We all love chasing the next big thing, and fantasy baseball is no exception. Every season, new rookies emerge, drawing plenty of hype and attention. As we enter the 2025 fantasy baseball season, there are several young players poised to make an impact.

From high-profile international signings to top MLB prospects breaking into the big leagues, there’s a lot to consider in this year’s fantasy drafts. This article will highlight 10 fantasy baseball rookies worth targeting, along with a few honorable mentions who could provide sneaky value throughout the season.

 

 

 

What Defines An MLB Rookie?

Before diving into the names to watch, let’s clarify what qualifies a player as a rookie. According to MLB rules:

  • Hitters remain rookies until they exceed 130 at-bats in the major leagues.
  • Pitchers maintain rookie status until they surpass 50 innings pitched.
  • Roster Time also factors in—a player loses rookie eligibility if they spend 45 total days on an active MLB roster (excluding time on the injured list).

These guidelines help explain why certain highly touted young players might not be included on this list—they may have already surpassed these thresholds in previous seasons.

Fantasy Value Matters

This article is all about fantasy baseball impact rather than long-term potential. Some prospects might be elite talents but won’t provide enough immediate value to be worth drafting. The rookies listed below should either break camp with their teams or get called up early enough to contribute for most of the season.

If you’re looking to gain an edge in your 2025 fantasy baseball drafts, keeping an eye on these rookies could make all the difference. Let’s dive in!

 

 

 

Top MLB Rookies For Fantasy Baseball 2025

Roki Sasaki, Los Angeles Dodgers

Roki Sasaki is the crown jewel of the rookie class, and he earned that title with his blazing fastball and overall nasty stuff. Sasaki has the prototypical pitcher's body at 6’2 180 lbs. with a clean delivery and has been the best international prospect in years, whichever team signs him will get an ace. 

He will be at the top of an MLB rotation on opening day, so no need to wait for him to get called up, he’s a pitcher you can build a staff around on draft day with confidence. Sasaki can run his fastball into the triple digits with ease and he throws a devastating splitter and a developing slider.

Jackson Jobe, Detroit Tigers

Jobe is the best pitching prospect in all of baseball (not named Roki Sasaki) and the Tigers have been patiently waiting for his arrival since they drafted him third overall in 2021. Detroit has shown recently with guys like Tarik Skubal, Casey Mize and Reese Olson that pitching development is an organizational strength, which bodes well for Jobe especially considering the fact that he is a better all-around pitcher than any of those guys mentioned were at the same stage. 

Comerica Park is a pitcher’s park and Jobe’s combination of a high 90’s fastball with a true wipe out curveball on a team that is hoping to contend once again, this could result in a very special rookie season for the Tigers next big arm.

Dylan Crews, Washington Nationals

The youth movement in Washington is going to be fun to watch next season, there are a lot of young guys who should be coveted on draft day. In terms of rookies Dylan Crews will be high on everyone’s wish list, the LSU stand out and former 2nd overall pick made it up to the big leagues within his first professional season and while he didn’t set the world on fire, like few young players do, he showed off the tools that have the Nationals so excited about his future. 

He needs to cut down on the strike outs in order to tap more frequently into the hit and power tools, but on the plus side he will get the opportunity to be the starting centerfielder for Washington next season and he did swipe 12 bases in just 31 games last season. He’s a burner on the base paths who will have the whole offseason to adjust to Major League pitching.

 

 

 

Matt Shaw, Chicago Cubs

At the beginning of the offseason Matt Shaw was a little bit further down on my list, then the Cubs traded Isaac Paredes for Kyle Tucker, strengthening their lineup and paving the way for Shaw in Chicago. There is a lot to like in his bat alone. 

He’s always been a professional hitter with good plate discipline and a natural ability to put the bat on the ball dating back to his time at Maryland. While the power numbers may not be off the charts, he employs strong exit velocities, and the analytics indicate the power will come along.

Coby Mayo, Baltimore Orioles

Coby Mayo is the next man up in Baltimore’s system that seems to churn out young bats that can really hit and hit for power. Player development is the Orioles blueprint to success, and they know it, so Mayo whether it’s at first base, third base or DH Baltimore will be sure to get his bat in the lineup. 

He came up at the end of the season last year and didn’t perform well by any measure, but it was only 17 games and having seen major league pitching, although it was a small sample, will benefit him moving forward. Mayo’s power cannot be questioned and being in the potent lineup that the Orioles have, playing in a hitter friendly division and in a home park that just moved the fences in, we could see Mayo burst onto the scene in 2025.

Rhett Lowder, Cincinnati Reds

Rhett Lowder almost out dueled Paul Skenes in one of the greatest College World Series games ever played and he did that because he knows how to pitch. Lowder doesn’t have an overpowering fastball, but he does have excellent command and control with a great changeup. 

His ability to put the ball where he wants is imperative to Lowder’s success because he does like overpowering stuff and he pitches in Cincinnati, a ballpark that some people call Great American Small Park. However, like some of his fellow first rounders from what is turning out to be a loaded 2023 draft, Lowder has already made his debut and a 1.17 ERA in 30.2 innings should make everyone sit up and take notice.

Roman Anthony, Boston Red Sox

Anthony has a sweet left-handed swing that Red Sox fans are going to fall in love with. Right now, he’s a little bit of a power over hit guy, but he also has been rising up the rankings since being drafted out of Stoneman Douglas high school seemingly getting better every year. My biggest concern when it comes to Anthony and specifically the 2025 season is playing time. 

