Last year, Fantasy Pros said I had the best fantasy baseball rankings for the previous year.
I did not do well in my leagues the year I had the best rankings. I don’t know how well my fantasy baseball rankings did last year comparatively to other ‘perts, because Fantasy Pros hasn’t announced it yet, but I know how well I did in my fantasy baseball leagues, which was very good. Won LABR, won an NFBC league, was competitive it in almost all my leagues (except Tout where I did a dumb strategy). Rudy won Tout and LABR last year and did well in all his leagues too. It would not shock me to find out I didn’t do well for rankings, according to Fantasy Pros. This is why I say rankings are only going to get you so far.
Drafted Aaron Judge last year in a lot of leagues, which worked out like me at LA Fitness once per year, but I could’ve easily drafted Kyle Tucker, who I liked more, and who wasn’t nearly as good, due to an unfortunate injury. I just didn’t draft Tucker because I wasn’t in position to do that, due to my draft slot. See, so you can have great rankings, but there’s still a ton of luck. If 12 people drafted off the same sheet, and that sheet was “the best fantasy baseball rankings,” there would still be 11 losers. Though, one of the 11 losers would be wearing a Sergio Tacchini tracksuit and gold chains, so would not be a loser at all. They would actually be very cool. With that said, I will scientifically give you some guys who are higher and lower in my rankings than ESPN’s fantasy baseball rankings.
Going to list players in a handy chart. The Thank You’s have it. It being good value from my rankings vs. ESPN’s. The No Thank You’s don’t have it. They’re bad people. Meh, they might be okay people, but they’re likely not ending up on any of my ESPN drafted teams. For this, I’ll be using my 2025 fantasy baseball rankings (go figure!) and ESPN’s 2025 fantasy baseball rankings (crazy, right?). Note: I wrote this the other day, so if the numbers aren’t exactly right, it’s because they heard my footsteps.
THANK YOU
| Player | Grey’s Ranking | ESPN’s Ranking | Overall Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | Overall | ||
| Ronald Acuña Jr. | 13 | 29 | 16 |
| Jazz Chisholm Jr. | 21 | 54 | 33 |
| Oneil Cruz | 28 | 55 | 27 |
| James Wood | 35 | 87 | 52 |
| Lawrence Butler | 60 | 99 | 39 |
| Riley Greene | 64 | 122 | 58 |
| Spencer Schwellenbach |
66 | 126 | 60 |
| Pete Crow-Armstrong |
109 | 173 | 64 |
| Parker Meadows | 102 | 222 | 120 |
| Spencer Arrighetti | 183 | 229 | 46 |
| Wilyer Abreu | 215 | NR | NA |
| Jacob Young | 271 | NR | NA |
| Jo Adell | 252 | NR | NA |
| Jordan Walker | 255 | NR | NA |
| Michael Wacha | 228 | NR | NA |
| Jackson Jobe | 257 | NR | NA |
| Nick Lodolo | 262 | NR | NA |
| Tomoyuki Sugano | 264 | NR | NA |
| Andrew Painter | 390 | NR | NA |
NO THANK YOU
| Player | Grey’s Ranking | ESPN’s Ranking | Overall Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | Overall | ||
| Freddie Freeman |
41 | 18 | 23 |
| Rafael Devers | 42 | 21 | 21 |
| Corbin Burnes |
71 | 24 | 47 |
| Chris Sale |
70 | 31 | 39 |
| Marcell Ozuna | 79 | 36 | 43 |
| Gerrit Cole |
72 | 39 | 33 |
| Kevin Gausman |
199 | 67 | 132 |
| Aaron Nola | 139 | 63 | 76 |
| Adley Rutschman | 146 | 72 | 74 |
| Jackson Holliday | 192 | 131 | 61 |
| Tanner Houck | 227 | 133 | 94 |
| Matt Shaw | 240 | 146 | 94 |
| Michael Busch | 247 | 181 | 66 |
| Lucas Erceg | 297 | 203 | 94 |
| Griffin Jax | 289 | 207 | 82 |
| Justin Verlander | 456 | 238 | 218 |
| Spencer Horwitz | 393 | 234 | 159 |
| Bryan De La Cruz | 460 | 243 | 217 |
| A.J. Puk | 358 | 251 | 107 |
| Max Scherzer | 453 | 240 | 213 |
My last keeper both same price….Trevor Megill or Tyler O’Neill
Tyler
20 team h2h dynasty. 26 man active/10 prospect stash
Final prospect spot?:
Cade Horton, Brayden Taylor, or James Triantos?
