Happy New Year and Happy Holidays. I hope the holiday season has been one of joy and happiness for you.
That said, welcome to the first installment of the Top 400 Dynasty Players for 2025. This week and next I will take two giant bites out of the countdown as I rank the players from 400-301 this week and then 300-201 the following week. After that will come bite sized looks of the final 200 players.
I know for a fact that some of you will not like my rankings. But I have my biases and certain ways I evaluate fantasy players and have done so for decades. So take these rankings as a starting point and adjust as you see fit. No matter what, I hope these rankings will be a useful tool for you.
Secondly, you will not see any prospects in my rankings unless they have debuted in the majors. So you will not see Anthony Quinn ranked, nor Owen Cassie or a host of other top prospects. I also did not rank Kumar Rocker as 11.2 innings of work on the MLB level barely counts. But if you are wondering, I really like him as I traded for him in two leagues earlier this offseason.
With that said, let’s get started.
400-376
*Age as of April 1, 2025
**Minimum 10 games at a position to be listed
***Until the Athletics are actually in Las Vegas, players on the team will be listed as OAK
| RANK | PLAYER | TEAM | POSITION | AGE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 400 | Blaze Alexander | ARI | SS/2B | 25 |
| 399 | Hunter Goodman | COL | C/RF | 25 |
| 398 | Austin Martin | MIN | CF/LF/2B | 26 |
| 397 | Eury Perez | MIA | SP | 21 |
| 396 | Reese Olson | DET | SP | 25 |
| 395 | Victor Scott | STL | CF | 24 |
| 394 | Ke’Bryan Hayes | PIT | 3B | 28 |
| 393 | Alejandro Kirk | TOR | C | 26 |
| 392 | Joey Loperfido | TOR | LF/CF/RF | 25 |
| 391 | Davis Schneider | TOR | LF/2B | 26 |
| 390 | Ryan Weathers | MIA | SP | 25 |
| 389 | Mitch Keller | PIT | SP | 28 |
| 388 | Jace Jung | DET | 3B | 24 |
| 387 | Harrison Bader | Free Agent | CF | 30 |
| 386 | Michael Wacha | KC | SP | 33 |
| 385 | Alek Manoah | TOR | SP | 27 |
| 384 | Alex Verdugo | Free Agent | LF/CF | 28 |
| 383 | Robbie Ray | SF | SP | 33 |
| 382 | Brooks Lee | MIN | SS/3B/2B | 24 |
| 381 | Cody Bradford | TEX | SP | 27 |
| 380 | Addison Barger | TOR | 3B/RF/LF | 25 |
| 379 | Brett Baty | NYM | 3B | 25 |
| 378 | Jacob DeGrom | TEX | SP | 36 |
| 377 | Bobby Miller | LAD | SP | 25 |
| 376 | Jacob Wilson | OAK | SS | 23 |
Versatility Matters
Blaze Alexander got a taste of the big leagues in 2024 and showed why he can be a valuable player. Able to play both middle infield positions, Alexander slashed .247/.321/.343 with three homers, 21 RBI and three steals in 61 games and 185 plate appearances. In the minors Alexander has shown the ability to steal bases (57) and hit with some power (57 homers) in his 472 career games.
Austin Martin was the fifth player selected overall in the 2020 draft by the Blue Jays before being traded to Minnesota and is a former top 100 prospect. Martin slashed .253/.318/.352 in 93 games to go with seven steals for the Twins, but with only one homer. In 280 minor league games he has hit only 15 homers to go with a .261/.397/.363 slash line. His real value is the fact he can play second, left and center field. Versatility is bonus when it comes to players ranked here.
Joey Loperfido shot through the Astros system thanks to his powerful bat and was part of the trade between the Blue Jays and Astros that sent Yusei Kikuchi to Houston at the trade deadline. Loperfido can play all three outfield positions and hit 52 homers in 290 career minor league games to go with 69 steals. His weakness is strike out as he had a 36.3% strikeout rate this past season with a 5% walk rate.
