The best 2025 fantasy baseball team is the friends we made along the way. Also, the title is hyperbole. What was I gonna say, “The Mostly Kinda Good Fantasy Baseball Team?” You’ll get over your scoffing, you freakin’ scoffer! This is the best 2025 fantasy baseball team that I can put together when drafting from my top 100 for 2025 fantasy baseball and top 500 for 2025 fantasy baseball. Honestly, I could draft another 25 teams from those lists, and they’d all be different, but equally terrific…Well, one of the twenty-five would only be sorta terrific, but it would be really hard to tell which one that is. If I took Yordan Alvarez in the 2nd round, everything after would change. If I took Trea Turner in the 2nd round, everything after would change. I’ve previously gone over my 2025 fantasy baseball draft prep for the first few rounds and pitchers pairings. For this exercise, I’m taking Gunnar Henderson in the first, because, well, I want to feel alive, I’ve never drafted him before and this way I’m not just taking Witt and Ohtani and wiping the floor with the haters.
So, for this best fantasy baseball team exercise, until pick 100, I’m taking one guy somewhere in every fifteen picks. It would be nice if I was in a league where someone drafted Paul Skenes and Tarik Skubal in the first two rounds and I was able to take Ronald Acuña Jr. in the 2nd round (which is likely in some leagues), but since Gunnar and Tildaddy are in my first 15 picks, according to the arbitrary rules I’ve set up for myself, I can’t take them both. Then, as we all know, once you get into the 100s, there’s wide gaps between ADP and where players are actually taken. People tend to look at team need over value. So for this exercise, once I get to pick #100, I’m going to pick two players every twenty picks. Finally, because there is so much latitude in the latter rounds, I gave myself free rein to fill up my team after pick 200. Throughout the draft, I also gave myself the ability to reach to a lower draft pick, but not reach forward. Or reach around, if you’re feeling frisky. It should still be my ideal team…or not. Let’s see, shall we? Bee tee dubya, this team is a 12-team, 5×5, one catcher, 5 OFs, MI, CI, 1 UT, 9 P, 3 bench, just like the Razzball Commenter Leagues (go sign up, you Big Chungus). Anyway, here’s the best 2025 fantasy baseball team:
C: Shea Langeliers (22)
1B: Josh Naylor (3)
2B: Luis Garcia Jr. (10)
SS: Gunnar Henderson (1)
3B: Maikel Garcia (17)
MI: Xavier Edwards (14)
CI: Connor Norby (20)
OF: Jarren Duran (2)
OF: Lawrence Butler (5)
OF: Jasson Dominguez (8)
OF: Alec Burleson (11)
OF: JJ Bleday (19)
UTIL: Tommy Edman (21)
P: Cole Ragans (4)
P: Bailey Ober (6)
P: Sonny Gray (7)
P: Raisel Iglesias (9)
P: Tanner Scott (12)
P: Seth Lugo (13)
P: Ranger Suarez (15)
P: Spencer Arrighetti (16)
P: Jordan Romano (18)
Bench: Kirby Yates (23), Calvin Faucher (24), Griffin Jax (25)
SO, THIS TEAM WAKES ME UP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT AND SAYS, “YOU JUST WON THE LOTTERY,” BUT IS THERE ANY CHANCE YOU ACTUALLY CAN DRAFT THIS TEAM?
No. Sorry, I don’t mean to be short with you like Jose Altuve. Here, let me explain it to you with a long-form answer: Noooooooooooo. As I said in the opening, this is an exercise to give you an idea of a team I wouldn’t kick out of bed. With this exercise, I don’t look at ADP, so it’s nice that I think I can draft all of these guys where I have them ranked, but invariably some buster enters the draft room, takes, say Jarren Duran before I can and this team immediately becomes impossible. Out of 1,000 drafts, maybe you could draft this team once, and, if you’re drafting 1,000 times, make sure to take some Vitamin D, because you’re severely lacking in exposure to the sun. For every pick that might not be there for me to take, there’s other guys like Alec Burleson, who you could wait on a little longer on. So, Grey’s rankings Gwyneth and they taketh away her acting career after the age of 40. Here’s my team from last year that I called the Best Fantasy Baseball Team in February, before injuries, playing time was figured out, etc.
