While the 2025 season officially started in Japan, tomorrow marks MLB's full opening day! We wanted to get a fun article out to you all before things got in full swing around here as we've got more content planned this season than ever before.

So we did a call for some bold predictions and the team didn't disappoint. We've got 16 different evaluators providing at total of 36 predictions. These range from MLB players, MiLB players, fantasy outcomes, surprise teams and the MLB Draft. Hope you enjoy!

Drop you're own bold predictions in the comments, our favorite voted on by our staff will get the next 6 months of 60 tier membership on us!

Brian Switzer II

  1. 2025 will see an all-time low in number of high school players selected

Adding some draft flavor to this prediction list: 2025 will be a shocker within the prep ranks, as I believe we’ll see an all-time low in the number of high school players selected, and no, I’m not talking about the pop-punk band All Time Low (if you don’t know them, go ask your emo daughter or niece if you have one).

Since the draft was shortened to 20 rounds (excluding the 2020 draft), the number of high school selections has steadily declined year after year. As in 2024, day 3 of the draft held 299 selections, out of those selections, only 56 of these picks were prep players (total in draft was 113). Several factors are driving this: the elimination of short-season leagues has created a development bottleneck, leaving teams with fewer roster spots to take flyers on second- and third-tier prep talent. Without that intermediate step between high school and Low-A, the margin for error is thinner than ever.

At the same time, the rise of NIL money in college baseball has changed the calculus for top prep players. It now takes a significantly higher signing bonus to lure a high schooler away from the college route, where they can develop in top-tier facilities, earn money, and re-enter the draft with more leverage (Ex. Wake Forest or LSU Pitching Labs).

All signs point to the 2025 draft being a tipping point, a historically low-water mark for high school talent in terms of selections. I believe the prep class barely tips over the 100-player mark but falls short of reaching 110 total HS selections taken. This could be the year we look back on as the draft that redefined how teams evaluate and invest in the high school ranks.

  1. Team draft tendencies continue

Staying on the MLB Draft, there's been some low-key streaks developing year over year within round 1 of the draft and I think these will continue to trend. 

New York Yankees - One trend that’s been pretty well established: the Yankees haven’t taken a prep pitcher with their first pick since 2013, when they drafted RHP Ian Clarkin, and it feels like that streak will keep rolling into 2025. They’ve stuck to a clear draft identity, usually leaning toward college bats that are uber-physical specimens with plus raw power profiles and sometimes on the off chance roll the dice with dudes that have the ability to stick up the middle like they did with Lombard Jr. When they do take pitchers, it's usually guys with high-spin stuff, clean mechanics, and strong pitch shapes. So expect them to go college arm like Chase Shores or big college bat at this pick (paging Mr. Schubart! Mr. Nolan Schubart!).

* Yankees received a 10-pick penalty on their first pick for exceeding the second surcharge threshold of the Competitive Balance Tax so they select at 39 overall with their first selection in July. 

Boston Red Sox - Up the Middle! The Red Sox have taken an up-the-middle player in each of the last five drafts, and I don’t see that trend ending anytime soon. With a strong crop of middle infielders in this class both at the college and prep levels holding mid-to-late first-round grades, it’s easy to imagine Boston walking away with someone like Cunningham, Kilen, Dickinson, or even one of the top catchers in the draft.

Baltimore Orioles - Batted Ball Data! The Orioles have recently become known for targeting college hitters with strong batted-ball profiles, especially when they’re not sitting at 1:1 with a second-generation prodigy on the board (Hey, maybe Ethan falls to 19!?). They’ve consistently leaned on exit velocity, contact quality, and approach metrics in their draft model so expect them to stick with this in July. So watch out for any of Belyeu, Fischer, Ford, Godbout, or even Conrad for the 19th selection to Baltimore as they fit the mold. 

