The Unique Challenge of Fantasy Baseball
One of the essential differences between fantasy baseball and fantasy football is the impact that any single player can have on the success of your roster. In football leagues, your likelihood of winning a championship is often determined by your team’s best player. However, in baseball, this is rarely the case. In fact, in the deepest fantasy baseball leagues, it’s more accurate to suggest that your teams will go as far as your worst players allow. Fantasy football is generally a game where a very small number of key players determine outcomes. The fantasy baseball season, however, is a puzzle that can be solved in countless ways, with endless combinations of pieces. This is either a feature or a bug, depending on your fantasy preferences.
Identifying Breakout Candidates in 2025
If you’re going to win a competitive fantasy baseball league, you will need to identify multiple players who ultimately exceed their preseason projections. A few of these successes need to be true breakout performers—players who absolutely obliterate whatever expectations we have for them during draft season. Today’s mission is to flag several candidates to break out in massive and meaningful ways in 2025. If you want to argue that certain names mentioned below have already broken out, at least to some extent, well, you aren’t wrong. But each of them has a shot to level up again in the season ahead.
Wyatt Langford: The Rising Star of the Texas Rangers
If the breakout already happened for Wyatt Langford, it occurred in the final month of the 2024 season when he launched eight homers, swiped seven bags, and slashed a healthy .300/.386/.610. He managed to tread water for a full year in the big leagues at age 22, which is no small achievement. After being drafted fourth overall in 2023, Langford screamed through the minors, hitting .351/.469/.649 with 29 extra-base hits, a dozen steals, and more walks (37) than strikeouts (34) over 47 games. He’s a still-developing potential star with five-category potential, plus he’ll do his hitting in a privileged spot in the Rangers’ lineup. Langford showcased elite bat speed, chase rate, and sprint speed as a rookie, so there’s no doubting the tools.
Xavier Edwards: The Sleepy Talent of the Miami Marlins
Xavier Edwards has been one of the more slept-on young talents in the game, with an ADP only barely inside the top-120 picks (118.1). He’s a near-lock to be a serious asset in runs, steals, and average. Last year, over 70 games for the Marlins at age 24, he stole 31 bases in 35 attempts while hitting .328/.397/.423. Edwards has displayed exceptional plate discipline and contact ability in his two partial seasons in the majors and his average is perfectly in line with his career minor-league production (.313/.385/.399). He’s set a lofty-but-not-unrealistic base-stealing goal for 2025 and should finish among the MLB leaders, assuming good health. Edwards offers no power potential, but he’s likely to finish near the top of the leaderboard in at least two of the standard hitting categories (one of which is particularly difficult to address).
Connor Norby: The Versatile Utility Player of the Miami Marlins
Let’s just continue our scroll down Miami’s projected batting order. Connor Norby was acquired from Baltimore in the Trevor Rogers deal last summer, a huge win for an upper-tier prospect who didn’t necessarily have a clear path to the majors in the Orioles’ loaded system. He’s now the presumptive No. 2 hitter for the Marlins, coming off a 36-game cameo for the team in which he hit seven homers and eight doubles (while striking out at an unfortunate rate). Norby used the offseason to refine and flatten his swing, which should hopefully improve his contact rate. He’s eying a 30-homer season, a lofty yet attainable goal. He’s a decent bet to go 20/10 in terms of power and stolen bases if he reaches 130-140 games. Norby has 94th percentile sprint speed, so there’s as-yet-unrealized stolen base ability in his profile.
Breakout Pitchers: The Next Wave of Fantasy Heroes
Pitchers like Junior Caminero, Nick Lodolo, José Soriano, David Festa, and Seth Halvorsen are all on the cusp of breaking out in 2025. Caminero, a former top-of-the-ranks prospect, is only 21 years old and has already made a significant impact. He’s coming off a legendary winter league performance and has monster power upside in the minors. Lodolo, with his vicious four-pitch mix, is entering the season fully healthy and has a high strikeout rate. Soriano, with his blazing triple-digit fastball, offers untapped strikeout upside and has been drafted in fewer than 5% of Yahoo leagues, making him a free lottery ticket. Festa, with his exceptional strikeout rate and added sinker, is a priority final-round target. Halvorsen, with his easy 100-plus velocity, is in the ninth-inning conversation for Colorado and should offer a stellar K-rate regardless of his role.
Conclusion: The Puzzle of Fantasy Baseball
Fantasy baseball is a game of strategy and patience, where identifying breakout candidates can make or break your season. Whether you’re looking at rising stars like Wyatt Langford, under-the-radar talents like Xavier Edwards, versatile players like Connor Norby, or promising pitchers like Nick Lodolo and Junior Caminero, the key to success lies in recognizing the potential for growth and improvement. By carefully selecting players who can exceed expectations, you can build a roster that stands the test of the long, competitive season. Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Baseball league for the 2025 MLB season and see if you can piece together the perfect puzzle.
