Platoon Hitters to Target for Fantasy Baseball Drafts: Late-Round Value Picks

Michael looks at 4 later-round fantasy baseball sleepers, platoon hitters to target in 2025. His upside draft picks include Ben Rice, Jonathan Aranda, more.

It is so widely accepted as ironclad fantasy law that we rarely stop to consider its validity: avoid platoon bats at all costs, they say. We will not argue that fantasy managers should aim to roster many such players, but as “they” also say, there’s a time and place for everything.

It’s true that innings and plate appearances are one of the keys to success, especially in season-long rotisserie and even more so in formats that allow only weekly lineup moves. But there are advantages to platoon players, too. They are put in the best position to succeed by their teams, only facing opposite-handed pitchers against whom they excel. Last year, for example, Joc Pederson earned more roto value than Jonathan India, despite Pederson only playing two percent of the time against lefties.

Platoon bats can be especially useful in daily moves leagues, where we can replace them when they are not starting. In the NFBC universe, managers can change their lineups twice weekly. This allows us to maximize players who mash righties. So, let’s look at four such batters from which we can profit very late in drafts. The average draft position is based on March ADP in NFBC 12-team contests.

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Joc Pederson, OF, Texas Rangers

ADP: 330

Pederson is a great example of platoon bats’ utility (and, well, utility-only bats). Did you know Joc hit .275 with 23 home runs and a career-high .904 OPS last year? He even chipped in seven swipes. As noted above, Pederson only started against two percent of lefties, yet in 449 plate appearances, he was worth more roto dollars ($8.1) than India earned in 637 PAs ($7.1), per the FanGraphs Player Rater.

The nerdier, all-encompassing stats agreed it was an elite season for Joc as he posted career-best wOBA (.391) and wRC+ (151) marks while serving almost exclusively as a righty-wrecker for the Diamondbacks. He has always hit the ball hard, and 2024 was no different (12.5% barrel and 45.4% hard hit rates).

Now in Texas, Pederson moves from one strong lineup to another; Roster Resource projects him to bat cleanup for the Rangers. The ATC system calls for 21 home runs and a .247 average over 429 plate appearances, though it’s worth noting that Pederson has compiled expected batting averages over .260 each of the last three seasons. He is also getting one of the best possible park upgrades. During the previous three years, Arizona ranks dead last for lefty homers with a 76 park factor, per Statcast. Globe Life, the Rangers’ home, ranks seventh at 113. That’s a 37% boost.

On the other hand, Pederson’s .322 BABIP last season was also a personal best (.273 career). That puts a caution flag up on the batting average, which has fluctuated from .275 to .235 to .274 to .238 over the last four seasons. He did hit more line drives last season, but that batted ball distribution is not terribly consistent from year to year. Given his speed, or lack thereof, the projection that he hits closer to .250 makes sense.

Even with those caveats, “Joc Jams” is in one of the best possible positions for a platoon hitter. Given his recent performance, new lineup mates, and home venue, Pederson’s a smash pick in round 22 of a 15-team draft and round 27 of a 12-team draft. (Unless of course you want to wait for…)

Jonathan Aranda, 1B, Tampa Bay Rays

ADP: 331

Jonathan Aranda is a former top-100 prospect who has shown total mastery of the upper minors. Although his rise to the majors was stalled by injury and ineffectiveness, he showed some encouraging signs during a brief stint with the big club in 2024.

Aranda popped especially in the power department. His 16.5% barrel rate would have ranked ninth among qualified hitters, almost tied with Brent Rooker and ahead of Oneil Cruz and Kyle Schwarber. Aranda’s 91.9 MPH average exit velocity would’ve ranked in the 89th percentile.

Perhaps most encouraging, Aranda did not whiff often against secondary pitches (87th percentile). He crushed both fastballs (.528 xSLG) and breakers (.556). For Aranda, the key was growth in contact rate while still hitting the ball hard:

The Rays have clearly taken note and so far in spring training Aranda has played most often with the team’s “A” lineup. He is getting time at first base and even a few games at second. He is projected as their strong-side DH, but given how the Rays move players around, he could add second base and middle infield eligibility eventually.

Like Pederson, Aranda is about to get a major park upgrade. The Trop was one of baseball’s best pitcher’s venues, with research showing it even increased hurlers’ pitch movement and stuff grades. As a result of Hurricane Milton last October, Tampa will be playing its home games in a replica of Yankee Stadium at Steinbrenner Field. Orioles manager Brandon Hyde described it as “Yankee Stadium with a jet stream out to right field.” This will only benefit the power numbers of a lefty like Aranda, who last year ranked in the 79th percentile of all hitters in pulled fly ball rate.

