The countdown to No. 1 continues as the Topp 400 Dynasty Players for 2025 moves closer and closer to the top players being named. This week the countdown focuses on the players ranked from No. 75 to 51.
As you can see from the breakdown below, the players are skewing younger as 17 of the 25 players listed are 29 years old or younger. That should not be a surprise because players in this grouping and beyond are the players you are going to build your team around.
And if you have been wondering where the starting pitchers and middle infielders have been, well you are going to see a lot of them here. I tend to rank my pitchers in batches, and this is a huge grouping of them as I spotlight 11 pitchers. And the eight middle infielders are no surprise as I like to have a strong collection of players up the middle as they can often move to another position as they age.
Age of Players
- Age 20-24 – 6
- Age 25-29 – 11
- Age 30-34 – 8
Position Breakdown
- SP – 11
- 2B – 3 | SS – 5
- OF –2
- IF/OF – 1
- IF – 2
- C – 1
Now on to the rankings.
75-71
*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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 75 | Brenton Doyle | COL | CF | 26 | 211 |
| 74 | Luis Gil | NYY | SP | 26 | NR |
| 73 | Grayson Rodriguez | BAL | SP | 25 | 32 |
| 72 | Bo Bichette | TOR | SS | 27 | 22 |
| 71 | Trea Turner | PHI | SS | 31 | 20 |
Sneaky Good Season
People outside of Colorado may not know who Brenton Doyle is, but they should. Debuting in 2023, he appeared in 126 games for the Rockies and hit 10 homers with 48 RBI and 22 steals while slashing .203/.250/.343. Given the center field job full-time in 2024, Doyle improved his slash line to .260/.317/.446 and added 23 homers, 82 RBI, and 30 steals. Among center fielders, he ranked 5th in home runs, 10th in RBI, and 5th in stolen bases.
Doyle may be near his ceiling, but if you are looking for a very good center fielder after the top players are off the board, Doyle would be a great selection.
Can He Repeat 2024?
Luis Gil had an outstanding season for the Yankees in 2024 en route to claiming the Rookie of the Year award in the American League. All he did was post a 3.50 ERA and 1.193 WHIP with a 10.1 K/9 rate. Gil has a good fastball as it ranks in the 88th percentile at 96.6 mph (which is amazing in that used to be a top-end fastball for starters). His Whiff% ranked in the 76th percentile and his K% ranked in the 77th percentile. His minor league career gave a glimpse of what he could do as he had a 12.1 K/9 rate in 72 minor league starts and 91 career games. If there is a wart to Gil’s game, it is his walk rate. He issued 4.8 BB/9 last season and in the minors, his BB/9 rate was 5.4. But other than the walks, Gil is a solid pitcher to help your staff.
Underrated Pitcher
Gil won the Rookie of the Year award and has great upside, but a pitcher I like even more is Grayson Rodriguez of the Orioles. With Corbin Burns no longer in Baltimore, the Orioles need an ace and Rodriguez is the person who should fill that role. His fastball sits at 96.1 mph, ranking in the 81st percentile, while his Whiff% ranked in the 82nd percentile and K% in the 75th percentile. While Rodriguez has a solid fastball, it is his changeup that he needs to start featuring more.
Opposing hitters had a .291 batting average against his fastball last season but only a .161 average with a .306 SLG against the changeup. But it is a pitch he threw only 21% of the time compared to his fastball, which he threw 45% of the time. Rodriguez also has a solid curve as opposing batters had a .260 average and .380 SLG against the pitch. If Rodriguez can feature his other pitchers a little more than his fastball, then he should make the jump to being an ace and not just a very good pitcher.
Ready To Rebound
Bo Bichette had a miserable 2024 season, slashing .225/.277/.322 with four homers and 31 RBI in only 81 games. Even when healthy, however, Bichette’s production has slid since his breakout 2021 campaign when he hit 29 homers, drove in 102 runs, and stole 25 bases. While his slash line since then has remained relatively the same (except for this past year), his other numbers have dropped. But something tells me he is due for a rebound as he has too much talent to be mediocre.
Trea Turner put up solid numbers over his 121 games and his stats were in line with what he has done throughout his career. The 20-plus power and speed are still there, but for how long? He will turn 32 in June, and his days of 25 homers or 30 steals I think are over. He is good for 20-20 this year and next, and I trust him to produce more than Bichette. But if the steals go away, that takes away a lot of his value.