Drew Wheeler

  1. Dennis Santana becomes Pirates closer by year’s end

I cannot be the only one in the world who thinks David Bednar’s time is running out; in 2024, Bednar’s saves dropped from 39 to 23, blown saves increased, strikeout rate decreased by almost 24 percent, and walks increased by over 40 percent. Meanwhile, yet another former Dodgers prospect found a foothold in another organization as Dennis Santana had a solid season in the Steel City – Santana had better strikeout and walk rates, and while he had a lower Zone Swing+Miss percent than the incumbent closer, Santana outdid Bednar in Out-Of-Zone Swing+Miss rate, Whiff rate, and First-Strike rate, while also offering more spin and break on his pitches. Colin Holderman could muddy up the mix, but I’ll take a gamble on Santana, whose spin and break also outweigh Holderman’s. Gimme 15 saves for Santana in 2025.

  1. Liam Doyle debuts in 2025

(Just know that I wrote this before Doyle ran into Alabama on Thursday, March 20, but the emotion is the same.) LOL wut? Yeah, maybe there’s a little homerism with this one, but I think there’s something to it! Tennessee’s Friday night starter has been nothing short of electric thus far – through five starts and 25 innings, Doyle’s punched out a ridonkulous 60.9 percent of batters faced (53 total) while walking only seven and allowing two earned runs (as of this writing) on the back of his big, sexy fastball. The fastball’s shape is one of the best in 2025 NCAA, with 20” vertical break and 13” horizontal break from a shallow angle, and even if these are lessened with the different MLB ball, Doyle’s got a plus-plus heater. Doyle’s huckin’ that thang about 75 percent of the time, and the early results have diminished through his starts (shoutout @BenResnic_ on the Twitter Machine), leading many to speculate the lefty will resonate with pro clubs as a late-innings bully. Therein lies the bold prediction – Doyle will go the way of Chris Sale, Brandon Finnegan, and fellow Vol Garrett Crochet and debut into the bullpen mere months after being drafted in the first round of the 2025 MLB Draft…before eventually becoming a major league starter like the others. #VFL #GBO 

Ethan Kagno

  1. Nick Dumesnil is selected inside the Top 10 of the 2025 MLB Draft

Now there may be some bias here as I got to see him every day on the Cape last summer but this may not be as bold of a prediction compared to other PLive staffers' takes. Dumesnil quickly adjusted to the Cape following an impressive sophomore season with California Baptist out of the Western Athletic Conference. There’s elite bat speed here and he showed the ability to inflict damage off some of the best arms in the country. It’s average to above average tools across the board and his athleticism allows him to play any of the outfield spots with confidence. There are some swing and miss concerns against break and off-speed but was able to collect good at-bats on the Cape and improve his plate discipline. It’s easily plus speed in the basepaths and in the outfield, allowing him to swipe bases and cover ground to position himself well to make plays. He’s a 20-20 guy at the Major League level and I wouldn’t be surprised to hear his name called inside the top 10 selections come July.

  1. Josiah Ragsdale is the biggest draft riser of the 2025 MLB Draft

As Director of Baseball Operations for the Brewster Whitecaps of the Cape League last summer, I campaigned hard to add Ragsdale to the roster in May but unfortunately couldn’t fit him in. It turned out to be a good thing for the Boston College transfer, as he found success in the NECBL and started in the outfield at the league’s all-star game. While there isn’t much power to his game, Ragsdale can find the gap and use his wheels to snag extra bases, something he did well at Iona with 15 triples in his first two seasons. He has quick hands and solid bat-to-ball skills for an above-average hit tool and has thus far played in the ACC. Perhaps the best tool is his defense in centerfield, using his double-plus speed to flash impressive range. He’s widely seen as a top-200 name in the draft but I could see a team jumping on him in the first three rounds this July.

Greg Hoogkamp

  1. Alan Roden is a starting outfielder for the Blue Jays for most of the season and becomes a top 50 OF for fantasy.

The tools are all there, his spring has been nothing short of outstanding, all he needs is an opportunity. The time might be right with Daulton Varsho starting the season on the IL, and George Springer on the downside of his career, for Roden to seize the day. The Jays are in a precarious situation with the impending free agencies of Vlad and Bo; the dynamic of this team could change very quickly. Roden has the ability to play all three outfield positions and is a solid bat who can provide a ton of fantasy value. 

