Top 10 Fantasy Baseball Breakout Candidates for the 2025 MLB Season

Identifying breakout candidates is a crucial strategy for gaining an edge in fantasy baseball, as these players often provide significant value at a lower draft cost. Check out the top 10 fantasy baseball breakout candidates heading into 2025.

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki against the Cincinnati Reds during a spring training game at Camelback Ranch-Glendale. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Identifying breakout candidates is a crucial strategy for gaining an edge in fantasy baseball, as these players often provide significant value at a lower draft cost. As we approach the 2025 season, some emerging stars—such as Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki—are already generating buzz, while others remain overlooked despite their potential to make a major impact.

Whether it’s a young talent poised for a full-time role or a veteran primed for a career-best season, targeting these players can be the key to outperforming the competition. With that in mind, here are the top 10 fantasy baseball breakout candidates for 2025, each with the potential to elevate fantasy rosters in the upcoming season.

C Austin Wells, New York Yankees

The depth at catcher for the New York Yankees provides Austin Wells with a promising opportunity to carve out a larger role in 2025. Last season, he finished 18th in FPGscore (-5.60), falling short of expectations, particularly in stolen bases (1). With Wells likely slotted lower in the batting order, his chances for accruing runs and RBIs could be limited. However, his natural development suggests he could surpass 20 home runs, with a strong possibility of reaching double-digit stolen bases.

He's done it again.

Austin Wells Leadoff 💣 pic.twitter.com/MPEBONdmF1

— New York Yankees (@Yankees) March 10, 2025

Depending on my roster construction, Wells is a player I will monitor during drafts to see if he becomes available at an advantageous price. Wells should easily rank him within the top 10 at his position, especially given the recent injury to Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez.

1B Christian Encarnacion-Strand, Cincinnati Reds

For fantasy managers closely monitoring spring training developments, the opportunity for Encarnacion-Strand to secure significant playing time is rapidly increasing. Spencer Steer, who may begin the season on the injured list due to a lingering right shoulder issue from 2024, opens the door for CES to make an immediate impact. Over his first 17 spring at-bats, Encarnacion-Strand has shown promising signs, with four hits, three runs, two home runs, and three RBIs. These spring statistics will undoubtedly influence his fantasy stock heading into March, and any positive remarks from the Reds’ coaching staff will only elevate his value further.

Encarnacion-Strand offers enormous power potential, and his profile fits the mold of a middle-of-the-order slugger for Cincinnati. Aside from last season, he has consistently posted strong contact rates, as evidenced by his impressive half-season at Triple-A (.331/.379/.632 with 20 home runs and 62 RBIs in 278 at-bats). While strikeouts may be a concern at times, his ability to go on explosive hot streaks makes him a tantalizing option. With his favorable draft cost and significant upside in power, Encarnacion-Strand is a prime breakout candidate for 2025.

2B Jackson Holliday, Baltimore Orioles

With his impressive talent, strong pedigree, and potential for significant playing time in 2025, Jackson Holliday is a player worth closely monitoring. While he struggled early in his rookie campaign, his overall production with Baltimore suggests he could produce a line of 80 runs, 15 home runs, 70 RBIs, and 15 stolen bases with 550 at-bats. His high walk rate hints at a potential leadoff role for the Orioles, though his rookie season revealed an issue with excessive ground balls due to his swing path.

From a scouting perspective, Holliday’s combination of skills points to him becoming a valuable contributor across all five categories once he fully adjusts to major league pitching. If his development continues on this trajectory, he will likely be a fixture in the top four rounds of fantasy drafts by 2026, making him a solid investment in 2025.

3B Junior Caminero, Tampa Bay Rays

Caminero has quickly earned the "next young star" label in the early draft season, with his ADP currently sitting at 101.1. Last season, Alex Bregman, who ranked 60th in FPGscore (0.58), posted a solid line of .260/79/26/75/3 across 581 at-bats. Fantasy managers will need to evaluate whether Caminero can surpass those numbers in 2025 to justify his rising draft stock. Given his talent and potential, he appears to be a strong fit for any fantasy roster.

Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero (13) slide into third base against the Minnesota Twins in the first inning at Tropicana Field. | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

With a few adjustments to his fly ball rate and launch angle, Caminero has the raw power to develop into a consistent 30-home run hitter while maintaining a solid batting average. Don’t hesitate to target Caminero—if his bat stays on track during spring training, his draft price is likely to climb.

