Fantasy baseball season officially ended at the end of last September and myriad managers likely tuned out far earlier than that, choosing to focus on preparing for their fantasy football drafts. Well, we hope your football team(s) thrived!
Still, baseball is the best and, as we prepare for the 2025 campaign (with some of us wondering when the sun and warm temperatures will take over), it seems like a good time to recap the big stories of this long, cold winter.
A lot has happened since October's MLB playoffs began, so allow us to catch everyone up on what they've missed with the 2025 guide for lapsed fans.
The Los Angeles Dodgers won the World Series ...
Yeah, we know you were paying attention when 1B Freddie Freeman and SP Walker Buehler made history in the five-game Fall Classic destruction of the New York Yankees, but it never hurts to remind you.
A limping Freeman homered in each of the first four games of the World Series and ended up knocking in 12 runs in total. The Dodgers needed it, as DH Shohei Ohtani (a.k.a. the best player in the sport) delivered only two hits over five games. Buehler, at the end of a frustrating season leading into free agency, won Game 3 with five shutout innings and also saved the clinching Game 5, because, well, that's baseball.
Fantasy managers are smart enough to know that Freeman and Ohtani -- and Mookie Betts, of course -- are wonderful fantasy options regardless of how they performed over less than one week of late-October baseball. The same goes for Yankees OF Aaron Judge, who dropped a critical Game 5 fly ball and hit just .222 with one home run in the series. Buehler, however, turned his brief success into a lucrative, one-year contract with the Boston Red Sox. Whether you judge Buehler's future fantasy value based on his 5.38 regular-season ERA or his World Series moxie is entirely up to you.
... then they loaded up in free agency
Money was no object for the now-defending champions as they added two-time former Cy Young award winner LHP Blake Snell, speedy Korean infielder Hyeseong Kim, veteran OF Michael Conforto and worthy closer options in LHP Tanner Scott and RHP Kirby Yates. The Dodgers also re-signed OF Teoscar Hernandez, IF/OF Tommy Edman, RHP Blake Treinen, UT Enrique Hernandez and LHP Clayton Kershaw. Oh, and let's not gloss over this very relevant newcomer to the big leagues: young Japanese ace RHP Roki Sasaki. Well, of course he chose the Dodgers.
Fantasy managers love the Dodgers -- Ohtani is the clear No. 1 pick, Betts, Freeman, C Will Smith, Snell and RHPs Sasaki, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow will all be near universally rostered. Still, there are some questions. The Dodgers employ so many starting pitchers and they can't all make 30 starts. Will any of them do so? Scott and Yates can't both save 30 games. Can any prospects, such as C Dalton Rushing or LHP Justin Wrobleski, break through?
However, the Dodgers didn't get Juan Soto
Soto, who hit .313 in the World Series for New York, is on a clear Hall of Fame track and was the top free agent this offseason. The Yankees desired to keep him, but the crosstown New York Mets exceeded any predicted contract expectations and won his heart (and likely the rest of his career) for $765 million over 15 years. Soto, with a 36.4 career bWAR before turning age 26, joins his fourth MLB franchise, aiming for his first MVP award after finishing in the top 10 of voting five times in seven years. He is a late first-round pick in early ESPN ADP for points formats, where the walks and power help him pile on the points.
Incidentally, other than Soto and Sasaki, there were other free agents who were quite popular on the market. RHPs Corbin Burnes (Diamondbacks), Jack Flaherty (Tigers) and Luis Severino (Athletics) all switched leagues, as did LHP Max Fried (Yankees). Infielders Willy Adames (Giants) and Alex Bregman (Red Sox) and OF Anthony Santander (Blue Jays) moved on but stayed in their respective leagues.
Both 1B Pete Alonso and LHP Sean Manaea stayed with the Mets. First baseman Paul Goldschmidt is a Yankee now. All of these players should show up in your mixed league fantasy drafts. For all the offseason moves from a fantasy perspective, check out our "Hot Stove" guide.
There were some intriguing trades ...
Longtime Houston Astros OF Kyle Tucker was traded to the Chicago Cubs in return for IF Isaac Paredes, RHP Hayden Wesneski and 3B prospect Cam Smith.