  1. Denzel Clarke will go 30/30 this season in the minors/majors

He has elite athleticism; really all that needed to improve was the ability to make better swing decisions. At the tail end of last season he made some significant adjustments and he really started to come into his own. Giving himself more chances to do damage by not expanding the zone will allow him to tap into his elite raw power. There will be a dynamic duo in Sacramento very soon with Clarke and Lawrence Butler. 

Jacob Maxwell

  1. Jac Caglianone hits 15+ Home Runs at the Big League Level

Caglianone has been one of the more polarizing players in the draft/prospect world for a while now. Some are turned off by the massive chase rates he posts, but Cags has such strong contact ability that he’s able to get the bat to almost anywhere the ball is pitched. It’s also true 80-grade power. I think over a full season, you could be looking at 50 home runs. Caglianone consistently posts exit velocities that would place him in the 99th or 100th percentile for hardest-hit balls in the big leagues. Coming off a monster spring training, it seems more likely than ever that Cags gets the call to KC at some point in 2025. I’m willing to bet it’s sometime around midseason, which should be plenty of time for him to hit 15 long balls, even if his average remains on the lower end.

Joe Lowry

  1. Sacramento Athletics win the AL West

The AL West is wide open, with the Mariners anemic offense, the Astros looking vulnerable and centering an offense on a player whose knees are made of scar tissue and hopes, the Rangers having so little pitching depth they’ve signed Patrick Corbin, and the Angels…well, they’re the Angels. Jacob Wilson has a breakout season, Brent Rooker continues to mash, and Lawrence Butler shows that his superstar second half of 2024 was no fluke. Tyler Soderstrom finally delivers on his prospect promise and Shea Langeliers does the budget Cal Raleigh act. And that leads to a team that can outslug their opponents on most nights.

  1. Clay “Kick Change” Holmes wins the NL Cy Young

Paul Skenes is a huge favorite at the moment, and Holmes isn’t even on the top contenders list for the award. But we all know Skenes is going to have a hard time finding the run support and thus the wins that will make him a lock for the award. If everything falls into place for the Mets, with Soto, Lindor, and Alonso leading the run-scoring brigade, Mets pitchers have a good chance to rack up the wins. And who’s the best starting pitcher on the roster positioned to take advantage of getting to the highest win total while piling up the strikeouts? Clay Holmes, the next in line for the reliever to starter transition so in vogue in the league right now. Even if his innings are slightly restricted, if he nails down 20 wins, he’s at the very least in the conversation. Doing something like that in New York, and for a potential playoff team? He’s at a minimum going to receive votes for the award, and if things don’t quite go to plan for other favorites in this category, there’s a path to Holmes winning the award.

  1. Andrew Painter wins two games for the Phillies in the World Series, leading them to winning the 2025 championship

That’s right, the Phillies will be in the World Series for the National League - not the Dodgers (already a mildly bold take I guess). And part of that reason will be Andrew Painter pitching like an ace in Philadelphia. Do we really believe that the trio of Jesus Luzardo, Ranger Suarez, and Taijuan Walker will be healthy AND good enough to prevent Painter from taking a rotation spot by this summer? I sure don’t, and Painter has all the tools to be the electric arm to pair with Zach Wheeler and deliver the four victories needed for this year's World Series championship.

Kyle Sonntag

  1. Hunter Greene stays healthy and finishes top 3 in NL Cy Young voting

The health part of that is key here because if he had stayed healthier in 2024 this might have already happened because he posted a 2.75 ERA last year, but that was over just 150 innings which isn’t going to cut it for Cy Young voting. Greene tweaked some things with his fastball and slider last year, and scrapped his changeup in favour of a splitter, but the biggest difference that elevated him from a 4.82 ERA in 2023 to that 2.75 mark in 2024 was his command. His walk rate and strike throwing ability really didn’t change, but what did was the quality of the strikes he was throwing, especially with his slider. He did still leave his fastball over the heart of the plate too much, but he was able to get away with that a little bit more because he was painting his slider low and away to right handed hitters on a consistent basis. If Greene can improve the quality of strikes thrown with his slider, I have confidence he can do the same with his fastball and if you combine that with a healthy season, adding 20 or 30 innings to his total, he should have no problem crossing the 200 strikeout threshold and planting himself firmly in Cy Young discussions.

