⚾️📈 #MLBMA 2025 Fantasy Baseball Write-Ups ADP 1-5 are LIVE! 📈⚾️
By the reigning back-to-back FSWA winner-- "When you work this hard, winning feels a lot less like luck"
AND WE’RE BACKKKKK! LET’S GO PEOPLE — MLB 2025, IT’S TIME!
First full season on Substack, where I’ll be housing EVERYTHING — so just a quick recap of what to expect in the coming months
First run of Fantasy Player Ranks is on the way, I’m still deciding how to package it — Overall ranks can be hard to use and apply, so I may just divide them into positional tiers.
(Color-coded, direct upload .csv for Best Ball will be right on its tail)
Individual Hitter + SP advanced data sheets are already LIVE at the link below
*NEW* “Playing Time” Tab Added — All 32 Teams complete daily batting lineups with SP handedness to identify benchings or inconsistencies in playing time. Use the ‘filter’ key to separate by team, and away you go!
First Team Preview Podcast Series: Colorado Rockies is up. I’ll continue adding these every few days, 100% FREE FOR EVERYONE ON SPOTIFY OR APPLE PODCASTS
Today also begins our world-famous player write-ups, in order of current ADP so I don’t miss anyone. I’m thinking five players at a time to keep it from running on too long.
For any new readers or potential subscribers — I do my very best to deliver quick reads that are somewhat stat-dense but right to the point. The feedback was so great last year, I had to run these back. (You’ll be able to use the Substack search bar for specific look-ups.)
And as always, I’m available to subs for keeper questions 24/7
ADP 1-5
Shohei Ohtani
Bobby Witt Jr.
Aaron Judge
Elly De La Cruz
Jose Ramirez
First player’s always on me…
#1. Shohei Ohtani, LAD, UT — (731 PA; .310 BA, 134 R, 130 RBI, 54 HR, 59 SB)
Boy, that escalated quickly — we knew this guy was great but that was downright ridiculous. In his first year out in Hollywood, the bright lights and pressure provided exactly zero obstacles for Shohei Ohtani. Arguably the greatest player in the history of mankind, Shohei went absolutely ballistic at the dish last year, returning +16% more fantasy value ($63.40) in roto than any other hitter.
Hard to find anything on the spreadsheet falling short of elite, including approach. Remember, there’s a certain amount of swing-and-miss via aggression we must tolerate when the backend reward is a +60% Hard Hit rate and .518 xwOBAcon. Damn. It’s ludicrous, really. Shohei managed unrivaled, god-like power on just a 22% K rate; despite below-average contact rates. This shows an ability to adjust mid-AB, keeping another +.300BA season (.303 xBA) firmly in the range of outcomes. He’s on the best team in the best spot with no reason (barring injury) not to expect a repeat at the dish.
And oh yeah, I almost forgot… he pitches? Granted, I have zero say in the Dodgers’ day-to-day operations — but I personally wouldn’t risk losing this guy on the hill. This is just speculation but LAD may think the same thing as they continue to pursue SPs via free agency.
None of this mentions the Trolley Dodgers just pulled off a darn championship with just a shell of their Opening Day rotation. Goat-ani’s the easy 1.01, regardless of format.