FYPD Top 100 Dynasty Fantasy Baseball Rankings After The 2025 MLB Draft
Image credit: Kade Anderson (Photo by Eddie Kelly/ ProLook Photos)
From year to year, the value of first-year player fantasy baseball draft picks can fluctuate. For example, we need to consider the strength of the college class and whether international prospects are involved.
At the moment, the new 2025 FYPD class is unlikely to be viewed as historically strong five or six years from now. But there is value to be had for savvy fantasy managers.
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A muddled top of the draft will likely lead to a variety of opinions on who the 1-1 FYPD pick should be. This is not unlike in 2024 when there were several potential options worth targeting at the top of the draft. This year, it’s more the case that there just aren’t any elite talents available who are likely to change the face of your dynasty baseball franchise.
Instead, this is a draft in which high school positional talent and college pitching rules. While the next Aaron Nola or Roman Anthony is unlikely to emerge from the 2025 draft class, there are still plenty of upside plays, particularly for those fantasy managers stacking picks in the 11-25 range.
To help managers prepare for FYPDs, we have compiled our initial ranking of the top 100 players from the 2025 MLB Draft. We’ll update this list throughout the offseason, ultimately adding in 2026 international signees following the January 15 signing date.
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1. Kade Anderson, LHP, Mariners
While Anderson isn’t the highest upside player (Steele Hall) or even the highest upside pitcher (Seth Hernandez) in the draft, he’s the best combination of ability and developmental fit. The Mariners have a long track record of developing college draftees into midrotation-or-better starters.
2. Aiva Arquette, SS, Marlins
It’s been a long time since the Marlins have had a hitting prospect with Arquette’s upside. He’s arguably the most well-rounded hitter in the draft with power, good batted-ball angles and the prerequisite plate skills. There’s also little in Miami’s system blocking Arquette from a speedy ascent.
3. Liam Doyle, LHP, Cardinals
Doyle has a double-plus fastball that dominates the opposition. How he improves his arsenal as a professional will dictate his role long term. Doyle’s splitter is an above-average pitch, but his lack of a go-to breaking ball is an issue. Doyle also has more relief risk than most top-of-the-draft college pitchers.
4. Ethan Holliday, SS, Rockies
The next in line from the famous Holliday family, Ethan’s game is more reminiscent of his father Matt than his brother Jackson. He’s a power hitter with some questions around his natural contact ability. It’s 30+ home run upside with on-base skills, and I believe landing with Colorado could ultimately be a positive.
5. Steele Hall, SS, Reds
There’s sure to be some gripes with this ranking, but I believe Hall has the highest upside of any player in this draft class. He’s the best athletic tester, he’s a high school re-class like Eli Willits (meaning he was only 17 years old on draft day) and he has the speed and projection to develop into a first-round fantasy pick. The upside comp for Hall is Trea Turner, making him an excellent target for managers with a high risk tolerance.
6. JoJo Parker, SS, Blue Jays
There’s a reasonable viewpoint that Parker is the safest high school player in the class. His combination of an above-average hit tool and above-average power give him a higher floor than either Holliday or Hall, though he lacks the first-round fantasy pick upside. Parker is the choice for the more risk adverse drafter.
7. Gavin Fien, SS, Rangers
Model-driven teams valued Fien among the top hitters in the class and some likely even viewed him as the top high school hitter. A below-average athlete, Fien is a bat-first prospect with above-average plate skills and power. He’s unlikely to play shortstop as a professional, which puts more pressure on the bat.
8. Seth Hernandez, RHP, Pirates
Drafting hard-throwing high school righthanders is typically not a wise strategy in FYPDs, but Hernandez looks like a rare exception. His combination of power, pitchability and projection give him immense upside. Not since Hunter Greene has a high school righthander been this valuable a target.
9. Eli Willits, SS, Nationals
When looking at the difference between real-life value and fantasy value, players like Willits create some natural debate. Willits is a switch-hitter with an above-average hit tool, fringy power projection, above-average speed and the ability to stick in the middle infield. As a fantasy asset, he’ll need to do a little bit of everything well to provide top 50 fantasy value one day.
10. Kyson Witherspoon, RHP, Red Sox
It was a down year for top-of-the-draft college righthanders, but Witherspoon fits the mold of an experienced college starter who should move quickly. He’s an excellent mover on the mound with power, pitchability and deep pitch mix. The Red Sox have had some success with recent college pitcher draftees, and Witherspoon is the most highly-touted arm they’ve drafted in a decade.
11. Ethan Conrad, OF, Cubs
Due to injury, we have a fairly small sample size for Conrad against high-level competition. After an outstanding summer in the Cape Cod League in 2024, Conrad transferred to Wake Forest, where he was productive, hitting .372/.495/.744 with seven home runs across 21 games. A shoulder injury that required surgery cut his season short and leaves some lingering concern about his recovery. Even so, Conrad boasts as much upside as any college hitter in the draft.
12. Jamie Arnold, LHP, Athletics
If you’re a competitive team looking for a polished, fast-to-the-majors college pitcher at the back end of your first round, Arnold makes a lot of sense. A talented lefthander with a track record of Power 4 success, Arnold is a strike-thrower with unusual release traits. In many ways, he’s a better version of Cooper Hjerpe with more velocity and developed secondaries. The flat vertical approach angle on his fastball means it plays above its 92-94 mph velocity, and he also mixes a potentially-plus slider and plus changeup with above-average control.
