2025 FYPD Dynasty Fantasy Baseball Rankings
Image credit: (Photo by Eddie Kelly / ProLook Photos)
The road to fantasy draft season is officially underway. Today, Baseball America releases its first official 2025 FYPD rankings of the year, highlighting the top 50 players available to dynasty managers in first-year player drafts.
Our FYPD list is designed to rank players based on long-term value to dynasty managers. This is our first pass through this year’s class, and we’ll expand the list in January to include additional prospects and international signings.
Baseball America subscribers can download the FYPD rankings here.
Below, find writeups on each of the top 50 players. You can also see a chart of the rankings at the bottom of the post that includes each player’s RoboScout Hit+ or Stuff+ grade from college if applicable.
1. Travis Bazzana, 2B, Guardians
The top pick in the draft brings a well-rounded skill set for fantasy with batting average and OBP upside, plus above-average power and speed. Bazzana could develop into a dynamic leadoff hitter and potential run producer.
2. J.J. Wetherholt, SS, Cardinals
Wetherholt is arguably the best pure hitter in the draft. The underlying data supports that claim with low whiff and chase rates in his pro debut. The ceiling is a .280 hitter with 25+ home runs at shortstop.
Powered by RedCircle
3. Charlie Condon, 3B, Rockies
It hasn’t been the professional debut that Condon or the Rockies hoped for yet. Despite some serious whiff concerns, however, the power is worth gambling on. He’s no longer the slam dunk 1.1 he was in July.
4. Christian Moore, 2B, Angels
The Angels surprised us and didn’t rush Moore up to the big leagues in 2024. The initial debut showcased Moore’s elite quality of contact but some concerning whiff. A left meniscus injury may end Moore’s season prematurely, but he is likely to move quickly in 2025 assuming a clean bill of health.
5. Nick Kurtz, 1B, Athletics
A hamstring injury brought an outstanding debut to an abrupt end. Kurtz has the best combination of hit tool and power of any hitter in the draft. The skills aren’t a question with Kurtz, but there are durability concerns.
6. Chase Burns, RHP, Reds
Burns won’t debut until 2025, but he may quickly ascend to the majors. An upper-90s fastball and low-90s slider give him two swing-and-miss pitches. Burns’ curveball and changeup have shown well in spurts and could be used more in pro ball.
7. Hagen Smith, LHP, White Sox
Smith’s fastball is extremely unique, sitting 95-96 mph with a distinctive angle. His low-to-mid-80s slider is a plus pitch that generates copious amounts of swings and misses. Smith shows a low-80s curveball and changeup, too, but he’ll need to develop a third secondary.
8. Braden Montgomery, OF, Red Sox
The Red Sox hitting development has been on fire of late, and the idea of a super-charged Montgomery is intriguing. Montgomery will debut in 2025 and will showcase some of the best power in this year’s FYPD class.
9. Cam Smith, 3B, Cubs
The Cubs first rounder has had arguably the best debut of any draft hitter, showing feel to hit and power. Smith is an above-average athlete with legitimate plus power and an average-or-better hit tool.
10. Jac Caglianone, 1B, Royals
The swing decisions are concerning, but Caglianone possesses plus-plus power and the ability to get to it. An overzealous approach gives Caglianone a bigger bust factor than similarly tiered college bats.
11. Bryce Rainer, SS, Tigers
Over the last year, Rainer’s hit tool has rapidly improved, giving more hope that he’s going to hit as a professional. Rainer’s plus raw power is his carrying fantasy tool, as he’s shown an ability to get to it in games.
12. Konnor Griffin, SS, Pirates
Griffin is the most tooled-up player in the draft thanks to plus-plus runner with size and projectable raw power. There are, however, some hit tool red flags that give him a boom or bust label. Griffin has legitimate 30/30 upside but major risk.
13. Theo Gillen, SS, Rays
Gillen has a strong combination of fantasy relevant tools in his above-average plate skills, raw power and plus speed. He will need to make some swing path adjustments to tap into his raw power. A physical infielder with power and speed upside, but it comes with a murky injury history.
