Ranking the Top Five Fantasy Baseball Bats for 2025
As the 2025 fantasy baseball season approaches, identifying the elite hitters who can anchor a championship-caliber roster is crucial. These five players stand above the rest, combining elite power, batting average, speed, and run production to deliver unmatched fantasy value.
Whether you're building around a high-average slugger, a five-tool superstar, or a dominant run producer, these hitters provide the foundation for success. With their ability to consistently deliver across multiple categories, they represent the gold standard in fantasy baseball and are must-have targets at the top of any draft.
5. OF Corbin Carroll, Arizona Diamondbacks
Carroll presents a more refined and reliable alternative to Elly De La Cruz in fantasy roster construction, primarily due to his disciplined approach at the plate. While his physical stature may not be as imposing, he compensates with elite bat speed, consistent hard contact, and an exceptional ability to generate runs. His second-half performance in 2024 suggests the potential for a 40-home run, 40-stolen base campaign, with strong indicators pointing toward a resurgence in batting average. A realistic projection for Carroll in 2025 includes a .290 average, 125 runs scored, 30 home runs, 80 RBIs, and 50 stolen bases, making him a premier asset in fantasy baseball.
4. OF Aaron Judge, New York Yankees
The Yankees bolstered their lineup with the acquisitions of veteran sluggers Paul Goldschmidt and Cody Bellinger, aiming to mitigate the loss of Juan Soto at a significantly lower cost. However, with these changes, Aaron Judge's RBI opportunities are likely to decline, and a slight dip in batting average should be anticipated. His prodigious power remains his defining trait, as evidenced by a career-high 95 extra-base hits last season. Durability has been a mixed bag, though he has surpassed 550 at-bats in three of the past four seasons, aided by increased appearances at DH (41 games in 2024).
An Aaron Judge Home Run turned into an MLB The Show clip. pic.twitter.com/orEVetSw54
— Baseball’s Greatest Moments (@BBGreatMoments) March 21, 2025
Fantasy managers can confidently invest in Judge’s elite power, banking on 50+ home runs alongside a stable floor in runs, RBIs, and batting average. His upside could reach new heights if he sustains his career-best strikeout rate (24.3%). However, injury history remains a concern, as he has missed 30 or more games in multiple seasons, including significant absences in 2018 (50 games), 2019 (60), 2020 (32), and 2023 (56).
3. DH/OF/SP Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Dodgers
Following his historic 2024 campaign, where he became the first player in baseball history to hit over 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a single season, Ohtani’s early-season performance foreshadows another remarkable year. In addition to his power-speed combination, Ohtani led the league with 130 RBIs, 134 runs, and dominated key offensive metrics, finishing with a .390 OBP, .646 slugging percentage, and a stellar 1.036 OPS across 159 games.
Ohtani’s offensive excellence has led many in the fantasy baseball community to view him increasingly as a hitter first, with his unparalleled power and elite speed—evidenced by a 35-steal streak—further strengthening this assessment. However, with his dual-role responsibilities as a pitcher, it’s reasonable to expect a reduction in his stolen base attempts in 2025.
Nevertheless, his expanded plate appearances and move to the Dodgers have elevated his output to elite levels across five categories. Fantasy managers can reasonably anticipate a season of 600 at-bats with a .300 average, 125 runs, 50 home runs, 120 RBIs, and 30 stolen bases. As the season unfolds, fantasy owners will have the flexibility to optimize their lineups, utilizing Ohtani's offensive prowess while managing his pitching workload for maximum overall value.
2. SS Elly De La Cruz, Cincinnati Reds
Elly De La Cruz ranked fifth among hitters in FPGscore (9.50) last season, showcasing his immense fantasy upside. With refinements to his swing path and a reduction in strikeout rate, his potential for increased power and improved batting average is substantial. His elite athleticism and aggressive baserunning instincts make him a premier stolen base threat, further elevating his fantasy value.
Is Elly De La Cruz ready for the regular season? Things are looking up😮💨 pic.twitter.com/LxQKQjP3Rp
— MLB (@MLB) March 20, 2025
Heading into 2025, De La Cruz projects as a dynamic five-category contributor, with a baseline expectation of a .270 batting average, 100+ runs, 30+ home runs, 85+ RBIs, and a minimum of 50 stolen bases. Given his relentless approach on the basepaths, an 80+ steal season is well within reach.
1. SS Bobby Witt Jr., Kansas City Royals
Bobby Witt Jr. has officially arrived as one of baseball’s elite talents, yet there remain multiple avenues for him to elevate his production even further. His elite sprint speed (30.5 ft/sec) has led the majors for two consecutive seasons, indicating that a 50+ stolen base campaign is well within reach should he choose to be even more aggressive on the basepaths. Once Witt refines his power output against left-handed pitching, the potential for a 40+ home run season becomes a strong possibility.
The primary concern in his fantasy profile lies in his RBI opportunities, which have yet to surpass 370 in a season. For Witt to maximize his run production, either an improved leadoff presence ahead of him or a shift to the third spot in the lineup would be beneficial. Notably, his minor league HR/FB rate (19.3% in 2021) suggests there is still untapped home run potential. Given his shortstop eligibility, a realistic path to a 40/40 season, and his ability to contribute across all five categories, Witt possesses the skill set to challenge Shohei Ohtani and Elly De La Cruz as the premier fantasy asset in 2025.
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-93d081519425a2ac5afbaba6a5df6de3.jpg "Matt Brandon")
Matt Brandon has worked in the Fantasy Sports / Sports Media industry for over a decade including stints at Scout Media, CBS Sports, Sports Illustrated, DrRoto.com, Fantasy SP, FullTime Fantasy, and more. Brandon produced Top-10 rankings in FantasyPros’ nationwide contest three years in a row. He has taken down a few big DFS tournaments on FanDuel and DraftKings but his bread and butter is season-long fantasy football, fantasy basketball, and sports betting. Brandon bleeds blue for his New York sports teams: the New York Giants, New York Knicks, New York Rangers, and New York Mets.