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Mike discusses 6 infielders who can be fantasy baseball bounceback sleepers in 2025. Target these mid-to-late round picks as fantasy hitter values for drafts.
As fantasy drafts surround us this month, we spend most of our time thinking about those early-round fantasy stars we need to anchor our rosters. These decisions can end up being momentous, and we love to "get our guys" early in drafts.
But what about later in drafts when we are searching for potential bargains? We usually look for the hotshot rookie or the guy who just needs an opportunity. However, one player we sometimes miss out on or overlook is the player who could bounce back and be productive for our fantasy teams. This article will look at infielders who could be bounce-back candidates and provide value to our teams who are currently being overlooked and undervalued in drafts.
Let's dive in and find six guys who fit the bill.
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Josh Jung, 3B, Texas Rangers
Jung is healthy for spring training for the first time in his MLB career. Playing time does not seem to be an issue here, even with the presence of slugger Jake Burger, who is slotted to play first base. With health on his side, Jung could have a breakout season in 2025.
Check out his Statcast page from 2023 below. Yes, the strikeout rate is a little high, and the walk rate is a little low, but Jung hits the ball hard, as evidenced by the blood-red color below.
In 2o23, Jung hit .266 with 23 home runs, 70 RBI, and 75 runs scored. That is a productive player. This spring, he has 37 at-bats and is hitting .258 with a homer. The important piece here to me is not the stats but the fact that he is playing. Remember Jung if you miss out on the top-tier third basemen.
Christian Encarnacion-Strand, 1B, Cincinnati Reds
He feels like a forgotten man in Cincinnati, but this first baseman has terrific power and a growing sense of opportunity there due to the injury status of Spencer Steer. A forgotten man in some circles, Encarnacion-Strand could be cheap power later in drafts, which is becoming increasingly hard to find. Don't forget the big first baseman, even though his role appears unclear at the moment.
The Reds plan to start Jeimer Candelario at first base at this moment, but this could be a temporary situation if he does not hit. Opposite Candelario at third base is Gavin Lux and Santiago Espinal. Do you see my point? It could be easy for Encarnacion-Strand to garner at-bats in this lineup.
This spring he is hitting .296 with three home runs in 30 plate appearances. The power is real, and with an opportunity, the burly first baseman could hit 25 home runs with a batting average that will not sink your precious ratios.
I would take a chance on Encarnacion-Strand later in drafts as a corner infield guy who could produce results for your fantasy squad, as he has produced and shown his power when he has played (see below). The 2024 season was a wash due to injury, but he is healthy and ready for a shot.
Trevor Story, SS, Boston Red Sox
Story feels like a forgotten player in drafts, lest we remember the halcyon days (thanks, Nathan Grimm, for sticking this in my head) as Colorado Rockie. I fully recognize that injury history and age are two large factors against him. But based on where he is going in drafts, you can take a small risk in Story and cut him if he starts slowly.
The bounce-back will not be reminiscent of first-round Trevor Story. But check out a reason for mild optimism below; these are Story's stats over the last month of the season when he was healthy: 72 plate appearances, with a .270 batting average, two homers, six RBI, and five stolen bases.
If he is healthy, he can still be a productive player in a good lineup. Double-digit home runs and stolen bases are not out of the question, and where he is going in drafts means there is low risk.
Miguel Vargas, 3B/OF, Chicago White Sox
Vargas cannot possibly be worse than last year when he moved from the Los Angeles Dodgers (the best team in baseball) to the Chicago White Sox (the worst team ever) at the 2024 trade deadline. People love to poke fun (and rightfully so) at the woeful White Sox, and they took criticism for taking Vargas back from the Dodgers in the Michael Kopech trade.
He hit a woeful .150 with five home runs and three stolen bases in 2024. But Vargas has a few things in the positive box: he's free, he is hitting well in spring training, he has a prospect pedigree, and he has an opportunity to get 500 at-bats.
Thus far in spring, he is hitting .400 with a home run and four RBI in 30 plate appearances. This is the kind of dart throw you want to make late in drafts, Ted Lasso fans. Manager Will Venable said that Vargas will see daily at-bats as the team's primary third baseman and has expressed confidence in his playing ability.
A mild risk here could net you 15 home runs and 15 stolen bases at the corner infield position, which is decent production these days. As a lifelong White Sox fan, I am pulling for Vargas and hope he rebounds this season.
Bo Bichette, SS, Toronto Blue Jays
Bichette might be the most interesting player of this bunch. And this might feel a bit like cheating since Bichette has been so good earlier in his career. Yet, the last year and a half has been tough for the shortstop, mostly due to injury concerns. In the box below, you can see his success in the earlier part of his career for yourself, when high batting averages, good home run totals, and at times, good stolen bases were all part of his repertoire.
Bichette has fallen on harder times over the last season and a half. The veteran shortstop has suffered injuries to his thumb, knee, quad, and calf (multiple times), and had a broken finger, which ended his 2024 season prematurely. If healthy, a rebound could await. Manager John Schneider feels that Bichette will either bat leadoff or cleanup and that this could change daily depending on who is pitching against the Blue Jays.
I would expect that Bichette could easily get double-digit home runs and a good batting average. The stolen bases, given his health concerns, could dry up some. Expect an average of about .270 with 15-20 home runs and eight to 10 stolen bases.
Thairo Estrada, 2B, Colorado Rockies
UPDATE 3/20: Thairo Estrada will miss 4-8 weeks with a broken wrist after getting hit by a pitch.
Estrada is looking for his bounce-back season on a new team in the same NL West division, moving from San Francisco to Denver. Hopefully, good health and plenty of at-bats await him there. Estrada looks to be the starter at second base this year. With at-bats, Estrada is a classic compiler. He is off to a hot start this spring, hitting over .400 with seven RBI and a couple of stolen bases.
The veteran should hit in the top half of the Colorado lineup, and I think a 12-15 home run season with 15 stolen bases isn't out of the question for Estrada, and maybe more if he can cobble together 500 at-bats. If you need middle infield help later in drafts, don't forget about Estrada.
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