13. Xavier Neyens, SS, Astros
The best power hitter among the high school infielders, Neyens has plus-plus raw power, good angles and on-base skill. The bat-to-ball ability is poor, however, leading to questions about how much he’ll hit. If the hit tool takes a major step forward, he has Roman Anthony-type upside. If it doesn’t, he’ll fit into more of a Ryan Clifford-type bucket.
14. Jace LaViolette, OF, Guardians
Though LaViolette watched his draft status tumble throughout 2025, he played through a hand injury and still presents some of the best power and speed upside in the class. Yes, he will strike out, but he’s also going to walk at a high rate with real 30-home run and 30-steal upside. At this point in a FYPD, you’re going to be picking imperfect players, and LaViolette offers more upside than downside outside the top 10 picks.
15. Kayson Cunningham, SS, Diamondbacks
Contact and speed are the name of Cunningham’s game, as he compares favorably to Xavier Edwards of the Marlins. There might be more power projection for Cunningham, however, and he has better baserunning instincts than Edwards. He’s an aggressive, contact-first hitter who spreads the ball around the yard.
16. Billy Carlson, SS, White Sox
This pick could go a few different directions for the White Sox, as Carlson is a polished and well-rounded player in real-life evaluations. For fantasy, though, the question is: Will he hit enough? It’s worth considering, as Carlson hasn’t shown much impact as of yet. Those who like Carlson give him Masyn Winn comps, providing hope there are good enough plate skills here to develop into a solid leadoff hitter.
17. Quentin Young, SS, Twins
If you’re a manager looking for upside in the 13-18 range of your FYPD, Young offers one of the loudest combinations of power and tools in the draft. The nephew of Delmon and Dmitri Young has easy plus raw power that shows in games to go with above-average speed and the defensive tools to be above-average in the outfield. He’s big at 6-foot-5 with power and above-average athleticism for his height and frame. While there is serious hit tool risk, Young’s tools make him a worthy gamble at this point in a draft.
18. Tyler Bremner, RHP, Angels
Bremner was a little bit of a surprise pick at No. 2 overall, even if there was lots of smoke around the Angels monitoring the college righty throughout the spring. The issue here isn’t about Bremner’s talent, as his plus-plus changeup and above-average fastball are a strong foundation for a starter. He has power across his mix and shows command and bat-missing capabilities. How the Angels will manage Bremner, however, is a major point of contention for many. He’ll likely move quickly, but the Angels have not gotten the best from other talented college pitchers in the past.
19. Dax Kilby, SS, Yankees
Kilby is one of the top athletes in the class, right in line with the ability of Steele Hall. The Yankees’ supplemental first-round pick, Kilby has size, projection and some actualized plate skills. He makes a high rate of contact with a discerning eye at the plate. He’ll need to optimize his angles as a professional to get the most out of his power, but Kilby is a high-value target after the first 12 or so picks.
20. Slater de Brun, OF, Orioles
While de Brun—also known by his stage name Lil Slayyy—is an undersized outfielder, he’s one of the most explosive athletes in this year’s draft class. He’s a tooled-up athlete with double-plus speed, plus defense in center field and an above-average hit tool. That makes him a hit-and-speed-over-power profile not dissimilar from D-backs 2024 first-rounder Slade Caldwell. If all goes according to plan, De Brun could offer a fantasy impact similar to first-overall pick Eli Willits several picks later.
21. Nick Becker, SS, Mariners
Becker’s older brother Eric is one of the top college prospects in the 2026 draft, and it looks like Nick will get a head start as a professional. Becker has an above-average hit tool with good bat-to-ball skills and a patient approach at the plate. He’s a plus runner with good size at 6-foot-3 and room to add strength. An above-average athlete with skills, speed and power projection, Becker is a great target after the top names are gone.
22. Josh Hammond, SS, Royals
One of the top two-way players on the prep circuit last summer, Hammond emerged as a premier positional talent this spring thanks to above-average athleticism and power projection. Hammond is a well-rounded player with the arm to stick on the left side of the infield. You’re betting on a .260 batting average with solid on-base skills and 25 home run power.
23. Gavin Kilen, SS, Giants
A few weeks ago, we discussed Kilen’s outstanding data in his lone season with Tennessee. Kilen improved his approach and added power and improved angles this season while proving his mettle against tough SEC competition. Kilen has advanced plate skills that allow him to discern balls and strikes and make a high rate of contact while showing average game power. He will likely be a sum-of-his-parts fantasy contributor who boosts batting average and on-base percentage categories.
24. Andrew Fischer, 3B, Brewers
Fischer is one of the most well-rounded hitters in the class, but he lacks value in the field. His power is plus, with high exit velocities and good batted-ball angles across all pitch types. Fischer is as optimized a hitter as you’ll see in this year’s college class, though the bat-to-ball skills are likely fringe-average. His biggest question will be where he plays defensively, though he may have the offensive impact to make a living as a 1B/DH type.
25. Ike Irish, OF, Orioles
One of the biggest droppers on draft day, Irish is one of the more accomplished college hitters in the class. He shows power and solid plate skills, but he doesn’t get to all of his raw power due to flatter launch angles and a lack of pullside power. Irish is unlikely to catch as a professional and is more likely to profile as a first baseman or a left fielder. If the Orioles are able to add more lift to Irish’s swing without sacrificing contact he has a chance to develop into a 25+ home run threat. There’s more risk here than is typical with a first-round college bat.