  1. Robby Snelling throws 75+ innings in the big leagues with an ERA below 4.00

A lot of this has to do with my well-documented belief in Snelling, but a lot also has to do with the current state of the Marlins rotation. Yes they have Sandy Alcantara back to start the year and Eury Perez will make his return this season as well but both of them could be on an innings limit or, in Sandy’s case, could be traded. After them we have Ryan Weathers and Edward Cabrera who are also starting the year on the IL, along with Braxton Garrett who is set to miss the entire 2025 season. Max Meyer is the next healthy arm but he has had troubles with health and inconsistencies in the past as well, then the rotation is rounded out by Cal Quantrill, Connor Gillaspie, and Janson Junk according to roster resource and none of them should instill a whole lot of confidence in anyone. You could argue Adam Mazur and Vallente Bellozo are ahead of him in the pecking order but neither of them worry me much as far as blocking Snelling goes so I think this will be as much a move of necessity as it will be one that Snelling will show he deserves. 

Nate Rasmussen

  1. The Minnesota Twins and Texas Rangers meet in the AL Championship

The AL is in utter dysfunction and without a clear favorite right now. The Central and West appear to be little brothers to the AL East, where all five teams have playoff aspirations, which leads to this prediction. What if the Twins stay healthy? Their lineup could be one of the best in the league with consistent contributions from Buxton, Correa, and the already banged-up Royce Lewis. They have depth in their pitching staff and a top 3 reliever in the game in Griffin Jax. The Rangers could easily hit their way to another World Series appearance this year. If Degrom can give 20 starts and be healthy for the start of the playoffs, the Rangers become a wrecking ball.

  1. Robert Calaz, Aidan Smith, and Felnin Celesten all become unanimous top 25 prospects

This is the trio of prospects I’m highest on rising boards in 2025. I think Calaz has enough juice in him with an improving hit tool to slug his way up boards this year. Aidan Smith is already a Prospects Live darling, with a chance to show his true five tools this year while proving his second-half breakout was legit. Felnin Celesten has all the makings of a future star at shortstop with a balanced repertoire and enough prospect pedigree to join the ranks of stud minor league shortstops.

  1. Jacob Wilson wins MVP

I have a feeling Rhys is going to take Jacob Wilson to win Rookie of the Year, so I’m gonna throw this out here. The streets are saying Jacob Wilson is Bobby Witt Jr with juice. In my opinion, I want to see if Wilson can get up on the mound and challenge Shohei as the best two-way in the game.

Owen Hurd

  1. Aidan Smith is the #1 prospect in baseball by December

Wait what? Acquired by the Rays from the Mariners in the Randy Arozarena trade, Smith had a stellar 2024 in Single-A hitting .288/.401/.473 with a 14.4 BB% and 23.2 K% while producing EVs north of 110 MPH. He’s a double-plus runner and plus defender in CF, and I don’t think there’s as much hit tool risk as some perceive. I believe Smith has true 5-tool potential and superstar upside, and that he will cement himself as one of the top overall prospects in baseball in 2025

  1. Spencer Arrighetti finishes Top 5 in AL Cy Young voting

Don’t be fooled by Arrighetti’s 4.53 ERA last season. He looked significantly better in the second half (3.18 ERA, 3.78 FIP, 29.3 K%, 7.9 BB%), with a deep pitch mix and three pitches that generated a Whiff% above 35%. Arrighetti’s 21.4 K-BB% in the second half ranked 14th among MLB starters, and he faired pretty evenly against both LHH and RHH. Arrighetti is far from a complete product as both his 36.2 GB% and 39.8 Hard Hit% both ranked below league average last season, but I’m buying his second half, strikeout upside, and deep pitch mix for a full-fledged 2025 breakout and Top-5 Cy Young finish.

  1. Luken Baker is 2025’s Brent Rooker

At 28, Baker is well past the ‘prospect’ age, but I’m banking that like Brent Rooker in 2023, he can be a late-breakout slugger in 2025. Baker has hit 55 HR in AAA the past two seasons, and that wasn’t just against fastballs either, as he had a 107 MPH 90th Percentile EV against CB and CH. Baker has shown higher swing-and-miss issues against MLB pitching, but he’s also never been given an extended look either with 148 PA at the MLB level between 2023-2024. With just one minor league option left and a front-office change after this season, 2025 might just be the year we get a better idea of what the Cardinals have in Baker.