GRACIAS
Horton
You’re content here is the best out there, man. Thanks for all your hard work!!
Thanks!
In a keeper points league. Can keep forever, and keepers get more expensive by 5 rounds each year. On the fence between these 2, who are you taking?
Ohtani (P) – 21st round
McClanahanhan – 21st
Shane
Are you still comfortable with your #13 Acuna ranking given no news on a return before early May at the earliest?
I just drafted him
I guess you are given what you posted here.
Just yesterday, some clowns on reddit were trying to imply that razzball doesn’t have a solid track record. Well timed post! (Rudy too actually) You guys are great, I’ve really appreciated the site over the years. beers > daiquiri’s > boba
We won both LABR leagues last year and Tout, and had best rankings two years ago and 2nd best this year…Tell them to put a little respect on the name
WHERE?!? LEMME AT THEM! Imma channel my inner pitbull, the dog, not the rapper, just dont let a baby get in between us because I might well you know.
What subreddit?
haha /thicclatinas
I dont pay attention to spring stats, but some things catch my attention. Just read that Grayson Rodriguez’s velocity was down today and was at 89.5 on last fastball. They spin this like he wasn’t going after velocity today or he was sluggish, etc, but when he suffered shoulder and lat injuries last year it’s alarming.
He said he wasn’t throwing hard, but I’m watching closely too
guys hit dead arm week right about now.
James Wood homered the opposite way and looked like he barely touched it…GIDDY UP!
don’t have him but had him last year and love him. maybe a shot at him in rcl.
I have big love for him
He goes oppo extremely well, his inside-out approach is impressive
Indeed!
I view it like NFL combine. Unless someone is doing something massively out of expectations, velocity drop like you mentioned, or hell velocity up, massive weight gain or lost, crushing 8 HR from a guy who hit like 20 in entire minors career, I ignore. Dude gets smacked around and his pitches look fine idc.
But you have me alarmed. Did his stuff look good at least?
Oh and C. Walker…..Houston turning to the bouncer early.
Didn’t see the stuff. Just read he was down across the board and that last one was way down.
Gunnar Henderson might not be ready for opening day with an intercostal strain. Cool cool.
Also DL Hall to DL for like months but nobody is believing him at this point.
*Watches Grey angrily adjust rankings*
Haha, I don’t know on Gunnar tbh…it’s hard when someone says they’re aiming for Opening Day
Guess I’m not taking him at 6 in Slam now
Sigh
I love the vagueness STILL! in the report:
“Henderson was removed from a Grapefruit League game against the Blue Jays last week, with the O’s announcing that he had lower right side discomfort. After that contest, Hyde downplayed the concern, framing the removal as precautionary and saying that Henderson would not even require an MRI.
A week later, it seems the issue has lingered enough that his readiness for Opening Day is a question mark. Though Hyde still thinks Henderson could be ready by the opener, he also suggests they won’t be aggressive with him just for that one game. “I’m very, very hopeful,” Hyde said today, per Rill. “But we’re going to not push a strain there, and we want to make sure that he gets it taken care of. It’s one of those sensitive areas where we don’t want anything to reoccur.”
….did they even get him an MRI? If he isnt playing why not get it to be sure? Are we skimping on costs? I dont get it. I did skim google and it looks like no MRI report which idk seems crazy to me but maybe most teams operate in this fashion?
I updated the top 10/100/500 for Gunnar, because i had to
After what happened with Kyle Tucker last year Gunnar may be out the whole first half….
Don’t say that
10 team H2H points keeper league
I can only keep one. Which one do I keep?
Ozzie Albies or Jose Altuve?
