Top 400 Dynasty Players for 2025: 200-176

After two weeks of rankings where I lumped players ranked 400-301 into one group and then players 300-201 into a second group, this is the week in which I break out the rankings into groups of 25. For this week, that means players ranked 200-176.

The overall breakdown of this group tends to be a little older compared to those ranked higher. Eleven players are between the ages of 30-34, 11 are in the 25-29 age range and three players are 24 or younger.

As for the position breakdown, there are two relievers, two starting pitchers, one catcher, two third basemen, one shortstop and one DH. Nine players are outfielders, either at one outfield position or multiple, while another five are “utility” players, which for this purpose means they can play at least one infield and one outfield position.

I posted this last week, but I think it is good to repeat my thought process at least one more time in case you are new to my rankings. Here is a simple breakdown of how I put these together.

• I do not simply go by a player’s upside. If I did that, this would basically be a list of the best young players to the oldest, which is pretty boring. And if I did add players based only on upside, I will have a losing team year after year. I love young players with upside, but I also want proven players who will produce for at least the next three years in order for me to win now. I mix in the older known commodities with the young players with upside, trusting my gut as much as the numbers or expected numbers of a player.
• I like hitters more than pitchers. A strong lineup has always been my key to winning my leagues as hitters are in the lineup every day. When it comes to the position that I rank the lowest as a whole, that group is the catchers. Only 10 catchers played in more than 130 games last season, only six catchers reached 20 homers and only four catchers had more than 80 RBI. Unless you land one of the top five or six catchers, ignore them until later in your draft or auction or however you build your teams.
• While I like my hitters, I don’t ignore pitchers. But pitchers, as a whole, are more inconsistent than hitters. You need good pitchers, as one or two bad outings in a week can kill you. So the top pitchers will be ranked where they deserve to be ranked. But I have always been able to find solid pitchers off the waiver wire during the season or flip a prospect or two for some top-end pitching. If your league has 40-man rosters, then having a host of young pitchers with upside is easily attainable. But in leagues with 25-man rosters, you have to balance “upside” with proven experience.
• When it comes to ranking pitchers, you are going to see only the top relievers pop up in my rankings and none of them are going to break into my Top 100. Relievers are the most inconsistent group in fantasy baseball and I have ALWAYS been able to survive by getting two top closers and then add low-level closers or solid setup men (for leagues with holds) and then whoever I snag in free agency when a closer loses his job.

Now you know my biases. I know you have yours.

And a reminder – if a top prospect hasn’t reached the majors yet, they won’t be in these rankings. Itch is doing his normal outstanding job of covering the prospects.

With that said, let’s get started.

200-196

*Age as of April 1, 2025

**Minimum 10 games played at each position listed. If less than 10, then position most played

***Until the Athletics are actually in Las Vegas, players on the team will be listed as OAK

****2024 Rank is where I ranked players ahead of the 2024 season.

RANK	PLAYER	TEAM	POSITION	AGE	2024 RANK
200	Bryan Abreu	HOU	RP	27	197
199	Walker Buehler	BOS	SP	29	107
198	Noelvi Marte	CIN	3B	23	71
197	Brandon Marsh	PHI	LF/CF	27	264
196	Christian Yelich	MIL	LF	33	140

Closer Ability

Bryan Abreu has been one of the top setup men in baseball the past two years. After recording 24 holds and five saves with a 1.75 ERA and 1.04 WHIP in 2023, the big right-hander led baseball with 38 holds with a 3.10 ERA and 1.16 WHIP. In 78.1 innings of work he struck out 103 hitters.

With Josh Hader signed for another four years with the Astros, Abreu will only pick up a few saves here and there. But he will collect a lot of holds and help you in every other pitching category.

New Home, Better Results?

Before being injured in 2022, Walker Buehler was one of the best pitchers in baseball. From 2018 through his last start in 2022, Buehler had a 2.95 ERA and 1.021 WHIP while striking out 9.7 hitters per nine innings. After missing all of 2023, Buehler returned this past season and made 16 starts for the Dodgers, going 1-6 with a 5.38 ERA and 1.553 WHIP. His strikeout rate was way below his career average while his walk rate was way above.

However, Buehler gave a glimpse of his old self in the postseason when he posted a 3.60 ERA in four games, including three starts, covering 15 innings of work. He gave up six earned runs – all against San Diego in the NLDS. Over his final 10 innings of the postseason, he allowed zero runs on five hits and four walks while fanning 13.

Which Version Will We Get?

Noelvi Marte has been a top 100 prospect for years entering the 2024 season, and expectation were high for him as he slashed .316/.366/.456 with three homers, 15 RBI and six steals in 35 games in 2023. But Marte failed to live up to those expectations in 2024. First, he had to serve an 80-game suspension after he tested positive for a banned substance. When he returned to the field in late June, he never got going at the plate. In 66 games he slashed .210/.248/.301 with four home runs, 18 RBI and nine steals.

