Yesterday, I told you how to draft your pitchers for 2025 fantasy baseball. I laid it out to you nice and simple (if you have a degree in “What The Hell Is Grey Talking About?” Not a PhD, mind you. Just a BS.) Today, we forget all that jabberwocky on the who-ha and get down to business old school-style (which means if you don’t comprehend, I will hit you over the head with a baseball bat signed by Joe Clark.) What I’m hoping to lay out to you is who do you draft 2nd, if you’ve drafted so and so first. For easy reference, the royal we will be using the Top 10 for 2025 Fantasy Baseball, top 20 for 2025 fantasy baseball, and the beginning of the top 100 for 2025 fantasy baseball. I’m going to assume you’re in a 12 team, 5×5, MI, CI, 5 OF, 1 Utility, 1 Catcher league, similar to our Razzball Commenter Leagues. (Sign up for multiple leagues, and beat the heck out of your frenemies or make new frenemies!) Anyway, here’s some pairings for the first two rounds of 2025 fantasy baseball drafts:
1. Bobby Witt Jr. – First off, I liberally go back to previous years and look to see what I said so I can fine-tune for you. As the great B. Real of Cypress Hill once said, how do you know where you’re at if you don’t know where you’re coming from? He didn’t say that to me, he said it in a song. He did talk to me though on our podcast. One of my biggest regrets in life is I was emailing with Phife Dawg of A Tribe Called Quest to be on the pod and he said he would, then he tragically passed away a few days later. Wait, how’d we get on this tangent? Okay, anyway, I went back to look at last year’s draft pairings, and anyone who doesn’t think there’s huge swings and misses with even the most reliable players is sorely mistaken, and don’t call me Sorely. Last year’s top five was Acuña, Jrod, Witt, Corbin and Tucker. You can say, “Wow, you’re an idiot,” and maybe I am but that was near consensus. Only huge difference was some people wanted Spencer Strider in the top five! So, if you don’t have the top five pick in a draft, don’t you dare woe is me. Woe is yourself! Any hoodle, if you draft Witt, you’re set for life. You can’t lose! He pairs with literally anyone in round two. No, don’t draft Cavan Biggio in round two! What are you doing?! Wanna draft Matt Olson? Draft away! Bryce Harper makes it back to you? Yes and please. Witt and Wyatt? Wy’not! James Wood? I wish you would! You like the Jazz? I like the Jazz! I like the Jazz! I like the Jazz! RIP Phife. Witt and Machado? You the Manny now, dawg! Just don’t draft a shortstop like Treat Urner or Oneil Cruz, because dur, and I’d also avoid Ozzie Albies, because you don’t want to get to the third round and only have MIs. If Jackson Chourio or Jarren Duran are still there? You know I will do that with the quickness!
2. Shohei Ohtani – Who does Ohtani pair with? How about anyone when using this DraftKings code! Okay, before I finally put last year to bed, Ohtani wasn’t ranked in the top 12! Claim I’m dumb, but that was close to ADP, so y’all are dumb too! Okay, okay, OKAY! You can draft anyone after Ohtani, for reals. Or pho reals, if you’re Vietnamese. Ohtani and Cavan Biggio might even work. Or better yet, Ohtani and Olson; Ohtani and Jazz; Ohtani and Machado; Ohtani and Albies; Ohtani and, okay, and Cavan Biggio. You can’t go wrong with Ohtani because he’s UTIL-Only. Now, my preference because he’s UTIL-Only is to get something other than outfield. You can do Wood — could? Yes. You could do Wyatt, but nyet. You don’t want to get to the 3rd round and have zero infield positions covered. You could, yes, but you don’t want it, ideally.
3. Elly De La Cruz – Similar to Witt in that you can draft anyone but a shortstop, but with E! you want someone who is more power-forward. So, draft Karl Malone? No, man, wrong sport. Draft someone with power first, or power at first! Matt Olson and E! for the W. How about E! and Austin Riley? Yes, and are there anyone but failed Braves in the last 2nd round? No, there’s not. Oh, I know a good one that likely won’t be there but maybe you can dream: Bryce Harper. Someone who will absolutely be there is Brent Rooker, and I have him ranked there for the taking, but he’s being drafted later, so you can likely wait a few rounds for him. You know two guys who kinda scare me with E!? (That’s not an interrobang, that’s E! with a question mark.) E! and Albies or Ketel. They’ll be there, but you’ll have no corner man or outfielder and I don’t trust their power as much as I want with Elly. I drafted E! in one league already and took Machado in the 2nd and loved it. Follow me to the Promised (30/50 and 30/15) Land.
4. Aaron Judge – Finally a guy who doesn’t have speed! Whew! [finger to ear bud] I’m being told I still need to draft steals. The weird thing this year is it seems like there’s a ton of speed-first guys for the 2nd round pick, so the concerns with E! are not there for Judge. Grab Judge in the 1st round, then loop around to Treat Urner and I like that dog in your fight. Judge and Jazz? I don’t care that they’re on the same team, give me that all day. Think I’m crazy, think about rostering Judge and Soto last year, was that bad? Judge and Oneil Cruz? I just orgasmed. Judge and Jackson Merrill, Wyatt or Wood? I could. I don’t mind the double outfielder tap there because they’re so complementary, but don’t you dare draft another outfielder for four or five rounds. Judge and Olson? Meh, it’s not my favorite, but if you must, you better keep in mind how badly you need SBs. Judge and Corange Juice Abrams? I kinda love it, and that Corange Juice is worth the squeeze!
