10 Fantasy Baseball Bold Predictions - Joey Pollizze's 2025 Picks

Every season, things happen in Major League Baseball that no one sees coming. In 2024, Shohei Ohtani had the first-ever 50-home run, 50-stolen base season, Elly De La Cruz led the league in both steals (67) and strikeouts (218), and Paul Skenes became the first pitcher since 1900 to have under a 2.00 ERA and 150 strikeouts in his first 22 appearances.

All three of those would have certainly been bold predictions before the season. None of those had ever happened before last year. Therefore, it's fair to assume that several more things will happen in 2025 that very few people will see coming.

So, let's dive into my 10 boldest predictions heading into the 2025 MLB season. You can also check out some other awesome bold predictions in our yearly Bold Predictions series from the MLB team here at RotoBaller.

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Pete Crow-Armstrong Has A 25-50 Season

Let's kick off this list with one of the spicier predictions. Chicago Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong will fully break out in 2025 and have a 25-home run, 50-stolen base season. Both numbers will surely be hard to reach for Crow-Armstrong this year, but the 25 home runs feel like the bigger long shot.

Crow-Armstrong only hit 10 home runs in his rookie campaign, and his barrel rate (7.4%) ranked in the bottom 50% of the league. His hard-hit (36.8%), squared-up rate (23.7%), and launch angle sweet-spot rate (33.3%) also all ranked pretty poorly in 2024. However, the speedy outfielder does have some pop in his bat. Back in 2023, he hit 20 home runs across 107 minor league games at Double-A and Triple-A.

Pete Crow-Armstrong this spring:

.522 BA
1.587 OPS
3 HR
10 RBIpic.twitter.com/BkFg6TKZHN

— The Wrigley Wire (@TheWrigleyWire) March 8, 2025

Therefore, Crow-Armstrong could be in for that 25-50 season. He stole 27 bases last year, and his 30 ft/sec sprint speed ranks in the 99th percentile. Given that he will see an everyday role in this Cubs lineup, both numbers are attainable for the 22-year-old. He has also hit three home runs in his nine spring training games.

Jacob deGrom Wins The American League Cy Young

Texas Rangers' starter Jacob deGrom has always been one of the best pitchers in the majors when healthy. He has a career 2.52 ERA and 1,666 strikeouts across his 11 MLB seasons. The problem, though, has been deGrom's inability to stay healthy. The right-hander has thrown only a combined 265 1/3 innings over his last five years. Last season, he was limited to just 10 2/3 innings pitched.

Nevertheless, things will be different for deGrom in 2025. He will stay healthy, pitch in 150 innings, and win the American League Cy Young Award for the third time. Although the right-hander has not been able to stay healthy in recent years, there are reasons to be optimistic that won't be the case this upcoming season.

For starters, deGrom is not looking to maximize his velocity this season. While that means we likely won't see the veteran touch triple digits, it could help him stay healthier in his 12th major league campaign. If he can make 27 starts in 2025, he'll have a good chance to win the AL CY Young Award. That would also mean he would be a top fantasy option this year.

Hunter Greene Is A Top-7 Fantasy Pitcher

Fantasy managers saw last season just how dominant Cincinnati Reds pitcher, Hunter Greene, can be on the mound. He finished with a 2.75 ERA, 1.018 WHIP, and 169 strikeouts across 150 1/3 innings. Greene now finds himself going within the top 100 picks in drafts with an SP26 ADP. However, the right-hander easily outperforms that ADP and finishes as a top-7 fantasy pitcher in 2025.

Greene was exceptional on the mound in 2024, and it's hard not to see him replicate that success again this season. His expected ERA (3.03), expected batting average against (.188), whiff rate (29.7%), and strikeout rate (27.7%) all ranked extremely well last year. So, it wouldn't surprise me to see him finish this high in fantasy.

Now, staying healthy will be the biggest obstacle for Greene to overcome in 2025. He hasn't made more than 26 starts in a season in his career and missed nearly six weeks with an elbow injury during the 2024 campaign. Nevertheless, his potentially low ERA and high strikeout numbers will help him finish as a top-7 fantasy pitcher.

Mike Trout Plays Over 120 Games and Hits 40 Home Runs

It has been quite some time since Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout has played over 120 games in a season. The last time that happened was back during the 2019 campaign when Trout appeared in 134 contests. Since then, the future Hall of Famer has averaged just 64 games played per game over the last five years.

That will change in 2025, though, as Trout plays in over 120 games and has a strong season at the plate. Predicting the 33-year-old to appear in 74% of games this year is a bold prediction in itself. But on top of that, we will see the Angels slugger hit over 40 home runs.

Mike Trout lasers one out the other way for his second #SpringTraining long ball 😎 pic.twitter.com/gLsjyTY7cV

— MLB (@MLB) March 5, 2025

If Trout can play in over 120 games this season, the 40 home runs are a solid possibility for him. He hit 40 home runs across 119 games in 2022, and the power has always been there for the three-time MVP. The veteran has a career 16.4% barrel rate. That means a big season could be in store for the 33-year-old, assuming he can stay healthy in his 15th major league campaign.

Freddie Freeman Finishes Outsides The Top-7 At 1B

There's no doubt that Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman is one of the best hitters in the game. He is a career .300 hitter and has made four straight All-Star appearances. Therefore, it's not a surprise to see him go off the board later in the second round of drafts at his 1B3 ADP. After all, he has been the most consistent fantasy first baseman over the past few years.

Nonetheless, Freeman will wind up finishing outside the top seven in fantasy at the first base position. Even though his numbers were solid across the board last season, his power took a noticeable dip. His 35 doubles and 22 home runs were down from his 2023 stats, and his 9.1% barrel rate was the worst of his career. His .282 batting average was also his lowest in a season since 2015.

