Top 100 Hitters: Wherever Eugenio Go

Welcome to another round of the Top 100 Hitters for the rest of the 2025 fantasy baseball season. It’s been nearly a month since the last update, and with that time comes plenty of movement. In the gap between rankings, we were treated to one of the most entertaining All-Star breaks in years and are now staring down a trade deadline that’s sure to shake things up (looking at you, Eugenio). Now that the festivities are over and the second half is underway, it’s time to reset expectations. As always, the fantasy landscape has shifted with injuries, slumps, breakouts, and role changes have all played their part in shuffling the deck. Enough with the formalities, let’s dive into the rankings and talk about who’s making waves.

Rising

• Drake Baldwin – Baldwin has been a revelation for the Atlanta Braves this season, even while sharing time behind the plate with Sean Murphy. Despite the timeshare capping his early value, Baldwin has slashed an impressive .284/.353/.479, good for a wRC+ 33% above league average. Since the All-Star break, he’s even begun siphoning DH at-bats from Marcell Ozuna, giving him a clearer path to full-time playing time. With 89th percentile hard-hit rates, an 85th percentile expected batting average, and elite plate discipline, Baldwin is not only climbing in-season rankings but staking a claim as a dynasty riser.
• Nick Kurtz – This may be the most obvious rankings update of the season. Kurtz had already been trending upward, but then came Friday night: a historic four-homer, six-hit, eight-RBI performance. Even before that outburst, he was arguably the most valuable fantasy hitter over the previous two weeks. Now? He’s the frontrunner for Player of the Month and probably Rookie of the Year. Kurtz is on a blistering 150-game pace of 52 homers, 102 runs, 134 RBI, and a .305 batting average. He may deserve an even bigger bump than this.
• Addison Barger – Compared to the two breakout stars above, Barger has flown under the radar but he’s putting together a quietly strong season. In 79 games, he’s tallied 14 home runs, 43 runs, 46 RBI, and a .273 average, all backed by solid contact metrics. He still needs refinement in plate discipline, which could result in some streakiness, but he’s done enough to earn a spot at the back end of the Top 100 Hitters heading into the stretch run.

Falling

• Mookie Betts – It’s been a frustrating year for Mookie Betts at the plate. Whether it’s the full-time move to shortstop or the effects of aging, he’s been a below-average hitter in 2025. Thanks to a stacked Dodgers lineup, the counting stats (59 runs, 45 RBI) are still serviceable, but a .238 average with just 17 combined homers and steals isn’t what fantasy managers expected from a first-round pick. This marks the second straight season of decline, and his reduced pull rate might be at the heart of it. There are some adjustments that we need to see with more aggression before we really want to trust Mookie. He’s still a star, but 2025 hasn’t come together.
• Michael Harris II – The hype never seems to translate into results for Harris. This season has been particularly rough with a .214 average, seven homers, 12 steals, and just 23 runs over 99 games which is good for a 50 wRC+ and a spot near the bottom of Atlanta’s lineup. The underlying numbers aren’t kind either. He continues to chase pitches at an alarming rate while letting hittable ones go by. And even when he does connect, the results haven’t been there. Harris drops out of the Top 100 and can be cut in most redraft leagues.

Watching

• Luke Keaschall – After fracturing his forearm on a hit-by-pitch roughly two months ago, Keaschall is now rehabbing at Triple-A St. Paul. Before the injury, he was slashing .368 with five steals in just seven big-league games. He’s more than just speed as he hit 15 homers across a bit more than 100 minor league games last year. With a strong chance to reclaim the second base job in Minnesota, Keaschall has the tools with plate discipline, power-speed combo, and consistent contact to quickly ascend into Top 100 territory once healthy. Fantasy managers have likely forgotten what he brings to the table, but don’t be surprised when he re-emerges as a valuable middle infield option.