14. Seaver King, SS, Nationals
Over King’s short professional sample, he’s shown plus bat-to-ball skills and potential for above-average power with a max EV of 110 mph. King’s swing decisions have been super aggressive leading to some concern his hit tool could be put to the test at higher levels.
15. Ryan Waldschmidt, OF, D-Backs
One of the more divisive players in the draft class, Waldschmidt has strong plate skills with above-average power. His natural ability to backspin the baseball portends future 20+ home run production long term. In addition to the power, Waldschmidt has double-digit stolen base upside.
16. Carson Benge, OF, Mets
A two-way player in college, Benge will focus solely on hitting as a professional. He showed strong plate skills in his pro debut, which hints at good contributions in batting average and OBP. Benge’s power is more projectable than actualized at the moment, as his exit velocities are well below-average.
17. Slade Caldwell, OF, D-Backs
An undersized spark plug with plus-plus speed and excellent on-base skills. Caldwell will likely never hit for high home run totals, but he will get on base, steal bases and score runs.
18. James Tibbs III, OF, Giants
While Tibbs lacks the upside of the hitters in front of him, he does offer the safe floor of hit tool and power. His pro debut was up-and-down, and the underlying data raises some red flags about how much power is in the bat.
19. Vance Honeycutt, OF, Orioles
If you’re a Honeycutt believer, then you buy in on his potential 30/30 upside and on-base ability. If you’re a Honeycutt skeptic, you’re worried about strikeouts and his hitting at higher levels. There’s no denying the tools or potential upside.
20. Ryan Sloan, RHP, Mariners
This is an aggressive ranking of Sloan, but we believe the Mariners will get the most out of the talented righthander. Sloan’s fastball sits 94-96 mph (touching 99), and he has a chance for three above-average or better pitches.
21. Trey Yesavage, RHP, Blue Jays
Injury concerns dropped Yesavage down the board, but he’s one of the better starting pitcher bets in the class. Yesavage sits 93-95 mph with above-average vertical break and has potential for two above-average secondaries.
22. Tommy White, 3B, Athletics
One of the most prodigious home run hitters in college baseball history, White has plus power and above-average bat-to-ball skills. There are some questions, however, about how much the power translates with wood and a hyper-aggressive approach that causes White to expand the zone.
23. Jurrangelo Cijntje, SHP, Mariners
The idea of a switch-pitcher is fun in practice, but it remains to be seen how much Cijntje will throw as a lefthander as a professional. From the right side, Cijntje’s fastball sits 94-96 mph and has been up to 99. He mixes a cutter-like slider and a form changeup.
24. Billy Amick, 3B, Twins
A power-over-hit profile that knows how to tap into his pull-side power, Amick lacks tools, which puts lots of pressure on his bat. Amick can mash, but he’ll need to improve his approach and contact to get to all of his impact.
25. Cam Caminiti, LHP, Braves
The first high school pitcher taken in this year’s draft, Caminiti is a young, projectable lefthander with mid-rotation-or-better upside. Caminiti’s arsenal is led by a plus fastball, an average or better changeup and two below-average breaking balls.
26. Brody Brecht, RHP, Rockies
It’s getting harder to write off Rockies pitching prospects of late, and now along comes Brecht. The righty has elite fastball velocity and a plus slider, but major command questions and bullpen risk. Brecht is a boom-or-bust pick.
27. Dante Nori, OF, Phillies
An older prep player, Nori was one of the few high school picks to debut at a full-season level following the draft. Nori is a polished contact hitter, with a strong approach and plus-plus speed. There’s a lack of impact or power projection, but Nori has multiple fantasy relevant tools.
28. Kellon Lindsey, SS, Dodgers
A standout athlete with 80-grade speed and a contact-focused hitting profile, Lindsey projects as a potential table-setter atop a lineup. He lacks power and likely will never hit double digit home runs.
29. PJ Morlando, OF, Marlins
One of the most famous high school players in the draft, Morlando is a hit-over-power profile who’s shown improving speed in 2025. An injury cut short Morlando’s debut, but he has a track record of hitting. If Morlando can prove he can consistently tap into power, this pick could blow up.
30. Dakota Jordan, OF, Giants
Another player who’s likely to be divisive among fantasy managers, Jordan has huge power upside and has shown on-base ability. His serious swing-and-miss issues are cause for concern and sap some of his appeal, however, as he’s likely to be a batting average drain.
