X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

6 Post-Hype Fantasy Baseball Sleepers With Upside - Breakout Candidates for Later Rounds

Spencer Torkelson - Fantasy Baseball Rankings, Draft Sleepers, MLB Injury News

Elliot's six post-hype fantasy baseball sleepers and breakout candidates for 2025 drafts. His top later-round value picks with upside who can have big seasons.

Howdy RotoBallers! It’s almost time for Opening Day stateside, which means it’s fantasy baseball draft crunch time. In this article, I’ve identified six post-hype sleepers that are nice values late in drafts.

They’ve all been top fantasy baseball prospects or hyped up at one point, but the shine has worn off these guys after some major league struggles. These are later-round fliers and value picks that you can snag at the end of your draft, for for a couple of bucks in an auction draft.

ADP is taken from NFBC and is accurate as of 3/22/25. For a deeper dive into ADP trends and strategies, check out our Fantasy Baseball ADP Guide to gain an edge on draft day. Good luck RotoBallers!

Be sure to check all of our fantasy baseball lineup tools and resources:

 

Tyler Soderstrom, 1B, Athletics

NFBC ADP: 286.55

Soderstrom was once a highly regarded prospect as a catcher, and while his defense forced him to first base, he is still an interesting bat to look at in drafts. Soderstrom crushed minor league pitching last season to the tune of a .279/.385/.607 triple slash with 10 home runs in 143 PA at Triple-A.

He didn’t fare as well in the majors, but Soderstrom didn’t seem overmatched either. He struck out 24.9% of the time, which is about the same as his Triple-A strikeout rate. He only hit .233, but he had a .273 BABIP. Soderstrom isn’t the fastest and only had a 13.1% line drive rate last year so there probably isn’t a ton of room for improvement, but his average could rise 10 or so points in 2025.

What’s really to like about Soderstrom is the power. He smacked nine home runs in 213 PA in the majors last season, but the underlying numbers suggest more power lurking in this bat. Soderstrom had a .480 xSLG compared to his .429 actual SLG and had a blistering 91.9 mph average exit velocity.

Soderstrom also had a strong 14.6% barrel rate, a number made even more impressive by his sub-25% strikeout rate. Sure, we see big barrel rate numbers from guys like Oneil Cruz and Michael Toglia, but they strike out over 30% of the time. Soderstrom is making more consistent contact, which should lead to improved power in 2025.

The ballpark shift to Sacramento could help Soderstrom find more power as well. He had a .221 ISO on the road but a .158 ISO at home last season. Sutter Health Park isn’t known as a hitter’s haven, but it should serve better than the Coliseum for power. He’s slated to hit fifth and play first base for the Athletics this season, and he’s an interesting CI option at his current ADP.

 

Spencer Torkelson, 1B, Detroit Tigers

NFBC ADP: 391.78

The No. 1 draft pick in 2020, Torkelson, has been crushing it this spring with a .997 OPS and four home runs in 44 PA. What’s especially encouraging for Torkelson is a reduction in his strikeout rate. He’s only struck out 22.7% of the time thus far in Spring Training, whereas he struck out 27.6% of the time in 2024. Let’s not forget that Torkelson also smacked 31 home runs in 2023, so the hype (or post-hype) is more than theoretical in his case.

The Statcast numbers from that season suggest big power in Torkelson’s bat. He had a 91.8 mph average exit velocity and a 14.1% barrel rate. Unfortunately, his EV dropped to 89 mph, and his barrel rate plummeted to 6.7%. Torkelson may’ve been selling out too much for flyballs that season.

He raised his launch angle to 20.2 degrees in 2024, and his flyball rate was 50.8%. It’s tough to have a solid batting average with such a high flyball rate, especially playing half his games in Comerica Park. He also had a low 15.1% line drive rate, so it appears that Torkelson earned his poor 2024.

With 2024 behind him and a strong spring, Torkelson has shown the ability to straighten out his swing and smack bombs once again. He’s even played some outfield this spring, so perhaps Torkelson could get some additional eligibility. The Tigers have Javier Baez slated to play third base; they could give Torkelson a chance there, too, if they felt froggy. He’s not someone I’d invest too heavily in, but he seems like a good dart throw late in drafts. Remember, he hit 31 home runs in 2023; I’d take him over less-proven guys like Jhonkensy Noel and Pavin Smith.