Rhys White

  1. Jacob Wilson Wins AL ROY

This is to get in here before Nate comes in and says it! Nate is now gonna come in here and say he’s gonna end up Top 10 in MVP voting…just you wait. 

  1. Jesus Made and Leodalis De Vries makes it all the way to Double-A

Bold I know, for Jesus Made. LDV might start the season in Double-A if Preller and the devil on his shoulder that is prone to suggesting shenanigans and hijinks wins the battle. Jesus Made clears every benchmark that I wanna see from a prospect so young. There is an optimized swing for lifting and pulling batted balls, the EVs are in a good spot, and he is a good athlete. Elite prospects like this shoot up through the minors and I had to restrain myself from ranking these two guys higher.Is Made a shortstop, who cares right now he might be special and we could see him in the majors in 2026, if everything breaks right. Leodalis De Vries might just make it to Double-A before the all-star break because the Padres are always willing to partake in some goofs and gaffs even if it comes at the expense of their prospects. 

  1. The Miami Marlins have the worst season we have/will ever see

Peter Bendix watched what the White Sox did last year and said hold my beer. Look at their major league lineup. The only people who should remotely be a starter are Connor Norby and Jonah Bride, and they are even fringy second-division regular players/bench pieces on any other team. Griffin Conine is projected to be hitting in the middle of an MLB lineup; that is beyond unacceptable. I don’t believe in whatever nonsense Xavier Edwards and his truthers are selling, plus he is one of the worst defenders we will watch at shortstop. The rotation is actively bad after Sandy Alcantara, and he could be moved the moment he puts together two good starts in a row. The NL East is also a beast of a division, which will play into the losses the Marlins will rack up. The more I look at this roster, the more disgusted I get. Everyone can find something better to do with their life other than watch the slop this Marlins team is gonna put out there. One could argue why you need to be this bad in a draft lottery world, but what do I know? 

Ryan Epperson

  1. Xavier Edwards will steal 70 bases

Like Rhys said above, the Marlins are going to be terrible, bad for the two Marlins fans - but good for those of us that are Edwards stans. They have no prospects knocking on the door, and he will sit atop that putrid offense and gather 600+ plate appearances. And although I’m relatively sure I can hit harder than Edwards, he makes enough contact for hits to fall. The Marlins will lean on him to manufacture offense, which means steals. Rack me. Please, someone pick up on the Jim Rome reference.

  1. Kyle Manzardo hits 25 homeruns with 90 RBI

With Naylor now in Arizona, playing time should be plentiful for the Manzalorian. Whether at designated hitter or first base, he will hit in the top third of the order against righties and have plenty of opportunities hitting ahead of Kwan and JRam. The power isn’t elite, but he has done a good job pulling the ball in the air. The Guardians are in desperate need of middle-of-the-order type bats and Manzardo fits the bill. 

Samuel Gomez

  1. Drew Rasmussen finishes top 3 in AL Cy Young voting

When looking at preseason Cy Young odds and projections lists, I’ve been pleasantly surprised at the lack of Drew Rasmussen coverage. In the past four seasons, Rasmussen has sneakily been one of the best pitchers in baseball when healthy. His career ERA sits below 3 and the only season that his ERA was worse than a 2.84 was when he was a rookie and only threw 15.1 innings. He throws an upper-90s 4-seamer, a sinker, and an upper-80s cutter that provide a sick combo for limiting hard contact and getting strikeouts. Each of them are more than capable of garnering swings and misses and he can locate any of them when he needs to. He supplements his harder offerings with a nasty vertical slider. The issue with Rasmussen is that he’s never thrown 150 innings in a season in his career and he’ll likely have to throw at least close 200 in order to accomplish this feat. This is simply a bet on his health, which is a testament to the type of pitcher I think he'll be over the course of an entire season. Admittedly, three arm surgeries, including two TJ’s, are a procedural track record unmatched by any other elite starter in baseball. However, he’s over a season and a half removed from his last one, which was an internal brace procedure. If Rasmussen throws the entire season, he could change our perception on what’s possible regarding arm recovery and I’d bet that he finishes top 3 in AL Cy Young voting. 

