MLB Opening Day has arrived, and our fantasy baseball analysts are ready to fire off their hottest final takes for the season. Check out what they think will happen on both the pitching and hitting side for 2025.
Fantasy Hitting Predictions for 2025
Victor Scott II dethrones Elly De La Cruz, leads MLB in stolen bases with 70-plus
To be honest, I’m not sure if this prediction is bold or tepid or just mildly unlikely.
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We know beyond any doubt that Scott possesses the wheels and base-stealing acumen to get this done. He has 99th-percentile sprint speed, and he swiped a ridiculous 94 bags in the minors back in 2023. Scott won the Opening Day center-field job in St. Louis, thanks to a scorching-hot spring in which he delivered seven extra-base hits and five steals while hitting .349. But he has been a mostly unremarkable hitter in the minors who happens to have one elite trait: blistering speed.
If Scott can simply hold onto an every-day role in the majors, he’s fully capable of producing an Esteury Ruiz-style season in which he almost single-handedly wins a category for you. — Andy Behrens
Austin Wells is a top-five fantasy catcher
Obviously, we want talent at all positions, but fantasy baseball is also a game of volume. Wells is going to enjoy that volume, parked at the top of the New York batting order to start the year. It’s the catbird seat, working in front of Aaron Judge and Cody Bellinger. Wells has an excellent walk rate and a tenable strikeout rate, and last year’s slugging percentage was unlucky against his batted-ball profile. There’s no reason to draft a catcher early in one-fill leagues, with a player such as Wells generally available between pick 150 and 200.
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And just for fun, I’ll offer a bonus prediction. Xavier Edwards will steal at least 50 bases. The Marlins need something to promote, Edwards knows how to get on base, and his light is going to be green for six months. Rabbit, run. — Scott Pianowski
Jackson Chourio wins the MVP award
Chourio, who posted a 150 wRC+ after the All-Star break as a 20-year-old last season, is on the fast track to superstardom. If we prorated Chourio’s final 250 ABs last season over a 600-AB pace, we get: .310-93-29-105-29. And he was too young to order a drink!
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Shohei Ohtani enters the obvious MVP favorite, but he’s due for regression, is coming off major surgery and will lose at-bats while…