 

Nolan Gorman, 2B, St. Louis Cardinals

NFBC ADP: 379.55

The other Nolan in St. Louis, Gorman, was atrocious last season. He managed to hit 19 home runs, but he had a .203/.271/.400 triple slash and a whopping 37.6% strikeout rate. He had the second-highest strikeout rate among batters in the majors last season (min. 400 PA). This came after a 2023 season where Gorman hit 27 bombs and slugged .478 with a 118 wRC+. Gorman's batting average was just .236, and he struck out 31.9% of the time, but you can live with that at 2B if he’s producing power.

What’s interesting about Gorman is that he supposedly reworked his swing this offseason. The spring results haven’t been there, with Gorman sporting a .200/.245/.340 triple slashline in 53 PA as of writing this, but his reduced strikeout rate is encouraging. Gorman has struck out just 22.6% of the time this spring, and his swinging strike rate is just 12.6%, down from a wild 18.5% last season. His contact rate is up to 73.4%, when he was at a pitiful 63.5% in the regular season last year.

If Gorman can make more contact, he could become much more valuable in fantasy. He has consistently posted elite barrel rates, putting up a barrel rate over 16% in each of the last two seasons. Can you imagine if he could cut his strikeout rate to 25% but maintain those barrels? His xwOBAcon last season was .463, only 21 points lower than his strong 2023 campaign.

Unfortunately, one concern is that his average exit velocity dropped from 91 mph in 2023 to 88.5 mph in 2024. Perhaps the new swing can help him recapture that power, but we’ll need to see it. Even with the dip in exit velocity, I like Gorman as a late round 2B flier. He’s supposedly going to get 550-600 PA this season, which could lead him to hit 25 or more home runs again.

 

Kris Bubic, SP, Kansas City Royals

NFBC ADP: 367.71

Bubic dominated in 2024 after being converted from a starter to a reliever. In 27 appearances, Bubic posted a 2.67 ERA, 1.95 FIP, and 28.1% K-BB%. That is filthy, and with Bubic set to rejoin the Royals rotation for Opening Day, he may have some fantasy appeal as a late-round grab.

A former top prospect, Bubic flamed out as a starter after undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2023. He returned in 2024 and excelled as a reliever, working primarily with a three-pitch mix consisting of a four-seam fastball, slider, and changeup. He’s also added a cutter that he’s been using to great effectiveness this spring.

Something that worked well for Bubic last season was his fastball. His velocity was up almost two mph, and he averaged 93 mph on the gun last season. He’s been averaging 93 during the spring, so perhaps Bubic can carry those velocity gains into the rotation.

Opponents really struggled against his fastball last season, batting just .205 against the pitch along with a .272 wOBA. Batters could not make solid contact, averaging just an 82.3 mph exit velocity against the pitch last season. This is a big improvement for Bubic, whose fastball was getting smoked for 90+ mph in years past.

Bubic also got more whiffs with his fastball last season, putting up an impressive 15.5% swinging strike rate and a 33.3% chase rate, which are exceptional numbers for a fastball. Bubic gained movement with the pitch in addition to velocity and began using it differently. Let’s compare his fastball heatmap from last season to the rest of his career.

Pre-2024:

2024:

He kept it up and in against righties and away from lefties, ultimately wielding a much more effective offering. The fastball wasn’t his only significant improvement, either. Bubic had a 13.3% swinging strike rate, a 37.5% chase rate with his slider, an even better 18.2% swinging strike rate, and a 45.7% chase rate with his changeup.

He performed better against righties last season, largely thanks to his nasty changeup. There’s no guarantee that Bubic can translate his bullpen success to the rotation, but after seeing success stories like Reynaldo Lopez last season, why not take a shot on Bubic? He’s one of my favorite pitchers to grab at the end of drafts this season.

 

Michael Soroka, SP/RP, Washington Nationals

NFBC ADP: 459.71

Soroka was once an emergent star on the Braves, posting a 2.68 ERA over 174.2 innings as a 21-year-old back in 2019. It seemed like little could get in the way between Soroka and stardom, but like with many pitchers, Soroka struggled to stay healthy. Unlike many pitchers, it wasn’t arm troubles that kept him down.

