)

I was torn between Fernando Tatis Jr. and Julio Rodriguez for the final spot in my projected 2025 first round. I went with Tatis because I think enough fantasy managers were burned by Rodriguez this season that they will go in another direction. Tatis has left some broken hearts in his wake as well over the years. Perhaps some will go the Skubal route here. But I think fantasy managers will see Tatis’ Statcast metrics and forgive his injury-prone label. Tatis is the only player with at least 200 batted ball events this year with an xBA above .300 and a batting average below .280. He is also the only one with an xSLG over .550 and a SLG under .500. A potential return in time for a playoff run may also boost his fantasy stock heading into 2025.

Rest of Season Fantasy Baseball Rankings

RAN	PLAYER	TEAM	POS
1	Shohei Ohtani	LAD	UT
2	Bobby Witt Jr.	KC	SS
3	Aaron Judge	NYY	OF
4	Juan Soto	NYY	OF
5	Jose Ramirez	CLE	3B
6	Elly De La Cruz	CIN	SS/3B
7	Gunnar Henderson	BAL	SS/3B
8	Yordan Alvarez	HOU	OF
9	Rafael Devers	BOS	3B
10	Vladimir Guerrero Jr.	TOR	1B
11	Bryce Harper	PHI	1B
12	Trea Turner	PHI	SS
13	Corey Seager	TEX	SS
14	Mookie Betts	LAD	2B/SS/OF
15	Francisco Lindor	NYM	SS
16	Zack Wheeler	PHI	SP
17	Freddie Freeman	LAD	1B
18	Chris Sale	ATL	SP
19	Emmanuel Clase	CLE	RP
20	Jose Altuve	HOU	2B
21	Marcell Ozuna	ATL	UT
22	Matt Olson	ATL	1B
23	Corbin Burnes	BAL	SP
24	Pablo Lopez	MIN	SP
25	George Kirby	SEA	SP
26	CJ Abrams	WSH	SS
27	Pete Alonso	NYM	1B
28	Dylan Cease	SD	SP
29	Jarren Duran	BOS	OF
30	Josh Hader	HOU	RP
31	Logan Gilbert	SEA	SP
32	Julio Rodriguez	SEA	OF
33	Oneil Cruz	PIT	SS
34	Framber Valdez	HOU	SP
35	Marcus Semien	TEX	2B
36	Aaron Nola	PHI	SP
37	Corbin Carroll	ARI	OF
38	Kyle Schwarber	PHI	OF
39	Jazz Chisholm Jr.	NYY	3B/OF
40	Luis Castillo	SEA	SP
41	Alec Bohm	PHI	1B/3B
42	Logan Webb	SF	SP
43	Manny Machado	SD	3B
44	Cole Ragans	KC	SP
45	Fernando Tatis Jr.	SD	OF
46	Adolis Garcia	TEX	OF
47	Gerrit Cole	NYY	SP
48	Tarik Skubal	DET	SP
49	Luis Robert Jr.	CHW	OF
50	Teoscar Hernandez	LAD	OF
51	Josh Naylor	CLE	1B
52	William Contreras	MIL	C
53	Zac Gallen	ARI	SP
54	Anthony Santander	BAL	OF
55	Freddy Peralta	MIL	SP
56	Sonny Gray	STL	SP
57	Spencer Steer	CIN	1B/3B/OF
58	Robert Suarez	SD	RP
59	Alex Bregman	HOU	3B
60	Royce Lewis	MIN	3B
61	Raisel Iglesias	ATL	RP
62	Adley Rutschman	BAL	C
63	Ryan Helsley	STL	RP
64	Seiya Suzuki	CHC	OF
65	Michael Harris II	ATL	OF
66	Willy Adames	MIL	SS
67	Bryan Reynolds	PIT	OF
68	Kevin Gausman	TOR	SP