C: Bo Naylor (18)
1B: Matt Olson (2)
2B: Nolan Gorman (10)
SS: Bobby Witt Jr. (1)
3B: Gunnar Henderson (3)
CI: Rhys Hoskins (17)
MI: Edouard Julien (15)
OF: Mike Trout (5)
OF: Jordan Walker (8)
OF: James Outman (11)
OF: Tyler O’Neill (13)
OF: Wyatt Langford (16)
Util: Sal Frelick (21)
P: George Kirby (4)
P: Alexis Diaz (6)
P: Braxton Garrett (7)
P: Paul Sewald (9)
P: Chris Bassitt (12)
P: Bailey Ober (14)
P: Dean Kremer (19)
P: MacKenzie Gore (20)
P: Hunter Harvey (22)
Bench: Jose Alvarado (23), Matt Brash (24), Ryan Pressly (25)
THAT TEAM STINKS HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA–[WHEEZING, DEAD].
Mr. Al Capps, are you there?
NO, I DIED FROM LOOKING AT YOUR ‘BEST’ TEAM FROM LAST YEAR.
So, this is actually instructive. Does this team look good in retrospect?
NO, GOD NO, ARE YOU DUMB?
Right, but with some managing I have Kirby and Ober, and lose the rest of those starters, then I have Gunnar and Witt. I’d argue that in an RCL you can challenge to win your league just getting that many right.
YOU’RE CHALLENGING SOMETHING ALL RIGHT. YOUR CREDIBILITY.
Okay, putting aside last year’s team, and looking at this year’s again. While doing this exercise, I went through my top 500 first, then went back and entered my team into the War Room, and discovered this is a team I apparently like more than the War Room:
C’MON, LET’S HEAR SOME EXCUSES!
I wrote an Alec Burleson sleeper; I loved my Luis Garcia Jr. sleeper; I got hornt up during my Connor Norby sleeper; I got more hornt up for a Spencer Arrighetti sleeper than anyone currently alive; oh, and a JJ Bleday sleeper. I been loving Bailey Ober; the list goes on and on for guys I like way more than Steamer. I drafted them. I don’t think you should look at War Room totals as you have to achieve them or it’s a failure. You should have a clear idea of what you need and why you’re not taking what you need, if you choose to go that way.
YOU ARE SO CHOCKFULL OF EXCUSES IT IS REMARKABLE.
Okay, so I am low on power and I don’t love that. That’s a category that is hard to dig out of a hole. A hole? Yeah, I am for not fake-drafting enough HRs. That is also because Steamer thinks less of Burleson, Bleday and Norby than me, but still it’s a weakness. It’s good to know your weaknesses. Soup dumplings? That’s a weakness for me. And power, here. I also don’t think WHIP or runs are a weakness with this team, but it’s worth keeping an eye on, in-season.
Also, anyone who’s played in a Razzball Commenter League knows players are fluid. To illustrate, I like Tommy Edman and Kirby Yates fine for deeper leagues, but I was so committed to the bit I drafted them here just for their Tokyo series, and then on this fantasy fantasy team, I will drop them. Though, maybe if they have a good series in Tokyo, I will hold them until May, cursing that I should’ve dropped them after their Tokyo series. Damn, this fictitious fantasy team is already giving me an ulcer!
Last year, Bailey Ober was bringing down my War Room totals, and this year Rudy’s got him near his top 75. Cust kayin’. Also, as mentioned, I drafted, then went back and entered my team into the War Room, which is bassackwards. If I were using the War Room, as it’s intended — while actually drafting — I likely would’ve drafted heavier on power, because I would’ve seen the weakness during the draft. That shows you though, that even someone like me can’t eyeball everything.
So, the War Room totals look janky, but the team, to my eyes, looks like the Best Fantasy Baseball Team–
DO YOU EVER LEAVE YOUR HOUSE WITH SO MUCH SELF HORN TOOTING?
Rarely. For s’s and g’s, go to my top 500 and put your best fantasy baseball team into the comments below, using the rules I set out in the opening — one player every 15 picks until 100, then two every twenty picks, then anyone after 200 overall.