The late start to his 2024 season could have been a big factor in his struggles. Marte’s minor league numbers suggest he should hit for a higher average, but I don’t expect him to be a .300 hitter. Marte has shown some pop, but I don’t see him hitting 20 homers, at least not this year. His real value as a third baseman may be the steals he will rack up as he has 15 steals in 101 career games.

Separate Career Paths

Brandon Marsh is not a great player, but he is the type of player who will help your outfield depth and not really hurt you when in the starting lineup. Over the last three seasons between the Angels and Phillies, Marsh has hit 11, 12 and 16 homers and driven in 52, 60 and 60 runs. During that same time span he has stolen 10, 10 and 19 bases. He will produce basically the same numbers this year with a slash line close to .250/.330/.420. Not great, but a lot better than many outfielders out there.

Christian Yelich was having a great year in 2024 as he was slashing .315/.406/.504 with 11 homers, 42 RBI and 21 steals through his first 73 games. But Yelich, who will be 33 on Opening Day, suffered a back injury – a problem he has dealt with for years and missed the rest of the season. After having surgery in August, Yelich expects to be fully healthy at the start of the spring training. But that doesn’t mean you should expect him to pick up where he left off in 2024.

Before his resurgence in 2024, Yelich’s average season from 2021-23 was a .260/.362/.404 hitter with 14 homers, 61 RBI and 19 steals in 138 games. His OPS+ of 112 shows he has been an above average hitter, but his MVP days are way behind him and there are plenty of younger outfielders who can produce better numbers.

195-191

RANK	PLAYER	TEAM	POSITION	AGE	2024 RANK
195	Willi Castro	MIN	2B/3B/SS/LF/CF	27	NR
194	Jhoan Duran	MIN	RP	27	178
193	Bryan De La Cruz	ATL	LF/RF	28	233
192	Brendan Donovan	STL	LF/2B	28	267
191	Carlos Rodon	NYY	SP	31	293

Low-Cost Speed and Versatility

If you are looking for steals from solid utility players, then Willi Castro is a solid candidate. He reached double-digits steals in 2024, swiping 14 bags, though that is a drop from 33 in 2023. But what really gives Castro value is the fact he can play nearly anywhere on the field as he qualifies at second and third base, shortstop, left field and center field. You shouldn’t be using him as a starter, but in leagues with 25-man rosters, Castro offers outstanding value.

A Solid Closer, But Still a Reliever

If you need a closer, you can do a lot worse than having Jhoan Duran on your roster. Since debuting with the Twins in 2022, Duran’s ERA has gone from 1.86 to 2.45 to 3.64. His strikeout percentage went from 12.1% in 2023 to 10.9% last season, but his walk percentage fell from 3.61 to 2.48. Basically, Duran is just a typical reliever – a player whose numbers vary greatly from year to year.

But his 2024 StatCast numbers show he is still a top closer. His fastball velocity ranked in the 100th percentile, his xERA and Whiff% ranked in the 93rd percentile while his K% ranked in the 88th percentile. I don’t rely on ERA when looking at relievers. I like a high strikeout percentage and saves, and Duran will strike out a lot of hitters and earn a lot of saves.

Last Chance

I have actually moved Bryan De La Cruz up in the rankings compared to last year. That is because while this is his last chance to be a starting outfielder in the majors, I think the Braves will bring out the best in him. He will see a lot of time in right field while Rondald Acuna Jr. recovers from his knee injury. When Acuna returns, De La Cruz can slide over to left field, where Jerred Kelenic is currently slated to start but has done nothing to claim the job automatically. De La Cruz hit 19 homers in 2023 and 21 last year as he split time between Miami and Pittsburgh. If he gets 500 or so at-bats, he should reach that home run total again.

Solid, But Not Spectacular

Brendan Donovan is good for 15 homers and 65 to 75 RBI, which is solid production. But there are tons of left fielders and second basemen who produce those same numbers. He is a great depth player and in deep leagues he won’t hurt you if he is a starter, especially at second base. But he will be 28 next year and are likely is at his ceiling. What gives Donovan extra value is the fact he can also slot in as a left fielder in addition to second base.

Just an Average Starter

Since debuting in 2015 as a Chicago White Sox starter, Carlos Rodon has basically been an average pitcher. He has had only two really good seasons – in 2021 when he finished fifth in the Cy Young voting with the White Sox and in 2022 when he finished 6th in the Cy Young voting as a member of the Giants. In those two seasons he was a combined 27-13 with a 2.67 ERA and 0.998 WHIP with 422 strikeouts in 310.2 innings of work for a 12.22 K/9 rate.