69	Max Fried	ATL	SP
70	Bailey Ober	MIN	SP
71	Ezequiel Tovar	COL	SS
72	Jack Flaherty	LAD	SP
73	Randy Arozarena	SEA	OF
74	Shota Imanaga	CHC	SP
75	Jackson Chourio	MIL	OF
76	Tanner Bibee	CLE	SP
77	Steven Kwan	CLE	OF
78	Justin Steele	CHC	SP
79	Carlos Rodon	NYY	SP
80	Brent Rooker	OAK	OF
81	Christian Walker	ARI	1B
82	Edwin Diaz	NYM	RP
83	Paul Skenes	PIT	SP
84	Blake Snell	SF	SP
85	Jhoan Duran	MIN	RP
86	Andres Munoz	SEA	RP
87	Mason Miller	OAK	RP
88	Brenton Doyle	COL	OF
89	Cody Bellinger	CHC	1B/OF
90	Jeremy Pena	HOU	SS
91	Tyler O’Neill	BOS	OF
92	Jackson Merrill	SD	SS/OF
93	George Springer	TOR	OF
94	Hunter Brown	HOU	SP
95	Ian Happ	CHC	OF
96	Clay Holmes	NYY	RP
97	Riley Greene	DET	OF
98	Salvador Perez	KC	C/1B
99	Nick Pivetta	BOS	SP
100	Zach Neto	LAA	SS
101	Anthony Volpe	NYY	SS
102	Nathan Eovaldi	TEX	SP
103	Bryson Stott	PHI	2B/SS
104	Paul Goldschmidt	STL	1B
105	Ranger Suarez	PHI	SP
106	Andres Gimenez	CLE	2B
107	Brandon Nimmo	NYM	OF
108	Nolan Arenado	STL	3B
109	Will Smith	LAD	C
110	Matt Chapman	SF	3B
111	Triston Casas	BOS	1B
112	Bryce Miller	SEA	SP
113	Ketel Marte	ARI	2B
114	Nico Hoerner	CHC	2B/SS
115	Nick Castellanos	PHI	OF
116	Kyle Tucker	HOU	OF
117	Devin Williams	MIL	RP
118	Michael King	SD	SP
119	Josh Jung	TEX	3B
120	Luis Arraez	SD	1B/2B
121	Brice Turang	MIL	2B/SS
122	Yusei Kikuchi	HOU	SP
123	Cristopher Sanchez	PHI	SP
124	Wyatt Langford	TEX	OF
125	Jorge Soler	ATL	OF
126	Jake Burger	MIA	1B/3B
127	Lourdes Gurriel Jr.	ARI	OF
128	Kenley Jansen	BOS	RP
129	Mitch Keller	PIT	SP
130	TJ Friedl	CIN	OF
131	Xander Bogaerts	SD	2B/SS
132	Jared Jones	PIT	SP
133	Chris Bassitt	TOR	SP
134	J.T. Realmuto	PHI	C
135	Bryan Woo	SEA	SP
136	Lane Thomas	CLE	OF
137	Ceddanne Rafaela	BOS	SS/OF
138	Gleyber Torres	NYY	2B
139	Kirby Yates	TEX	RP
140	Seth Lugo	KC	SP
141	Jake Cronenworth	SD	1B/2B
142	James Wood	WSH	OF
143	Alexis Diaz	CIN	RP
144	Jonathan India	CIN	2B
145	Brandon Pfaadt	ARI	SP
146	Jose Berrios	TOR	SP
147	Dansby Swanson	CHC	SS
148	Taylor Ward	LAA	OF
149	Yandy Diaz	TB	1B
150	Yainer Diaz	HOU	C
151	Ryan McMahon	COL	2B/3B
152	Ha-Seong Kim	SD	2B/SS/ 3B
153	Rhys Hoskins	MIL	1B
154	Cedric Mullins	BAL	OF
155	Isaac Paredes	CHC	1B/3B
156	Tanner Houck	BOS	SP
157	Jurickson Profar	SD	OF
158	Nestor Cortes	NYY	SP
159	Ronel Blanco	HOU	SP
160	Carlos Correa	MIN	SS
161	Josh Lowe	TB	OF
162	Reynaldo Lopez	ATL	SP
163	Alec Burleson	STL	1B/OF
164	Andrew Vaughn	CHW	1B
165	Byron Buxton	MIN	OF
166	Tyler Glasnow	LAD	SP
167	Justin Verlander	HOU	SP
168	Kyle Finnegan	WSH	RP