31. Griffin Burkholder, OF, Phillies
A physical outfielder, Burkholder has potential for plus power and plus speed at peak, but some hit tool concerns. He’s a high-upside lottery ticket to target once the big names are off the board.
32. Kaelen Culpepper, SS, Twins
A hit-tool driven profile with below-average power projection and above-average speed. Culpepper isn’t as tooled-up or exciting as others in this range, but he offers a safe bet for a floor as a major league regular.
33. Cole Mathis, 1B, Cubs
A two-way player in college, Mathis is almost certainly done with pitching, as his bat is by far his greatest asset. Mathis has plus raw power, but doesn’t sell out to get to it, showing strong swing decisions and good bat-to-ball skills.
34. Luke Dickerson, SS, Nationals
A cold-weather prep who popped up this spring, Dickerson has a well-rounded skill set with multiple fantasy-relevant tools. There’s a feel to hit, average-or-better power projection and plus speed. All the ingredients are here for a potential breakout player.
35. J.D. Dix, SS, D-backs
Dix is a switch-hitting shortstop with potential for above-average hit and power tools. He’s an interesting athlete with bat speed from both sides of the plate, above-average running ability and tools to dream on.
36. Kash Mayfield, LHP, Padres
Mayfield is a physical lefthanded prep arm that saw a velocity spike in his senior high school season. His fastball sits low-to-mid-90s, and he posts it with two above-average secondaries in a slider and changeup. Mayfield has a starter’s build, pitch mix and control.
37. Tyson Lewis, SS, Reds
A raw, toolsy athlete with improving hitting ability, plus speed and fringe-average power projection. Lewis offers boom or bust potential as an upside pick after 30.
38. Caleb Bonemer, SS, White Sox
A tooled-up shortstop with a knack for finding the barrel, Bonemer might slow down in time, but he flashes above-average-or-better speed. He shows feel to hit with a plus power projection, making Bonemer the best power prospect among the high school shortstops in this range.
39. Dylan Dreiling, OF, Rangers
Dreiling hit 20 home runs for national champion Tennessee and shows advanced feel to hit. He has shown polished plate skills in his pro debut and average underlying exit velocity data.
40. Ethan Anderson, 1B/OF, Orioles
A polished contact hitter who showed drastic improvements to his bat-to-ball skills and approach throughout his time as a collegiate. It’s a hit-over-power profile, as Anderson has fringe-average raw power.
41. Ben Hess, RHP, Yankees
A large-bodied righthander with the frame to handle innings, Hess has an interesting four-pitch mix and below-average command. He boasts a potential plus fastball and three secondaries that flash average-or-better when executed. Hess has upside if he can iron out his command woes.
42. Blake Burke, 1B, Brewers
Burke is a physical slugger with 70-grade raw power, average-or-better bat-to-ball skills and an aggressive approach. The below-average swing decisions leave some cause for concerns but there’s contact and power to dream on.
43. Ryan Forcucci, RHP, Astros
Had it not been for an injury, Forcucci might have pitched his way into the late first round this July. Prior to the injury, Forcucci was showing a fastball at 93-95 mph with above-average shape to go with an above-average slider. An upside play on a health risk later in your FYPD.
44. Malcolm Moore, C, Rangers
With a bat-driven catching profile, Moore is hard to miss in the batter’s box due to his unusual setup and poor results. Moore had the ability to hit for both average and power, however, and he showed improved plate discipline at Stanford in his draft spring.
45. Levi Sterling, RHP, Pirates
Pirates pitching development has churned out a few solid homegrown products of late, giving confidence that Sterling is worth a gamble. He has flashed plus command of a four-pitch mix of average-or-better pitches.
46. Joey Oakie, RHP, Guardians
A low-slot righthander with heavy horizontal break on his fastball and slider offering, Oakie has an athletic operation and shows natural feel for spin. He has a dynamic one-two punch in his fastball and slider combo, but he’ll need to work to refine his changeup.
47. Braylon Doughty, RHP, Guardians
A highly-polished prep righthander with the ability to hold his low-to-mid-90s velocity deep into starts and manipulate a pair of high-spin breaking ball shapes. Doughty shows pitchability, stuff and refinement that’s rare in a prep arm.