The rest of his career has been average. Take away those two seasons and Rodon has posted a 4.32 ERA with a 1.34 WHIP and a 9.1 K/9 rate. I know Rodon has battled injuries, but take away two years and he is nothing more than an average pitcher. Good as the fifth or six starter on your roster, but not good enough to count on to lead your staff.

190-186

RANK	PLAYER	TEAM	POSITION	AGE	2024 RANK
190	Logan O’Hoppe	LAA	C	25	143
189	Connor Norby	MIA	3B/2B	24	NR
188	Michael Toglia	COL	1B/RF	26	NR
187	Adolis Garcia	TEX	RF	32	52
186	Cedric Mullins	BAL	CF	30	136

Solid and Steady

Logan O’Hoppe came onto the scene for the Angles in 2023 when he appeared in 51 games and hit 14 home runs and slugged .500. As an encore in 2024, he hit 20 homers, drove in 56 and slugged .409 in 136 games. He isn’t going to produce a high batting average and OBP, but if I get 20 or more home runs from my catcher, I’m a happy man. The reason why he fell in my overall rankings is due to players not ranked last year jumping ahead of him as well as some younger position players and pitchers. Don’t take a drop in the rankings as a signal that O’Hoppe isn’t a top 10 catcher. He is.

Somewhat Jumping on the Norby / Toglia Bandwagon

Connor Norby is a player I really like, and I may be ranking him too low. He has great power potential with a career SLG of .494 in the minors. In his 45 games in the majors with Baltimore and Miami, he has nine homers and a .438 SLG. But what holds me back from completely jumping onto the Norby bandwagon is there is a lot of swing and miss in his game. His career strikeout rate in the minors was 23% and so far in the majors it is 33%.

After appearing in 31 games for the Rockies in 2022 and then 45 in 2023, Michael Toglia played in 116 games in 2024 and delivered 25 homers and 55 RBI. His 5.5% home rate was nice, but not his 33% career strikeout rate. I’m not a fan of the strikeouts, but his power potential and ability to play two positions has me liking Toglia – just not loving him.

Not Getting Younger

Adolis Garcia has power, as evidenced by his average of 30.5 homers per season since 2021. But his 2023 season, in which he hit 39 homers and drove in 107 runs, is likely a career year. In his other seasons he has hit 31, 27 and 25 homers and driven in 90, 101, and 85 runs. If he hits 25 homers and drives in 90 runs, that is a solid season and likely starter for many fantasy teams. But he doesn’t hit for a high average or have a strong OBP and he has a high strikeout rate. He will be 33 next season, so I think his window of being a top offensive player is behind him.

Cedric Mullins was a must-have center fielder during and after the 2021 season when he hit 30 homers, drove in 91 runs and stole 30 bases while slashing .291/.360/.518. But Mullins hasn’t been come close to matching that season since. Over the last three years his best home run total is 18 (2024) and most runs he has driven in is 89 (2022). The one area where Mullins still thrives is stealing bases as he had 32 last season and has reached 30 in three of the last four years. But outside of the steals, Mullins is an average to slightly above average player.

185-181

RANK	PLAYER	TEAM	POSITION	AGE	2024 RANK
185	Randy Arozarena	SEA	LF	30	34
184	Jorge Soler	LAA	RF	33	149
183	Giancarlo Stanton	NYY	DH	35	218
182	Luke Raley	SEA	LF/RF/1B	30	266
181	Eugenio Suarez	ARI	3B	33	247

A Trio of Outfielders

Randy Arozarena has been a very good player during his career, but he has never been great – and that is OK. Not every player is great, and not every player is even very good. When it comes to Arozarena, he has been very consistent in the home run department, hitting 20, 20, 23 and 20 dingers the last four seasons. During that same time span he has driven in 69, 89, 83 and 60 runs. So count on him to hit 20 homers and drive in 70 to 80 runs. When it comes to steals, he has topped 20 every season since 2021 and had a career high 32 in 2022. So pencil him in for 22-25 steals. Overall, those are numbers of a very good outfielder.

Jorge Soler will be playing for his fourth team since 2023 when he takes the field for the Angels in 2025 after playing for Miami, San Francisco and Atlanta the past two seasons. Soler can hit homers, he will drive in runs, and he will have a below average slash line outside of his SLG and he will strike out. He is not a long-term solution to your dynasty team, but he should be solid for at least the next two years and provide depth in right field if that is what you need.

Established power

Giancarlo Stanton had 27 homers and 72 RBI while slugging .475 for the Yankees in 2024 while playing in 114 games. That is great production, but Stanton is basically a one-trick pony. All he really brings to the table is homers, hitting 24 in 2023, 31 in 2022 and 35 in 2021 (the last time he played in more than 114 games in a season). But since that 2021 season he has hit .211, .191 and .233. I love his power, but that is about it.