  1. Willy Adames is the first Giants hitter since Barry Bonds in 2024 to hit 30 home runs

This is a bold prediction and a fun fact all in one! Not one Giants hitter has had a 30 home run season since 2004. Since then, every other team in baseball has at least five players that have accomplished the feat and at least one such season from a player since 2021. While power has never been a core part of their identity in recent history, the Giants have made moves to add big power pieces to help counteract the rest of their contact-oriented lineups. In 2022, they re-signed Brandon Belt, who hit 29 home runs the year prior and signed Joc Pederson, who had hit 30 home runs once before. In 2023, they re-signed Pederson and added Michael Conforto and Mitch Haniger. In 2024, it was a 3-year deal for Jorge Soler, who was seemingly the most likely bat to reach the 30 home run mark for the Giants in a long time. None of those guys were able to do it and none of them find themselves on the 2025 iteration of the Giants roster. This year, it’s Willy Adames, who has hit over 30 home runs in two of the last three seasons with Milwaukee. The difference with Adames is that he is the least reliant on power for his total production output compared to any of the aforementioned players. I believe that this is exactly why he’ll hit the mark. The Giants have relied upon a platoon-heavy approach to lineup construction since Farhan Zaidi took over in 2018. Power hitters that the Giants signed weren’t given adequate opportunity to play enough games to hit 30 homers. Since then, not only has the Zaidi administration been replaced, but Oracle Park has been modified in a way that has resulted in an environment more friendly to power hitters. With Adames playing everyday thanks to his defense at a premiere position as well as being given enough protection from hitters such as Jung-Hoo Lee and Matt Chapman, I think he’ll be the first Giant to hit 30 home runs since Barry Bonds in 2004.

  1. Alfredo Duno will be the highest ranked prospect not currently in our Top 100 in 2026

Alfredo Duno did not crack our top 100 prospects list that was put out earlier this month. He’s a 19-year old catching prospect in the Reds organization who has struggled with injuries thus far in his professional career. Like many young prospects, he struggles with swing-and-miss and has an inflated strikeout rate. However, Duno’s profile is something rarely seen in baseball. At a well-built 6-2 210, he has elite speed for a catcher and tons of raw power. He walked at a 12.9% clip in A-ball and has the potential to hit 25+ homers at the major league level. The real kicker comes with his athleticism and defensive potential. He’s only played 21 games behind the plate in the minor leagues, but he’s already shown some advanced tools at the position. He’s extremely agile, so he moves laterally exceptionally well, leading to terrific blocking skills. He also threw out 29% of would-be base stealers and has tons of time to further clean up his footwork and recover from a 2023 elbow injury that temporarily kept him away from catching. Not only his agility, but his top-line speed sticks out. He’s an above-average runner that could steal double digit bases at the major league level if he maintains his speed. In my opinion, Duno has a power/speed combo unmatched by any other catching prospect in the lower minor leagues. If he improves his contact ability in 2025 and proves his value behind the plate over a longer period of time, he will shoot up our list and become the highest ranked prospect not currently in our top 100.

Smada

  1. Hunter Barco receives 10 big league starts and runs an ERA under 4.00

Barco was known more of a low-90s fastball, Barco was out there sitting 95 and touching 97 in spring. Pair that with an already full arsenal and decent command from the left side and you've got yourself a stew going. The Pirates are the new pitching development machine and have a host of young arms who will make their debut this year. Aside from Paul Skenes and Mitch Keller, the rotation is wide open, with Baily Falter, Andrew Heaney and Carmen Mlodzinski rounding out the starting five. Unfortunately we know how pitching injuries go and we’ve already seen Jared Jones get shut down and likely miss at least the first two months of the season. While Thomas Harrington, Bubba Chandler and Braxton Ashcraft have garnered the most attention, and Mike Burrows is also hanging around, Hunter Barco will end up being needed or forcing the Pirates' hand around the All-Star break.