5. Gunnar Henderson – He’s a shortstop like E! and Witt, but stats-wise Gunnar’s more Ohtani-ish. (No, no one is 50/50, but 40/20 is “ish,” don’t quibble, people don’t like that.) So, everyone goes with Gunnar except another shortstop. I said this at one point before on a previous post, but if you have pick five, you might have the best pick in the draft. I love Gunnar for fantasy. He pairs so well with so many different types. E!’s 30/60 potential is better, Judge’s 60/15 potential is better, but Gunnar going 35/15 at short is so nice to pair. You can go speed-ish with Wyatt Lang. or J. Wood or you can go power with Manny M., Matt O. or Austin R. Why am I doing weird abbreviations? Idk, tbh.
6. Juan Soto – Sexy Dr. Pepper kinda splits Judge and Gunnar. He has Judge’s position and Gunnar’s stats-ish. Less speed, so Treat Urner has that dog in that pairing. Sexy and Jazz? Sounds like I’m buying a CD off Pornhub, but I’d give it some spins. Sexy and Oneil Cruz? Pardon me, but I have to sit down. I’m feeling lightheaded from being filled with horn. Soto and Olson or Riley? Meh, I’m not going to say no, but you really better turn around and draft Corange Juice or someone with speed quick-fast. Sexy/Albies? I’d draft that night and day. Double outfielder tap? Yes, if Wood, Wyatt or Merrill, but like I said above for Judge, don’t draft more outfielders for a few rounds. Imagine you drafted Sexy/Jazz/Wood and you’re not naming your team Skin Flute? C’mon, brother, I know you better than you know yourself.
7. Jose Ramirez – Wait, a player who has a position other than outfielder or shortstop? I don’t believe it! Am I dreaming? You can tell if I’m dreaming because I’m wearing a whipped cream bikini and Giancarlo is a giant tongue. Yes or no? No? Then no dream. So, Jo-Jo-Ram takes all 3rd basemen off the board, but big whoop. No Machado or Riley? No, whatever. Jo-Jo and Duran, Chourio or Harper? Might be pipe dreams, but I’m Pookie and smoke ’em if you got ’em! Jo-Jo and Olson? Yeah, I can dig it. Jo-Jo and Treat? I’m snacking. Jo-Jo and any hitter other than a 3rd baseman? Yes, you’re following now.
8. Francisco Lindor – And we’re back to shortstops. So, you’re drafting a little later in the 1st round and you’re missing out on Witt, Ohtani, etc., but the benefit to drafting a little bit later is you can pair Lindor with Jarren Duran or Chourio or Harper or Jazz or could you even sneak in Vlad Jr.? Lindor and Cake Batter sounds delicious. Stats-wise, Lindor pairs with anyone, but I would avoid a shortstop — sorry, Treat — and I’d try to avoid a potential iffy average, so Olson and Lindor feels more meh than you want with your 1st two picks. Lindor and Riley? That works. Lindor and JRod? I have to say, that sounds as good as Witt and Wyatt, Wood or Merrill. Lindor and Corbin? Can I get a giant LFG?
9. Kyle Tucker – Samesies as Lindor but with Soto’s position and no worry on average. Hmm, Tucker sounds kinda better than Lindor, I guess he has a bit more injury risk because of last year. Tucker pairs with any hitter. I can’t stop thinking about how sexy Tucker and Duran or Chourio sounds, but make sure you don’t outfield again for a few. Tucker/Harper? Yes, and I barely knew her! Tucker/Jazz? Yes, smoothly. Tucker/Turner? Yes, on a single bed! Tucker/Riley? So wile! Tucker/Olson? My heart be pulsin’! Tucker/Cake? Okay, that’s dirty, and I think ideal.
10. Fernando Tatis Jr. – You’re almost bound by honor to draft Fun The Jewels and double-tap outfielder. It’s just where Fun is going in drafts, so do it, but know you can’t draft another outfielder for a few. Do it with Fun and Duran; Fun and JRod; Fun and Chourio; Fun and Captain Woo Cubano; Fun and Acuña and Fun and fun, really. If you can get Fun and Betts, then I love it. Fun and Cake? Sploshing to your heart’s content! Honestly, the more I go over possible picks with Fun, Tucker and the next two guys, the more I think about how it feels like a really nice time to have a back-end of the 1st round pick.
11. Corbin Carroll – So, similar to Fun in a lot of ways, but you have to draft power, average and power and did I mention power? I don’t want Corbin and Duran and I want Duran everywhere. I want Corbin and Yordan, badly. I want Corbin and Harper, to snuggle. I want Corbin and Cake, because that average is going to be nice and the power is there adequately. Corbin and JRod? Yes, I will. Corbin and Betts? That works for me, but you better be eying a Christian Walker or Burger later. Hungry or not. Corbin and Lindor? Mentioned it earlier, why wouldn’t I still be doing it? Are you testing me? Don’t test me.
12. Julio Rodriguez – Nearly identical to Fun. In fact, JRod appeared in one of Fun’s pairings. JRod and Corbin? Yes, I already said that! In some leagues, you might be able to get JRod and Lindor. Make it Lindorj and backwards and forwards we love (but stop at “nil” going backwards). JRod and Cake? Break me off a slice of that! JRod and Yordan? It’s an outfield double tap, which I am allowing, but with caveats that were previously mentioned. JRod and Bryce Harper? Okay, it does not sound “sexy” to you, but that is so safe for runs and RBIs (RuBIs) and average and power and speed and that’s how you win leagues. You’re welcome.