Hey Grey!
I noticed you picked your first setting pitcher in the 4th round in each draft. Looking at the name of those pitchers, this follows what you wrote in the Pitcher Pairing strategy post. What do you feel is the best time to draft your first SP, the 4th, 5th or 6th round or let the draft dictate when to pick your first SP?
4th to 5th round
Hey Grey. Keeper question. Looking to keep either Manny Machado or William Contreras I believe Contreras will gain 1st base eligibility this year and I need to keep one of these corner players. Please give me your opinion on which one. Thanks
Hi Grey,in my league Rooker is DH only so by what i read from u earlier does he go say just before or after Cody Bellinger who u have ranked #53 overall?
I’d take Rooker 1st
I see you had a nice AL only draft got complimented by Scott white. Vladdy and Casas I wonder who has that pairing…..
Very happy with my team! Going over it tomorrow on the site
It’s a good one hope you win!
Thanks!
Well Bobby Miller just took a comebacker to the heaf at 106 mph. Seems to be as okay as one can be after that.
No, not the heaf! Haha…I saw, he seemed ok
hey old buddy. you probably have a queue set but just in case not, you’re at risk of an auto pick
I set it for autopick because I had to go get my lettuce chopped
Hi Grey! Excited to be back for another year and just getting started reading through all the resources.
2 keeper questions for ya just to gut check:
League 1 ,h2h points, keep 3 forever, no draft salary or anything:
Oneil Cruz
Elly De La Cruz
Jackson Holliday
Langford
Steer, Matt Olson, J Walker, Pepiot also around but I think it’s between those 4. For this year probably Cruz, Cruz, Langford but I’m very tempted to hold holliday forever given the pedigree and starting job.
League 2, h2h points, Keep 5, Draft position increases yearly:
Round 1: Kyle Tucker (1 year left at position)
Round 10: James Wood (3 seasons left, R7 Next year, R4 2027)
Round 11: Anthony Santander(1 Season Left)
Round 22: Jordan Westburg (3 seasons left, R19 next year, r16 2027)
Round 16: Masyn Winn (3 seasons left, R13 next year, r10 2027)
Also keepable:
Round 7: Jazz Chisholm (R4 next year, R1 2027)
Round 17: Reese Olson (R14 Next year, R11 2027)
Round 15: Taj Bradley (3 left)
Maybe Slight Value:
Felix Bautista, Gurriel, Hunter Brown, Zebby Matthews R10 (3 left)
Biggest decision is Winn vs Jazz, feel like the jazz NYY upside this year at 7th round value might be worth it.
Thanks again for all your work year in and year out – subscribe to Patreon and Tools every year and can’t imagine fantasy baseball without it – won a $3k league last year with it!
Nice! Appreciate you! league 1: Not jackson League 2: Jazz over Winn
Haha – Gonna pain me to cut Holliday being an O’s homer, but sometimes you gotta do what’s objectively correct I guess
Yup
Thanks again!
No problem
I am in a salary dynasty league, below is my team before our auction. I had to take some bad money to acquire Skenes and I am thinking about moving Naylor and Ragans to clear some cap space.
My question if I trade and replaced Naylor with Ozuna and added lower tiered 1b say Bellinger, Toglia, type how do you think my offense would still be legit?
1b: Josh Naylor
2b: Gelof
3b: Austin Riley
SS: Elly
OF: Yordan, Juan Soto, Kyle Tucker
SP: Skenes, Ragans, C. Sanchez,
Micheal King, Robbie Ray
RP: Clase, Munoz, Devin Williams, Saurez,
Yeah, that sounds fine
Grey
14 team mixed auction ( keep up to 11 )
Which side do you like
$3 Lugo
$4 Cowser
$ 10 X. Edwards
or
$10 L. Butler
$12 R. Lewis
For some context these are my current keepers
Machado – 31
Jazz – 28
Harper – 23
Gilbert – 28
Teoscar – 18
X. Edwards – 10
Cowser – 4
Lugo – 3
Pfaat – 5
Jared Jones – 10
L. Garcia ( the 2nd baseman ) – 10
If I were to make the trade mentioned above, I would insert a $10 Robles or a $18 Yelich onto my keepers list. ( or maybe keep just 10 but I like Robles this year )
In this league there will be a lot of high priced players available in the draft, more than usual, so a lot of teams have been trading higher priced border line keepers to shed payroll to go into the draft with a lot of $$$. Because I was already keeping Jazz, Gilbert, and Teoscar I decided to zag while everyone else zigged and get my studs now thru trades ( this is how I recently acquired Bryce and Manny ). As it stands I will be going into draft with only $90. If I make this trade I will be going in with only $75 or $68.
