Fantasy Baseball Rankings: Designated Hitters

Shohei Ohtani is the top DH option in 2025, but I wrote about him as the first outfielder to get his profile out earlier. Here are the top designated hitters with full-time jobs:

1 – Brent Rooker, ATH (ADP – 73.9)

Rooker was a player I whiffed on by the widest margin in 2024. I expect his high strikeout rate (32.4) to cut into his playing time, leading to me having him in a player-prop parlay (under 25.5 home runs). Ten days into the season, I’m giddy about him landing on the injured list with an oblique issue. Unfortunately, for my selfish needs, he missed only 11 days.

After 81 games (66 played by him), Rooker had a .257 batting average with 27 runs, 13 home runs, and 44 RBIs over 241 at-bats while striking out 35.8% of the time. I feel like I’m back in the game for the under in his home run total. His bat went on a Barry Bonds run over his following 140 at-bats (.350/31/16/39/5), and suddenly, pitchers couldn’t strike him out (22.9%). Over the final quarter of the year, Rooker hit .297 with 24 runs, 10 home runs, 29 RBIs, and four stolen bases over 165 at-bats. His strikeout rate (26.2) remained lower than his incoming resume.

The best part of his success last year was his RBI rate (20), typically reserved for the best middle-of-the-order bats in the game. His average hit rate (1.919) was a four-year low, suggesting more power with a repeated approach. Rooker posted an elite contact batting average (.434 – .392 in 2023 and .402 in his minor league career.

His exit velocity (91.9 mph) ranked 27th while grading slightly better in hard-hit rate (49.6). Rooker had a fly-ball swing path over his last two seasons with the A’s (47.1% and 45.6%). He also performed well with his HR/FB rate (22.9).

Brent Rooker swung at 1,193 pitches last year and the 2 baseballs he hit the farthest came on back-to-back swings. 😮 pic.twitter.com/iKi6sAZAqZ
— Codify (@CodifyBaseball) January 24, 2025

Fantasy Outlook: In the 2025 draft season, Rooker is still a value based on his finish in FPGscore (6.81 – 8th) for hitters. He hits the ball hard with loft while gaining confidence last year. His ceiling and floor depend on his ability to make contact. How much of his success last year was fact or fiction? The A’s signed him to a five-year deal for $60 million in early January, locking in Rooker for starting at-bats. I trust his 30+ home run power with some speed, but hitting higher than .260 will be an issue. When adding a 15% rate (more in line with his career path), I only see about 85 RBIs unless his home run total beats last season.

2 – Marcell Ozuna, ATL (ADP – 73.5)

Over the past two seasons, Ozuna has been a great value in fantasy drafts. He set career highs in plate appearances (688), runs (96), and games (162) in 2024 while driving in 100 runs for the second consecutive season. His highlight stat was his contact batting average (.420 – .366 in 2023 and .359 in his career).

Ozuna hit 34 of his 39 home runs off right-handed pitchers. He handled lefties well (.319/23/5/24 over 141 at-bats), but power was more frequent against them in 2023 (12 home runs). After 107 games last season, his bat was on record pace (.301/67/31/84 over 399 at-bats). Ozuna only had 29 runs, eight home runs, and 20 RBIs over his final 207 at-bats.

His exit velocity (92.2 mph – 20th) and hard-hit rate (53.5 – 11th) ranked well. He had 134 barrels over the past two seasons. Despite success in home runs, Ozuna posted a five-year low in his fly-ball rate (38.4). His strikeout rate (24.7) was his highest since 2014.

Players who never missed a game in 2024:

Matt Olson
Marcell Ozuna
Pete Alonso
Nick Castellanos pic.twitter.com/2d29T7lJi3
— StatMuse Baseball (@statmusemlb) January 1, 2025

Fantasy Outlook: Ozuna’s success over the past two seasons has been impressive, helped by a better thought process and taking better care of himself off the field. He’s a fun bat to watch when in a groove. The downside to 2025 is that the Braves may use that DH position more for other players coming off injuries. Ozuna only played two games in the outfield over the past two years. I’ll view him as a .270/80/30/90 player in 2025 with no help in speed. Is he a Nelson Cruz-type player in his 30s?

3 – Kyle Schwarber, PHI (ADP – 79.6)

Batting average influence is a key part of a fantasy drafter’s value of a player. Schwarber has been productive in runs, home runs, and RBIs over his three seasons with the Phillies. Over this span, he struck out 612 times (29.4% - 28.5% in 2024). His variance starts with his contact batting average (.390 in 2021, .334 in 2022, .311 in 2023, and .378 last year). He finished 2024 with an elite RBI rate (21) for the first time in his career.