  1. Michael Toglia ends the season as a top-5 fanasty 1B

I'm not entirely surprised that Toglia was my top drafted player in NFBC redraft leagues this year. He ended up on 8 out of 15 teams there, then I traded for him in The Highlander Dynasty Invitational, and selected him in a redistribution draft and startup dynasty league. I'm simply overexposed. If he fails, as the Tiger King once said "I'll never financially recover from this." However, I don't think Toglia will fail. I predict he'll do quite the opposite. After getting sent down for the month of May, Toglia came back with a much more patient approach lowering his O-Swing% immediately. When he started swinging less in general, it was largely correlated to the beginning with his breakout in July when hit 9 HR in the month. Top tier barrel% and exit velo is there, he just needs more consistent contact and I think that'll come in his age-26 season.

Taylor Corso

  1. Jhostynxon Garcia and George Lombard Jr. end the year as top 25 fantasy prospects

Garcia aka “The Password” reclaims some of the plate discipline he showed early last year before he got too aggressive. Combining those gains with the improved power and contact he showed in the latter half of last season, he makes his MLB debut late in the year with an electric small sample run. Lombard continues to show off the newfound power he’s shown this spring and catapults up rankings as he continues to rake all year and finishes in Triple-A with some nice statcast metrics. 

  1. Julio Rodriguez and Corbin Carroll are the top two OF drafted next season

Rodriguez and Carroll saw their stock slip significantly this year, but are still 24 and will return to form this season with career years. J-Rod will prove his slow starts are not a given and put up a stellar performance year round, hitting .300 with 35+ HR and 40+ SB. Caroll will also return to form showing that his power is fully back by hitting 30+ HR for the first time and stealing 50+ bases again with a .300+ batting average. They will do enough to outclass an aging Aaron Judge and Mookie Betts, an injury prone Fernando Tatis, Juan Soto in the first year of a pressure-filled mega contract, Kyle Tucker in a new ballpark and playing for a contract, and the youngsters like Chourio, Merrill, Langford, and Wood experiencing varying degrees of sophomore slumps.

Tom Gates

  1. Kodai Senga wins Cy Young with over 250 strikeouts

Senga eclipsed the 200 strikeout mark in 2023. He did struggle in the first half of 2023 with 4.72 BB/9. We saw that number improve to 3.52 BB/9 in the second half. A sign he might have just been getting comfortable with the MLB ball or maybe nerves just settling in. The strikeout rate was at 29% for the year. I know, last year was a disaster with only 5 regular season innings due to injuries. But he’s back and he’s healthy. I’m banking here on good health and an increase of strikes thrown. If we can get that, Senga might get 180-190 innings. The Mets are set up to win this year and if Senga can stay in the game longer, he’ll have an opportunity to win more games, which matter in fantasy and in the Cy Young voting. The other path here is that every pitcher’s arm falls off and he’s the last man standing. We don’t want that.

  1. Kevin Alcantara becomes a Top 5 prospect next offseason

If Drew gets a homer pick, so do I. What does it take to be a top 5 fantasy prospect? Well, glad you asked. You have to contribute in most, if not all fantasy categories. Alcantara does that. Last year, Alcantara went 13-15 in 102 minor league games with a .278 average. Right now, Alcantara is outside our top 50 prospect list, so he’s going to need a successful season in the high minors. It’s a crowded Cubs outfield this year, so even with his anticipated success in the high minors, he might just have to wait until next year to get back to the Majors full time. That will keep him prospect eligible for another year. 

Tyler Paddor

  1. Colt Emerson is Baseball’s #1 Prospect By Season’s End

Emerson has flashed an impressive 5-tool skillset in the pros, though injuries stalled his 2024 campaign. There’s no question that the Ohio prep product can hit--he ran a .393 OBP primarily as an 18-year-old between Single-A and High-A--but it’s Emerson’s power potential that will unlock a new level of performance and hype. In Spring Training, Emerson has already hit multiple baseballs over 110 mph in part because of added physicality this offseason. Emerson looks primed to hit 20-25 homers which, paired with an upper .300s OBP, will make Emerson arguably the best offensive prospect in the sport.