Aranda’s ATC projections are calling for 15 home runs and a solid .251 batting average in 408 plate appearances—almost a 25-homer pace. He’s an ideal bench bat for leagues with daily moves but is a viable utility player even in deeper weekly and semi-weekly formats.

Kyle Manzardo, 1B, Cleveland Guardians

ADP: 353

Speaking of left-handed mashers in the Rays system, Manzardo was traded to Cleveland in 2023. He was a top 100 prospect coming off a year where he hit .327 with 22 homers and almost as many walks as strikeouts in the minor leagues.

Since then, Manzardo’s batting averages have trended downward, but the power and plate discipline remained, at least in the minors. Last season, following a strong 83-game sample in Triple-A (137 wRC+), he debuted with the Guardians and was roughly league average overall (98 wRC+), but the walks dipped, and his strikeouts jumped to 26%. However, he was on a 20-homer pace and posted a 9.5% barrel rate, which is above average. Manzardo especially thrived after being recalled from the minors on September 1:

Kyle Manzardo in 15 games since rejoining the Guardians on Sept 1, entering today: .308/.372/.590, 3 HR, 2 2B, 42.9 percent hard-hit rate

He's been a huge lift at the DH spot for the AL Central leaders.

First at-bat of the day: pic.twitter.com/3KamoPUaIs

— Sam Dykstra (@SamDykstraMiLB) September 19, 2024

Cleveland traded Josh Naylor this offseason, which appeared to be clearing the runway for Manzardo at first base. Then they signed Carlos Santana. Womp womp. On the other hand, the team has indicated Manzardo will be the strong side DH and should see some work at first as well.

We also have another park upgrade here. The Guardians made changes to Progressive Field last year; it went from below average for left-handed home runs to fifth best with a 116 park factor. This should suit Manzardo extremely well, as he ranked in the 96th percentile for pulled fly balls last season. He is also raking in spring training while striking out less than 20% of the time.

Manzardo is a great late round shot to take. He should play most of the time and any injury to the aged Santana would open full runway for Manzardo at first base. Although only utility-eligible to start in most formats, with the planned timeshare he should gain first base by May even without an injury.

Note: We just learned on Friday that Manzardo was scratched from the lineup with shoulder inflammation. However, he was back in the lineup Sunday so he appears to be fine. The Guardians also re-acquired Nolan Jones on Saturday. Jones is likely set to platoon in right field, but this move adds another body to Cleveland’s lineup mix. Make sure to check Rotoballer for Manzardo health updates before you click that button!

Ben Rice, 1B, New York Yankees

ADP: 358

Rice came up through the Yankees system as a primary catcher, although prospect outlets considered his fielding more in line with a backup backstop. Due to Anthony Rizzo’s injury, Rice was called up last season to help cover first base. He hit exceptionally well at first, batting .273 in June, then ripping seven homers in July. Later that month, his average and production plummeted.

Overall, Rice hit .171 and posted just a 73 wRC+. But he had terrible batted ball luck: his .186 BABIP was over one hundred points lower than what he’d shown in the upper minors. He hit 44% fly balls, which is a lot but not an outlier, nor was his 10.4% infield fly ball rate. He was just really unlucky.

Despite batting just .183 against righties, Rice put up a .209 isolated slugging from the strong side. He also showed better skills than the surface average implies: he chased just 25% and held strong 11% walk, 87% zone contact, and near-16% barrel rates.

Those skills have carried over to this spring, too. Rice has popped four homers in just 48 plate appearances, and in the Statcast-tracked games, he leads the Yankees with an absurd 111.6 90th percentile exit velocity and holds a 16% barrel rate. Only four qualified hitters would have beaten the latter number last season. Fantasy managers have noted that Rice has been drafted as high as 233 overall recently.

Eligible at first base for fantasy, Rice has seen time at first, DH, and catcher this spring. Reports indicate he is being considered as the possible primary DH given the uncertain injury timeline of Giancarlo Stanton. Aaron Boone recently confirmed that he wants to use Rice in multiple spots for the big club:

Aaron Boone on if he sees Ben Rice as just a catcher:

"No, I want to keep that first base flexibility with him... I think having that flexibility is valuable, a lot of the focus will obviously be on catching this spring but I want to keep the first base stuff in the mix." pic.twitter.com/Mrvl1VzS9N

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) February 12, 2025

Given his plate discipline, propensity for loud contact, and potential opportunity, Rice is a great later round upside shot as a fantasy bench piece; heck, if he keeps hitting like he has in spring you’ll have to get him in your lineup somewhere (and draft him earlier than the last round or two). He may even attain catcher eligibility along the way, but with the plate appearances of a DH.

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