Versatile Player

As I have said often, having a versatile player on your roster is a huge help, especially in leagues with 25-man rosters. That is why Luke Raley has value over other players who produce the same numbers he does. Raley is going to hit close to 20 homers and drive in 55 to 60 runs and steal around 10 bases. A lot of players can do that. But a lot of players do not play left field, right field and first base. And depending on your league rules, he can slot in as a center fielder as well as he played nine games there last season.

Need a Slugging Third Baseman?

Eugenio Suarez slugged 30 homers and drove in 101 runs in his first season in Arizona. His career 162-game average is 30 homers and 92 RBI with a .248/.331/.457 slash line. Yes, he is 33 years old and he basically helps only in the homer/RBI categories. And you may prefer to try to build around a younger third baseman if possible. But if you are looking only two or three years ahead or filling a hole at third while waiting for a third base prospect to develop, then take Suarez as he will continue to hit home runs and drive in runs for the Diamondbacks.

180-176

RANK	PLAYER	TEAM	POSITION	AGE	2024 RANK
180	Taylor Ward	LAA	LF	31	250
179	Jhonkensy Noel	CLE	RF	23	NR
178	Dansby Swanson	CHC	SS	31	128
177	Jake Burger	TEX	1B/3B	28	139
176	JJ Bleday	OAK	CF	27	NR

Just Stay Healthy

When Taylor Ward is healthy, he is a solid left fielder to have on your team. In 2022 and 2024 he played in 135 and 156 games. His numbers those two seasons were 23 and 25 homers and 65 and 75 RBI. The problem is those are the only two seasons in which Ward has topped 97 games played since debuting in 2018. He wasn’t injured in all of those other seasons – his lack of playing time was also due to the Angels being the Angels. But assuming Ward plays close to 150 games, he should be good for 25 homers and 75 RBI once again.

Power Potential Is Real

Jhonkensy Noel played in only 67 games last season for Cleveland, but his power potential should have you targeting Noel. He had a 6.6% home run rate, leading to 13 dingers. He does have some warts he has to contend with. His slash line of .218/.288/.486 wasn’t great, and neither was his 31.8% strikeout rate. But the power simply can’t be ignored. He hit 19 homers in 70 minor league games in 2021, followed by 32 homers in 134 games in 2022. In 2023 he smashed 27 dingers in 138 games before destroying minor league pitching with 18 homers in 65 games last season before being promoted to Cleveland.

Just Another Shortstop

Dansby Swanson is a solid shortstop, and many major league teams would love to have him on their team thanks to his defense and leadership he brings in the clubhouse. But in dynasty baseball, fielding and leadership don’t mean squat. And because of that, Swanson is a shortstop you wouldn’t mind having, but there are others you know you want more. Among shortstops who qualified last season, Swanson ranked 14th in homers (16), 13th in RBI (66), 12th in steals (19) and 11th in runs scored. When it comes to his slash line, he ranked 19 in average (.242), 15th in OBP (.312) and 17th in SLG (.390). That makes him a pretty average hitter at shortstop and at 31, he is moving away from his prime years.

Burger With a Side of Fries

There are two ways to look at Jake Burger – either teams want to get rid of him or teams like his talent so they trade for him. I am in the camp that they trade FOR him because of what he can do at the plate. Now a member of the Texas Rangers, the last two seasons with the White Sox and Marlins saw Burger hit 34 and 29 homers and drive in 80 and 76 runs. At the plate his slash line was .250/.309/.518 in 2023 and .250/.301/.460 last season. That is pretty consistent production and he should put up the same numbers for the Rangers this season and seasons to come while being able to play first and third base.

Up-and-Coming Center Fielder

JJ Bleday was the fourth overall selection in the 2019 Draft by the Miami Marlins and is a former top 100 prospect. He never fully reached his potential with the Marlins and was traded to the Athletics, a trade that has work out well for the A’s. Bleday’s first season in Oakland horrid (.165/.310/.355, 10 homers, 27 RBI in 82 games), but given a chance to play every day in 2024 allowed Bleday to relax and just play ball. He finished the year with 20 homers and 60 RBI while slashing .243/.324/.437. All of those numbers should improve and he should be sneaky good in 2025 and beyond.

Come Back Next Week

Thanks for reading. Make sure to return next week when the players 175-151 are ranked in the Top 400 Dynasty Players for 2025.

Previous Top 400 Dynasty Players for 2025 Rankings:

Top 400 Dynasty Players for 2025: 400-301
Top 400 Dynasty Players for 2025: 300-201