2025 Fantasy Baseball Dynasty Risers For Every National League Team

Braves

RHP AJ Smith-Shawver

Before spring training, there was some chance that Smith-Shawver might break camp in the rotation, as Spencer Strider’s health wasn’t fully known. But it was expected that the last two spots would end up some combination of Bryce Elder, Ian Anderson, Grant Holmes, Dylan Dodd, Hurston Waldrep or perhaps Smith-Shawver—all of whom are already on the 40-man roster. After a few spring starts in which he was hitting 100 mph on the fastball, it began to become clear that Smith-Shawver was one of the front runners. Confirmed in the Braves’ rotation as the fifth starter—especially after Anderson was shipped off to the Angels—Smith-Shawver is a popular redraft sleeper. Due to his tender age of 22, his dynasty value has risen accordingly.

Honorable Mention: RHP Spencer Schwellenbach

Last year’s pitching revelation has added a seventh pitch to his arsenal this spring, giving Schwellenbach yet another option against which hitters must contend. In 123 innings in 2024, the converted shortstop had a 1.04 WHIP and 3.35 ERA (3.44 xERA) while generating over a strikeout per inning. His redraft cost has consistently risen. I grabbed him in the middle of the seventh round in the Draft Champions league I participated in back in October, and over the last two weeks, he has been taken two full rounds earlier. If that’s the buzz on him in redraft leagues, considering he’s only 24 years old, you can imagine what the sentiment with him is in dynasty.

Marlins

RHP Max Meyer

Meyer has added nearly two ticks to his four seamer to sit 96 mph in spring, and his trademark slider now sits 90. It also seems like he added a sweepier version of his slider that has nearly a foot of horizontal break. With Meyer, the concern has always been health. With his velocity being significantly higher than it was even before his Tommy John surgery, it seems he is feeling good coming into the season. There is still legitimate skepticism that he will hold up over a full season as a starter, but the arrows are definitely pointing up.

Honorable Mention: RHP Sandy Alcantara

Obviously, pedigree for the former Cy Young Winner is not the issue—it’s whether he will return from Tommy John surgery with his stuff nearing its pre-surgery state. Well, he’s blown through the doors on that one, averaging 98 mph on his fastball while also adding further armside run on his sinker and change up. It seems like he has picked up exactly where he left off, and the reporting has been that he will not be on any innings restriction this year.

Mets

RHP Clay Holmes

As a high-leverage reliever the past three years in which he accrued 74 saves, Holmes had been a three-pitch pitcher: a sinker and sweeper, both with horizontal break of 15 inches in each direction, and a slider to split the difference. As a starter for the Mets, Holmes has diversified his arsenal, adding a kick-change, four seam fastball and cutter. After being announced as the Opening Day starter, dynasty managers are expecting him to successfully make the transition and follow in the footsteps of Michael King or Garrett Crochet.

Honorable Mention: 2B Brett Baty

When Jeff McNeil was felled by an oblique strain, it was announced that second base would be filled by a platoon of Luisangel Acuña and Baty. As a lefthanded hitter, Baty would have already been given more opportunities, but with his torrid spring—he hit .353/.441/.745 with four home runs over 59 plate appearances—he probably would have been given the bulk of initial opportunities anyway. He may not be in the role for long, but being given the opportunity to show off his 20-to-25 home run power might unlock future playing time opportunities.

Phillies

LHP Cristopher Sanchez

In 2024, Sanchez pitched over 181 innings with a 3.32 ERA and was, per Baseball Savant, in the 88th percentile for run value. This spring, Sanchez debuted a new cutter while adding 1 to 2 mph across the rest of his three-pitch mix. With his high groundball rate, Sanchez already has a high floor. Add improvements to his arsenal and a big step forward is being projected.

Honorable Mention: Jose Alvarado, P

Although he is presumed to be behind Jordan Romano and perhaps even Orion Kerkering, Alvarado flashed ungodly stuff spring training, with his fastball sitting 100 mph and his cutter averaging 94. In 2023, he had double-digit saves in a committee situation with an ERA of 1.74 in just over 40 innings. It’s quite possible that Alvarado finishes the season as the Phillies’ closer.