Albies
Hey Grey, I think you’re pound for pound the best fantasy baseball “expert” there is. Anywhoo, I just completed my draft. My roster is as follows:
C) C. Wong
1B) P. Alonso
2B) N. Hoerner
3B) N. Arenado/E. Suarez
SS) B. Witt Jr.
OF) J. Rodriguez
OF) J. Duran
OF) B. Reynolds
UTIL) J. Soto
SP) S. Imanaga
SP) M. King
SP) S. Schwellenbach
SP) H. Brown
SP) B. Pfaadt
SP) J. Jones
RP) P. Fairbanks
RP) J. Foley
RP) J. Martinez
Any thoughts/input would be appreciated. Thanks!
Thanks! need to know how many teams are in a league to know what to think of a team
Looks like a 4 teamer
It’s a 10 team 5×5 H2H auction draft.
Round 46….sees note that manager made off the cuff remark about reliever never heard of in the closer mix…smashes draft button
I thought maybe you drafted him because it was Ash Wednesday
i feel like Jesus would have been a crafty left hander.
Jesus Church could do miracles with a slider
out there bamboozling the Ephesians.
Moniack with a lead homer today.
Haha, Wash had Tim Anderson playing center today, just incredible galaxy braining going on there
you know i love wash tho anyway
Everyone loves him, but he’s doing things there that are QUESTIONABLE
he heard the motto “question everything” and he’s trying to help people achieve that maybe?
Hahaha
Guy possibly going to time out with first pick overall in slam haha
Ha
i hope the system glitches and gives him Joey Gallo
Haha
The dude who was better at projections last year than you is also in my POD….hasting Cohen and Gregsauce. Cohen took Vladdy at the 7. Great pick.
Cool
Think my group is going to get its 1st timeout with the 6th pick in about 30 mins.
Remind me again why I subject myself to slow drafts, lol?? Guess it is nice to sometimes have say small bit of time to think about who u want to pick next??
We have had TWO picks so far lol
Guess mine is doing a little better. Think we have had 7 picks thus far in 6.5 hours so maybe avg of 1 pick per hour? But then again we had 1 – 4 hour timeout.
I have yet to make a pick. I have the 12
Hi Grey,
This is so helpful! Really love the simplicity of TY or NTY. How would you grade the following?
1. Corey Seager
2. Trea Turner
3. Manny Machado
4. Manny Mclean
5. Josh Naylor
6. Vince Pasquantino
Thanks!!!
Kinda depends on price for every player, but:
1. Corey Seager – NTY
2. Trea Turner – TY
3. Manny Machado – TY
4. Manny Mclean – TY
5. Josh Naylor – TY
6. Vince Pasquantino- TY
Thanks so much! Congratulations on the 1st place rankings!
1. I am still deciding on who to draft first between VLad, Tucker and Lindor. I was leaning to Vlad. However his failure to resign his extension and the weakness of the Toronto lineup has made me nervous. Any thoughts would be welcomed.
2. Any thoughts on which round to select Schwarber and which round to draft Trout?
Thanks!!
Tucker
2. I have these guys ranked
Thanks!!!
No problem
Grey,
Looking forward to another great fanatsy baseball season and all your advice/expertise.
10T 5×5 Category OBP Keeper League
Which Keeper group do you like best?
A.
William Contreras
Jackson Merrill
Edwin Diaz
Garrett Crochet
Jasson Dominguez
Tyler Glasnow
Shane McClanahan
Shota Imanaga
B.
William Contreras
Jackson Merrill
Edwin Diaz
Garrett Crochet
Lawrence Butler
Tyler Glasnow
Shane McClanahan
Shota Imanaga
C.
William Contreras
Jackson Merrill
Edwin Diaz
Garrett Crochet
Mark Vientos
Tyler Glasnow
Shane McClanahan
Shota Imanaga
D.
William Contreras
Jackson Merrill
Edwin Diaz
Garrett Crochet
Mark Vientos
Tyler Glasnow
Shane McClanahan
Lawrence Biutler
Jasson Dominguez
Thanks and lets gooooooo!!!
