Those most plugged into Fantasy Baseball right now are wanting to know one thing: Who should I keep?
And, to me, the answer couldn't be more straightforward: I have rankings. Check 'em out.
But that's why I'm an idiot. I'm envisioning a particular league with particular keeper parameters that would encourage you to keep the exact same players you'd draft first. But I can think of two reasons why that wouldn't be the case:
- Players aren't kept on equal footing in your league but, rather, in relation to where they were drafted the year before.
- So many players are kept in your league that if you always take things year-to-year, you'll be excluded from the next wave of talent.
That second explanation sounds more like a Dynasty league to me, and I'll have separate rankings dedicated to those. So if Dynasty leagues are covered elsewhere and leagues where players are kept on equal footing are covered elsewhere, then it seems to me that the focus here should be leagues where players are kept in relation to where they were drafted the year before.
A few things to keep in mind:
- In such leagues, there's usually a keeper markup of some kind, meaning you don't keep a player in the exact round he was drafted but a round or three higher.
- This markup can usually be re-applied the following year, meaning a steep enough discount could make a player an advisable keeper several years over (as in a current fifth-round pick who was drafted in Round 21 last year could be kept for a Round 18 pick, then a Round 15 pick, then a Round 12 pick, etc.).
- That potential for re-upping a keeper discount can make studs-in-waiting attractive keepers even in this format as long as they're highly projectable talents and you get in early enough that the discount is steep.
- But mostly, the emphasis is here on the short term and on giving yourself the best chance to win in 2025. I've already implied it but will now outright say it: I'm presuming significant roster turnover with these rankings, meaning every team keeps only 4-6 players. That presumption means that if it doesn't work out this year, you'll still have a deep talent pool to draw from next year and don't need to spend years plotting a return to contention.
Having said all that, some people will skip straight to the list of names and presume that I've gone batty, not understanding the. role that keeper discount plays on the player's ranking. It happens every year. Hey, I've been here 17 years. You should know by now that I enjoy a good explainer intro.
Note: Last year's ADP data for both Roto and H2H (points) scoring comes from CBS Sports leagues.
Top 50 keepers for 2025
Now a standout across all five traditional Rotisserie categories, Witt looks to be in the No. 1 overall conversation for the long haul, which could be a VERY long haul given that he's only 24. These are the sort of keeper assets you dream of.
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Ohtani may have crossed into his 30s, but he's not at the point where you'd worry about longevity yet. And you're obviously not throwing him back on the heels of the first-ever 50/50 season, no matter the cost.
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Depending on the keeper markup in your league, it's possible you'd be forfeiting a first-round pick to hold onto Henderson, but he's the first player on this list for whom a discount is theoretically possible. And who cares if he costs a first-round pick anyway? At 23, Henderson is Fantasy Baseball marriage material.
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Given the contact and launch angle concerns, you can't be as sure you'll be stapling your first-round pick to De La Cruz forever, like with Witt and Henderson, but he's certainly a worthy use of the pick this year -- and may cost less, depending on your league's markup.
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Sure, he's a pitcher, but he's a pitcher coming off a historic rookie season that already has him in the first-round conversation. Plus, the discount is so steep that you can expect to apply it several years over, perhaps even through any injuries he may incur.
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When a 21-year-old's xBA and xSLG are both better than the 95th percentile, that's a first-round trajectory, and obviously, you'll be keeping Merrill for much less than that, given the relative lack of hype surrounding him last March.
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Chourio was sufficiently hyped as a rookie last year, making the discount less significant than for Merrill, but there's still enough of one for a player also on a first-round trajectory after hitting .303 with 16 homers, 15 steals, and an .883 OPS from June 1 on.
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Soto has been slipping into the back half of early 2025 drafts so far, so I could see how someone with limited keeper slots might be tempted to throw him back and try reeling him in again. But that's playing things too cute with a player who already feels like a surefire Hall of Famer even though he's just entering his prime at age 26.
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Judge is as good as you could ask from a first-round pick in 2025 and will indeed be the top overall pick in some leagues. He'll also be turning 33, so I can't say how many more years he'll be worth keeping with a first-round pick. That's a secondary consideration but one that comes into play when splitting hairs.
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It's a big discount for Duran, a player likely to be drafted in Round 2 this year, and because he wasn't some uber prospect whose ascension to Fantasy greatness was always predestined, that discount is universal. Of course, it also comes with a dose of skepticism.
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Tucker has performed like a first-rounder for four consecutive years now, and even after an injury-plagued year and slight downgrade in venue, it's reasonable to believe he'll do so again. But those concerns, mild though they are, explain why he ranks a couple spots behind Soto.
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What's funny is that Carroll isn't a surefire first-rounder this year, even though that's surely his keeper cost, but throwing him back would be a mistake given the way he turned his 2024 around. You likely won't get another shot at a 24-year-old who's now demonstrated his five-category credentials twice over.
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Tatis' first-round standing is still largely predicated on his colossal 2021, but as long as that's where he's being drafted, then he's obviously worth keeping at that cost as well. He's only now turning 26, so if he can get back to being an absolute world-beater -- and the underlying metrics say he can -- then you'll be happy to have lugged him around through his leaner years.