He pitched in just 10 games between 2020 and 2023 after suffering the misfortune of tearing and retearing his Achilles tendon. Out of time with the Braves, he was sent to baseball purgatory last season (AKA the White Sox) and went 0-10 with a 4.74 ERA. So, why should we believe in him?

Soroka hasn’t had the best results this spring with a 7.47 ERA and 5.86 FIP in four outings as of writing this. Still, he’s done some interesting things with his pitch mix that may have us raising an eyebrow or two. Perhaps the most interesting thing he’s done is raise his fastball velocity.

Soroka threw his fastball 93.5 mph last season, but he averaged 94.6 mph in his most recent spring start. He also saw his sinker velocity spike up to 94.2 mph, where he averaged 92.3 mph with it in 2024.

If Soroka can sustain these velocity gains in the regular season, his strikeout rate could rise. Batters already struggled against his slider last season to the tune of a .168 AVG, .317 SLG, and .252 wOBA, along with a 41.7% whiff rate. Those are all excellent numbers, and it’s kind of surprising that Soroka didn’t have better outcomes with the White Sox, given these numbers.

What held him back was his fastball, which had a 21.1% whiff rate last year. Soroka notched four whiffs with a 31% whiff rate with the four-seamer in his most recent spring start with Statcast data, and he also has an improved 11.4% swinging strike rate this spring.

He had a 24.2% strikeout rate last season, and I think he could at least maintain that this year. He’s on a better team by default as well, so he’ll have a better supporting cast around him. Soroka isn’t as exciting to me as the other two pitchers; his repertoire is limited, and I don’t think he’ll be able to reach the heights we saw in 2019. He relied heavily on luck during his breakout 2019 season. Still, at his cost, he might be worth a stab late in drafts. If he can sustain these velocity gains, he could be a much better pitcher and a fantasy asset in 2025.

 

Reid Detmers, SP, Los Angeles Angels

NFBC ADP: 389.74

UPDATE 3/24: Reid Detmers will start the season in the bullpen, and is set for a long-relief/swing role to open the year.

Another first-round pick in 2020, Detmers got crushed last season to the tune of a 4-9 record and 6.70 ERA. He didn’t pitch his best and suffered some misfortune on top of it. Still, one doesn’t have to look too deeply into this profile to see the potential. Despite the struggles, Detmers had a 27.9% strikeout rate and a 3.77 SIERA, three runs lower than his actual ERA.

A former top prospect, the hype is off Detmers coming into this season as he’s currently going at pick 389 in NFBC drafts. He’s basically free in standard leagues as well. Is there any value to be had here?

I mentioned that Detmers had some misfortune last season, and that might be an understatement. He was one of the most unlucky pitchers in the majors last season. He had an ugly .370 wOBA against, but just a .314 xwOBA against, giving him the largest gap between actual and expected results in MLB in 2024.

He also had a bloated .357 BABIP against and an uncharacteristically high 17.1% HR/FB ratio. His BABIP rose despite a career-low 17.9% line drive rate against. We could expect his BABIP to normalize towards the league average of .300; he had a career .301 BABIP against prior to last season. If that happens, we could certainly expect improvements on his 62.9% LOB rate as well.

While we can expect better outcomes for Detmers in 2025, there are still some concerning aspects of his game that should be addressed. He gives up good quality contact, including an 89.9 mph average exit velocity and a 10.7% barrel rate against last season.

He managed a sub-10% barrel rate in the previous two seasons, so there’s hope that the number will drop, but he’s always surrendered hard contact. He also has flyball tendencies in a hitter-friendly ballpark, meaning his home run rate could remain high even if the HR/FB ratio normalizes.

It’s not easy to find strikeouts late in drafts and Detmers had a 13% swinging strike rate and a 30.1% chase rate last season; his strikeout rate is legit. If everything broke Detmers’ way he could have a sub-4.00 ERA with a good strikeout rate, but I’d need to see him do it on the field before I’d trust him in my lineup.

Apparently, the Angels think less of Detmers than this writer as they've announced he'll work out of the bullpen to begin the season. He could certainly earn his way back into the rotation at some point; the Angels have three starts over the age of 33 and fifth start Jack Kochanowicz is hardly a proven commodity. He's best kept as a name to remember in case he does emerge as a starter or a dominant reliever. Detmers has the talent to succeed, if he can put everything together.



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy baseball app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, sleepers, prospects & more. All free!