Brooks Lee can play third base, second base and shortstop, but his future is likely at second base. A switch-hitter, Lee has excellent contact skills as he had more walks than strikeouts during his college career and had a 15.3% strikeout rate in the minors and a solid 14.6% strikeout rate during his 50-game stint with the Twins last year. He also can drive the ball and has a solid upside, though at what position is the real question.
Eury Perez
I already know you are hating Eury Perez ranked here at 397th, or as the 100th starting pitcher overall. I get it. Perez has amazing stuff – fastball velocity that ranks in the 94th percentile, a whiff percentage that ranks in the 93rd percentile and a strikeout percentage ranking in the 85th percentile. But Perez, who is only 21, will miss most if not all of this season recovering from Tommy John surgery. But that isn’t what scares me about Perez. I also don’t like the fact that since his professional debut in 2021, he has pitched a total of 283 innings, or a total of 94.3 innings per season.
Here is an interesting statistic: twenty years ago, less than 5% of drafted pitchers had reconstructive surgery on their pitching elbow’s ulnar collateral ligament, typically known as Tommy John surgery. Now, it’s more than one-third.
The Marlins have babied Perez every year of his career and yet he still blows out his arm. Enough of my soapbox rant. I am just not going to put my eggs into Perez’s basket. I can find plenty of other pitchers I trust to remain healthy, but you are more than welcome to move Perez much further up the rankings.
The Other Starting Pitchers
In 2021 and 2022, Alek Manoah was one of the best pitchers in baseball. During those seasons he was a combined 25-9 with a 2.60 ERA and 1.01 WHIP. He was eighth in Rookie of the Year voting in 2021 and finished third in the Cy Young voting in 2022. Then the wheels fell off in 2023. Manoah posted a 5.87 ERA and 1.74 WHIP. His walk rate ballooned to 6.1 per nine innings and he was pitching so poorly for the Blue Jays that he was demoted to Rookie ball to work on his mechanics.
Manoah was able to rebound this past season with a 3.70 ERA and 1.027 WHIP before having Tommy John surgery in June. So why am I listing Manoah here as a 2025 dynasty keeper? Because I’m looking beyond 2025, as I have with other injured pitchers. Manoah is a perfect buy low player who may not help you much in 2025 but should offer solid pitching in the years after that.
When it comes to Jacob DeGrom, I consider him a “take him at your own risk” player. His talent is undeniable. But how many games is he going to pitch for you? In 2024, it was only three. In 2023 it was only six. How about in 2022 and 2021? Well, those would be 11 starts and 15 starts. The last time DeGrom pitched in more than 15 games was in 2019 for the Mets when he started 32 games. At this point, DeGrom is a complete buy-low player who is a year-to-year pitcher. But if he is healthy, then he will likely give you a great year.
The High Upside Players
What to do with Brett Baty? He is a former first round draft pick and former top 100 prospect who has succeeded in the minors with a career .283/.382/.507 slash line with 64 homers and 225 RBI in 325 games. But with the Mets he has struggled to the tune of .215/.282/.325 with 15 homers and 55 RBI in 169 games with 159 strikeouts. Mark Vientos has surpassed him at third base but could move to first, opening a spot for Baty. He also got time in at second base in the minors this past year and he can play left field. His future position is still up in the air, but the ceiling is too tantalizing to not take a chance on Baty as a buy-low candidate.
Jace Jung is still known as the little brother of Josh Jung. However, he has above average power and is likely headed for a job at third base with Colt Keith setting up shop at second base. He did not have a great debut with the Tigers this year as he slashed .241/.362/.304 with no homers and three RBI. He also had a 31% strikeout rate but countered that with a 16% walk rate. But I really like his upside and what he can bring to the Tigers.