Would it have been easier to simply list the 2 or 3 guys you are unsure of..
Yeah, hard to make heads or tails of this
It’s like one of those spot the 4 differences games
Yeah, it’s no fun without being half-cocked
OK. Sorry for the confusion thought it might have been easier that way. So difference between A,B and C is I have Shota Imanaga and could keep one of either Lawrence Butler, Jasson Dominguez or Mark Vientos with him. D is no Imanaga and all three of above.
Again apologize for the confusion
Cut me some slack I’m from Jersey…hahahaha
lurvesssss
Butler
I’m working on my keepers for my league (points league), and so far I’m keeping Elly.
Here are the highlights in vague tiers:
Probably worth the keep but i’m hesitant because of injury or off year
Ron Acuna
Matt Olsen
Might be worth, but could also probably draft appropriately if I really wanted
Pete Crow-Armstrong
Jruckson Profar
Christian Walker
Nico Hoerner (has been one of the highest scorers for me year after year but i’m positive i can pick up very late)
I’m considering keeping Acuna, not bothering with a 3rd keep and just seeing what I can snag in the draft round 3. Good plan or should I use the 3rd keep on one of the listed?
Just keep 2
Well, three I guess since Elly too
Grey, which team do u prefer so far?
Team A
Lindor ss
Yordan of
Riley 3b
Jazz of
King sp
Naylor 1b
Wood of
Sasaki sp
Team B
Lindor ss
Vlad 1b
Acuna of
Jazz 3b
Imanaga sp
T.Hernandez of
Westburg 2b
Schewellbach sp
A
I’m gonna recommend that everyone in all my leagues should check out the ESPN rankings for their draft prep.
Christian Walker oblique.
In my day we didn’t know we had obliques.
John Smoltz
Ugh
My auction league we did might be cursed
voodoo plushie
I guess if one league’s gonna be cursed may as well be one with FAAB
yeah don’t want it in the dc
Totally
I was initially bummed that my main leagues are drafting so late in the month, but with the way the injury train has been chugging, I’m feeling the opposite now. In fact, now I’m bummed about my first RCL, this Sunday.
i ended up with all early drafts this year. the flip side is there are some bonafide sleepers out there early before all the dust settles and drafts become adp rigid
Hey Grey
Would you say that your rankings are somewhat applicable for points league or is that something that is quite different??
Think I read that pitching is usually even less priority in points league vs hitting!!
Thanks
We have points league rankings for different points leagues
https://razzball.com/points-leagues-top-200-for-razzslam-6/ is one
https://razzball.com/rotodeluxe/ is Rudy’s if you click Best Ball
The rankings change a lot because usually hitter strikeouts count against you in points leagues. Finding hitters with power who also don’t strike out a lot is a priority because there aren’t a ton of them.
Sup Greyski,
My league mates surf these posts for my comments so I’m not hiding any longer. We’re flapping in the wind this szn – no fear.
Last Keeper Call: H2H cats, who ya got?
Edwin Diaz $1
Jared Jones $1
Woo $7
Glassnow $16
Haha…Diaz
This is always a crazy article. Why does ESPN even bother?
Yahoo tomorrow for more chuckles?
Yahoo tomorrow, yeah
I am in a “friends league” that has used ESPN for 25 years so stuck in that tradition. This is super helpful
Glad to help!
Also Jake McCarthy at 153 for you and NR on ESPN… or maybe ranked somewhere in the 300s, I’m just peaking quick at their Top 300 cheat sheet
Yeah, I’m sure I missed guys, I mean, there’s a lot of them
Oh for sure. Get this one… Bowden Francis down at 1196. Larnach down at like 1108. Jose Soriano at 1115…
Preparing for a slow draft that will start on Friday and dragging these guys up in my personal ranks for the draft room took friggen forever
1196! Hahahaha… Well, maybe…hmm…yeah, i got nothing
Hey everyone. The RazzSlam starts in about 2 hours. Happy drafting and see if I can make it thru 42 rounds. Wondering how many days it will take to complete??
