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Preparing for the 2025 fantasy baseball season should include a look at the prospects that may have an impact in the coming season. Before you draft, check out the top 10 first base prospects according to RotoBaller expert Eric Cross.
No. 10: Ralphy Velazquez - Cleveland Guardians
Entering 2024, Ralphy Velazquez was pushing Top 5 at this position but now finds himself rounding out the Top 10 following a lackluster 2024 showing. Velazquez showed a strong approach at the plate, but his contact rate was in the 73% range and his game power was underwhelming despite hitting the ball at ideal angles.
With all that said, it is safe to expect a better 2025 showing as the raw power is above average and he makes enough contact to tap into it. He’s a decent buy-low in dynasty leagues right now.
No. 9: Tyler Black - Milwaukee Brewers
While Tyler Black’s first 57 plate appearances didn’t bring much offense, he is a safe buy this offseason in dynasty leagues. Black runs above-average contact rates (80% in Triple-A), walks at a higher clip, and can provide 15-20 steals annually as well.
While it is hard to see him as any more than a 15-homer bat, Black should be able to do a bit of everything while not hurting you in any one area. The problem at the moment is the playing time situation in 2025. With Rhys Hoskins at first base, Black doesn’t have a clear path to playing time until an injury or trade happens.
No. 8: Tre' Morgan - Tampa Bay Rays
Morgan is a contact-first hitter who had a contact rate above 80% in 2024, but Morgan’s power is below average, and he had a groundball rate above 48% in both Low-A and High-A this season. This isn’t a profile that’s indicative of power and fantasy managers shouldn’t expect more than 10-15 home runs annually right now.
If Morgan can get into that range while adding double-digit steals and a higher AVG/OBP, he’s still going to be able to provide fantasy value. Morgan has also seen plenty of time in the outfield as well which might wind up being his long-term defensive home.
No. 7: Deyvison De Los Santos - Miami Marlins
Deyvison De Los Santos had a massive 2024 with 40 home runs and a .294/.343/.571 slash line between Arizona and Miami’s Triple-A affiliates. But you’re going to find a lot of varying rankings and opinions on De Los Santos this offseason.
De Los Santos played in the most hitter-friendly ballparks in both Double-A (Amarillo) and Triple-A (Reno) for a combined 87 games in 2024, where his combined slash line was .325/.376/.635 with 28 home runs. After shifting to the Miami organization and into a less hitter-friendly Jacksonville ballpark, De Los Santos slashed .240/.284/.459 with 12 home runs in 50 games. De Los Santos can be a fantasy-viable bat, but he’s more in the .230/30-HR range long-term and he’ll likely be a liability in the OBP column as well.
No. 6: Tyler Locklear - Seattle Mariners
Out of this entire top 10, Tyler Locklear is one the best value targets right now in dynasty leagues. Locklear often gets a bit lost in the shuffle at this position as he’s not flashy and has never put up massive offensive numbers in the minors. However, we’re talking about a career .280 hitter in the minors with an impressive .389 OBP.
Locklear saw his contact rates dip in 2024, but hopefully, those can rebound to pre-2024 levels and he has enough power to get into the 20-25 homer range annually. While he’ll probably never be a starting-caliber first baseman for fantasy, there’s a path to him being a player you possibly consider for a corner infield slot.
No. 5: Josue Briceno - Detroit Tigers
On the surface, Josue Briceño had a decent season in 40 games at Lakeland, hitting .278 with a .381 OBP, but only hitting a pair of home runs. The lack of round-trippers is less worrisome after taking into account Briceño’s 42.3% hard-hit rate and 89.8 mph AVG EV to go along with an 82.2% contact rate.
Briceno was also the best hitter in the Arizona Fall League and won the league’s MVP award after leading the league in hits, extra-base hits, home runs, total bases, average, and slugging. This is an above-average contact hitter with plus raw power who also has a decent approach at the plate. Briceño is a great dynasty buy right now as his perceived value isn’t overly high at the moment given his underwhelming and shortened 2024 season. Get ready for him to fly up the rankings in 2025.
No. 4: Xavier Isaac - Tampa Bay Rays
After rising in the rankings in 2023 and earlier in 2024, Xavier Isaac slid back down during the second half of 2024 as his strikeout issues became more prominent down the stretch. Over the first three months of the season, Isaac’s strikeout rate was still high at 28%, but that rate jumped to a whopping 41.2% over the final three months of the season.
On top of that, Isaac’s slash line dropped from .296/.385/.553 in the first half to .224/.347/.391 in the second half. Isaac has consistently shown plus power, a higher walk rate, and sneaky speed/athleticism for his age which is exciting for fantasy purposes, but can he correct the swing-and-miss issues and make enough contact to hit for a decent average long-term?
No. 3: Jac Caglianone - Kansas City Royals
Without question, the biggest boom or bust prospect in this entire list is Jac Caglianone. The upside is a 40-homer bat given his massive raw power which he’s already shown off in the Arizona Fall League including one game with two home runs over 110 mph and totaling nearly 900 feet. But that’s just one part of the Caglianone experience.
Caglianone is an aggressive hitter who will chase outside the zone too often, but he also made improvements to his contact rates in 2024 and makes plenty of contact in the zone. Where the average winds up is still a question, but if Caglianone can maintain the contact gains he made in 2024 while also improving his chase rate moving forward, he should hit a respectable average to pair with his immense power upside.
No. 2: Nick Kurtz - Athletics
There might not be a prospect with a higher blend of ceiling and floor at this position than Nick Kurtz. The former Wake Forest star’s value around draft time seemed to dip a bit as he had an underwhelming open to the 2024 collegiate season, but Kurtz picked up the pace late in the season and mashed in the minors after the draft. There’s easy plus raw power here with an exceptional approach at the plate and solid contact skills.
While he might not quite have the upside of Bryce Eldridge, Kurtz isn’t far off either and has the higher floor given his more consistent contact skills. So, if you want to grab an elite first-base prospect with a slightly lower price than Eldridge, Kurtz is your guy. He’s probably going to be up with the Athletics later in 2025 as well. The floor here is extremely high and the upside is an eventual all-star first baseman.
No. 1: Bryce Eldridge - San Francisco Giants
Out of all the breakout prospects in 2024, not many shined brighter than San Francisco’s Bryce Eldridge. As a 19-year-old, Eldridge slashed .292/.374/.516 with 27 doubles and 23 home runs in 116 games while rising from Low-A to Triple-A. Eldridge also played 10 games in the AFL where he popped a pair of home runs and three doubles.
While you can still question if he’s more of a .250 hitter or a .270 hitter, Eldridge’s power cannot be questioned and should lead to more than 30 home runs annually. He’s also shown the ability to walk at a higher clip and should be a big asset in OBP formats as well. Eldridge will likely return to Triple-A to open 2025 and join the Giants at some point midseason.