Sorry to be so long winded with this question, but I wanted to give you perspective.
As always thanks in advance
I would try to offer the guy Lugo + Cowser for Butler and see if he bites.
That would help
Yes. This was my initial offer, as he had interest in both of these guys at the price, but he did not accept it. He wanted to give me Lewis and a pitcher I had no interest in for them two. I asked for just Butler instead and he thought about it for a day, then said no. I am trying to counter with this offer.
Meh
Cowser side, buy some big names if you need them
Morning, during your podcasts B Don says just contact him to sign up for RCL. How do I contact him? I am not a YouTube subscriber and I can’t find them on Twitter. Thanks.
just follow directions here to sign up for a league: https://razzball.com/2025-razzball-commenter-leagues/
Thanks
No problem
7 spots open in B_Dons league join us.
I think I was all-in on Maikel Garcia a year early. I drafted him in all my leagues last year. The SB were nice, but his OBP really dragged me down. I’m hoping he’s like Semien, who started out pretty lousy but turned into an awesome option.
You gotta get in again
I think he’ll be even cheaper than last year – he had some hype and he cost me $6 on average in auction leagues.
Auction question – I’ve always had pretty expensive keepers until this year. So I’m going into the auction with a lot more money than usual. I plan to go hard on Gunnar. Would you also drop premium money on Vlad, or would you rather spend the same money and get, say, Naylor + Riley Greene or Vinnie P + Langford, something like that? We start 5 OF and I’m keeping Merrill and Doyle (along with Westburg and Skenes). I also plan to spend a lot on either Riley/Jazz at 3B
Naylor/Greene or Vinnie/Wyatt works for me…Prefer the 1st
If you had to keep Robert Jr or Harris, gun to your head, which would you pick? Robert seems to have much higher ceiling but floor of worst player in the league and maybe Harris can reach a new level being much younger?
Harris
Hi Grey,
Thanks for a very fascinating article! As you know, you are a must read to start the day!
I was going for strong pitching early in the draft and then for 4-5 strong bats in rounds 9 threw 12. Thoughts?
Have a great day!!
No problem! Depends on the size of league and categories
Thanks so much!
It is a 11 team Yahoo Points with typical 10 points for a win, 4 points for a homer, one point for a K and -1 point for a BB by pitchers.
Hope this helps!
really appreciate the help!
Makes sense to lean heavier on pitching drafting early, kinda depends on how the draft goes and who falls to you
Thanks!
No problem
Who should I keep with Paul Skenes? We keep a total of 5, so 4 more players
12 team 6×6 Roto OPS/QS
* means last year I can keep them, otherwise it’s two years.
Paul Skenes (19)
Brent Rooker (8)
Wyatt Langford (11)*
Micheal King (13)
Max Scherzer (16)
CJ Abrams (16)*
Edwin Diaz (16)*
Ryan Pepiot (16)
Shane McClanahan (21)
Jared Jones (25)
CJ, Langford, Rooker, King
Hello again February Grey! Thanks for all the advice over the years!
Getting close to keeper declaration time. (15 teams – K/9 and K and saves for pitchers along with reg cats, same for bats with OBP/SLG and ks)
I’ve narrowed it to: Sal Perez/Casas/Albies/Caminero/Treat Urner/Steer/Harris II/Santander and SP: Gilbert/Gallen and RP: Duran
Couple of trades I’m looking at:
Give up Treat and Santander for Seager and Freddy P (K upside)
or
Give up Santander for Bibbee
or
Give up Santander and Harris for Helsley and Bibbee (leaning no here as Harris is high on my adjusted Rudy rankings)
or
Stay put
Thanks for all you do Boss
No problem! they’re all fair trades…I’d do either Freddy P or Bibee trade, I think Seager/Freddy is solid for you with those cats
I like this years better, and not totally recency bias. The latter picks feel more stable and the infield seems less likely to lose PT (aside from Garcia? I think I read something about that?? Or maybe he will be used around diamond??)