1st points league to boot. Also trying an auction league for 1st time this year. Expanding my fantasy reaches lol!!
Good luck Early! I’m in league with Howard Bender, which should be fun bc we like same music. Anyone else in that one? I can’t tell which league number it is on NFBC
I am in group with Scott Pianowski (think he is from CBS??). Only name I recognize).
I’m in with Ariel Cohen and Kevin Hasting lucky me. About to piss off those pros.
i feel like bender is not a great player
Could see that, yea I don’t have Sirius anymore so I haven’t really talked or followed him in a while
I’m stoked! I managed to get 1.2 draft slot in mine, which is the highest I’ll have drafted all year!
I hear you Slouch. I got the 1.2 slot in mine as well as just thinking about who to draft there?? It is also the highest slot I have got so far in any draft (1.5 is best before this).
Everyone take all their time to draft — all 4 hours — so we can make this last until June
Please ignore this comment….
The 2 pick in my pod is taking this advice to heart….or maybe they forgot they were selected for razzslam
Haha
At least you are on the 2nd pick. I am waiting for #1 to make pick in my group so I can make 2nd pick lol!!
you can set your queue…don’t need to wait if you’re pick 2
Is the RazzSlam typically a long and drawn out affair?? Mine started an hour ago and does not appear that many people have been online yet
depends on league
I have noticed that any slow draft is quite the long drawn out affair. This is my third ever doing 2 at the same time.
Yipee! Made my #2 pick and then next 3 picks went within 15mins. Now sitting at pick 6!!
Awesome, as always, Grey!
I’ll add to it that you’ve got Jesus Luzardo ranked 218 (SP 63) vs ESPN’s Unranked 500+ (SP 91).
I’m sure I missed some guys, that one is particularly crazy too
ESPN ranks are always suspect and skew the composite ranks/adps. I’ll go with yours. .or any other ranks for that matter.
Thanks!
you and i talked last year on these very pages and agreed that you were going to have a good year. it flowed from the elly schmohawk post ironically enough. talked. about a slight shift in approach. maybe taking some of the risk out as far as upside guys.
for me personally it was maybe taking some of the ego out of the equation. surpressing the desire to be right all the time.
i had better year. as much as i love rotisserie baseball and talk a good game, i haven’t always been great at it. i think i haven’t always been good at the grind. i lose interest. it cost me an nfbc last year. just figured out the guy who beat me out right at the end last year was an industry guy named seth trachtman. he’s got a lot of nfbc wins under his belt and i see why. just consistent good management. getting the right line ups in. just stacking the nickles and dimes.
i think having my boy with me more and more helps. there’s a kid who loves the grind. youthful obsession.
i compete against seth trachtman in toutwars. confirmed. he’s very good. being very good ‘at the grind’ is huge. i try to avoid getting burnt out too early and making sure my weekly FAAB process is as efficient as possible.
i have a lot of unforced error missing line up changes and not being thorough in faab. then i remind myself i have a real life grind as a business owner that costs me about 100 hours a week i should be spending on baseball.
it’s tough. i gave up daily roster leagues a long time ago b/c of this. i team up w/ Son for 12-team OCs to avoid burning out (15 team is easier for FAAB)
It’s gotta help to have the kid…Seeing players thru new eyes that you trust…Gets you out of your rut…re: Elly — same story as Ragans really…I was wrong, but I was wrong in the right way, there was too much risk for where they were going, I just needed to see it, which I now have seen
i think he’s going to be a good player. he’s got a more analyitcal mind than me. he’s a hell of a poker player already
There’s likely a psychological name for this that you know, but I feel like there’s an advantage to not knowing what you don’t know
Im curious if you know when they do the cutoff for the list? Is it your finalized preseason rankings vs theirs? For example I loved your aggressive ranking of Meadows, and I know you are sliding him down (he is already #145). If they took the rankings then and he doesnt play half the year, ESPN looks more accurate, but your new rankings have him closer to them due to injury (im curious if ESPN will even adjust).
ESPN looks awful. Burnes, Gausman, Freeman, Scherzer just off the page at that adp.