Jacob Wilson is not going to be a prolific home run hitter, though he has some pop as he hit eight homers in 79 minor league games. He also won’t steal a ton of bases. What Wilson does so well is make contact. The A’s shortstop had only a 4.4% strikeout rate during his three seasons at Grand Canyon University with an 8.7% walk rate. His slash line was a very healthy .361/.419/.558. Since turning pro in 2023, all Wilson has done is slash .401/.446/.606 thanks to 39 doubles in those 79 minor league games. And his strikeout rate is only 7.7%, though his walk rate is only at 5.9%. Wilson appeared in 29 games for the A’s this past season and slashed only .250/.314/.315, but his strikeout rate was still a very nice 9.7% to go with a 7.8% walk rate.
375-351
| RANK | PLAYER | TEAM | POSITION | AGE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 375 | Andrew Abbott | CIN | SP | 25 |
| 374 | Christian Javier | HOU | SP | 27 |
| 373 | Rhett Lowder | CIN | SP | 22 |
| 372 | Nick Lodolo | CIN | SP | 26 |
| 371 | Shane Baz | TB | SP | 25 |
| 370 | Jake Irving | WAS | SP | 27 |
| 369 | Mickey Moniak | LAA | CF/RF | 26 |
| 368 | Andrew Benintendi | CWS | LF | 30 |
| 367 | Oswaldo Cabrera | NYY | 3B/2B/1B | 26 |
| 366 | Adrian Del Castillo | ARI | C | 25 |
| 365 | Will Benson | CIN | LF/CF/RF | 26 |
| 364 | Jake Fraley | CIN | RF | 29 |
| 363 | Mauricio Dubon | HOU | LF/CF/RF/3B/2B/1B | 30 |
| 362 | Gabriel Moreno | ARI | C | 25 |
| 361 | Hunter Renfroe | KC | RF | 33 |
| 360 | Miguel Amaya | CHC | C | 26 |
| 359 | Victor Caratini | HOU | C/1B | 31 |
| 358 | Mike Yastrzemski | SF | RF | 34 |
| 357 | Kyle Isbel | KC | CF | 28 |
| 356 | Kyle Harrison | SF | SP | 22 |
| 355 | Ben Brown | CHC | SP | 24 |
| 354 | MJ Melendez | KC | LF | 26 |
| 353 | Josh Smith | TEX | 3B/SS | 27 |
| 352 | Bowden Francis | TOR | SP | 28 |
| 351 | Ernie Clement | TOR | 3B/SS | 29 |
The Value Players
Houston’s Mauricio Dubon doesn’t do one thing great, but he does a lot of things well. His biggest value is the fact you can slot him in at six different positions. He doesn’t hit for a lot of power, but he should be good for about seven homers and provide a solid slash line in the range of .265/.305/.380.
Oswaldo Cabrera has always seemed to have a lot of hype surrounding him due to playing for the Yankees. The hype built for him in 2021 when he hit 29 homers, drove in 89 runs and stole 21 bases at the Double-A and Triple-A levels. But his production in the majors has never matched what he did in the minors. In 108 games this past season, he set career highs with eight home runs and 36 RBI while slashing .247/.296/.352 and his 162-game average is only 12 homers and 51 RBI. The saving grace for Cabera is the fact he can play multiple positions.
If you believe Ernie Clement can hold off Addison Barger for the starting job at third and if you believe that Clement’s 2024 season wasn’t an anomaly, then go ahead and snag him to be a depth player at third base and shortstop and possibly second base. Clement played in a career high 139 games for the Blue Jays and slashed .263/.284/.408 with 12 homers, 51 RBI and 12 steals. His career slash line is .249/.282/.361), so I would not count on him replicating his 2024 season in 2025. But he can provide decent depth.