Arms seems stronger and more trustworthy overall. Later is alot better. Give me Moms spaghetti, Saurez, Romano instead of Kremer, Gore, Harvey.
I agree with waiting on C but Naylor I never had faith in. Granted, Langeliers wasnt on radar until a month in, and I did reach a bit for Raleigh who kept falling in my league (My league: He has bad avg!!!! So WHAT?! At least he does something!). Naylor was just too deep for me there.
Hopefully OF is good and justifies Dominguez and Butler there, but if not, OF to me is easiest to replace. If I drafted this team and had an injury ot bust id hope there.
Edman I loved last year but health obviously. He getting PT or platooning this year? I know super late pick anyway.
Interesting.
Yeah, could be, at end of the day we prolly don’t know what we don’t know about who’s going to get hurt or bust, which is where the fun comes in…
Oh abdolutely. Just a lot of the guys I wasnt high on were on last years list, and guys im higher or meh on but still like their talent on this years. Which means in October I look forward to having egg on my face.
Renfigo to get CF work with Angels.
I just heard a scream at work. Boone just got extended for a couple years.
Rengifo is gonna have 6 positions and be on so many of my teams
Boone has job security you don’t find in today’s world — like Hal is trying to rebel from his father by never firing his manager
Which of your SP tiers is your drafting sweet spot this year, Milkrowave? I’m referring to that tier that you like to go big on. I’ve done well in the past plucking pitchers from that tier of pitchers you feel could break out and a lot of them in fact do. Thank you!
Yeah, Milk
Also, tuxedo
GREY ,
just drafted a 10 teams Y! league and ,, i’m really close to your best team !
only SV no holds!
C. Langeliers (15)
1B. J Naylor (7)
2B. Albies (4)
3B J Westburg (10)
SS ELLY! (1)
OF1 J DURAN (2)
OF2 CHOURIO (3)
OF3 L Butler (9)
Util Dylan Crews (16)
Util A VOLPE (18)
Bench Toglia(20) Norby (21)
SP1 Cease (5)
SP2 Kirby (6)
SP3 Bryce Miller(8)
RP1 Duran (11)
RP2 Scott (13)
SP4 Grayson Rod (traded Woo) (12)
SP5 Mc CLanahan (14)
SP6 Arrighetti (17)
Bench Luis Gil(19) Taj Bradley(22) Jackson Jobe (23)
Is my Woo for Grayson was good?
Should i pick or trade for another RP overTaj ?
I like your hitting a lot and your pitching looks rock solid…nice team! I’d take Grayson, it’s fair….You don’t need to trade Taj right now
Hey Grey! Would love your opinion on six keepers no restrictions. Regular 5×5 plus OPS and HOLDs. 16 teams.
Jazz, MH2, Vientos, Crochet, Bregman (was on bubble but 2B Boston good spot) are the locks. Choose from Francisco Alvarez or Spencer Strider for last keeper
Strider
i think my fcl team went into september with either 4 or 5 players from my original draft last year.
on the other side i had a team that i absolutely nailed the auction. had witt and judge!! team was in the top 25 in a huge overall late into the season. ended up finishing second in that league. the success of that team early kept me from grinding the back end of the roster like i shoulda. hung on to my gormans to long. guy who beat me played great. squeezed every ounce of juice out of the lemon.
Ha, yeah, Witt and Judge would do a lot of lifting….I think the real secret to the RCL is knowing which players to hold all year and which players to ditch and how fast
Grey! This post already is frontrunner for Best Use of “Wheezing Comma Dead”. Wait, is that still one of the Pulitzer categories??
Haha, it is!
Seems a little light on power, and not sure about AVG.
It is light on power, the War Room says it too