169	Christopher Morel	TB	2B/3B/OF
170	Ryan Mountcastle	BAL	1B
171	Daulton Varsho	TOR	OF
172	Maikel Garcia	KC	2B/3B
173	Carlos Estevez	PHI	RP
174	Gavin Stone	LAD	SP
175	Brayan Bello	BOS	SP
176	Kutter Crawford	BOS	SP
177	Brady Singer	KC	SP
178	Brendan Donovan	STL	2B/OF
179	Masataka Yoshida	BOS	OF
180	Heliot Ramos	SF	OF
181	Luis Garcia	WSH	2B
182	Joc Pederson	ARI	OF
183	Joe Musgrove	SD	SP
184	Masyn Winn	STL	SS
185	Nathaniel Lowe	TEX	1B
186	Garrett Crochet	CHW	SP
187	Charlie Morton	ATL	SP
188	Giancarlo Stanton	NYY	OF
189	Jason Foley	DET	RP
190	Gavin Williams	CLE	SP
191	Jake McCarthy	ARI	OF
192	Ryan Pepiot	TB	SP
193	Taj Bradley	TB	SP
194	Colton Cowser	BAL	OF
195	Brendan Rodgers	COL	2B
196	Willi Castro	MIN	2B/SS/3B/OF
197	Wilyer Abreu	BOS	OF
198	Jeffrey Springs	TB	SP
199	Logan O’Hoppe	LAA	C
200	Michael Wacha	KC	SP
201	Bo Bichette	TOR	SS
202	Brandon Lowe	TB	2B
203	Bobby Miller	LAD	SP
204	J.D. Martinez	NYM	UT
205	Nolan Jones	COL	OF
206	Justin Martinez	ARI	RP
207	Sean Manaea	NYM	SP
208	Erick Fedde	STL	SP
209	Mark Vientos	NYM	3B
210	Michael Busch	CHC	1B/3B
211	Tyler Stephenson	CIN	C
212	Michael Kopech	LAD	RP
213	Ryan O’Hearn	BAL	1B/OF
214	Eduardo Rodriguez	ARI	SP
215	Evan Phillips	LAD	RP
216	Bryan De La Cruz	PIT	OF
217	Kyle Gibson	STL	SP
218	Lawrence Butler	OAK	OF
219	Lars Nootbaar	STL	OF
220	Luis Severino	NYM	SP
221	Merrill Kelly	ARI	SP
222	Ryan Walker	SF	RP
223	Chad Green	TOR	RP
224	Josh Bell	ARI	1B
225	Max Muncy	LAD	3B
226	Miles Mikolas	STL	SP
227	Ryne Nelson	ARI	SP
228	Dean Kremer	BAL	SP
229	Zack Gelof	OAK	2B
230	Brandon Marsh	PHI	OF
231	Seranthony Dominguez	BAL	RP
232	Shea Langeliers	OAK	C
233	Shane Baz	TB	SP
234	Kerry Carpenter	DET	OF
235	Spencer Schwellenbach	ATL	SP
236	Xavier Edwards	MIA	2B/SS
237	Starling Marte	NYM	OF
238	Colt Keith	DET	2B/3B
239	Michael Massey	KC	2B
240	Aaron Civale	MIL	SP
241	Grayson Rodriguez	BAL	SP
242	Ben Joyce	LAA	RP
243	Marcus Stroman	NYY	SP
244	Cal Raleigh	SEA	C
245	Jeff Hoffman	PHI	RP
246	Daniel Hudson	LAD	RP
247	Eugenio Suarez	ARI	3B
248	Bowden Francis	TOR	SP
249	Nolan Schanuel	LAA	1B
250	Tyler Fitzgerald	SF	SS/OF
251	Zach Eflin	BAL	SP
252	Matt Vierling	DET	3B/OF
253	Austin Wells	NYY	C
254	MacKenzie Gore	WSH	SP
255	Jeff McNeil	NYM	2B/OF
256	Spencer Arrighetti	HOU	SP
257	Noelvi Marte	CIN	3B
258	Calvin Faucher	MIA	RP
259	Dylan Crews	WSH	OF
260	Keibert Ruiz	WSH	C
261	Aroldis Chapman	PIT	RP
262	Yoshinobu Yamamoto	LAD	SP
263	Jo Adell	LAA	OF
264	David Hamilton	BOS	2B/SS
265	Edwin Uceta	TB	RP
266	Porter Hodge	CHC	RP