70-66
| RANK | PLAYER | TEAM | POSITION | AGE | 2024 RANK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 70 | Bryce Miller | SEA | SP | 25 | 154 |
| 69 | Luis Castillo | SEA | SP | 31 | 43 |
| 68 | Corey Seager | TEX | SS | 30 | 16 |
| 67 | William Contreras | MIL | C | 27 | 60 |
| 66 | James Wood | WSH | LF | 22 | NR |
A Pair of Mariners, Chapter 1
When you look at the Seattle Mariners, it is easy to see where the strength of the team is, and that is the starting rotation. It is loaded with talent, and that talent includes Bryce Miller and Luis Castillo.
Miller just completed his second season and built on his impressive 2023 rookie year. This past season he went 12-8 with a 2.94 ERA and 0.976 WHIP. While he doesn’t strike out a ton of hitters per inning, his 8.5 K/9 rate is still solid. Pair that with his low WHIP (1.046 career) and you have a very solid pitcher who is also young. Teammate Castillo has been a top pitcher for years. He hasn’t posted an ERA above 4.00 since 2018, his second season in the majors. His career ERA is 3.56 and his WHIP is 1.176 with a 9.7 K/9 rate. This past season was his lowest K/9 rate (9.0) and ERA+ (101) since 2018, but right now I consider this a blip and not a trend.
Age Will Catch Up, Right?
Corey Seager is now in his 30s, and while he is still a productive player and above average shortstop, his best days are behind him. Does that mean he should be ignored? No way. Seager reached 30 homers for the third straight season and his .512 SLG equaled his career average. But while he is getting older, he is still one of the game’s better hitters. In 2024 he ranked in the 91st percentile or higher in xwOBA, xBA, xSLG, Average Exit Velocity, Barrel%, and Hard Hit%. The only knock against Seager aside from his age is the fact he has missed 82 games over the last two seasons. If you are looking to fill a hole at short for this year and next, grab Seager and be happy. But he is not a player to build around at this point in his career.
The Best Of The Backstops
If you combine Cal Raleigh and Yainer Diaz together, you get William Contreras of Milwaukee. The Brewers catcher hit 23 homers, drove in 92 runs, and slashed .281/.364/.468 last year. His 92 RBI ranked third among catchers, and what he did this season is not a one-time event. He slashed .289/.367/.457 in 2023 with 17 homes and 76 RBI and his career slash line is .277/.358/.465. Finding catchers who can produce his slash line while also hitting for power is very rare, and it is why Contreras tops my rankings.
The Ceiling is High
James Wood was one of the players the Nationals received when Juan Soto was traded to San Diego. It has taken a while, but the trade is starting to pay off for Washington. Wood debuted for the Nationals last year and in 79 games he slashed .264/.354/.427 with nine homers, 41 RBI, and 14 steals. Wood had an outstanding month of August for the Nationals, slashing .302/.407/.479 with three homers, 15 RBI, and nine steals – providing a glimpse of what he can do on the field. It is not going to be surprising if Wood goes 20/85/20 next year and only improves on those numbers as he matures.
65-61
| RANK | PLAYER | TEAM | POSITION | AGE | 2024 RANK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 65 | Matt McLain | CIN | SS/2B | 25 | 44 |
| 64 | Ketel Marte | Ari | 2B | 31 | 159 |
| 63 | Jordan Westburg | BAL | 2B/3B | 26 | 111 |
| 62 | Jared Jones | PIT | SP | 22 | NR |
| 61 | Ozzie Albies | ATL | 2B | 28 | 24 |
A Shortstop or Second Baseman? Who Cares!
Matt McLain missed all of the 2024 season thanks to a shoulder injury that required surgery. But in 2023 he slashed .290/.357/.507 with 16 homers, 50 RBI, and 14 steals in 89 games. That translates to a 162-game average of 29 homers, 91 RBI, and 25 steals. Give me that production every year and I am a happy man. In all likelihood, McLain will get the majority of his time at second base in 2025. But I see him getting some starts at short when Elly De La Cruz gets a rest. That would be great in order to keep McLain as a shortstop through at least 2026.
