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Welcome to the fourth and final edition of my fantasy baseball league winners series. We've covered 10 league-winning hitters, 10 league-winning pitchers, and 10 league-winning prospects. Today, the focus is on 10 league-winning veterans.
We're looking at players aged 30 or older, priced outside of the top 90 average draft position, but with the upside to provide significant profit at cost. As with each of these league-winner articles, the goal here is to swing for the fences to find a high ceiling. That means that players with injury risk are included on this page.
We've been using NFBC ADP since March 17 because there have been hundreds of high-stakes drafts on this platform, featuring some of the best fantasy baseball players in this space. With that in mind, let's dive into my 10 league-winning veterans for the 2025 MLB season.
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Christian Yelich, OF, Milwaukee Brewers
NFBC ADP: 98.72
Opposite field mashing@ChristianYelich x @SalFrelick pic.twitter.com/zSefcQr0Xa
— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) March 24, 2025
Christian Yelich put up a .315 BA with 11 HR and 21 SB in only 315 PA last season. That works out to a 600 PA pace of approximately 21 HR and 40 SB. This is a former MVP with a 44 HR, 30 SB year under his belt back in 2019. While the 40+ HR days are likely gone, there's legit 20-40 upside with a strong batting average with this 33-year-old.
The hope with Yelich is that offseason surgery to remove a herniated disc in his back will help keep him healthy for the long haul this year. While there's significant injury risk here, we have to also acknowledge the high ceiling for this Brewers star. You have to love the power + speed profile with contact skills.
Mike Trout, OF, Los Angeles Angels
NFBC ADP: 102.03
Mike Trout looked like he was on his way to a dominant season last year, putting up 10 HR and six SB in only 126 PA. The future Hall of Famer had his season cut short due to a torn meniscus. We all know how Trout has struggled to stay healthy, failing to get to 500+ PA in five consecutive seasons.
The optimistic perspective for a ceiling season here is that Trout is playing corner outfield, which is a less taxing position than center field. There's also the outside chance that the Angels will finally trade their longtime star. Can you imagine Trout hitting in the heart of the Phillies order next to Bryce Harper?
Carlos Rodon, SP, New York Yankees
NFBC ADP: 130.10
Carlos Rodon debuts a sinker it seems:
91.9 MPH
~2,100 RPMs of spin
6 IVB
15.5 HBIt's got too much spin to be a changeup, not enough ride to be a four-seamer. pic.twitter.com/LcfrsPZYZx
— Ryan Garcia (@RyanGarciaESM) March 21, 2025
The Yankees rotation is riddled with injuries, with Gerrit Cole out for the season, Luis Gil facing a long-term absence, and Clarke Schmidt missing the start of the year. The pressure is on Carlos Rodon to re-establish himself as a legitimate frontline starter, which helped earn him a six-year, $162 million deal with New York.
Let's remember that the 32-year-old lefty has two elite seasons in the big leagues, highlighted by a 2022 year where he put up a 2.88 ERA and 1.03 WHIP with 52 walks and 237 strikeouts in 178 innings with the Giants. The strikeout upside is still there (26.5 K%), so if Rodon can get the ratios in check, there's a high ceiling here.
Nick Pivetta, SP, San Diego Padres
NFBC ADP: 134.97
Nick Pivetta has pitched in hitter-friendly environments throughout his career, including Fenway Park in Boston and Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. Now, the 32-year-old is in Petco Park in San Diego, which has ranked as the second-most pitcher-friendly environment in the last three years.
This is a veteran who has always shown the ability to rack up strikeouts, including a 28.9 percent K% with the Red Sox last season. We saw Pivetta improve his walk rate from 8.5 percent to 6.1 percent in 2024. If those improvements can stick with the Padres, there's a frontline starter upside here.
Kevin Gausman, SP, Toronto Blue Jays
NFBC ADP: 150.07
Kevin Gausman's stuff looks great for this point in camp.