As a result, Freeman is no guarantee to finish as a top-5 fantasy first baseman like in years prior. He is still dealing with that ankle injury that he got surgery on in the offseason, which could easily hurt his overall numbers in 2025. In addition, that lingering ankle injury could prevent him from playing a full season. That makes this bold prediction a possibility heading into the season.

Royce Lewis Stays Healthy and Finishes As A Top-3 Fantasy 3B

Like deGrom and Trout, Minnesota Twins third baseman Royce Lewis hasn't been able to stay healthy in recent years. Since 2021, Lewis has torn his ACL (twice) while also suffering oblique, hamstring, quad, and groin injuries. That has resulted in the Twins slugger only appearing in 152 major league games over the past three seasons.

When Lewis has been healthy, though, he has been one of the best power hitters. He hit .309 with 15 home runs and 52 RBI in 58 games in 2023 and launched 16 home runs and 47 RBI in 82 games last season. During 2023, the Twins' third baseman also hit an MLB record four grand slams in one season.

If he can stay healthy, it's not crazy to see him finish as a top fantasy third baseman.  His barrel rate has been above 11% in each of the past two seasons, and his 73.3 mph bat speed ranked extremely well in 2024. Those are indeed two encouraging signs for him entering 2025. Therefore, Lewis could be in for a career year. A 30-home run, 100-RBI season is surely not out of the question for him.

Jacob Young Leads The League In Stolen Bases

Not many people might be familiar with Washington Nationals outfielder Jacob Young. He is only 25 years old and hasn't put up the greatest numbers at the plate so far in his career. In 2023, Young hit .256 with three home runs and 36 RBI across 150 games. However, people should get familiar with his speed.

Young stole 33 bases last season, and his 29.7 ft/sec sprint speed ranked in the 97th percentile. Even though he finished tied for 11th in stolen bases last year, he finished with 34 fewer stolen bases than De La Cruz (67). So, he will need to steal at least 55 bases in 2025 to even have a shot at leading the league in stolen bases.

Now, the biggest thing for Young to lead the league in stolen bases will be his growth as a hitter. He had just a 5.8% walk rate last season with an expected batting average of .253. If he can up both of those numbers in 2025, there's a chance that the Nationals outfielder can lead the league in stolen bases. That's how legitimate his speed is.

Matt McLain Posts Better Fantasy Numbers Than Jose Altuve, Ozzie Albies, and Marcus Semien

It has been a while since we have seen Cincinnati Reds second baseman Matt McLain play in an MLB game. He missed the final month of his rookie campaign in 2023 due to an oblique strain and the entire 2024 season due to a shoulder injury. That means the last time McLain played in a game was back on August 27, 2023. So, there might be some rust from the 25-year-old in the first couple weeks of the season.

Nevertheless, there is a scenario where McLain finishes as a better fantasy option than Jose Altuve, Ozzie Albies, and Marcus Semien in 2025. In his rookie campaign, the Reds infielder hit .290 with 16 home runs, 23 doubles, four triples, 50 RBI, and 14 stolen bases across 89 games.

Cincinnati Reds' Matt McLain has 9 total hits this spring...

5 of those 9 are doubles. 6 of the 9 (nice) have gone for XBHs.

McLain is up to .321/.345/.607/.952 on the spring in 28 ABs.

— Nati Sports (@Nati_Sports) March 11, 2025

After finishing with those solid numbers in 2023, McLain's stats should only improve this upcoming season. He has elite speed that ranked in the 90th percentile in his rookie year, and a 23-home run season could happen for him. Given his potential to hit for a high average and have a 20-20 season, the Reds infielder could shock a lot of fantasy managers in 2025.

Bryan Woo Is The Best Mariners Pitcher

This is a bold predictions article, after all, and this one might be the boldest of the 10 on this list. Seattle Mariners pitcher Bryan Woo is a part of the best rotation in baseball. Woo, Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, Luis Castillo, and Bryce Miller make up this Seattle rotation that many hitters fear. Every single pitcher in this rotation has elite stuff on the mound.

However, don't be surprised if Woo is the best Mariners pitcher in 2025. He was phenomenal for Seattle last season behind a 2.89 ERA and 0.90 WHIP across 121 1/3 innings pitched. His expected ERA (2.72), walk rate (2.8%), and barrel rate (4.8%) also all ranked in the top 9% of the league in 2024. As a result, he is in a good spot to post even better numbers this season.  

He pitches in one of the more hitter-friendly ballparks in the majors, and his command is one of the best in baseball. The right-hander allowed two runs or fewer in 14 of his first 19 starts last season. It's definitely hard to see him pitching better than Gilbert or even Kirby in 2025. Both pitchers have become elite arms for Seattle. The potential is there, though, given how much growth Woo displayed on the mound in 2024.

Ronald Acuna Jr. Is Not A Top-75 Fantasy Player

Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. tore his ACL on May 26 last year, which will limit the start of his 2025 season. That means we likely won't see the superstar until later in April. Despite that, Acuna has a very generous 27.1 average ADP currently in drafts. That feels too high for a player who will not compete in any spring games and could run less this season.  

So, there's a good chance that Acuna will be one of the bigger fantasy busts in 2025. My bold prediction is that the former 2023 National League MVP will not be a top-75 fantasy player this year. 

There are too many risks with Acuna right now, following his second torn ACL in four seasons. The last time he tore his ACL was back in 2022, and in the ensuing season, the Braves outfielder hit just .266 with 15 home runs, 50 RBI, and 29 stolen bases across 119 games. Expect Atlanta to also be highly cautious with its star throughout the season, making this bold prediction a possibility in 2025. 

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