Getting Older, But Not Slowing Down
Ketel Marte is coming off a great 2024 campaign with 36 homers and 95 RBI to go with a .292/.372/.560 slash line. That is the production level of the best second baseman in baseball. And it’s not like it was a fluke season as he hit 25 homers with 82 RBI in 2023 with a .276/.358/.485 slash line. Over the last three years his batting average, SLG and OBP have all increased each season, but at the age of 31 next year, I am not expecting him to continue to improve at the plate. A leveling off or decrease will come sooner rather than later.
Young but Unproven
Jordan Westburg does not have a long track record of MLB experience, but what he has done during his brief career and what I expect of him has me very excited about his future. In 107 games in 2024, Westburg slugged .481 thanks to 18 homers, 26 doubles, and five triples. His xBA and xSLG ranked in the 92nd percentile this past season while his AEV, Barrel,% and LA Sweet-Spot% all ranked in the 80th to 88th percentile. The Orioles are moving the left-field fences in for 2025, and that is good news for right-handers, but Westburg actually hit eight of his homers to the right side of center field as his power plays in any park.
He’s Not Skenes, But…
Jared Jones is not going the grab the attention of Pirates fans like Paul Skenes will, but he shouldn’t be overlooked. As a rookie in 2024, Jones was 6-8 with a 4.14 ERA and 1.19 WHIP. Not outstanding numbers, but he showed off a fastball that ranked in the 93rd percentile a 97.3 mph with a Whiff% that ranked in the 84th percentile. In 121.2 innings of work, Jones averaged 9.8 K/9 while that rate was 11.2 during his minor league career. With Skenes grabbing the attention, Jones will be allowed to develop at his pace, and it is a pace that will lead him to being a great No. 2 pitcher on the Pittsburgh staff.
Needs To Stay Healthy
The 2024 season was not kind to Ozzie Albies. Injuries limited him to 99 games and hurt his production as he slashed .251/.303/.404. But when Albies is healthy, he is a great second baseman. In 2021 he slugged 30 homers and drove in 106 runs in 156 games and in 2023 those numbers were 33 and 109 in 148 games. His 162-game average is 26 homers, 94 RBI, and 16 steals with a .270/.322/.470 slash line. He will only be 28 on Opening Day, so there is no reason to think he won’t be able to be the player he has been when healthy.
60-56
| RANK | PLAYER | TEAM | POSITION | AGE | 2024 RANK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 60 | Joe Ryan | MIN | SP | 28 | 162 |
| 59 | Oneil Cruz | PIT | CF/SS | 26 | 48 |
| 58 | Shota Imanaga | CHC | SP | 30 | NR |
| 57 | Luis Garcia Jr | WSH | 2B | 24 | 254 |
| 56 | Ezequiel Tovar | COL | SS | 23 | 129 |
Poised To Break Out
Joe Ryan does not have some of the outstanding numbers pitchers highlighted above have. His fastball velocity ranks only in the 47th percentile and his Chase% and Whiff% ranked in the 65th and 58th percentile respectively. But despite those numbers, Ryan has a career strikeout rate of 10.0 per nine innings and a 1.074 WHIP. He walks just over two batters per nine innings while allowing only 7.6 hits/9.
New Position, Same Talent
Oneil Cruz is not and has not been a good defensive shortstop, leading the Pirates to give him a look in center field. Will he remain in center field? Why not? Allowing Cruz to play center field all season may allow him to concentrate more on his hitting and worry less about making an error in the field at shortstop. No matter where Cruz plays, he is going to hit for power and steal bases. His 162-game average is 27 homers, 91 RBI, and 23 steals. In 146 games this season those numbers were 21-76-22. There is no reason to think he is not going to at least match those numbers for years to come.
As Good As Advertised
If you had any concerns about Shota Imanaga at the start of the last season, the Japanese import showed that you shouldn’t have. The left-hander put together an outstanding season for the Cubs, going 15-3 with a 2.91 ERA and 1.02 WHIP. And he did this with a fastball velocity that ranked in the 15th percentile last season. Despite a fastball that averaged 91.5 mph, Imanaga produced a 34.8% chase rate, ranking in the 97th percentile. There may be some regression, but don’t shy away from Imanaga if you are looking for a solid pitcher over the next three seasons.
Only Getting Better
Luis Garcia Jr. is a former top 100 prospect who broke in with the Nationals as a 20-year-old and then took some time to reach his potential. But that potential was on full display in 2024 as Garcia hit 18 homers, drove in 70 runs and stole 22 bases while slashing .282/.318/.444. I don’t think Garcia has reached his ceiling as I expect him to develop more power while maintaining his speed.
