Fantasy Baseball 2025 Redraft Top 500 Rankings & Trade Value Version 2.05

The one with a potential league winning infielder, a deep-league starter to keep an eye on and a veteran outfielder potentially stepping into a significant role.

It’s Thursday again, which means more fun with 2025 redraft rankings. As it happens, it’s a very specific column in terms of the teams mentioned, geographically that is.

All entirely unintentional mind you, but it’s a very Reds and Guardians-heavy breakdown this week. At least to start.

Ok, so it’s not all Reds and Guardians. Still, plenty to get to in today’s column. More after the rankings.

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Matt McLain (#96, 76 trade value).

Matt McLain is probably going to be selected at some point reasonably early in drafts this spring – somewhere in the top 100, likely in the seven to nine range draft round wise. He’s that good.

(McLain’s current ADP, per NFBC data, is 94.15).

Of course, whether or not he’s a fit for your team at that point depends on your roster construction to that point. But if there’s a chance that he slides a bit in drafts due to other fantasy managers staying away following the infielder missing the 2024 season after undergoing shoulder surgery last March, he could prove to be a draft day steal if you can draft him at any point later than the aforementioned range.

Because while McLain missed the 2024 season, he hit .290 with a .357 on-base percentage, a 127 wRC+, 16 home runs and 14 stolen bases in 403 plate appearances as a rookie in 2023. He also gets to hit in one of the most hitter-friendly ballparks half the time in Cincinnati (a place where McLain hit .304 with 10 home runs, a 149 wRC+, a .292 ISO and a .977 OPS in 181 plate appearances as a rookie).

And it’s not just the home and road splits either.

Here’s what McLain did from a quality of contact and plate discipline standpoint in 2023:

• .429 xwOBAcon

• .332 xwOBA

• 42.4 hard-hit%

• 10.8% barrel rate

• 28.5 K%

• 7.7 BB%

• 28.0% whiff rate

• 25.4% chase rate

And here’s how Elly De La Cruz fared in those same statistical categories last year:

• .440 xwOBAcon

• .328 xwOBA

• 45.7 hard-hit%

• 12.7% barrel rate

• 31.3 K%

• 9.9 BB%

• 33.4% whiff rate

• 26.9% chase rate

McLain probably isn’t going to rival De La Cruz from a stolen base standpoint, but if his underlying metrics numbers are anything like what he did as a rookie, he’s going to easily outperform his already reasonably high ADP. If he’s healthy for a full season, 25 homers and 25 stolen bases (or even 30 of both) is a real possibility.

Jakob Junis (#447, eight trade value).

Switching teams from Ohio’s National League team to its American League squad, Jakob Junis could be an intriguing multi-start streaming option or deeper league fantasy rotation option if he can open the year in Cleveland’s rotation. Junis, as it happens, has done just that in switching teams from Ohio’s National League franchise to its American League one.

The 32-year-old right-hander threw 67 innings across 24 appearances (24 appearances, which included six starts) for the Milwaukee Brewers and Cincinnati Reds last season. He logged a 2.69 ERA and a 3.69 FIP in the process while registering a 20.2% strikeout rate and a miniscule 3.2% walk rate. And while the strikeout numbers weren’t tremendously high, Junis’ ability to limit walks should give him a solid fantasy floor. Furthermore, it was his third straight season with a FIP below the 4.00 mark.

Pitching in a variety of roles, Junis owns a 3.80 ERA and a 3.69 FIP in 265 innings (87 appearances, including 27 starts) since the start of the 2022 campaign.

That all of those outings weren’t starts makes this less of an apples to apples comparison, but it’s worth noting that during that same span, Bryce Miller has a 3.75 FIP in 311.2 innings, Kyle Bradish has a 3.60 FIP in 325.2 innings and Hunter Brown has a 3.84 FIP in 346 innings.

Is Junis going to log overall numbers in line with those pitchers next year? Maybe not. But, he could be a solid source of innings for those in leagues with 14 or more teams.

Cleveland’s current rotation picture features Tanner Bibee, Ben Lively, Gavin Williams, Luis L. Ortiz and Triston McKenzie, as well as Junis and eventually Shane Bieber.

Tommy Pham (#262, 24 trade value).

Prior to 2024, Tommy Pham’s xwOBA had dipped below the .350 mark for a reason just once from 2017 through 2023. And while Pham’s 2024 xwOBA finished at .319 in 478 plate appearances, he showed early in the season with the Chicago White Sox that he can provide solid fantasy production.

The veteran hit .266 with a .330 on-base percentage, five home runs and six stolen bases in 297 plate appearances for the American League Central club, logging a 104 wRC+ while seeing regular playing time.

He should once again see plenty of playing time and plate appearances with the Pittsburgh Pirates after signing with the National League Central franchise.

The Pirates didn’t have a surefire starter in left field to start alongside Oneil Cruz in center and Bryan Reynolds in right. Moving forward, that looks like (at least speculatively speaking), it could be Pham.

Furthermore, all of the veteran’s Spring Training starts have come as the team’s leadoff hitter. Obviously, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a lock that he starts as the team’s leadoff hitter every day in 2025, but it’s an encouraging development nonetheless.

For leagues with five starting outfield spots, Pham could be an under-the-radar option to add late in drafts even if he’s hitting leadoff on a part-time basis. If Pham is the Pirates’ leadoff hitter, he’ll likely be worth a look in most fantasy leagues, regardless of how many starting outfield spots there are in your lineup.

Beware the Open Roster Spot (Or lack thereof)

Oh and one more quick note, beware the open roster spot, or lack thereof rather, in trades.

While a two-for-one or even a three-for-one or four-for-two deal might line up from a trade value standpoint, the roster spots are worth considering. Essentially, if you’re having to cut someone, it turns into you giving up another player or players in addition to potentially the best player in the deal. It’s obviously a different story if you’re working with a flexible roster or open roster spots, but it adds another layer to deals that can potentially change the calculus of things considerably.

Recent Ranking Updates:

Fantasy Baseball Dynasty Top 700 Rankings & Trade Value Version 2.06

Fantasy Baseball 2025 Redraft Top 500 Rankings & Trade Value Version 2.04

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