Nationals

OF Robert Hassell III

Although he didn’t break camp with the Nationals, Hassell generated some post-hype buzz with a .370/.408/.543 line over 49 plate appearances after battling wrist injuries the past few years. It is not outside the realm of possibility that the 23-year-old will join James Wood and Dylan Crews as the primary Nationals outfield trifecta in 2025.

Honorable Mention: RHP Kyle Finnegan

For the first few weeks of spring training, Finnegan was unsigned. With even less probability than Tanner Scott or Kenley Jansen that he would become the immediate closer for the team he signed with, Finnegan’s value was fringy. After re-signing back with the Nationals and being named the primary closer, however, his value immediately regained relevancy. He’s not the flashiest name but, pending season-long health, should be able to be counted on for 20+ saves in 2025.

Cubs

3B Matt Shaw

A long shot to make the club out of camp when spring training started, when it was reported that Nico Hoerner might not be ready for Opening Day, the green shoots of optimism that Shaw might make the Cubs’ roster began to bloom. After a successful spring, that came to fruition as he flew to Tokyo to play in the opening series with the Dodgers. Already valued for his power/speed combo, the fact that he is already in the majors has seen Shaw’s value take a huge step upward.

Reds

RHP Chase Burns

After being drafted second overall last year, Burns did not make his professional debut in 2024. It wasn’t until spring training that we got to see him in a competitive game and he did not disappoint, sitting 98 to 99 mph with his fastball— and touching triple digits a few times—while striking out 75% of the batters he faced in his debut. If there was any doubt that his fastball or 90 mph slider, which befuddled college hitters in 2024, would have the same potential success against professional hitters, those questions seem to have been answered.

Honorable Mention: 2B/3B Sal Stewart

For the 2024 season, RoboScout had Stewart as the 12th-best hitter in High-A on account of his solid approach, excellent bat-to-ball skills and above-average power. Although a wrist injury and eventual surgery prematurely ended his season, Stewart was ready for spring training and had a 135 wRC+ over 29 plate appearances with one home run and two stolen bases. Although the hitting line is nice, it’s the fact that he seems healthy that has resulted in his dynasty value ascending.

Brewers

RHP Craig Yoho

In 2024, Yoho turned some heads with his curveball that had over 20 inches of horizontal break to go along with his changeup and a fastball boasting 18 inches of tail in the other direction. Both his curve and change got more than 50% whiffs—easily a plus for each pitch. The buzz of his arsenal grew all preseason, and it started to become extremely plausible that he would break camp in the Brewers’ bullpen. He ultimately was sent down to minor league camp, but he is almost a near-certainty to be promoted in 2025—and he might get the call before Jacob Misiorowski. Yoho is sleeper option who might get some saves in 2025 and beyond.

Honorable Mention: SS/3B Joey Ortiz

Likely already offering third base eligibility in your league, the main return in the Corbin Burnes deal will be the Brewers’ primary shortstop in 2025, replacing the departed Willy Adames. With a foundation of 75th percentile bat speed and 85th percentile foot speed, his defense will keep him in the lineup, giving him a high floor and potential for a 20/20 season with multiple positional-eligibility. A good rule of thumb is that if a hitter in his mid 20s is being widely identified as a sleeper in high-stakes redraft leagues, his dynasty value has also increased accordingly.

Pirates

RHP Thomas Harrington

When the Jared Jones injury news first broke, instead of Bubba Chandler or Braxton Ashcraft being considered as his replacement in the rotation, it seemed like it might be Harrington who was still in major league camp. Harrington and the others were eventually optioned, but it’s clear the Pirates believe in Harrington’s ability to deliver in the major leagues. Expect him up early in 2025, and with his confirmed proximity, his dynasty value has taken a large step forward.

Honorable Mention: OF Konnor Griffin

On our most recent fantasy podcast, Geoff Pontes likened Griffin’s ceiling to the likes of Bobby Witt Jr. in center field—high praise, indeed. We already had Griffin’s ceiling as one of the highest in the FYPD class, but since we last saw him, the prep draftee has added strength and seems to have cleaned up his hitting mechanics. Arrow way up.