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Given all the high and low points in Rodriguez's career already, it's a wonder he'll be only 24 this season, and that's precisely why there's no justification for forfeiting a talent like him, even at the cost of a first-round pick. A year ago, coming off a 32-homer, 37-season, you were ready to tattoo his likeness to your forehead.
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Another player who'll likely be kept at a higher cost than he's drafted in 2025, the bottom line is that you just can't afford to give up Acuna in a keeper league. This latest ACL surgery is a speed bump for sure, but he remains a perennial 40-40 threat only a year removed from one of the best Fantasy Baseball seasons in history and is still in his prime at age 27.
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A year after looking like he might be entering decline, Ramirez bounced back with arguably his best season yet, renewing his obvious first-round standing and ensuring he's a slam-dunk keeper even at age 32.
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Not unsurprisingly, Skubal established himself as the top Fantasy pitcher in 2024. Some might be tempted to elevate Paul Skenes ahead of him for 2025 -- and given their disparate keeper costs, it's no contest who belongs higher on this list. But Skubal should come at a nice little discount as well, seeing as he's a consensus first-rounder.
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Now, here's a discount. Crochet got only three months to introduce himself as an ace before the White Sox severely limited his workload, but he led the league in basically all the ways we measure dominance and is expected to be full-go this year. He was the biggest surprise in baseball last season, and his keeper cost reflects that.
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Contreras' 2024 was the sort rarely seen among catchers in that it would have made him a standout at every other position as well. He distanced himself by so much at the position that he'll likely be drafted in Round 3 this year, so unless there's a huge keeper markup in your league, you can feel confident you'll retain him at a discount.
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As a non-base-stealer with ever-present health concerns, Alvarez may never be more than a borderline first-rounder, but with all the obvious first-rounders being kept already, he's the next up who's still on the right side of 30 (age 27), allowing you to anticipate several more years of studliness.
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If you're wondering why I suggest keeping certain players a round higher than they'll actually be drafted (see Carroll, Acuna), note that Guerrero is back in the top half of this list after completely dropping off last year. At least in his case, the statistical misstep lasted two years, creating real performance concerns, but now he once again looks like a player you should build around.
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Betts has been an obvious first-rounder throughout his career, and in an environment where all the obvious first-rounders are being kept (which is the one I've sort of manifested here), he deserves to be kept, too. But seeing as he's 32, he won't be locked into that keeper spot for much longer.
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Just as William Contreras is the clear No. 1 at catcher, Marte is the clear No. 1 at another weak position, second base. Of course, he's four years older with a discount that's a round or two less, but I do think he's reached a point where we can trust in the production after all the ups and downs earlier in his career.
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Despite his youth, it's been a few years since Chisholm appeared on this list because his draft stock remained high through all the injuries, making for not much of a discount. But he finally managed to stay healthy in 2024 and showed new upside with his move to the Yankees, making a third-round selection justified.
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You don't need me to tell you that a multi-round discount for a Cy Young and pitching Triple Crown winner is too good to pass up, but you may have reservations given that the pitcher is Sale, who'll be 36 and couldn't stay healthy during the four years prior. I hear you, but unless you're just loaded with young studs ... it's still too good to pass up.
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Wood has the makings of a young stud, and depending on the particulars of your league, there's justification for ranking him much higher than this. But again, I'm presuming a league with considerable roster turnover (say, 4-6 keepers), which means I'll generally prioritize immediate impact over longevity. Of course, my 26th-ranked keeper probably gets kept in such a league regardless.
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Consider this the hitter equivalent of Chris Sale, with the added caveat that Ozuna's draft stock will always be suppressed somewhat by his DH-only status. Still, whatever skepticism surrounded his 40-homer, 100-RBI 2023, allowing him to slide so far in drafts, no longer exists after an even better 2024.
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An elbow injury in spring training caused Cole's draft stock to plummet, and while his 17 starts after returning were adequate, his slider lacked its usual sharpness. Maybe I'm not giving the discount enough credit here for fear of him not being totally healthy, but seeing as he's 34, it's probably not a discount you'll be savoring for years to come.
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I've learned to be skeptical of surprise breakouts from players who are middle-aged by baseball standards (in an exercise like this one, they are ripe for disappointment), but there's an awful lot of red on Rooker's Statcast page to back up what he did. Mostly, it's the extent of the discount -- as many as 15 rounds -- that justifies a glass-half-full approach.
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The discount is less for Adames than for Rooker, and I'm not sure he's much safer, really. His career-best numbers weren't accompanied by any notable skill change that would explain them, and now he's headed to a tougher venue in San Francisco. Still, he's being drafted in Round 6, on average, and can be kept for much less.
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The discount for King is good but maybe not as good as you think, given that his ADP is in the Round 6 range rather than, say, Round 4. Still, it's discount enough for a borderline ace who looked more than borderline from May 1 on, putting together a 2.42 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, and 10.5 K/9.
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Imanaga is a year older than King, but the discount is several rounds more. Still, I'm giving King the edge, believing his performance to be the more durable of the two, given Imanaga's vulnerability to the long ball.