SS CJ Abrams, Washington Nationals

Abrams doesn’t bring the electricity of Elly De La Cruz and Oneil Cruz entering 2025, but he does control the strike zone better. His power is coming, and he already has an impact season in steals (47) on his resume. I see a future .280/100/30/80/50 player when he adds more strength and bulk to his frame (he added 10 lbs. of bulk over the winter). He looks priced to pay off this season.

OF Wyatt Langford, Texas Rangers

His 2024 stats projected over 550 at-bats came to 82 runs, 18 home runs, 82 RBIs, and 21 stolen bases. He finished the season ranked 62nd in FPGscore (0.43) while outperforming his rookie expectations in speed.

Wyatt Langford's 2-run homer is his first of #SpringTraining. pic.twitter.com/RJtW6a5Zbh

— MLB (@MLB) March 11, 2025

Langford is a bet-on-the-come player, but one must believe in his ceiling, not his shortfalls in some rookie metrics. I expect him to bat third for the Rangers once his bat heats up, pointing to higher outputs in counting stats. I see a .300/100/30/100/20 player, making Langford a player to fight for in drafts in 2025.

OF Nolan Jones, Colorado Rockies

The struggles of Jones last year were clearly injury-related. His down season invites a much better buying opportunity in 2025. I expect a rebound in his swing path, setting the stage for an 80/25/75/10 season at a minimum if Jones stays on the field for 500 at-bats. I see a buying opportunity, but he’ll rise up draft boards once his bat shows life in spring training. Possible 2025 version of Brent Rooker.

OF Matt Wallner, Minnesota Twins

Wallner is an event player with many down days and empty at-bats. His foundation skill set supports 35+ home runs if given 550 at-bats. In 2023, he had more success at AAA vs. lefties (.239 with eight home runs and 26 RBIs over 113 at-bats), hinting at a better opportunity in this area down the road with Minnesota.

For now, Wallner should be projected for about 450 at-bats, but his swing-and-miss approach can lead to slumps and a possible trip back to AAA. Let’s go with a better version of Joc Pederson, suggesting a .250/70/30/75 outcome in 2025.

SP Roki Sasaki, Los Angeles Dodgers

Roki Sasaki's decision to make the move to the United States was driven by two main factors. He sought financial stability earlier in his career to mitigate the risks associated with potential injuries, while also positioning himself to secure endorsement deals and reach free agency more quickly through success with a high-profile team like the Dodgers.

Rōki Sasaki, Two Splitters, Two Different Breaks.

1. 7" of Arm Side Run
2. 8" of Glove Side Break

15 inches difference on the same pitch type. pic.twitter.com/QxrxoE95PS

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) March 12, 2025

Los Angeles plans to gradually integrate Sasaki into their rotation in 2025, with an eye on postseason appearances. His next developmental milestone is expected to be around 150 innings, with roughly one-sixth of that coming during the playoffs. Sasaki's pinpoint command, combined with his dominant fastball and elite swing-and-miss split-finger, should make him a highly coveted asset in the fantasy market. I anticipate around 125 innings of solid production in his rookie fantasy season, contributing positively in ERA, WHIP, and strikeouts.

SP Hunter Brown, Houston Astros

Brown came into last draft season with potential breakout upside, and he reached that plateau on some levels. When the lights came on for 2024, he buried fantasy teams in ERA (9.78) and WHIP (2.217) by the end of April due to three poor outings (20 runs, 29 baserunners, and four home runs over nine innings).

For the remainder of the season, Brown delivered ace stats (11-5 with a 2.51 ERA, 1.122 WHIP, and 155 strikeouts over 147.0 innings). He did have two other disaster showings (12 runs, 22 baserunners, and two home runs over 11.0 innings with 13 strikeouts) over this span.

Hidden in his pitch mix was growth vs. righties over the final five months while showcasing a dominating profile against left-handed batters. Brown’s ticket to stardom starts with better location in and out of the strike zone against righties. He is on the verge of a sub-3.00 ERA with 15 wins and 225 strikeouts, plus some growth in his WHIP. Player to fight for in 2025.

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