Tucker, an annual first-round pick in fantasy drafts over the past several seasons as a five-category roto provider, should thrive in his new home before potentially moving on again as one of the highest-profile free agents of the 2025 offseason. The Cubs also traded for Tucker's longtime teammate and former closer Ryan Pressly. Tucker should bounce back to stardom after injury truncated his 2024 season, while Pressly may handle save duties.
Meanwhile, the Red Sox landed Chicago White Sox LHP Garrett Crochet for the price of high-profile C prospect Kyle Teel, OF Braden Montgomery and others unlikely to affect fantasy in 2025. Crochet, one of just 11 pitchers to register at least 200 strikeouts last year, still hasn't amassed 150 innings in any season, but expectations should be high for 2025.
Other players traded this offseason included the Yankees welcoming both top closer Devin Williams (from the Brewers) and former NL MVP Cody Bellinger (Cubs), the Arizona Diamondbacks securing 1B Josh Naylor (Guardians), the Washington Nationals adding 1B Nathaniel Lowe (Rangers), the Kansas City Royals leading off with 2B Jonathan India (Reds) and the Philadelphia Phillies acquiring LHP Jesus Luzardo (Marlins).
... but not all players rumored for trades moved
The St. Louis Cardinals made it quite clear they wished to find a new home for perennial Gold Glove 3B Nolan Arenado, but they found it quite difficult to find him that new residence. As of Feb. 20, Arenado remained a Cardinal -- and one coming off his worst season at the plate since his rookie season of 2013. Perhaps Arenado, 33, still moves on before Opening Day, but fantasy managers no longer view him as a key option. The rebuilding Cardinals also could move RHP closer Ryan Helsley and RHP starter Erick Fedde soon. Cardinals fans and fantasy managers await resolution!
Home stadiums join players in new places
No, the actual stadiums for the Athletics and Tampa Bay Rays did not move, but the places those franchises will play their home games did.
The controversial Athletics officially left their longtime Oakland home for Sacramento, as they await a future stadium in Las Vegas (perhaps). The Athletics will share Sutter Health Park with the Sacramento River Cats from the Triple-A Pacific Coast league. Fantasy managers should note the change, as Oakland's former home ballpark was one of the more extreme pitchers' parks for many years. DH Brent Rooker (69 home runs over the past two seasons, but only 28 in home games) and emerging OF Lawrence Butler (.545 slugging in road games last season) are clear winners. Newcomer RHP Severino may not be.
Meanwhile, Tampa's Tropicana Field lost much of its roof as a result of Hurricane Milton's devastating impact. The Rays will play the 2025 season at Tampa's Steinbrenner Field, the spring home of the Yankees and the Single-A home of the organization's Tampa Tarpons. Much like Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, left-handed pull hitters recognize known success in this minor league stadium, which should benefit Rays OF Josh Lowe, 2B Brandon Lowe, as well as popular sleeper 1B Jonathan Aranda.
For more on these new stadiums and how they affect fantasy baseball, check out Todd Zola's in-depth analysis.
Minor leaguers on the verge of promotion
Fantasy managers always look ahead to which top prospects may make their mark in the upcoming season, and 2025 is no different. We have already seen the Nationals OF Dylan Crews, Yankees OF Jasson Dominguez and Detroit Tigers RHP Jackson Jobe debut, and they should all be full-time players this coming season.
The Red Sox boast enticing OF Roman Anthony and 2B Kristian Campbell, but there are also veteran players blocking their pathways to playing time. The Cubs may present intriguing Matt Shaw with their 3B job, and we should see Pennsylvania RHPs Andrew Painter (Phillies) and Bubba Chandler (Pirates) striking out many a batter at some point this summer.
In addition, while new Dodgers RHP Sasaki is technically a rookie, he has extensive experience in Japan. Fantasy managers will likely make Sasaki the first "rookie" off the draft board, perhaps among the first 100 selections. Be cautious, though, as the phenom has a track record of battling injuries and has yet to approach 150 innings in any season. The Dodgers have the rotation depth to treat his valuable right arm with excessive care.
If you're the type of fantasy manager who loves promising new players, definitely take a closer look at some of the top fantasy prospects for 2025.
