Top 100 Hitters: Reboot For Opening Day

The long, cold offseason is finally over, and the crack of the bat, the pop of the mitt, and the hum of ballpark anticipation are back. Opening Day isn’t just a celebration of baseball’s return—it’s a reset button for fantasy managers everywhere. We all know that spring training doesn’t mean everything, but don’t tell that to the Blue Jays and Giants, who are claiming early victories with impressive performances. As much as we try to look the other way, there are always nuggets of information for fantasy owners to mine. Spring training breakouts, injury recoveries, and early lineup decisions have reshuffled the landscape, making now the perfect time to refresh our Top 100 Hitters for the 2025 fantasy baseball season. Good luck this season, and thanks for following along!

Rising

• Rhys Hoskins – After tearing his ACL in 2023, Hoskins returned in 2024 with the Brewers and flashed his signature power. However, his batting average plummeted to .214, partly due to the lowest BABIP of his career since his rookie season. Historically, he’s been a .240-.250 hitter with 30-homer pop, and this offseason, his healthiest in three years, seems to have revitalized him. Hoskins has been on a tear this spring, hitting .306 with a monstrous .806 slugging percentage, launching six home runs. At a suddenly thin first base position, he’s climbing up the Top 100 Hitters list and primed for a strong season.
• Bo Bichette – Bo knows he’s been underperforming, and his draft stock has tumbled. In what may be his last season sharing the infield in Toronto with Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bichette has something to prove after arguably his worst major league campaign. He’s responding in a big way this spring, hitting .388 with four homers and a 184 wRC+. He’s showing improvements in plate discipline, laying off fastballs and crushing off speed pitches while adjusting his launch angle. He still has a long way to go to regain elite form, but these are encouraging signs despite the small sample size.

Falling

• Royce Lewis – This is getting old fast for such a young player. Over the past few years, he’s torn both ACLs, strained his quadriceps, tweaked an abductor, and now, he’s set to miss the start of the season with a hamstring strain. For a 25-year-old entering his prime, we should be talking about a breakout, especially considering his career 128 wRC+ and promising spring. Instead, he’s approaching Mike Trout territory, but with a lower ceiling and even less durability. I’m setting the over/under at half a season of games played, and that might be generous. There are safer investments in fantasy baseball for the foreseeable future.
• Masyn Winn – Winn brought an infectious energy and a solid rookie season to St. Louis in 2024, hitting .267 with 15 homers and 11 steals. But this spring has been a different story as he’s managed just four hits in 45 at-bats (.089 AVG) while struggling with strikeouts. He’s still young, and some bad luck is at play, but fantasy owners should brace for a rough start in a Cardinals lineup that may not provide much support in 2025.

Watching

• Cam Smith – If you haven’t heard, the player who was supposed to be the furthest away from contributing at the major league level in the Kyle Tucker trade is now knocking on the door of Houston’s Opening Day roster. Smith has been one of the Astros’ best hitters this spring, slashing .371/.450/.743 with four home runs. The team has shifted him from third base to right field, where he’s looked solid for a 6’3” masher. With Houston needing offensive firepower, there’s a strong chance Smith breaks camp with the team and quickly earns a Top 100 spot as a legitimate AL Rookie of the Year contender.
• Jackson Holliday – Speaking of AL Rookie of the Year contenders, Holliday was supposed to be that guy last season until he wasn’t, hitting .189 with a 63 wRC+ in 60 games. This spring, he looks much improved, posting a .326 average with four steals. While his BABIP is slightly inflated, Orioles beat writers report that Holliday has shortened his swing, allowing him to attack fastballs more effectively than in 2024. The adjustments are promising, and if they hold, he’ll be a mainstay on this list all season.
• Alan Roden – Watching Alan Roden this spring has been a sport in itself. He’s on fire, hitting .391/.545/.739. A high-average hitter with 20/20 potential, Roden has nothing left to prove in the minors at age 25. With Daulton Varsho starting the season on the IL and George Springer struggling, Roden should be in the Blue Jays’ Opening Day lineup. Don’t wait too long as he could force his way into the Top 100 Hitters conversation sooner rather than later.