However, if Boston decides he is ready for a good amount of at bats he’s a must grab for me, even if you must stash him on the bench for a month. Regardless of when he debuts Roman Anthony is a 5-tool superstar outfielder in the making that will be an impact player for years to come.

 

 

 

Kumar Rocker, Texas Rangers

Kumar Rocker’s story proves that development isn’t linear. Drafted in the top 10 twice reliever and conditioning questions surrounding him though his stuff was never question. He put it all together in 2024 and parlayed a 1.96 ERA in the upper minors into a big league call up and 3 starts at the end of the season for the Texas Rangers. 

Standing at 6’5 245 Rocker is an imposing force, he has a slider that’s a true out pitch and he can really bring the heat, when he is on his game, he’s fun to watch. Moving forward Rocker must improve his command, in a small sample size opponents hit .267 off of Rocker and he had a 1.54 WHIP, those are a couple things to improve on as he looks to lock up a spot in Texas’ rotation this spring.

Kyle Teel, Chicago White Sox

Kyle Teel was used as the centerpiece in a deal that sent rising star and strikeout master Garret Crochet to Boston and this trade has the potential to be beneficial for both teams. Teel is a stud who should have no problem cracking the White Sox lineup and staying there for a long time. 

Being the fourth or fifth best prospect in Boston’s loaded farm system he often was overlooked and sometimes underappreciated all he’s done is tear through the minors displaying great contact ability with a willingness to take a walk, though he should work on being more aggressive and 20 homer power. Teel also has above average athleticism that also allows him to steal some bases from time to time and most importantly now has the opportunity for a lot of at bats in a low-pressure situation, which always is conducive to rookie year success.

Jasson Dominguez, New York Yankees

New York has been waiting for the arrival of Jasson Dominguez in the Bronx since he was signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2019 and touted the next Mike Trout. There may be some prospect fatigue setting in with Dominguez. He has been on these lists for a while and last year was supposed to be his year and then he got beat out by Alex Verdugo. 

The good news for Jasson is he’s still young, the tools are still there and if he gets time to develop at the major league level we could see something special, what concerns me is the injury history and the Yankees just lost the World Series, assuming he starts, how long will he be allowed to struggle before he’s benched or sent back down. 

Jacob Wilson, Athletics

Any time a player is the son of an MLB All Star it’s common that he gets high marks for his baseball IQ and gamer mentality, that is the case for Jacob Wilson. Son of former Pittsburgh Pirate Jack Wilson, Jacob’s contact ability is special, he struck out just 4.4 percent at Grand Canyon University propelling him to be selected sixth overall in the 2023 draft by the Athletics. 

He then tore through the minors again displaying elite contact rates and striking out at only 9.9 percent. Injuries cut his season short last season when he debuted and played 28 games in Oakland. He hasn’t shown the power you’d like to see from a 6’2 190 shortstop, but in 79 minor league games he’s slashing .401/.446/.606. This guy can really hit and it looks like he’ll be the starting shortstop in Sacramento in 2025.

 

 

 

Kristian Campbell, Boston Red Sox

Khristian Campbell had a breakout season that minor leaguers dream of in 2024 hitting .330/.439/.558 across 3 levels. Campbell has always been able to make consistent contact and get on base dating back to his time as the leadoff man for Georgia Tech. The Red Sox player development team has reworked his swing in order to get a little more loft and generate more power and it’s worked, now Campbell looks like a 20-25 homer threat. 

There is more swing and miss as he tries to get to the that power but he has the plate discipline for that not to be a huge issue, the biggest drawback for the immediate future with Campbell is playing time, but as soon as he sticks in the big leagues whether it’s this year or next, fantasy owners will want their hands on him.

Jordan Lawlar, Arizona Diamondbacks 

Lawlar has all the tools you could ask for in a shortstop of the future, it’s never been a question about performance with him, although he didn’t look great in his 14 games in the show last year. The biggest question about Jordan Lawlar has been can he stay on the field. Without the injuries we’re looking at a guy who has all five tools on a playoff team with a young and exciting lineup. 

He is playing winter ball this offseason to get some reps in that he missed this season, and he’ll have a chance to snag the shortstop job from Perdomo this spring he just needs to stay healthy and let the tools play up. He’s a guy I’ll be watching closely in spring training 

Bubba Chandler, Pittsburgh Pirates

The Pittsburgh Pirates have quite the embarrassment of riches when it comes to young starting pitching and Bubba Chandler is knocking on the door. Drafted as a two-way player, Chandler arm developed way quicker than his bat and it's a special right arm. A pretty standard arsenal, Chandler throws a fastball, changeup, curveball, slider but the way he pitches is anything but normal. 

His fastball touches the upper 90’s and his slider has turned into a true out pitch, he’s still developing the changeup and he’s athletic enough he repeats his delivery with ease. He’s a name to check back on because if he has a spring training like Jared Jones did last year and cracks the opening day rotation, I could see Bubba Chandler having a similarly exciting rookie season in Pittsburgh.

Quinn Matthews, St. Louis Cardinals

Quinn Matthews pitches a lot, and he pitches well. He made headlines with Stanford when he threw 156 pitches in a super-regional start against Texas. Since entering pro ball Matthews’ velocity has ticked up and his command continues to get better. 

Last season in 143.1 innings across 4 levels he struck out 202 batters while opposing hitters only batted .179 against him. At 6’5 he’s a lanky left hander who has a little bit of funk in his delivery which adds deception. He’ll most likely need a little more seasoning in AAA but once he debuts, he’ll be worth an add to your roster.