Lots of Red
As you can see, there are a lot of Reds in this tier, including three young pitchers. If you can ignore the home park they pitch in, Andrew Abbott, Rhett Lowder and Nick Lodolo are three solid pitchers that will provide your staff quality depth and all three will be 27 or younger on Opening Day. Lowder is the youngest of the group and has only six games of major league experience. But he flew through the system and showed he was ready to succeed on the MLB level by posting a 1.17 ERA and 1.272 WHIP in his six starts.
Abbott doesn’t post huge strikeout numbers and needs to cut down on his walk rate a bit. But he allows less than a hit per inning in 46 career starts and 8.5 K/9. If Abbott is still hanging around at this point of a draft or auction, he would be a solid pitcher to add. The same goes for Lodolo.
What has kept Lodolo from progressing as a pitcher is a rash of injuries. He had a lower back strain in 2022. He spent most of the 2023 season on the IL and was on the IL this past season three times. When healthy. Lodolo averages 10.7 K/9 for his career and only 8.6 H/9. His ERA was bloated in 2024, but he had a 1.197 WHIP and 9.5 K/9 rate in 21 starts.
In addition to the three Reds pitchers, Jake Fraley will likely be the starter in right field for the Reds in 2025 after slashing .277/.330/.386 with 20 steals in 2024. Fraley hit only five homers after hitting 12 and 15 the two previous seasons. I expect him to get back to the 12 to 15 range. Add the modest power and speed, and he is a solid depth player.
If Fraley loses playing time, it will likely be to Will Benson, who can also play left and center. It looked like Benson was a sleeper heading into this season after he slashed .275/.365/.498 with 11 homers and 19 steals in 108 games in 2023. But this past year saw that slash line drop to .187/.274/.376 in 128 games, though he did hit 14 homers and steal 16 bags. But he had a 39.7% strikeout rate and for his career it is 35.5%. He’s not a starter, but in super deep leagues, he can offer something off the bench.
Possibly Undervalued
Did Bowden Francis come into his own in 2024, or was this past season just a great run on the mound? Looking at the numbers, he may have come into his own and I have him ranked too low. He had a 3.30 ERA and 0.93 WHIP with a 4.18 K/BB rate. He started the season in the bullpen before moving into the rotation, and he was simply outstanding as a starter, posting a 2.92 ERA and 0.75 WHIP with a 5.62 K/BB rate.
My only concern is he is 28 and what he has done in the majors as a reliever and starter (2.88 ERA, 0.90 WHIP) don’t match what he did in the minors as he had a 4.94 ERA and 1.286 WHIP in 136 appearances (111 starts).
Kyle Harrison had a rough finish to his season, but in June and July he showed he can be a top-end pitcher when he posted a 2.75 ERA and 1.04 ERA with 30 strikeouts in 32.2 innings of work. Walks are an issue as he had a 4.8 BB/9 rate during his minor league career. But in parts of two seasons with the Giants, that rate is 3.0.
350-326
| RANK | PLAYER | TEAM | POSITION | AGE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 350 | Justin Turner | Free Agent | 1B | 40 |
| 349 | Clarke Schmidt | NYY | SP | 28 |
| 348 | Jonah Heim | TEX | C | 29 |
| 347 | Luis Severino | OAK | SP | 30 |
| 346 | Patrick Bailey | SF | C | 25 |
| 345 | Jake Meyers | HOU | CF | 28 |
| 344 | Edmundo Sosa | PHI | 2B/SS/3B | 29 |
| 343 | Jesus Luzardo | MIA | SP | 26 |
| 342 | Shane Bieber | CLE | SP | 29 |
| 341 | Maikel Garcia | KC | 3B | 25 |
| 340 | J.T. Realmuto | PHI | C | 34 |
| 339 | Sean Murphy | ATL | C | 30 |
| 338 | Brayan Bello | BOS | SP | 25 |
| 337 | Nathan Eovaldi | TEX | SP | 34 |
| 336 | Zach Eflin | BAL | SP | 30 |
| 335 | Zack Littel | TB | SP | 28 |
| 334 | Rowdy Tellez | Free Agent | 1B | 30 |
| 333 | Bo Naylor | CLE | C | 25 |
| 332 | Brady Singer | CIN | SP | 28 |
| 331 | Reynaldo Lopez | ATL | SP | 30 |
| 330 | Paul DeJong | Free Agent | SS/3B | 31 |
| 329 | Keibert Ruiz | WAS | C | 26 |
| 328 | Ronel Blanco | HOU | SP | 30 |
| 327 | Otto Lopez | MIA | 2B | 26 |
| 326 | Luis Campusano | SD | C | 26 |
A Question Mark
Jesus Luzardo is an enigma. His numbers indicate he should be a higher rated pitcher as he has a career 26.0 strikeout percentage, which is 3.2% better than the average pitcher, averages more than a strikeout per inning (1.09) and a fastball that ranks in the 90th percentile when healthy. Health was an issue in 2024 as Luzardo started only 12 games in 2024 due to a lumbar stress reaction in his lower back.
