Top 100 Hitters: Shuffle Up And Deal

Welcome to the most volatile stage of the season, the early shuffle. Two weeks in, and the stat lines are loud enough to catch your attention but still small enough to lie to your face. It’s the perfect cocktail of confirmation bias and premature panic. Some breakouts are blossoming right on schedule, others are bluffing. We’ve seen enough to start tweaking the board for guys like Aaron Judge who looks like he’s auditioning for a Marvel movie with the way he’s smashing baseballs.  However, this is also where fantasy managers get themselves in trouble by chasing ghosts or giving up on stars too soon. The key is balancing data with discipline. We’re weighing playing time trends, barrel rates, and underlying metrics that signal legitimate growth but we’re not ready to walk away from proven talent just yet. So shuffle up, deal in, and let’s navigate the chaos. The top 100 hitters for the rest of the 2025 fantasy baseball season have moved with some names rising like rockets while others are sinking like stones.  Let’s dig in.

Rising

• Eugenio Suarez – For the past four seasons, Eugenio Suárez has been a consistent power threat, hitting 30 home runs in three of those years. However, his strikeouts have always been a significant part of his profile. Despite this, there’s reason for optimism. In the second half of 2024, Suárez hit an impressive .307 with 20 home runs while reducing his strikeout rate to a manageable 25.6%. Fast forward to 2025, and he’s maintained that approach, with his strikeout rate sitting at 24.2%, despite a frustrating .214 batting average driven down by an abnormally low .067 BABIP. Suárez is a streaky hitter, but his impressive metrics, ranking in the top 3% in exit velocity, barrel rate, and hard-hit rate, highlight how he’s evolved as a player. His ability to make solid contact despite the struggles with batting average suggests he’s better than many give him credit for. After years of hesitancy, I’m slowly becoming a believer in Suárez’s rebound potential.
• Lars Nootbaar – It’s early, but Lars Nootbaar is proving to be one of the biggest surprises of the season, rivaling even Aaron Judge in terms of early-season notoriety. Nootbaar’s elite batting eye, already one of his trademarks, has reached new heights as he’s walked more times than he’s struck out through his first seven games. With a .414 batting average, two home runs, nine runs, and five RBIs, he’s been on a tear. While some of his numbers may be inflated by slight luck, his Statcast metrics show promising signs of a breakout season. If Nootbaar can maintain his impressive approach and power, he’s poised for a truly special 2025 campaign.
• Tommy Edman – Nine games into the 2025 season, and Tommy Edman is already on pace to smash his 2024 home run total, having hit five long balls. Although his 2024 campaign was marred by injury, leading to just 37 games played, this early surge is a sign of a potential career year. Edman has recently batted third in the lineup in two of the past three games, and with Freddie Freeman sidelined, he should see continued prime lineup placement. His multi-position eligibility, combined with a solid supporting cast around him, makes him a valuable asset. At 29 years old, Edman’s health is finally aligned, and it’s looking like he could be on the verge of a breakout season.

Falling

• Rafael Devers – While Rafael Devers has managed to string together hits in three consecutive games, it doesn’t mask the fact that he’s struggling mightily at the plate. Whether it’s the adjustment to a full-time designated hitter role or a potential skill regression, Devers’ early 2025 performance raises serious concerns. His strikeout rate has ballooned to 43%, and he ranks dead last in both xBA and xSLG metrics, indicating that he’s simply not making good contact. His struggles this year echo the drop-off we saw from Anthony Rendon when he transitioned to the Angels, which, while an extreme comparison, shows how quickly a player’s trajectory can change. It’s still early, but Devers’ performance has been alarming, and fantasy owners need to proceed with caution.

Watching

• Kristian Campbell – After a rough spring training, it was a mild surprise that Kristian Campbell made the Red Sox roster, with Cam Smith drawing all the rookie accolades. However, Campbell has been a revelation in Boston. Through his first few games, he’s batting .423 with two home runs, nine runs, five RBIs, and even a stolen base. While his unsustainable .474 BABIP and underwhelming Statcast metrics suggest regression is inevitable, his early success cannot be ignored. Campbell has undeniable raw talent, and while the sample size is small, it’s worth watching closely to see how this unfolds as the season progresses.
• Ben Rice – Ben Rice has been lighting up the Yankees’ lineup to start the season, and it’s impossible to ignore his incredible early production. With a staggering 242 wRC+ and a 20% walk rate, he’s showing an elite approach at the plate. Rice leads the league in both barrels and exit velocity (not counting Aaron Judge). While it’s a small sample size, and the numbers are bound to regress, Rice’s potential shining through. Fantasy managers should keep an eye on him, and if he’s still available on the waiver wire, it’s worth taking a flier on this emerging talent.
• Lane Thomas – After a promising 2023 campaign in Washington, Lane Thomas’ late 2024 stint with Cleveland was a disappointing one, capped by a dreadful .84 wRC+ and a nearly 35% strikeout rate. In 2025, the strikeouts have decreased, but his quality of contact remains a major concern. He’s been moved down in the lineup, and the underlying metrics suggest prior success may have been an outlier. With the Guardians continuing to evaluate his future, Thomas’ fantasy value is increasingly questionable, and it’s becoming harder to see him as a reliable contributor.