The MLB season is upon us already with drafts in full swing. With Opening Day nearing, fantasy baseball players awaken from their winter slumbers. Maybe you played fantasy football to get by. Maybe you picked up pickleball. Maybe you cried when Juan Soto signed with the Mets. Maybe that last part was just me. It doesn’t matter how you got through the off-season because we are so, so back.

Every year, fantasy pundits come out with their bold predictions and well, these aren’t much different. You know the drill. What I can tell you, is that I tried to come up with some bolder predictions and while some of my rationale dovetails with trends/consensus in the industry right now, I strove to try and have fun with it and err on the side of bolder along with adding in my own opinion. Without further ado…

1. Bo Bichette wins AL Comeback Player of the Year after going 30/30 and setting career highs in home runs and stolen bases.

Bo “Without the Flow” Bichette is back onto the scene to take the fantasy world by storm, fresh haircut in hand. His 2024 was marred by injuries and inconsistency, but he’s primed for a massive rebound. A fully healthy season could see his hit tool return to form, while the new stolen base environment and a more aggressive approach at the plate push him to a new career best in power. If he flirts with a .310+ average, 30 homers, and 30 steals, he won’t just be a fantasy steal—he’ll take home AL Comeback Player of the Year honors.

2. Tomoyuki Sugano has a sub-3.50 ERA and wins AL Rookie of the Year (+2000).

While most eyes are on Jasson Dominguez (+380) and Roman Anthony (+550) for the award, it’s a different rookie who steals the show. After years of dominance in Japan, the 35-year-old rookie Tomoyuki Sugano proves that his elite command and deep arsenal translate seamlessly to MLB. With a refined splitter and pinpoint control, he racks up quality starts while keeping his ERA under 3.50. If he can handle the innings jump and maintain his efficiency, he could be the surprise ROY winner that no one saw coming. He’s already shown what he can do in Spring Training, and being on a great team like the Orioles will only help his case.

I’m officially coining him “The Professor“—his command and efficiency on the mound coupled with his refined age will make every start feel like a masterclass in pitching. Youth be damned. With an NFBC ADP of 346.7 at the time of writing, “The Professor” is virtually free in drafts as many ignore what he has to offer due to the lack of strikeouts in his profile and probably a bit of ageism.

3. Victor Scott II leads the majors in stolen bases.

The speed king no one sees coming. Victor Scott II has game-changing wheels, and with newfound power and a shot at the everyday CF job in St. Louis, he has a legitimate shot to swipe 60+ bags and outpace the usual suspects like Corbin Carroll and Bobby Witt Jr. His sprint speed is already among the best in baseball, he stole 94 combined bases in the minors in 2023, and with it just announced he will have an everyday role, he could go full Billy Hamilton mode—except with a better bat and more power. The league may not be ready for what Scott can do on the basepaths and I am here for it. I may have also drafted him in my TGFBI league.

4. The Red Sox win the AL East (and it pains me to say it).

As a Yankees fan, this one physically hurts to write—but I can’t ignore what Boston has done this offseason. The Red Sox weren’t content with another lost year and went out to make real moves. The biggest splash was Alex Bregman on a three-year deal, giving them another elite bat alongside Rafael Devers and Triston Casas. But they didn’t stop there. Boston overhauled its pitching staff, trading for Garrett Crochet, signing Walker Buehler on a prove-it deal, and adding Patrick Sandoval to bolster the rotation. The bullpen got a makeover too, with Aroldis Chapman, Adam Ottavino, and Jovani Morán joining the mix.

The Yankees have the star power. The Orioles have the youth movement. But the Red Sox? They have the element of surprise. If Jarren Duran continues his breakout, the rotation holds up, and their offseason moves pay off, Boston could turn the AL East race upside down. I don’t like it—but I see it happening.

5. Brent Rooker leads the league in home runs.

Brent Rooker, home run king? It sounds crazy, but hear me out. The power was already there—he crushed 39 home runs in 2024 despite playing in one of the worst hitter’s parks in baseball. Now, entering his age-30 season, he’s fully locked in as the A’s cleanup hitter and will have every opportunity to mash. His 16.6% barrel rate and 91.9 mph average exit velocity ranked among the league’s elite, showing his ability to make hard contact consistently.

And here’s the real kicker: the A’s are playing in Sutter Health Park in Sacramento, and while it may not be the Pacific Coast League launching pad we initially thought it was, it could still bode well for power relative to Oakland Coliseum. Rooker stands to benefit more than anyone. If he stays healthy and sees 600 plate appearances, he has an outside shot at 50+ home runs and the unlikeliest home run crown in recent memory.

