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Eric Karabell, ESPN Senior Editor
Unlike fantasy football and basketball, fantasy baseball Managers in draft formats often disregard MLB’s annual amateur draft, as baseball players tend to take years to develop and earn promotion to the major leagues. Pittsburgh Pirates RHP Paul Skenes was an exception to the immediate success, but even he needed about 10 months before his major league debut. For most players, the journey is not so quick or smooth.
Whether they’re in a redraft or dynasty/keeper format, however, fantasy managers should pay attention to the future stars of the most recent draft, which was held just days before the All-Star Game. Several accomplished college hitters landed in positive situations, along with a potential pitcher or two. These top players probably won’t be available until 2025 at the earliest, but the wait will be worth it.
Here are one analyst’s thoughts on 10 recently drafted individuals you should covet in fantasy baseball leagues for 2025 and beyond.
Charlie Condon, 3B/OF, Colorado Rocky Mountains: The polished all-around No. 3 pick put up historic numbers at Georgia, hitting 37 homers as a sophomore. He’ll make the jump to the minor leagues quickly, perhaps securing his debut by this time in 2025. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that Condon will also be playing his future home games at the height of Coors Field. Don’t overthink this. We’d take Condon in standard 2025 re-draft formats, probably in the top 100 overall, and he’s already a reasonable top-five dynasty prospect given his high ceiling for run production.
Travis Bazzana, 2B, Cleveland Defenders: The No. 1 pick hit .407 with big power for Oregon State and, like Condon, didn’t need significant minor league nurturing. The Australian-born Bazzana has a will to succeed and improve, often relying on analytics to make adjustments — and there’s nothing wrong with that. Also like Condon, don’t spend time worrying about his defensive end. This bat will move anywhere on the baseball field.
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No. 1 pick Travis Bazzana wins first professional shot
Guardians first-round pick Travis Bazzana scored his first professional hit for the Lake County Captains.
Jac Caglianone, 1B, Kansas City Royals: The two-way star from Florida is expected to focus more on hitting than pitching for the Royals, and there’s little doubt about his power potential. Caglianone has hit 68 homers over the last two seasons. He certainly has a pro-level body (6-foot-5, 250 pounds) and, despite some concerns about his swing-and-miss profile hurting his batting average against top pitching, fantasy managers are always coveting potential 40-HR options.
JJ Wetherholt, 2B/SS, St. Louis Cardinals Football Team: Another great college hitter, Wetherholt was a left-handed, contact-oriented hitter with excellent ball discipline and speed who thrived at West Virginia. Cardinals fans picture Wetherholt and current SS Masyn Winn led their lineup and stole countless bases over the next decade. Stolen bases are more valuable in roto leagues, but Wetherholt also added value in scoring formats by avoiding strikeouts.
Nick Kurtz, 1B, Oakland Athletics: The Wake Forest product hits the ball hard and leads all of Division I in walk rate. Scouts agree that his skills will translate well to the next level. Kurtz is a mid-range hitter to build around, which the Athletics organization needs. For those worried about hitting in Oakland’s spacious ballpark, forget it. Turn your attention to Sacramento’s more hitter-friendly stadium, as Kurtz will make his debut when the A’s start playing there.
Christian Moore, 2B, Los Angeles Angels: Moore hit .375 with 34 home runs to help Tennessee win the school’s first national championship. He’s a rare contact-oriented hitter, ranking second (behind Condon) in average exit velocity this past season. Moore isn’t likely to steal many bases, but he’ll hit enough that fantasy managers won’t mind. The Angels, like many Mike Trout era, lack of roster depth. So whenever Moore is ready, he will play. He could be one of the first from the 2024 class to debut next summer.
Braden Montgomery, OF, Boston Red Sox baseball team: The ambidextrous Montgomery batted .733 in his lone season at Texas A&M, missing the team’s College World Series loss to the Volunteers due to a broken ankle that could keep him from making his minor league debut this year. Still, Montgomery is a prototypical right fielder from years past, and while we may not see him in the big leagues until 2026, we’ll see power when he does make it.
Ryan Waldschmidt, OF, Arizona Diamondbacks Baseball Team: The No. 31 pick slipped a bit in the draft, but the unknown has carried Kentucky to the College World Series with a 1.079 OPS. Waldschmidt bats right-handed and could end up at DH, given that Arizona prioritizes outfield defense. That said, few doubt his batting average, contact, and power — oh, and he steals bases, too. The contending Diamondbacks could use his right-handed power next season.
Chase Burns, RHP, Cincinnati Reds: Ah, finally we get to a pitcher. Look, hitters are significantly safer for fantasy purposes in terms of both health and statistical performance. Burns was taken No. 2 overall after dominating in his lone season at Wake Forest, and he fills a big need for the Reds, who have a lot of young hitters. Burns hits triple digits with his fastball and confuses hitters with his high-spin slider. Perhaps he’ll follow the same path as the dominant Skenes did and debut as an ace next summer. Just remind yourself that Skenes is pretty special, so try to manage expectations to some extent.
Hagen Smith, LHP, Chicago White Sox: Arkansas’ SEC Pitcher of the Year offers similar upside potential to Burns, but he may be overlooked in your dynasty draft. Don’t let that happen. Smith struck out nearly half the batters he faced last season, though there was some concern that he would become a relief pitcher due to his command issues. There’s upside potential, too. We could see a Garrett Hook orbit here.