He just hit 95.8 mph here in the first inning to strike out Tommy Pham. #BlueJays pic.twitter.com/nN2V0UFNUI
— Keegan Matheson (@KeeganMatheson) March 5, 2025
Kevin Gausman is only one year removed from a season where he posted a 3.16 ERA and 1.18 WHIP with 55 walks and 237 strikeouts in 185 innings. The 34-year-old dealt with injuries last year, which suppressed his production. Now fully healthy, we could see Gausman get back to his old form this season.
This is an innings-eater with a strong track record demonstrating the ability to miss bats. If Gausman can avoid injury all year, we could see 200+ strikeouts with a sub-3.50 ERA. That would be a major profit on his current ADP right around pick 150. Expect the Blue Jays to lean on their veteran once again in 2025.
Paul Goldschmidt, 1B, New York Yankees
NFBC ADP: 174.00
Paul Goldschmidt is three years removed from a .317 BA with 35 HR and seven SB. This is a veteran who got a significant upgrade in team context this offseason in signing with the Yankees. Not only is Yankee Stadium a hitter-friendly environment, but hitting in a lineup that includes Aaron Judge should help as well.
What's great about Goldschmidt is that he provides rare speed for a first baseman, including 11+ SB in three of the last four seasons. If he can get back to a .270+ BA (.268 in 2023) with 25+ HR while maintaining 10+ SB, that would make him a significant win at his current price. You're likely to see close to 100 RBI if he stays in the cleanup spot all year as well.
Byron Buxton, OF, Minnesota Twins
NFBC ADP: 213.24
Byron Buxton is the poster boy for injury-prone hitters, but we have to include him on this list due to his upside. We saw the 31-year-old smack 28 HR in only 382 PA back in 2022. Reports out of spring training indicate that Buxton is as healthy as he's felt in years. We can see that in the results, which include four HR and two SB in 48 PA.
The biggest key for Buxton to smash ADP is speed. The veteran still has 97th-percentile sprint speed, so the wheels are there for him to get to 20+ SB. It's just a matter of whether the Twins give him the green light on the basepaths. Given that we've seen two SB in limited spring training action, that makes me hopeful that Buxton will continue to run during the season.
Nolan Arenado, 3B, St. Louis Cardinals
NFBC ADP: 248.10
Nolan Arenado put up a .293 BA with 30 HR and 103 RBI as recently as 2022. While the power has declined, 25 HR with a solid batting average is firmly attainable. It also helps that there's a good chance that Arenado will be dealt to a contender at some point this year, as the Cardinals are in a youth movement right now.
What happens if Arenado joins former teammate Paul Goldschmidt in the Bronx later in the year? That would put the veteran in a great spot to rack up more counting stats while playing in one of the best lineups in baseball. Add in the fact that the glove is still strong, which helps his PA projection, and you can see why Arenado is appealing as an upside play.
Justin Verlander, SP, San Francisco Giants
NFBC ADP: 268.10
Justin Verlander had a disappointing season in 2024, but he was rock-solid in 2023, highlighted by a 3.22 ERA and 1.13 WHIP in 162.1 innings. While the strikeout upside is no longer there, you have to love the landing spot with the Giants, who play in an elite pitcher's park.
Expect Verlander to provide strong ratios at a cheap cost, aided by the pitcher-friendly environment in San Francisco. We've seen positive results this spring, including a 3.43 ERA and 19 strikeouts in 21 innings. With some luck on balls in play, it's not wild to see a sub-3.00 ERA from Verlander with the Giants.
Charlie Morton, SP, Baltimore Orioles
NFBC ADP: 346.69
Charlie Morton finds himself on this list due to his track record and team context. This is a veteran who has registered a 25+ K% in eight of his last 10 seasons. Playing for a team like the Orioles means that there should be opportunities for wins here, albeit in a tough division.
The biggest appeal here is the cheap price past pick 340. You also have to like the volume, as Morton has 160+ innings in six of his last seven seasons. The Orioles have a thin rotation with Grayson Rodriguez injured, so perhaps they let their veteran eat a ton of innings this year, which bodes well for his wins total.
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