48. Jonathan Santucci, LHP, Mets
A two-way player his first few seasons at Duke, Santucci focused solely on pitching in 2024 and was one of the top college lefthanders in the draft. He shows good velocity from the left side, but his command of his fastball and slider combination comes and goes. Santucci could follow in the mold of recent Mets pitching development success stories Christian Scott, Brandon Sproat and Nolan McLean.
49. Drew Beam, RHP, Royals
A boring, polished college starter that has decent stuff but nothing outstanding. Beam is the classic fast-moving back end starter that knows how to get outs and work his way through the lineup twice.
50. Chris Cortez, RHP, Angels
Some of the best pure stuff in the draft belongs to Cortez, who sits 97-99 mph and will touch 100. He mixes his upper-90s sinking fastball with a hard slider with horizontal break, generating whiffs and lots of weak contact with the one-two punch. Cortez could move quickly as a reliever and end up a high-leverage reliever in short order.
RANK | PLAYER | POS | TEAM | HIT+/STF+ |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Travis Bazzana | 2B | Guardians | 107 |
2 | JJ Wetherholt | SS | Cardinals | 102 |
3 | Charlie Condon | OF | Rockies | 103 |
4 | Christian Moore | 2B | Angels | 102 |
5 | Nick Kurtz | 1B | Athletics | 102 |
6 | Chase Burns | RHP | Reds | 120 |
7 | Hagen Smith | LHP | White Sox | 112 |
8 | Braden Montgomery | OF | Red Sox | 101 |
9 | Cam Smith | 3B | Cubs | 103 |
10 | Jac Caglianone | 1B/LHP | Royals | 98 |
11 | Bryce Rainer | SS/RHP | Tigers | |
12 | Konnor Griffin | OF/SS | Pirates | |
13 | Theo Gillen | SS | Rays | |
14 | Seaver King | SS/OF | Nationals | 98 |
15 | Ryan Waldschmidt | OF | D-Backs | 103 |
16 | Carson Benge | OF/RHP | Mets | 102 |
17 | Slade Caldwell | OF | D-Backs | |
18 | James Tibbs III | 1B/OF | Giants | |
19 | Vance Honeycutt | OF | Orioles | 97 |
20 | Ryan Sloan | RHP | Mariners | |
21 | Trey Yesavage | RHP | Blue Jays | 110 |
22 | Tommy White | 3B | Athletics | 98 |
23 | Jurrangelo Cijntje | SHP | Mariners | 113 |
24 | Billy Amick | 3B | Twins | 98 |
25 | Cam Caminiti | LHP | Braves | |
26 | Brody Brecht | RHP | Rockies | 103 |
27 | Dante Nori | OF | Phillies | |
28 | Kellon Lindsey | SS/OF | Dodgers | |
29 | PJ Morlando | 1B/OF | Marlins | |
30 | Dakota Jordan | OF | Giants | 98 |
31 | Griffin Burkholder | OF | Phillies | |
32 | Kaelen Culpepper | SS | Twins | 97 |
33 | Cole Mathis | 1B/RHP | Cubs | 101 |
34 | Luke Dickerson | SS | Nationals | |
35 | JD Dix | SS | D-backs | |
36 | Kash Mayfield | LHP | Padres | |
37 | Tyson Lewis | SS | Reds | |
38 | Caleb Bonemer | SS | White Sox | |
39 | Dylan Dreiling | OF | Rangers | 101 |
40 | Ethan Anderson | 1B/C | Orioles | 99 |
41 | Ben Hess | RHP | Yankees | 113 |
42 | Blake Burke | 1B | Brewers | 100 |
43 | Ryan Forcucci | RHP | Astros | |
44 | Malcolm Moore | C | Rangers | 99 |
45 | Levi Sterling | RHP | Pirates | |
46 | Joey Oakie | RHP | Guardians | |
47 | Braylon Doughty | RHP | Guardians | |
48 | Jonathan Santucci | LHP | Mets | 109 |
49 | Drew Beam | RHP | Royals | 104 |
50 | Chris Cortez | RHP | Angels | 123 |