More Fantasy Baseball Advice




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

A.J. Dillon

Not a Lock for a Roster Spot?
Chicago White Sox

Billy Carlson Goes 10th Overall to White Sox
Cincinnati Reds

Steele Hall Selected Ninth by Cincinnati
Toronto Blue Jays

Blue Jays Select JoJo Parker with Eighth Overall Pick
Boston Celtics

Damian Lillard Drawing Interest from the Celtics
Miami Marlins

Marlins Select Aiva Arquette With Seventh Overall Pick
Pittsburgh Pirates

Pirates Select Seth Hernandez with Sixth Overall Pick
Kyle Stowers

Punishes Former Team with Three-Homer Game
St. Louis Cardinals

Cardinals Select Liam Doyle with Fifth Overall Pick
Daniel Gafford

Agrees to Contract Extension with Dallas
Colorado Rockies

Rockies Select Ethan Holliday Fourth Overall
Seattle Mariners

Kade Anderson Selected Third Overall by Seattle
Ha-Seong Kim

X-rays on Ha-Seong Kim's Foot Come Back Negative
Los Angeles Angels

Tyler Bremner Selected Second Overall by Angels in 2025 MLB Draft
Washington Nationals

Nationals Select Eli Willits First Overall
Jake Meyers

to Miss More Than Three Weeks With Calf Injury
Cooper Flagg

Shut Down for Rest of Summer League
LeBron James

Hasn't Requested a Trade
Quinshon Judkins

Following Quinshon Judkins Arrest, NFL Declines Comment
Travis Hunter

Earning Praise in Jaguars Camp for Work Ethic
Memphis Grizzlies

Cole Anthony, Grizzlies Agree to Contract Buyout
Edward Cabrera

Hopeful to Avoid Injured List
Oneil Cruz

Absent on Sunday
Lars Nootbaar

Placed on 10-Day Injured List
Jake Burger

Scratched on Sunday
Iván Herrera

Ivan Herrera Back in Action on Sunday
Sean Manaea

Reinstated From Injured List
Shane Van Gisbergen

Can Anyone Beat Shane van Gisbergen at Sonoma?
Tyler Reddick

Better at Sonoma Than Record Shows
Chase Elliott

a Prime DFS Option at Sonoma
Julius Chestnut

Kalel Mullings Competing for RB3 Role
Michael McDowell

Struggling a Bit at Sonoma
Carlos Correa

Returns to Twins Lineup
Connor Norby

Placed on 10-Day Injured List
Kimani Vidal

Fighting for No. 3 Job
Cam Hart

Recovering From Shoulder Surgery
NASCAR

Christopher Bell Has Never Finished Better Than Ninth at Sonoma
Ryan Blaney

Has Top-10 Upside at Sonoma
Quentin Johnston

Might Not Get Many Chances to Prove Himself
Tre Harris

Officially a Holdout
NASCAR

Sunday at Sonoma Will Likely Be a Long Race for Bubba Wallace
Kyle Larson

Is A Likely Top-Five Contender for Sonoma
Ryan Preece

Points Position Could Affect Race at Sonoma
Todd Gilliland

Struggling to Find Speed at Sonoma
Ty Gibbs

May be an Underrated Favorite to Compete for the Win at Sonoma
Ricky Stenhouse Jr

. Should Move Up on Sunday
Ross Chastain

is a Likely Top-Five Contender for Sonoma
Josh Berry

Should Be Avoided in Fantasy at Sonoma
Chris Buescher

is A Great DFS Option to Consider for Sonoma Lineups
Riley Herbst

a Deep Sleeper at Sonoma
Joey Logano

May be A Sneaky DFS Option Who Can Pay Off for Sonoma Lineups
Austin Cindric

Could Austin Cindric Work for DFS Lineups at Sonoma?
Carson Hocevar

Is Carson Hocevar Worth Rostering For Sonoma DFS Lineups?
John Hunter Nemechek

Is John Hunter Nemechek A Sneaky DFS Play for Sonoma?
AJ Allmendinger

A.J. Allmendinger Probably More Valuable for DFS If He Doesn't Flip the Stage
Travis Etienne Jr.