Loving The Rockies
I already talked about Brenton Doyle. His teammate, Ezequiel Tovar, is another player I really like. In 2024 he hit 26 dingers to go with a .269 batting average and .469 SLG. He took a nice leap from his rookie season when he hit 15 homers and slashed .253/.287/.408. The OBP actually increased to .295, but he needs to show a little more patience at the plate as his walk percentage ranked in the 2nd percentile and his chase rate ranked in the first percentile.
55-51
| RANK | PLAYER | TEAM | POSITION | AGE | 2024 RANK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 55 | Zach Neto | LAA | SS | 24 | 130 |
| 54 | Hunter Brown | HOU | SP | 25 | 198 |
| 53 | Blake Snell | SFG | SP | 31 | 101 |
| 52 | Tyler Glasnow | LAD | SP | 30 | 61 |
| 51 | Framber Valdez | HOU | SP | 30 | 102 |
Establishing Himself Now
Let me get the negatives about Zach Neto out of the way first. He is not great when it comes to batting average or OBP. In 2024 Neto was .249/.318 in average and OBP. But outside of those two areas, he is a top dual threat shortstop as he slugged 23 homers and swiped 31 bases in 2024. Neto, who debuted in 2023, has a career Barrel% of 8.5% compared to the MLB average of 7.0% and his Hard Hit% of 39.3 is nearly 3% higher than the MLB player.
Future Ace, or Current Ace?
The Houston Astros have always been high on Hunter Brown, but it took a while for Brown to start looking like the pitcher the Astros believed he would be. In 2023 Brown was in his first full season with the team and finished 11-13 with a 5.09 ERA and 1.362 WHIP. But he struck out 10.3 hitters per nine and those numbers were elevated as he wore down as the season progressed.
After a horrible April to start the 2024 season (0-4, 9.78 ERA), Brown went 11-5 with a 2.51 ERA and 1.122 WHIP while striking out 155 in 147 innings. In his one start in the postseason against Detroit, he allowed only one run on two hits with two walks and nine strikeouts in 5.2 innings of work. Brown is a true ace and can anchor a staff for years to come.
Three Older Aces
All three pitchers below will be 30 or older on Opening Day. Don’t let that scare you. All three should be outstanding this year and for at least the two seasons after that.
When it comes to Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, and Framber Valdez, rank them in any order you want because, in the end, they are all outstanding. Snell, who is now a Dodger, has won two Cy Young awards during his career, in which he has a 3.19 ERA, 1.217 WHIP, and an amazing 11.2 K/9 rate. Last season he had a 3.12 ERA, 1.048 WHIP (the second lowest of his career), and a 12.5 K/9 rate (the highest of his career).
Joining Snell in the Dodgers rotation is Tyler Glasnow. Yes, we all know Glasnow has a problem staying healthy. But with the Dodgers featuring about 20 aces this year, Glasnow will likely pitch about once a week, limiting his workload to basically what his career average is – 20 to 22 starts and 130 to 140 innings of work. The limited starts aren’t great for your fantasy team, but when he is on the mound, Glasnow produces 11.5 K/9 and over the last two seasons he has a WHIP of 1.012.
I mentioned above that Hunter Brown is the future ace of the Houston rotation. That is because the current ace is Framber Valdez. The Astros lefty has a career ERA of 3.30 with a 1.195 WHIP. Since 2020, when he became a full-time starter, Valdez is 60-33 on the mound with a 3.19 ERA and 1.150 WHIP. The only “mark” against Valdez is the fact that his career K/9 rate is 8.8. But unlike Glasnow and even Snell, Valdez will take the ball every fifth day. He threw 201.1 innings in 2022 and followed that up with 198 and 176.1 innings the last two seasons, with last year being lower as the Astros featured a six-man rotation for chunks of the season.
Come Back Next Week
Thanks for reading. Make sure to return next week when the players 50-26 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
Top 400 Dynasty Players for 2025: 200-176
Top 400 Dynasty Players for 2025: 175-151
Top 400 Dynasty Players for 2025: 150-126
Top 400 Dynasty Players for 2025: 125-101
Top 400 Dynasty Players for 2025: 100-76
