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