The fantasy baseball season is in full swing, and while your team might already be finalized, it’s still helpful to know the power rankings of the best players. Whether you’re doing a post-Opening Day draft or you’re trying to gauge whether a trade offer might be worth it, understanding who the cream-of-the-crop players are is valuable information.
As with any power rankings in fantasy sports, there’s going to be some room for debate when going over the top 10 MLB players in 2025. No one knows how a season is going to play out for a player or team over the next 150-odd games, so it’s possible this top 10 list looks completely off-base at the end of the year. However, for now, we have compiled who we believe to be the top 10 fantasy baseball players in 2025.
You can view the list below as well as learn about why we think a player is ranked where they are.
10. Francisco Lindor (SS, New York Mets)
Francisco Lindor has quietly, outside of Queens, been one of the most underrated shortstops in the MLB for the past several seasons. He put up MVP-like numbers in 2024 for an overachieving Mets roster, and his numbers should stay the same or even improve in 2025 now that Juan Soto has provided an extra layer of protection in the batting order. On the field, Lindor consistently puts up high defensive WAR stats and seldom commits more than a dozen errors across one season.
While Lindor could have a down year in 2025, the Mets are a revitalized team with a ton to prove. Lindor isn’t the number one-ranked shortstop on fantasy boards, but he’s a quality starter who’s always capable of putting up monster numbers.
As a note, we considered the Dodgers’ Mookie Betts for this spot, but injury concerns tipped the scales in Lindor’s favor.
9. Corbin Carroll (OF, Arizona Diamondbacks)
There are few more dynamic players in the MLB than Arizona’s prized outfielder, Corbin Carroll. Whether it’s making flashy plays in the outfield, knocking in 150+ hits, or stealing 30-50 bags, Carroll is a true five-tool player in baseball. While there are a couple of other outfielders with a little more potential than Carroll, you can’t go wrong with the young stud in your starting lineup.
Carroll has proved to be a model of consistency in his first two years in the league, and he’s already off to a decent start in 2025. You can expect Carroll to steal upwards of fifty bases, hit 20+ homeruns, and lead the MLB in triples as he’s done the past two seasons.
8. Gunnar Henderson (SS, Baltimore Orioles)
One of the three cover athletes for MLB The Show 25, Gunnar Henderson should yet again be in the running for AL MVP in 2025. His numbers only got better from his Rookie of the Year campaign in 2023 last season, as he hit a dozen more home runs,, doubled his stolen base total, and drove in nearly 100 RBIs. While he’s started 2025 injured, the Orioles don’t seem too concerned with Henderson’s current status as it relates to the rest of the season.
Henderson is one of the top shortstops in baseball. He makes very few errors in the field, and he has a chance to hit 40+ home runs in 2025. Baltimore could also be a little more aggressive on the base paths, and perhaps Henderson could be in store for a 30/30 or even 40/40 season if he can stay healthy.
7. Kyle Tucker (OF, Chicago Cubs)
King Tucker was traded from his longtime team in the Houston Astros, to the Chicago Cubs during the 2024 offseason. Tucker has started off hot with the Cubs, and if that’s any indication as to how the rest of the season is going to go, he could finish the season as the best overall outfielder in fantasy baseball. That would take a down year from another outfielder in particular, but Tucker should still be among the best players in the MLB.
You can always bank on Tucker to park 25+ homeruns, drive in close to 100 RBIs, and play solid defense in the outfield. If the Cubs can tap into Tucker’s speed, which got him 30 stolen bases with the Astros, then he’s an even bigger threat in your lineup.
6. Juan Soto (OF, New York Mets)
The biggest story in the 2024 offseason was where Juan Soto would end up. After months of negotiations, Soto wound up with the Mets in a record-breaking, $765 million deal. Now, Soto has to prove that he’s worth the money owner Steve Cohen ponied up for him. Despite what the Yankee fans might say, Soto is going to continue to deliver incredible batting numbers.
While the new Met isn’t the greatest fielder, he has a solid arm, and you can always count on him for a few outfield assists per year. Of course, in terms of fantasy value, you’re banking on Soto hitting 30+ home runs, scoring a ton of runs, and driving in even more. Soto is seen as a risk given his new environment and potential for a down year now that he’s locked into so much money, but expectations are still sky high for the Dominican.
5. Elly De La Cruz (SS, Cincinnati Reds)
As always in fantasy baseball, the shortstops run the show in 2025. The second-best shortstop in fantasy this year is Cincinnati’s homegrown kid, Elly De La Cruz. De La Cruz has recently started to heat up at the beginning of 2025 after he made the switch to a torpedo bat, and perhaps the extra juice in the bat means good things are in store for him.
De La Cruz is a bit of a wildcard, as this is only his second full season with the Reds. While his numbers last year were promising, Elly is the biggest risk on this list. Still, if he can live up to the hype that landed him on the cover of MLB The Show 25, he might be one of the biggest steals in any fantasy draft. Count on Elly to steal a ton of bases, consistently get on base, and play solid defense at short.
4. Jose Ramirez (3B, Cleveland Guardians)
At the number four spot, we have Jose Ramirez, who has made a habit of being a consistent presence in the top five of the fantasy power rankings every year. While Ramirez has never been the top-ranked player, he’s easily the best third baseman you can draft. The Guardians star continued his dominant career last season, delivering an impressive almost 40/40 season.
This year? Ramirez has his sights on getting to and surpassing 40 home runs and 40 stolen bases. Ramirez should be an easy AL MVP candidate, as his hitting and defense continue to carry the Guardians in the woeful AL Central division.
3. Aaron Judge (OF, New York Yankees)
While Aaron Judge didn’t start off the 2025 season as hotly as his torpedo bat-using teammates, he immediately put any doubt about his performance to bed. Even without a torpedo bat, Judge has shown early on that he’s going for his own AL homerun record. The Yankees right fielder should still hit around 50 homers if he doesn’t get his record, though.
One of the more underrated parts about Judge’s game is his defense in right. Playing in front of the short porch, Judge consistently makes flashy plays and throws runners out all across the diamond. Judge is perhaps the safest option in any fantasy draft.
2. Bobby Witt Jr. (SS, Kansas City Royals)
If Aaron Judge didn’t have the season he did in 2024, Bobby Witt Jr. was the clear choice for the AL MVP award. Witt Jr. put up outstanding numbers for the Royals during their first playoff season in nearly a decade. He’s easily the best shortstop in fantasy baseball until someone else takes the crown from him, but that seems unlikely to happen unless Witt Jr. has a down year.
The Kansas City shortstop is a stolen base machine, one of the better defensive shortstops in the MLB, and has been building towards more home runs every season he’s been in the league. Maybe a 40/40 season is in Witt Jr.’s future, but even if he stays in the 30-homerun range, he’s arguably the best all-around player in fantasy.
1. Shohei Ohtani (DH/SP, Los Angeles Dodgers)
We don’t need to spend much time on this entry. Even while being a designated hitter, Shohei Ohtani should be the number one pick in every MLB fantasy draft. In 2024, Ohtani put up the first-ever 50/50 season, skyrocketing his value as a DH while he recovered from Tommy John surgery. It remains to be seen if Ohtani will take the mound for the Dodgers in 2025, but if he does, then he becomes by far the top fantasy option.
If he doesn’t pitch, though, Ohtani should be the most valuable player thanks to his hitting and baserunning. Injury concerns could pop up for Ohtani due to his aggressive baserunning, but hopefully, he can stay on the field for 150+ games.
Honorable Mentions
Here are some players who just missed the cut from entering the top 10. These players are still fantastic additions to any fantasy roster, and some are the top players at their position for the 2025 season.
- Paul Skenes
- Tarik Skubal
- Mookie Betts
- Fernando Tatis Jr.
- Yordan Alvarez
- Bryce Harper
- Jarren Duran
- Zack Wheeler
- Jackson Chourio
- Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
And that does it for our list of the top 10 fantasy players for the 2025 MLB season. As we previously mentioned, this list could easily change throughout the season, but as of the start of the year, this is where things stand.
Published: Apr 4, 2025 04:25 pm