6. Lawrence Butler fails to amass 10 HR and 10 SB and is sent down within the first two months of the season.

The hype around Lawrence Butler knows no bounds, but 2025 could be a harsh reality check. While he has the raw tools to be an exciting power-speed threat, At 24, Butler is on the older side for a prospect, and his plate approach still needs significant refinement. His 31.5% strikeout rate in 2024 suggests he may struggle to consistently make contact at the big-league level. While he did hit 22 home runs and steal 18 bases last season, his high strikeout rate and streaky performance could lead to early struggles. If Butler doesn’t adjust quickly, the Athletics might consider sending him back to Triple-A by mid-May to refine his approach, delaying the anticipated breakout season. Let’s not forget that for every late-blooming success story, there’s a fluke like Aristides Aquino—who once looked like the next slugging star before fading into obscurity.

7. Cody Bellinger wins AL MVP (aided by Yankee Stadium’s short porch).

Cody Bellinger has already won one MVP, so calling him a long shot might seem strange—but with his ADP hovering around 100, the fantasy world has written him off as just a good, not great, player. We’ve already seen what hitting in that lineup and park can do for a hitter like Juan Soto’s power numbers. Now playing in Yankee Stadium, one of the most hitter-friendly parks for left-handed power, Bellinger finds himself in an ideal situation. The short porch in right field (314 feet) plays perfectly to his pull-side power, giving him a built-in home run boost. What if he taps back into his 2019 form and slugs 40+ homers with double-digit steals while leading the Yankees to the postseason? If the Yankees make a deep run and Bellinger puts up those kinds of numbers, he’ll have a real shot at MVP honors once again. Insightful bold take or Yankee homer bias? Let’s move on.

8. Spencer Schwellenbach is the fantasy SP1 on the Atlanta Braves.

The Braves rotation has established names like Chris Sale, Reynaldo López, and Spencer Strider, but by season’s end, it’s Spencer Schwellenbach who emerges as their best fantasy starter. With elite velocity (96.1 MPH fastball), plus control (top 5% BB%), and three legitimate secondary weapons, Schwellenbach has all the ingredients of a frontline ace. His curve and splitter both miss bats at a 40%+ whiff rate, and he generates weak contact at an elite rate (4.9% barrel%). If he stays healthy and builds on his strong 2024 finish (3.35 ERA, 25.4% K-rate), he could leap past his veteran rotation mates to become Atlanta’s most dominant arm. Already a fantasy darling and popular draft riser, Schwellenbach may need a few injuries in front of him to make this happen, but if it all falls the right way, he could do it. Schwellenbach. Remember the name.

9. Jackson Holliday steals 40 bases.

We know the bat is legit, and we know the playing time is coming. But what if Jackson Holliday doesn’t just hit the ground running—he literally runs wild? Holliday posted a 94th percentile sprint speed in 2024 and stole 26 bags in 128 minor league games across four levels in 2023. With the Orioles committed to giving him the everyday second base job and the green light on the bases, Holliday could reach 40+ steals as early as this season. He gets on base, he’s aggressive, and the Orioles love to run. If he can maintain his on-base percentage (OBP) and avoid the rookie wall, Holliday could end up as one of the most dynamic fantasy contributors of the year.

10. Cam Smith hits 25+ home runs and bats over .300.

I have become increasingly aware through recent drafts that I am one of the most all-in on Cam Smith this year, so why not make it official. Chasing prospect upside without a wealth of data points to fall back on is fool’s gold most of the time until it’s not. After consistently sticking to evaluators assessments and advice over the year’s and investing in dynasty and keeper assets such as Clint Frazier, Nick Senzel, Gavin Lux, Andrew Vaughn and Spencer Torkelson, it’s become clear to me that sometimes you need to throw caution to the wind when guys who burst onto the scene from relative prospect obscurity like Juan Soto and Yordan Alvarez exist. I refuse to not at least be cognizant of the potential upside the guys who seemingly come out of nowhere present albeit the low hit rate.

Smith has done nothing but rake this spring to the tune of 4 HR and 11 RBI at a .371 clip over 35 at-bats. According to Chadler Rome over at The Athletic, Mauricio Dubon was quoted as saying Smith is “the next 60-homer guy.” Not only that, but he has played everyday in right field for the past two weeks. This puts him in line to gain that coveted infield/outfield multiple position eligibility we all seek. If the at-bats are there, the cost is cheap, the team need is there, and the contact is the floor as the power comes, it’s hard to say no to taking him in the last five rounds of any draft.

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