But when healthy, Luzardo doesn’t produce the stats one expects. His career ERA is 3.97. His career ERA+ is 103 – that is pretty average. However, after a slow start to his career, he did have solid ERAs of 3.12 and 3.55 in 2022 and 2023. Is Luzardo the pitcher who took the mound those two years or is he the pitcher with the career ERA of 3.97 who averages more than three walks per game? I’m not on the Luzardo bandwagon, thus why I rank him here.
Looking a Little Deeper
Brayan Bello did not have a great season, posting a 4.49 ERA, a 1.361 WHIP, and a 8.5 K/9 rate). But when you look a little deeper at this past season, you will find a pitcher with great stuff who just hasn’t quite figured out how to be successful with it. His slider and sinker have above average movement while his four-seamer ranks in the 77th percentile with a 95.7 mph average. While his sinker has great movement, it does not generate a lot of swing and miss as shown by his 11.1 Whiff%. But his slider generates a 34.3 Whiff% and his changeup a 36.9 Whiff%.
And it appears Bello figured things out as the season went along. After posting a 5.66 ERA in May and an ugly 8.25 ERA in June, Bello posted ERAs of 4.29, 3.00 and 3.55 over the final three months of the season. Over his final 13 starts he had a 3.47 ERA and 1.225 WHIP. The improvement is certainly there and so is a breakout season.
Two More Question Marks
Can Reynaldo Lopez and Ronel Blanco replicate 2024 in 2025? Lopez will likely not post another 1.99 ERA/1.106 WHIP season, but there is no reason to think he is suddenly going to have a 5.38 ERA and 1.457 WHIP like he did in 2019 when he was last a full-time starter. The Braves know how to get the most out of their starters and they did that with Lopez this year.
The same can be said of Blanco. Like the Braves, the Astros are outstanding at identify what works with each pitcher on their staff and then use those weapons to be successful on the mound. Used mostly as a reliever in 2023, the Astros moved Blanco into the starting rotation thanks to the myriad injuries the staff suffered, and Blanco was outstanding, posting a 2.80 ERA and 1.088 WHIP with nearly a strikeout per inning. In 36 career starts, Blanco is 15-7 with a 3.19 ERA and 1.141 WHIP.
Needing to Rebound
Luis Campusano was handed the starting job this season after producing a .319/.356/.491 slash line with seven homers in 49 games in 2023. But 2024 was not kind to Campusano and by September he was in the minors. For the year he had a .227/.281/.361 slash line with eight home runs in 91 games. The Padres are not going to give up on him, but with Ethan Salas knocking on the door, Campusano’s future is not a known commodity.