Needs to Bounce Back in 2025
Wan'Dale Robinson

Wants More Downfield Opportunities this Season
Quinshon Judkins

Arrested on Saturday for Battery and Domestic Violence
Terry McLaurin

Could be a Holdout at Training Camp
Roger McCreary

a Candidate for a Contract Extension?
Mike Evans

Buccaneers Could Have Difficult Time Retaining Mike Evans
Charles Cross

Could Sign Extension Before Training Camp
Xavier Restrepo

One to Watch Going into Training Camp
Calvin Ridley

Appears Re-Energized
Mark Andrews

Still a Key Piece in Ravens Offense
Ndamukong Suh

Officially Announces his Retirement
Jaylen Waddle

Motivated After Disappointing Season
Tre Harris

Still Unsigned
Alexandre Sarr

Plays Well in Summer League Loss to Phoenix
Yang Hansen

Looks Good on Friday Night
Erik Karlsson

Open to Move Away From Pittsburgh
Zach Hyman

Hopes to be Ready for Start of Next Season
SJ

Jeff Skinner Joins Sharks on One-Year Contract
Kon Knueppel

Struggles in Summer League Win
Walter Clayton Jr.

Plays Well on Friday Night
Cody Williams

Scores 21 Points in Summer League Loss
Kyle Filipowski

Leads the Way on Friday Night
Isaiah Jackson

Signs Three-Year Extension
Marvin Bagley III

Joining the Wizards
Herbert Jones

Signing Extension with Pelicans
Jacob Toppin

Returning to Hawks
Dalton Knecht

Avoids Serious Injury
Javon Small

Signs Two-Way Deal
Ryan Reaves

Traded to Sharks
Vladislav Kolyachonok

Moves to Dallas
Matt Dumba

Lands in Pittsburgh
Mackie Samoskevich

Re-Signs with Panthers on One-Year Deal
Josh Manson

Inks Two-Year Extension with Avalanche
EDM

Isaac Howard Signs Three-Year, Entry-Level Contract With Oilers
Tallison Teixeira

Set For His First UFC Main Event
Derrick Lewis

Set To Headline UFC Nashville
Gabriel Bonfim

Looks For His Third UFC Win
Stephen Thompson

Returns At UFC Nashville
Steve Garcia

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Calvin Kattar

In Dire Need Of Victory
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere A Favorite At UFC Nashville
Nate Landwehr

Aims To Bounce Back
MMA

Austen Lane Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Vitor Petrino

Set For His Heavyweight Debut
Tuco Tokkos

Set To Open Up UFC Nashville Main Card
Junior Tafa

Set For Light-Heavyweight Bout
Jalen Williams

Signs Contract Extension With Thunder
Alijah Martin

Agrees to Two-Way Deal With Raptors
Tristan Vukcevic

Set to Return to Washington
Anfernee Simons

Celtics Are "Actively Trying to Trade" Anfernee Simons
Gary Woodland

Looking to Find Rhythm at Scottish Open
Aaron Rai

Brings Consistent Play to Scottish Open
Maverick McNealy

a Solid Value Play at Scottish Open
Aldrich Potgieter

Making Scottish Open Debut
Tom Kim

Looks to Rebound at Scottish Open
Brian Harman

a Safe Option at Scottish Open
Luke Clanton

a Sneaky Value Play at Scottish Open
Sam Burns

Looking to Stay Hot at Scottish Open
Nicolai Hojgaard

May Feel More at Home in Europe
Harry Hall

Showing Fine Form Heading to Scotland
Ryan Fox

Playing Well Since Early Spring Struggles
Max Greyserman

has Solid History at the Genesis Scottish Open
Harris English

Aims High for Scotland Next
Corey Conners

Primed for the Genesis Scottish Open
Daniel Brown

Attempts the Scottish Swing Again
Jacob Bridgeman

Needs Putter to Work at Genesis Scottish Open
Scottie Scheffler

Headlines Field at Genesis Scottish Open
Rory McIlroy

a Smart Play for Scottish Open
Adam Scott

Looking to Build on History at The Renaissance Club
Justin Rose

Hopes Month Hiatus Helps Him Bounce Back at Scottish Open
NHL

Tyler Johnson Retires After 13 NHL Seasons
Jack McBain

Inks New Five-Year Deal with Mammoth
Cam York

Re-Signs with Flyers for Five Years
Jake Knapp

Fits the Mold for Success at The Renaissance Club
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF