Fantasy Baseball 2025: Sleepers, Busts and Final MLB Mock Draft

In any walk of fantasy sports, there are the stars that will earn managers big points and form the foundation of a championship team. Just beyond them are the sleepers, the players who are underrated or undervalued, who slip through the cracks and right onto an opposing manager's bench for them to slide into the starting lineup and reap the rewards.

The managers who have an eye for those sleepers are often the ones with bragging rights and a league title by the end of the season. Those who do not recognize troubling trends and overreach for an under-performing veteran who busts are often left wondering what went wrong.

In preparation for the upcoming MLB and fantasy baseball seasons, enjoy this preview of sleepers, busts, and one last mock draft, all of which should help ensure that you end up in the former category as a league championship contender.

Final Mock Draft

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The top 30 picks in head-to-head points leagues for 2025 are:

1. Shohei Ohtani, DH/SP, Los Angeles Dodgers
2. Bobby Witt Jr., SS, Kansas City Royals
3. Aaron Judge, OF, New York Yankees
4. Juan Soto, OF, New York Mets
5. Elly De La Cruz, SS, Cincinnati Reds
6. Jose Ramirez, 3B, Cleveland Guardians
7. Gunnar Henderson, SS, Baltimore Orioles
8. Corbin Carroll, OF, Arizona Diamondbacks
9. Mookie Betts, 2B/SS/OF, Los Angeles Dodgers
10. Kyle Tucker, OF, Chicago Cubs
11. Francisco Lindor, SS, New York Mets
12. Yordan Alvarez, OF, Houston Astros
13. Fernando Tatis Jr., OF, San Diego Padres
14. Tarik Skubal, SP, Detroit Tigers
15. Paul Skenes, SP, Pittsburgh Pirates
16. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., 1B, Toronto Blue Jays
17. Julio Rodriguez, OF, Seattle Mariners
18. Bryce Harper, 1B, Philadelphia Phillies
19. Jackson Chourio, OF, Milwaukee Brewers
20. Jackson Merrill, OF, San Diego Padres
21. Freddie Freeman, 1B, Los Angeles Dodgers
22. Jarren Duran, OF, Boston Red Sox
23. Trea Turner, SS, Philadelphia Phillies
24. Matt Olson, 1B, Atlanta Braves
25. Manny Machado, 3B, San Diego Padres
26. Jazz Chisholm Jr, 3B/OF, New York Yankees
27. Rafael Devers, 3B, Boston Red Sox
28. Zack Wheeler, SP, Philadlephia Phillies
29. Logan Gilbert, SP, Seattle Mariners
30. Austin Riley, 3B, Atlanta Braves

Sleeper: Jackson Holliday, 2B, Baltimore Orioles

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Holliday arrived on the grand stage last season and proceeded to flop, failing to deliver on the hype and expectations that accompanied him as the top prospect in all of baseball. He struck out more, walked less, and did not have game-changing dominance that he flashed in the Minors.

In 60 games, he compiled 36 hits, 28 runs, 23 RBI, and 15 walks while striking out 69 times.

Still, there is reason to be optimistic about the former No. 1 overall draft pick.

Holliday would hardly be the first great player not to make the immediate impact he hoped to. He has performed better at the plate in Spring Training, with 11 runs, 14 hits, a home run, and three RBI in 43 at-bats.

His slugging percentage has dropped significantly and that bears watching, but he still has the raw tools that led to him being the consensus "can't-miss" prospect and savior of Baltimore's future.

With an ADP of 113 among hitters and 16 among second baseman in fantasy, the price is right to take him and, hopefully, watch as he proves doubters wrong in a bounce-back season as part of that young Orioles lineup.

Bust: Alexis Díaz, RP, Cincinnati Reds

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There is undoubtedly a portion of fantasy managers hoping that last year was the exception rather than the rule when it comes to Díaz.

A season ago, he tallied a 3.99 ERA, up significantly from the 3.07 the season before and 1.84 in 2022. His strikeouts fell dramatically from 86 to 55 and worse yet, he allowed one home run per nine innings and walked five in that same span. His 2-5 record was down from 9-6 the year before, too.

Those managers hoping it was a one-off have not paid enough attention to the direction his stats have trended since his debut in 2022. Each season, his numbers have deteriorated. Some of that can be attributed to a Reds team that has yet to take the next big step to match the young talent it has, but at some point, the onus has to be placed on the player.

A former Rookie of the Year candidates and All-Star, he has shown flashes of greatness on the mound and in terms of being a fantasy stud, but last season feels more like a warning of things to come than a blip on the radar.

With an ADP of 16 among relief pitchers, that may be too rich for what have become diminishing returns statistically.

That he has dealt with knee and hamstring injuries during Spring Training should only make fantasy managers more apprehensive about selecting him too high or relying on him to be a premier closer.

Sleeper: Brett Baty, 3B, New York Mets

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There was much expected out of Brett Baty when the New York Mets drafted him in 2019 and to say he has not lived up to it at the plate would be a fair assessment.

Perhaps fueled by his demotion last season, and watching the World Series potential his team flashed in his absence, he has erupted this Spring Training and has the potential to contribute to the Mets in 2025.

In 48 plate appearances this spring, Baty delivered 11 hits, 17 runs, three homers, nine RBIs, and a slash line of .354/.415/.708. He capped off a strong performance Friday in Port St. Lucie, Florida with a big homer to lift the team past the Cardinals.

While there is reason to believe Baty is excelling in Florida but that will not necessarily translate to the big stage, he is likely to get the chance to prove otherwise, with second baseman Jeff McNeil unavailable for the first month or so of the season.

If he can do just that, not only will Baty be a worthwhile sleeper candidate deep in fantasy drafts, but he may challenge the veteran at a key spot defensively for the World Series-minded Mets.

Bust: Chris Sale, SP, Atlanta Braves

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Chris Sale had a magical season last season, playing his best ball in years and winning the Cy Young Award as the best pitcher in the National League.

He pitched in 117.2 innings, just slightly less than he had from 2021-23. His ERA of 2.38 was his best since 2018 and his strikeouts per nine innings (11.4) was the best in the Majors.

With that all said, anyone selecting Sale in the top-half of their draft is hoping that the lefty will follow up his Cy Young season with a similar year.

At age 36, and coming off an extraordinary season that he was unable to finish in the Wild Card round of the playoffs due to back spasms, that is a bigger ask than fans and fantasy managers alike should expect.

With an ADP of 8 among starting pitchers, it is way too high to risk the long-term success of one's fantasy team to select a player who was admittedly excellent last year, but has to prove he can do it two years in a row, and stay healthy along the way, to justify it.