Cardinals

OF Victor Scott II

In 2024, Scott was all the rage when he made the team out of spring training and dreams of 60 stolen bases blinded fantasy managers. Unfortunately, Scott struggled out of the gate. Overpowered by major league pitching, he was sent back down to the minors after hitting .179/.219/.283 across 155 MLB plate appearances. At the end of the Triple-A season though, Scott had re-worked his hitting mechanics to add a short leg kick and get more of his lower body into his swing. He looked like a different hitter in spring training, hitting four home runs and nabbing the starting center field job with a scintillating .349/.451/.721 line. 

Diamondbacks

RHP Justin Martinez

After signing a five-year extension, it seems like Martinez will likely be given the primary closer reins. All spring, he’s been averaging over 100 mph on his fastball. Arizona GM Mike Hazen had mentioned in the preseason that the 2025 closer probably wasn’t currently on the roster, cooling Martinez’s value, as well as that of A.J. Puk. However, with no substantive signings and the completion of this extension, it certainly looks like it’s the 23-year-old fireballer’s role to lose.

Rockies

OF Zac Veen

After having not quite met the initial FYPD hype from his 2020 draft year when he was ninth player selected, Veen was beginning to get a bit of tarnish on his prospect name and has arguably been viewed as a disappointment. He turned all of that around this spring, as he hit two home runs and stole nine bases, showing off his speed and defense so much so that there was serious talk of him making the team out of camp. Add in the fact that Nolan Jones was shipped out a week before Opening Day, and Veen’s path to playing time looks much clearer. Still only 23 years old, the outfielder might steal 40 bases per season in the major leagues.

Honorable Mention: OF Benny Montgomery

With foot speed and elite exit velocitie, Montgomery has always had tantalizing tools, but injuries have prevented him from actualizing them over a sustained period of time. After playing in the Puerto Rican Winter League to get much needed reps, he finally looks healthy heading into this season where he could potentially be a Brenton Doyle-type outfielder, perhaps even in mid 2025.

Dodgers

RHP Dustin May

After missing all of 2023 after Tommy John surgery, the 27-year-old quieted any skepticism about how his stuff would return with incredible horizontal break on his sweeper and sinker that had him as one of the more Pitching Ninja-giffable pitchers in the game. As it’s been a while since he pitched in the major leagues, you might have forgotten that May has a career 1.05 WHIP and 3.10 ERA over 192 innings. Add in the fact that he has the Dodgers’ behemoth offense behind him, and his dynasty stock is rising once again.

Honorable Mention: OF Michael Conforto

After Conforto signed with the Dodgers, he immediately became redraft relevant. But when it began to be more widely known that by going from Oracle Park to the Dodgers’ home field he was going from a 77 park factor to a 116 for home runs by lefthanded batters, he began to really climb draft boards. Boosting his “home” games home run output by 50% moves him from a 20-home run hitter to around a 25-home run hitter.

Padres

2B/SS Cobb Hightower

Since the draft, Hightower’s stock has risen thanks to promising reports from the Arizona bridge league where he played in unofficial games. All FYPD season, he’s crept up lists and appears to be yet another prep feather in the Padres’ scouting cap.

Giants

RHP Hayden Birdsong

Birdsong didn’t make the Giants’ rotation, but he did make the team and will begin in the bullpen to open the season. It seems fairly accurate to say that the 23-year-old surpassed Kyle Harrison on the depth chart thanks to a 13.5 K/9 this spring in 12 innings with no walks. Sitting 96 mph while adding about an inch of IVB—last year, his fastball already had nearly an inch more rise than the league average—complemented by his excellent changeup and bullet slider. Birdsong is showing the makings of an excellent dynasty asset.

Honorable Mention: RHP Landen Roupp

You might be wondering why Roupp is behind Birdsong on this list when he beat out Birdsong to be named the final starter in the Giants’ rotation. Simply, it’s because he is three years older than Birdsong. The gap on Roupp’s east-west horizontal movement on his breaking pitches and fastball resemble Clay Holmes, Michael King, Dustin May and Will Warren, giving some low-hanging fruit comps. A pitcher in his mid 20s with Oracle Park as his home stadium who should have a sub-4.00 ERA and a near 9 K/9 is a solid roster addition in most dynasty leagues.