325-301
| RANK | PLAYER | TEAM | POSITION | AGE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 325 | David Fry | CLE | C/1B/LF | 29 |
| 324 | Pavin Smith | ARI | 1B/RF/LF | 29 |
| 323 | Eloy Jiménez | BAL | DH | 28 |
| 322 | Jesse Winker | NYM | LF/RF | 31 |
| 321 | TJ Friedl | CIN | CF | 29 |
| 320 | Robert Gasser | MIL | SP | 25 |
| 319 | Will Wagner | TOR | 2B | 26 |
| 318 | Brandon Pfaadt | ARI | SP | 25 |
| 317 | Ty France | CIN | 1B | 30 |
| 316 | Wenceel Pérez | DET | RF/CF | 25 |
| 315 | Nolan Jones | COL | LF | 26 |
| 314 | Nick Pivetta | BOS | SP | 31 |
| 313 | Miguel Rojas | LAD | SS/2B/3B | 36 |
| 312 | Seth Brown | OAK | LF/RF/1B | 32 |
| 311 | Kutter Crawford | BOS | SP | 28 |
| 310 | Isiah Kiner-Falefa | PIT | 2B/SS/3B | 30 |
| 309 | Spencer Horwitz | PIT | 1B/2B | 27 |
| 308 | Jeff McNeil | NYM | 2B/RF/LF | 32 |
| 307 | Ryan O’Hearn | BAL | 1B/RF | 31 |
| 306 | Geraldo Perdomo | ARI | SS | 25 |
| 305 | Jorge Polanco | Free Agent | 2B | 31 |
| 304 | Carlos Santana | CLE | 1B | 38 |
| 303 | Vaughn Grissom | BOS | 2B | 24 |
| 302 | Yandy Díaz | TB | 1B | 33 |
| 301 | Jorge Mateo | BAL | 2B | 29 |
Worth a Look?
Should we move on from Eloy Jimenez, or should we continue to give him one more shot? The only thing saving him from being off this list right now is the fact he is 28. His career 162-game average is fantastic – 29 homers, 90 RBI and a .269/.318/.462 slash line. But the most games he has ever appeared in is 122 when he was a rookie. Since 2021, his average season is 89 games, 13 homers and 45 RBI. Over the last three seasons his SLG has gone from .500 to .441 to .336 last season. Since he just turned 28, there is the chance he can duplicate his rookie season, but those chances are getting slimmer and slimmer.
Where Will He Play?
Ryan O’Hearn had a solid year for Baltimore, slashing .264/.334/.427 with 15 homers and 59 RBI. In addition to right field he can also be slotted at first base. But how much playing time O’Hearn gets is the big question as he won’t be the starter in right or first. But he will likely get close to 400 at-bats as he fills in at those positions as well as at DH.
Willing to Wait?
Robert Gasser was drafted in the second round of the 2021 draft and entered the 2024 season as the 98th ranked prospect by Baseball America. Gasser made his major league debut this past season for the Milwaukee Brewers and made five starts before landing on the IL and eventually having Tommy John surgery. During his five starts, he had a 2.89 ERA and 1.04 WHIP. In 62 minor leagues appearances (61 starts) he had a 3.79 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and averaged 11.1 strikeouts per nine innings. Gasser has talent, and if you are able to stash someone like him on your roster, then it would be wise to do so.
Solid Bench Players
Spencer Horwitz is a solid bench player thanks to the fact that he can play both first and second base. In only 94 games he hit 12 homers and drove in 38 while slashing .268/.359/.442. That is a solid line, and Horwitz is likely in line for more at-bats next season.
Carlos Santana continues to hit as he had 22 homers and 68 RBI this year for the Twins with a .234/.323/.414 slash line (the OBP and SLG are above the 1B average of .319 and .407). He would be a year-to-rental at this stage of his career, but if you need some thump on your team as you fill out your roster, you could do worse than Santana.
Yandy Diaz slashed .282/.342/.417 but had only 14 homers this past year. I like a little more power in the first basemen and Xavier Isaac may be taking his job sooner rather than later, but Diaz is a productive bat to have in deep leagues.
Come Back Next Week
Thanks for reading. Make sure to return next week when the players 300-201 are ranked in the Topp 400 Dynasty Players for 2025.
