Fantasy Baseball Year in Review – Los Angeles Dodgers

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  • By Nathan Baker

    Last Updated on December 3, 2025 11:38 am by Paul Williamson | Published: December 3, 2025

    Nothing short of a repeat World Series title could be considered a success for the 2025 Los Angeles Dodgers, coming off a season where they won an MLB best 98 games, beat the Padres and Mets to win the pennant, and cruised past the Yankees in the World Series to bring home their first title in front of fans since 1988. An aggressive off-season planted seeds for some of the most ambitious predictions we’ve ever seen, and while they failed to meet those gaudy win totals in the regular season, finishing with “just” 93 wins and another NL West title, they dominated the Reds, Phillies and Brewers to get back to the World Series.

    The Blue Jays gave the Dodgers a serious run for their money, matching Los Angeles’ incredible starting pitching with some breakout stars of their own, but it was the Dodgers who ultimately prevailed, dramatically tying Game 7 with one out in the ninth on a Miguel Rojas solo home run, before taking the lead in the 11th courtesy of Will Smith, and that lead stuck with Yoshinobu Yamamoto standing strong on zero days of rest.

    Despite an offense that ranked near the top of the league in most categories, the fantasy value of many of those pieces were not as high. The bullpen has no answers at this point for 2026, having relied upon a series of starting pitchers to get through the playoffs in 2025, but the rotation has a chance to be historically good nets season, with no fewer than five premium fantasy starters on the roster.

    Catcher

    Following a 2024 season where Will Smith started out on fire, before declining in the second half, and ultimately being dropped in the lineup, the Dodgers set out to limit his playing time in 2025 with the goal of preventing a late season burnout. The early returns were terrific, delivering a .965 OPS to earn a start in the All-Star game, and his production after the break, while not as incredible, was respectable until his wrist injury in September.

    Improvements in bat speed and exit velocity would suggest that Smith was feeling healthier as a result of the lighter workload, but his real offensive transformation came in the return of his elite plate discipline, posting a chase rate and walk rate in the top 5% of the league. His long-term deal guarantees that he’ll continue to be the preferred option at catcher, but he shouldn’t be considered as a top five fantasy option given his regular rest, and inability to DH with Shohei Ohtani on the team. Don’t be surprised to see the Dodgers utilize Dalton Rushing on a more regular basis early in the season, who could hold some deep league value if he receives intermittent starts in left field to get him in the lineup regularly.

    First Base

    Freddie Freeman continues to be a key cog in the Dodgers machine, although it’s clear that father time is starting to creep up on the 36 year-old future Hall of Famer. An overall decline in whiff rate, walk rate, strike out rate and line drive percentage didn’t harm his line much, still hitting .295 with an .869 OPS and 24 HR, but it’s clear that his days of stealing 20+ bases are over, with just six this past season. He’s not an MVP caliber guy anymore, but still offers a high floor of quality counting stats and batting average, putting him right on the cusp of being a top six first baseman.

    He should still be drafted comfortably ahead of Josh Naylor in re-draft, but in dynasty leagues, this may be the time to cash out, with a host of far younger players providing similar production. Don’t expect the Dodgers to cut into his playing time yet, however; he should still be in the middle of the lineup routinely, and will play 162 games if he’s physically able to do so.

    Second Base

    The only infield position where the Dodgers didn’t have a clear every day solution, the team rotated through Tommy Edman, Hyeseong Kim, Miguel Rojas, Kike Hernandez and more. Edman is the only one at this position to offer any meaningful value in 2025, although most of that came with his versatility, as his .656 OPS and three stolen bases were both sandbagged by an ankle injury.

    It’s fair to expect an OPS closer to .700 with 20+ steals from Edman, but Hyeseong Kim maybe the only other one of the group with a chance to be a serious fantasy asset. The peripherals were ugly in limited time, but he showed off a good line drive swing and tremendous speed, which could make him a stolen base play in categories leagues if he’s given more regular opportunities. Don’t be shocked to see the Dodgers look for an external solution at second base, although they can always utilize Mookie Betts at the position again, who is more valuable as a second baseman in fantasy than as a shortstop.

    Third Base

    Max Muncy had a strange year, starting with a wretched April, before getting an eyeglass prescription and catching fire, to the tune of a 1.113 OPS in June. He posted a .910 OPS after the All-Star break, working around an injury, but his spectacular all round numbers only existed against right handed pitching, forcing him to sit on the bench against lefties by the end of the season.

    His poor numbers against southpaws may persuade the Dodgers to search for a right handed partner at that position, although Miguel Rojas and Kike Hernandez certainly did the job in the postseason. Given the opportunity on hand with the availability of Munetaka Murakami and Kazuma Okamoto, replacing Muncy outright could be on the table for 2026 as well. Regardless of where he’s playing, Muncy still offers a potent bat against righties, with huge power and elite plate discipline, so he should continue to be drafted in most formats.

    Shortstop

    Mookie Betts endured one of his worst ever offensive seasons, slugging just .406 with a .326 OBP, suffering a precipitous drop in walk rate and average exit velocity. His transition to shortstop was a defensive success, but it’s fair to wonder how much the increased defensive workload took its toll on his bat, especially as he dealt with a toe injury early in the season. He doesn’t run that well anymore, so it’s fair to assume that his days as a real base stealing threat are over, but even at age 33, he’s got plenty left in the tank offensively.

    His contact numbers are still amongst the best in baseball, and given the hot streak he got on towards the back end of the season, it would be more surprising if Betts did not bounce back to levels close to the 2024 version of himself. His current ADP of 43 looks to be a bargain, especially when compared with the electric but inconsistent Zack Neto 10 spots ahead of him. Expect the Dodgers to stick with Betts at shortstop, unless they decide to slide him back to second base to make room for a shortstop acquisition, which seems unlikely given the lack of options on the market.

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    December 3, 2025, 11:38 am