2025 Fantasy Baseball: Jonny DeLuca Profile, Preview, Predictions
In this story:
In fantasy drafts this season, Jonny DeLuca won't spark much interest based on the production in his first year with Tampa. Minor league profile paints a more exciting picture if the Rays give him full-time at-bats in 2025.
Jonny DeLuca puts the Rays on top with a go-ahead home run in the 8th inning! pic.twitter.com/GkxRzuZU4t
— MLB (@MLB) May 18, 2024
OF – Jonny DeLuca, TB (ADP – 435.3)
Based on his five years in the minors (.271/229/67/207/59 over 1,166 at-bats), DeLuca has an intriguing skill set for the fantasy market once he gets more experience in the majors. At age 25, he’s only had 177 at-bats at AAA (.305 with 33 runs, nine home runs, 41 RBIs, and four steals).
The Rays called him up last May, leading to 87 starts over 107 games. Unfortunately, his minor league success didn’t translate as well with Tampa. He hit .217 over 332 at-bats with six home runs, 31 RBIs, and 16 stolen bases. DeLuca teased fantasy managers after a tremendous first five games (7-for-20 with three runs, one home run, 10 RBIs, and two steals). His bat struggled against left-handed pitching (.191/10/1/10/2 over 89 at-bats).
DeLuca had a league-average strikeout rate (21.3) with weakness in his walk rate (6.6). His exit velocity (84.6) and hard-hit rate (28.0) ranked poorly. He tends to have a fly-ball swing path with a reasonable floor in his HR/FB rate, but it ranked poorly with Tampa last year (5.7%).
Fantasy Outlook: His minor league approach (strikeout rate – 16.3 and walk rate – 10.3) paints a higher picture with the Rays and potentially a better slot in the batting order with more success at the plate. His contact batting average (.282) with Tampa was well below his previous career path (.334), suggesting correction this year.
He is a tempting backend outfield flier, which will be helped by positive coach-speak in spring about his playing time and slot in the batting order. DeLuca is a player to follow in 2025 due to his 20/20 skill set, but he must hit the ball harder.
RANKINGS
Top 5 Outfielders|Outfielders 6-10|Outfielders 11-15 |Outfielders 16-20 |Outfielders 21-25|Outfielders 26-30|Outfielders 31-35|Outfielders 36-40|Outfielders 41-45|Outfielders 46-50|Outfielders 51-55|Outfielders 56-60|Outfielders 61-65|Outfielders 66-70|Outfielders 71-75
With 20+ years of experience in the high-stakes fantasy market, I aim to research and compete at the highest level in baseball and football each season. I've contributed as a writer/analyst for Sports Draft Daily, ScoutPro, Scout Fantasy, Fulltime Fantasy, FFToolbox, and Sports Illustrated Fantasy. I'm honored to be in the National Fantasy Baseball Championship Hall of Fame. My drafting philosophy is risk-averse yet open to betting on potential game-changers. I approach player selection with a neutral perspective, acknowledging that fantasy sports are inherently unpredictable due to injuries, performance dips, and managerial decisions. My work focuses on these main areas: - Season-long fantasy baseball and football - BestBall Baseball and Football Events - Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS): DraftKings, FanDuel, and Underdog - Long Shot Player Prop Parlays for NFL I participate in various leagues and contests, including NFBC, NFFC, RTSports, FFPC, DraftKings, Underdog Fantasy, FanDuel, and FFWC, with the goal of leveraging my extensive experience and research for success in each game format. A fantasy follower can expect in-depth profiles of NFL and MLB players, along with season-long and weekly projections for each fantasy football season. In addition, I have many strategy articles to help develop fantasy players' learning curves.
Follow Shawn__Childs