Schwarber drilled left-handed pitching (.300/37/12/38 over 210 at-bats), which was a massive area of weakness in batting average (.188/37/15/32 over 207 at-bats) in 2023. His improvement came from 20 fewer strikeouts last season over similar at-bats. He had the most production in September (.293 with 22 runs, 10 home runs, and 22 RBIs over 99 at-bats).

His exit velocity (93.6 mph) was a career-best, helped by a more balanced swing path (fly-ball rate – 40.1 – 49.5 in 2023 and 51.1 in 2022). Schwarber has the fifth-best hard-hit rate (55.5). He continues to have an elite walk rate (15.3).

Would you keep Kyle Schwarber in the leadoff spot? pic.twitter.com/aV7VdH7jYM
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) February 17, 2025

Fantasy Outlook: Schwarber is a three-outcome player – 33% of his hits were home runs over the past three years, and 44.7% resulted in a walk or strikeout. He’ll get on base and hit home runs, but his batting average falls on his desire for more loft or more balls in play. Based on his recent resume, a sub-.225 batting average should be expected with another 100/35/90 season.

4 – Giancarlo Stanton, NYY (ADP – 315)

Over the last three seasons, Stanton missed almost a full year of games (161). He battled a hamstring issue midseason, leading to only three games in July. The Yankees gave him 191 at-bats in April and May (.225/23/13/29). He only had 76 and 72 at-bats over the final two months (.209 with 13 runs, nine home runs, and 27 RBIs). His best play came in the postseason (15-for-55 with nine runs, seven home runs, and 16 RBIs).

His strikeout rate (31.2) continues to rise with a fading walk rate (8.3). Stanton has hit more fly-balls (44.5% and 43.8%) over the past two seasons while maintaining a high HR/FB rate (22.3). He ranked sixth in hard-hit rate (55.3), third in barrel rate (20.7), and fourth in exit velocity (94.6).

This may be the best Giancarlo Stanton edit you'll ever see 😮‍💨 #WorldSeries pic.twitter.com/ZFiDF5VJ8q
— MLB (@MLB) October 26, 2024

Fantasy Outlook: Stanton has two years left on his contract with New York, with a team option in 2028. His bat still has plenty of punch, but home runs don’t leave the yards when on the sidelines. In 2024, the Yankees gave him 407 of his 417 at-bats in the fourth and fifth slots in the batting order. The offseason signings by New York point to a slide down in the lineup. Stanton offers low-average power, and he tends to be a challenging player to manage.

5 – Joc Pederson, TEX (ADP – 335)

Pederson enters his 12th season in the majors, but he has never had more than 480 at-bats in a year. Over the past three seasons, he hit .262 over 1,105 at-bats with 178 runs, 61 home runs, 185 RBIs, and 100 steals. Surprisingly, Pederson set a career-high in steals (7) in 2024 at age 32.

In his career, Pederson hit .210 against left-handed pitching with 15 home runs, 68 RBIs, and 188 strikeouts (29.0%) over 567 at-bats. The Diamondbacks only gave him 32 at-bats against lefties (7-for-32 with 6 runs, one home run, and four RBIs) last season.

Pederson had empty stats in April (.288/11/2/5 over 59 at-bats) and September (.225/6/2/4/1 over 49 at-bats). Over the other four months, he was a serviceable backend outfielder (.282 with 45 runs, 19 home runs, 55 RBIs, and six stolen bases over 259 at-bats). His walk rate (12.1) over this span was an advantage while striking out 25.3% of the time.

His average hit rate (1.871) supports over 30 home runs if ever given more than 500 at-bats. Pederson's contact batting average (.385) was a five-year high and well above 2023 (.312). He continues to have strength in his exit velocity (92.2 mph) with a new top in his launch angle (17.0) despite regression in his fly-ball rate (40.3). His hard-hit rate (45.2) came in below his previous two seasons (52.1 and 52.2).

Fantasy Outlook: Pederson has a professional bat who has never reached his ceiling due to lack of opportunity vs. left-handed pitching. The Rangers signed him for $37 million for two seasons in late December. Texas tends to roll out its best lineup on most days, but he still projects as a platoon player against righties. I’ve been a fan of him in his career, and Pederson has a better profile than most dirty power hitters late in drafts.

He ranked 84th in FPGscore (-0.59) in 2024, helped by his spike in steals. Pederson is the 209th hitter off the table this draft season in the high-stakes market, inviting a buying opportunity in deep formats and AL-only leagues. Think .260/60/20/60 with a chance to beat expectations if given a premium slot in the batting order.

1 – Brent Rooker, ATH (ADP – 73.9)

2 – Marcell Ozuna, ATL (ADP – 73.5)

3 – Kyle Schwarber, PHI (ADP – 79.6)

4 – Giancarlo Stanton, NYY (ADP – 315)

5 – Joc Pederson, TEX (ADP – 335)

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