On where you have them higher than ESPN it seems like a bias against OF on there part? A lotof the names I like Butler, Greene, all are low and wondering if that is the reason.
I updated ESPN’s ranks yesterday because I didn’t want to seem like I was bagging on them and not even giving them credit for the right players…I didn’t look at my rankings again, because I haven’t changed that many players, I did change Meadows tho, which I should’ve changed, but forgot…I noticed they were much lower on OF in general, I don’t know why, but OF is weirdly shallow, you better draft them aggressively
Good to know. Your last bit is what had me ask the question. OF feels thin and the way they seem to be recommending to wait is bonkers to me. If I can have a stud set of OF with a 1B risk like Toglia and a decent 2B I am happy. If I go high there and am left with scraps in OF I would not be pleased (with the way the OF looks for fantasy purposes). I also feel like people are gonna be churning guys on waivers. Some no name gets hot and then slumps 0-10 and disappears like Aquino. I def dont want to end up with a bunch of OF in a platoon in fantasy. Nightmare stuff.
I’ve done five drafts I think and by the time third OF are going, it’s not great! Long live Aristides Aquino
Interesting list.. In my NL only league I have Puk, Hodge, Orion and trying to decide if I should keep any of them ahead of my NL Only 12 team auction or toss them back. There will be a handful of closers available- they usually go between $18-$30 depending on situation. Someone else has Justin Martinez and will probably be kept. I could keep 2 and go for a bonafide closer.. or keep 1 or 2 and go after Pressley or Romano- probably mid-price closers at auction.. or toss them all back and start over again.. each are currently between $5-$8 bucks so prices are about the same. Thanks!
Meh, you can just redraft them if you want them, no?
Sure – probably same price, maybe, for a little less, and it would give me flexibility. Ha, I forgot I had Kinley too .. but as you can tell I won’t be keeping him.. I’m sure 1
Of the 4 will end up getting 30 saves and I’ll keep the wrong one.
Yeah, just redraft if you want
I always love this particular comparison article. Has ESPN ever had good rankings?
Regarding your ranking of Sale, why so low? Feel like he’s due to break again? ESPN is too aggressive but I like him in between you and them.
Also what is it about Saguno that has him ranked in the top 300? Just curious. He seems pretty meh from what I’ve read but I haven’t dug that deeply.
Thanks for the write-up, good sir!
I saw Sugano’s start a couple of days ago and was surprised by his effectiveness. Pinpoint control and for a guy with low velo it looked like guys were having a hard time squaring him up. It wouldn’t surprise me if he won 10-12 games for the Orioles.
I go over Sale in my rankings, he’s being drafted rounds earlier than at any point in the last five years because he had a career year and he’s turning 36, I’m not in
I go over Sugano in the ranks too
Would you be keeping Sale if you had him at $13 in a 12 team auction and a $300 budget? Got to there,right? Thanks.
Absolutely a keeper
This was great, very useful info. Thank You FML!!
No problem
Elly @ 67 @ espn
He is. But that is for points league rankings. Elly @ 6 for H2H/roto rankings. Which is what Grey is using above.
Yes, this is right
Grey!!!
Awesome!!
Rodney Dangerfield quote of the day for March 5, 2025
I recently came out as bisexual, that way I can have sex with everybody!
Cheers,
Ante
Haha, thanks!
H2H Points League: OBP, SB, AVG, RBI, SLUG, R, HR. SO, ERA, IP, SV, W, HOLD, WHIP.
AL only keeper league – can keep one of the following: Jasson Dominguez, Shane McClanahan, or Junior Caminero.
Jasson could be hitting leadoff (but has not showed anything until tonight) or in the bottom half of the line up), Shane may have his innings limited this season (can be a stud top pitcher once healthy), and Junior has started to heat up recently (a lot of upside) and will be in a favorable hitting park.
Who would you choose to keep?
Thanks!
Been reading Caminero is looking like a potential superstar.
Many do in spring only to be exposed in the regular season. Langford last year took him a while and many adjustments to get going. I have shared but the helium is real.
Caminero