267	Sean Murphy	ATL	C
268	Luis Gil	NYY	SP
269	Ozzie Albies	ATL	2B
270	Jameson Taillon	CHC	SP
271	Jarred Kelenic	ATL	OF
272	Jose Quintana	NYM	SP
273	Francisco Alvarez	NYM	C
274	Lucas Erceg	KC	RP
275	Pete Crow-Armstrong	CHC	OF
276	Willson Contreras	STL	C
277	Jesse Winker	NYM	OF
278	Leody Taveras	TEX	OF
279	Ryan Jeffers	MIN	C
280	Frankie Montas	MIL	SP
281	Jesus Sanchez	MIA	OF
282	Nick Lodolo	CIN	SP
283	David Bednar	PIT	RP
284	Justin Turner	SEA	1B
285	Gavin Lux	LAD	2B/OF
286	Junior Caminero	TB	3B
287	Jon Gray	TEX	SP
288	Max Kepler	MIN	OF
289	Jorge Polanco	SEA	2B
290	Kyle Harrison	SF	SP
291	MJ Melendez	KC	OF
292	Tyler Anderson	LAA	SP
293	Jose Miranda	MIN	1B/3B
294	JP Sears	OAK	SP
295	Michael Toglia	COL	1B/OF
296	Ben Lively	CLE	SP
297	David Festa	MIN	SP
298	James McArthur	KC	RP
299	Spencer Torkelson	DET	1B
300	Tyler Holton	DET	RP
301	Geraldo Perdomo	ARI	2B/SS
302	David Peterson	NYM	SP
303	Jake Irvin	WSH	SP
304	Josh Smith	TEX	SS/3B/OF
305	Tommy Edman	LAD	2B/SS/OF
306	Colin Rea	MIL	SP
307	Connor Wong	BOS	C/1B
308	Luke Raley	SEA	1B/OF
309	Matt Wallner	MIN	OF
310	Joey Ortiz	MIL	2B/3B
311	Charlie Blackmon	COL	OF
312	Jackson Holliday	BAL	2B/SS
313	Alex Verdugo	NYY	OF
314	Alex Vesia	LAD	RP
315	Andrew Heaney	TEX	SP
316	Jorge Lopez	CHC	RP
317	J.P. Crawford	SEA	SS
318	Tyler Kinley	COL	RP
319	Camilo Doval	SF	RP
320	Carlos Santana	MIN	1B
321	Jacob Young	WSH	OF
322	Jordan Montgomery	ARI	SP
323	Jose Siri	TB	OF
324	Trevor Larnach	MIN	OF
325	Andrew Benintendi	CHW	OF
326	Hunter Greene	CIN	SP
327	Jasson Dominguez	NYY	OF
328	Orlando Arcia	ATL	SS
329	Matt McLain	CIN	2B/SS
330	Jacob deGrom	TEX	SP
331	Walker Buehler	LAD	SP
332	Tommy Pham	KC	OF
333	Nick Martinez	CIN	SP
334	Mitch Spence	OAK	SP
335	Parker Meadows	DET	OF
336	Matt Strahm	PHI	RP
337	JJ Bleday	OAK	OF
338	Michael Lorenzen	KC	SP
339	Yennier Cano	BAL	RP
340	Tobias Myers	MIL	SP
341	Jordan Beck	COL	OF
342	Matthew Boyd	CLE	SP
343	Garrett Mitchell	MIL	OF
344	Jhonkensy Noel	CLE	1B/OF
345	Zack Littell	TB	SP
346	Yu Darvish	SD	SP
347	Jason Adam	SD	RP
348	Eloy Jimenez	BAL	UT
349	Jake Meyers	HOU	OF
350	Roansy Contreras	LAA	RP
351	Clayton Kershaw	LAD	SP
352	Max Meyer	MIA	SP
353	Jacob Wilson	OAK	SS
354	Mitchell Parker	WSH	SP
355	Luis Ortiz	PIT	SP
356	Gio Urshela	ATL	3B
357	Shelby Miller	DET	RP
358	Whit Merrifield	ATL	2B/OF
359	Albert Suarez	BAL	SP
360	Trevor Megill	MIL	RP
361	Tanner Scott	SD	RP
362	Jose Caballero	TB	2B/SS
363	Jonah Heim	TEX	C
364	Danny Jansen	BOS	C
365	Drew Rasmussen	TB	SP