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A back injury cost Williams the first half of last season and made him an afterthought in drafts, but he still has best-closer-in-Fantasy upside and showed it with a 1.25 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, and 15.8 K/9 after returning. And now he's a Yankee, which will probably put him in even higher demand due to increased exposure.
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Devers won't come at a discount and may even require a first-round pick if there's any sort of keeper markup, but then again, he's a proven stud still in his prime at age 28. I'd have trouble throwing him back if I believed all the first-rounders ahead of him on this list were also being kept.
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Everything I just said about Devers also applies to Riley, right down to him being 28 years old (for most of 2025, anyway). You might be more reluctant in Riley's case since he fell short of his usual production in 2024, but much of the blame goes to a poorly-timed injury just as he was heating up. The underlying data was about the same as always.
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Lindor comes closer to meriting a first-round selection than Devers and Riley do if that's where the keeper markup puts him, but he's three years older and now on the wrong side of 30. Meh ... six of one, half a dozen of the other. The point is you're probably not doing better with that pick once all keepers are removed from the draft pool.
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The first speculative play on this list (unless you count teammate James Wood, who has only half a season to his name), Crews didn't take the league by storm in his first look last year but obviously has an elite pedigree and also the inside track on a starting job. His prolific base-stealing gives him a floor that's unlikely to disappoint you at this cost, no matter how the hitting shakes out.
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Caminero's situation is similar to Crews', only without the prolific base-stealing to fall back on. I expect the bat to be a bigger hit, though, perhaps even elevating him to the likes of Rafael Devers and Austin Riley at third base, so now is the chance to secure him at a discount that should last multiple years.
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Butler's big breakthrough wasn't widely anticipated, which brings about skepticism but also a substantial keeper discount. As you can see from my ranking, I'm mostly buying in and will point out that his breakthrough coincided with a sharp decline in strikeouts that lasted the final three months (during which he hit .302 with 20 homers, 14 steals, and a .943 OPS).
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Given what the early ADP data shows, I've already had to scale down my ranking of Westburg to ensure I don't draft him five rounds too early, which should signal to you I'm excited by the prospect of keeping him with a late-round pick. To me, he's the obvious No. 5 at a position with only four standouts (second base), and he likely would have had 25-30 homers even with the old Camden Yards dimensions if not for a fractured right hand.
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Doyle is another divisive one, given the one-year improvement in strikeout rate that took him from barely viable to borderline studly. Is that improvement sustainable? Well, for a chance at a 30/30 guy with the use of a late-round pick, I'm going to bet yes.
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We're getting into some iffier keepers now, and whether or not you view Diaz as a deserving one likely comes down to format. In a one-catcher league where walks count for something (such as Head-to-Head points leagues), then the discount probably isn't enough, but in two-catcher leagues where batting average is of greater priority, absolutely yes.
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Bautista was trending toward being the No. 1 reliever drafted in 2024, but then he needed Tommy John surgery and went undrafted entirely. It's not certain yet whether he'll be ready (or right) for the start of 2025, but in leagues where saves come at any sort of premium, you'd be wise to bet on that likelihood.
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Miller is shaping up to be a trendy pick this season after excelling in ERA and WHIP last season. I think the ERA was aided by some good home run look, though, and would prefer a higher strikeout rate. Still, I'm not going to turn down a five-round-plus discount.
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I'm higher on Greene, the consensus, believing he had turned a corner and was taking steps toward becoming an ace when a sore elbow got the better of him in August, so I'm going to be higher on him on this list as well. Higher or not, he's about an eighth-rounder by ADP, so the discount is there.
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Maybe Dominguez belongs a few spots higher, with Dylan Crews and Junior Caminero. It's a similar scenario -- a player with elite prospect pedigree being in line for a starting role after underwhelming in the majors so far, and of course, if things click for Dominguez, you'll be able to enjoy this discount for years to come. I'm just a little less bullish on him than the other two.
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Chapman is another one who, like Jordan Westburg, I've had to adjust down based on ADP. But I'm going to remain higher than the consensus on him, believing that a reduced strikeout rate and improved pull rate on fly balls largely explain him performing like a top-five third baseman last season. And clearly, no one expected it, making the discount a universal one.
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Garcia broke through with a combined 40 home runs and stolen bases as a 24-year-old and had a nice batting average to boot, but the enthusiasm is muted by the Nationals' insistence on sitting him against left-handers. I'm just explaining why he's so far down the list. Obviously, the value is good.
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Schwellenbach was on no one's radar at the start of 2024, being fairly new to pitching, but then he showed up in late June with elite control and an uncanny mastery of his six-pitch arsenal. There's an element of too-good-to-be-true here that I think will make him more like a mid-round pick in drafts, but the keeper cost is obviously much lower than that.
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I will note that deGrom is a 36-year-old who just barely made it back from Tommy John surgery and hasn't thrown even 100 innings in a season since 2019, so I have to think his ADP will fall from its current Round 4 range once more draft data becomes available. Even just a dozen starts would be enough to justify the late-round keeper cost, though, presuming he's as dominant as we remember on an inning-to-inning basis.
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