It's so hard to say goodbye
Among those that found their way onto fantasy rosters in 2024, Colorado Rockies OF Charlie Blackmon is the most notable big leaguer to have since retired from active duty following the season. Blackmon hit .293 with 227 home runs over 14 seasons with Colorado, winning the 2017 NL batting title with a .331 mark. That was his best fantasy season, as he also hit 37 home runs and scored 137 runs. However, Blackmon hadn't been coveted in fantasy since the 2019 campaign.
Former Cincinnati Reds 1B Joey Votto may well end up in the Hall of Fame. Votto did join the Toronto Blue Jays organization for last season but was unable to play in any big league games. He ends his career hitting .294 with 356 home runs and a .409 OBP, along with the 2010 NL MVP award and six All-Star selections.
Others to step aside (officially) this past offseason include SSs Brandon Crawford and Elvis Andrus, LHPs Cole Hamels and James Paxton, OFs Will Myers, Kevin Kiermaier and Alex Kirilloff (only 27 years old), as well as RHP Daniel Hudson.
On the comeback trail
Atlanta Braves RHP Spencer Strider and OF Ronald Acuna Jr. are two of the more noteworthy fantasy options on the mend from season-ending injuries that befell them in 2024. Strider pitched in two games before requiring internal brace surgery to repair his throwing elbow. The first pitcher off the draft board in most leagues after winning 20 games with 281 strikeouts in 2023, Strider is expected to miss at least the first month of the 2025 season.
Other notable pitchers seeking to return from injury (mostly the more traditional Tommy John elbow surgery) include Miami Marlins RHPs Sandy Alcantara and Eury Perez, Baltimore Orioles RHPs Felix Bautista and Kyle Bradish, Milwaukee Brewers RHP Brandon Woodruff, Cleveland Guardians RHP Shane Bieber and Rays LHP Shane McClanahan. Plus, of course, the great Ohtani, who played only as a hitter in 2024, will also attempt a return to the mound.
Acuna, the No. 1 overall pick in nearly all 2024 leagues after hitting .337 with 41 home runs and 73 stolen bases the prior season, tore his left ACL in May and ended up missing more than 100 games. Acuna, who has recovered from a similar injury before, is also expected to have a delayed start to the 2025 season.
Other hitters preparing for a comeback include future Hall of Fame OF Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels (knee), Brewers OF Christian Yelich (back), Reds 2B Matt McLain (shoulder), Giants OF Jung Hoo Lee (shoulder) and Texas Rangers OF Evan Carter (back).
Already gone
Don't look for Angels 3B Anthony Rendon in your upcoming drafts. Rendon, with an alarming recent history of missing games, may miss the entire 2025 season after undergoing hip surgery. A former World Series hero, Rendon last appeared in as many as 60 games in a season back in 2019, when he parlayed a .319 batting average and 34 home runs with the Nationals into a long-term contract with Los Angeles. It has not gone well.
As for the pitching side of things, the Dodgers will be without valuable RHP Gavin Stone, an 11-game winner in 2024, due to right shoulder surgery. Padres RHP Joe Musgrove, Mets RHP Christian Scott and Marlins LHP Braxton Garrett are all on the mend from elbow injuries and not expected to perform in 2025, either.
New managers
Terry Francona, a three-time manager of the year who led the Red Sox to a pair of World Series championships and also skippered Cleveland to an AL pennant in his 11 seasons at the helm there, takes over for the Reds. Francona inherits a team with many exciting, young players coveted in fantasy circles, but the Reds last won a playoff game in 2012 and last won a series in 1995. Also new to their teams are former MLB OF Will Venable with the 121-loss White Sox, while Clayton McCullough now leads a rebuilding Marlins club.
Another early opening, this time in Japan
And now, it is nearly time for baseball. Pitchers and catchers have already reported to spring training and fantasy managers anxiously await statistics that actually count for their teams.
While the traditional Opening Day is generally in late March, that's not the case in 2025. The Dodgers and Cubs will play a two-game series in Tokyo, Japan, on March 18 and 19, so make sure you get your lineups in early if you invest in players from those teams. These teams feature more than a few Japanese stars, led by Shohei Ohtani. If you draft after mid-March, your statistics will be backdated.
As for the other MLB teams, there are 14 home openers scheduled for Thursday, March 27, while the Rockies visit the Rays to finally kick off their 2025 on Friday, March 28. Batter up!