
Joey discusses five well-known fantasy baseball hitters and pitchers who have not performed well heading into Week 14 of the 2025 season. Is it time to drop, sell, or hold?
Welcome, RotoBallers, to our weekly article about well-known fantasy baseball players. Every week, we look at the biggest players who are struggling to be consistent fantasy options. It could be a hitter in a major slump at the plate or a pitcher coming off multiple rough outings in a row.
We will then analyze whether we should hold, drop, or sell these players in most formats. All five players featured on this week's list are rostered in almost all fantasy leagues, as they are all rostered in over 60% of Yahoo! leagues.
So, what should fantasy managers do with these five well-known players? Should they drop, hold, or sell them in Week 14 (June 30 to July 6) of the fantasy baseball season? Let's dive in and find out.
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Bailey Ober, SP, Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Bailey Ober was on this list last week. We went through all his recent struggles and concluded that he should be held for at least one more week, especially since he was set to make two starts against the Mariners and Tigers in Week 13. After watching Ober get rocked in both of those outings, fantasy managers can safely drop him in most formats.
The right-hander allowed seven runs in both of those starts last week, and his struggles in June can't go unnoticed. Ober has now allowed 30 earned runs across 30 innings pitched in June (9.00 ERA) to go with 14 home runs allowed and 24 strikeouts. During this span, he has given up at least four runs in five straight outings.
Bailey Ober’s last 5 starts:
29.1 IP
37 H
14 HR
9.28 ERAHe’s allowed 7 ER 3 times in his last 4 starts pic.twitter.com/TucN3cIVjQ
— Just Baseball (@JustBB_Media) June 28, 2025
It has no doubt been a disastrous season for Ober. His 5.28 ERA is the fourth-highest among all qualified starters this season, and his 1.41 WHIP is tied for the third-highest in the majors. He has looked like a completely different pitcher from the one he was last year.
For starters, Ober's fastball velocity is down over one mph from 2024. The 29-year-old averaged 91.7 mph on his fastball last year, but that is down to 90.5 mph this season. That has definitely played a part in his low strikeout rate (18.2%), low whiff rate (24.3%), and high barrel rate (10.8%) in June. It's best to drop the right-hander right now.
Verdict: Drop in all formats
David Peterson, SP, New York Mets
Regression was always expected for New York Mets starting pitcher David Peterson. He was pitching better than his metrics suggested, and his overall numbers were always going to drop. The southpaw had a 2.60 ERA and 74 strikeouts in his first 14 starts this season. So, it's not a total surprise to see Peterson struggle a bit on the mound in his last two outings.
He allowed five runs across four innings against the Philadelphia Phillies on June 22 and got shelled for five runs across 4 2/3 innings against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday. Those two rough outings marked the first time that Peterson has given up more than three runs in a start this season. Given how consistent the left-hander has been in 2025, he should be held in most formats heading into Week 14.
Although Peterson appears to be in a funk on the mound, he should return to being a solid fantasy option very soon. Since there aren't many, if any, pitchers currently on waivers with a sub-3.35 ERA, over 80 strikeouts, and close to 100 innings pitched this season, he is a strong hold. We shouldn't overreact to his last two starts, considering how he looked on the mound across the first two months.
Verdict: Hold in all formats
Jordan Westburg, 2B/3B, Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles infielder Jordan Westburg was a popular pick in the middle round of fantasy drafts. He was coming off an All-Star campaign in 2024 in which he hit .264 with 18 home runs, 26 doubles, 63 RBI, and six stolen bases across 107 games. Unfortunately, injuries have really prevented Westburg from reaching his full potential in 2025.
He missed a few games due to an upper-body injury in April, missed six weeks due to a left hamstring strain, and is now dealing with a finger issue that has caused him to miss five of the past seven games. Although this recent finger issue is not expected to land him on the 10-day IL, these injuries have really made Westburg an unappealing fantasy option this year.
Jordan Westburg (finger) is not a candidate for the IL, per Tony Mansolino.
He might be out a “couple of days.” It’s not as bad as last time.
Mansolino said there have been convos about Westburg sliding feet first moving forward, but it’s hard for a player to change “his DNA.”
— Jacob Calvin Meyer (@jcalvinmeyer) June 28, 2025
The 26-year-old is batting just .228 with seven home runs, 14 RBI, and one stolen base across 36 games. Despite those poor numbers, Westburg is still a hold in most formats. His overall metrics suggest better days are ahead for him. His expected slugging (.463), barrel rate (13.3%), and hard-hit rate (45.9%) all rank in the upper half of the league.
Verdict: Hold in all 12+ team leagues
Michael Harris II, OF, Atlanta Braves
It hasn't been easy hanging onto Atlanta Braves outfielder Michael Harris II in fantasy. He is slashing .212/.238/.320 with six home runs, 43 RBI, and 11 stolen bases in 82 games this season. More importantly, Harris is in a major slump at the plate. The 24-year-old has just three hits over his last 47 plate appearances (.067 batting average) dating back to June 14.
Harris hasn't been a strong fantasy option in 2025. He isn't producing much offensively, and his 11 stolen bases are really the only reason he has been fantasy-relevant to begin the season. So, the former National League Rookie of the Year could be dropped in some leagues in Week 14 of the fantasy baseball season.
His barrel rate (6.1%), hard-hit rate (40.2%), launch angle sweet-spot rate (28%), and chase rate (42.3%) all rank extremely poor. With Harris also walking at an extremely low clip (3.1%), the Braves outfielder just isn't getting on base at a high level this year. That makes him a fine drop in shallow leagues.
Keep in mind, though, that Harris usually picks things up in the second half of the season. He hit .316 with eight home runs, 18 RBI, and two stolen bases in 26 games in September last year, and the 24-year-old has a career .310 batting average in the month of August in his career. As a result, fantasy managers just have to be patient with him for the next few weeks.
Verdict: Hold in 12-team leagues
Paul Goldschmidt, 1B, New York Yankees
New York Yankees first baseman Paul Goldschmidt was one of the best contact hitters to start the 2025 season. He had a .347 batting average with five home runs, 27 RBI, and four stolen bases across his first 55 games. But most fantasy managers knew that his hitting numbers were not sustainable, especially in his age-37 campaign.
That has certainly been the case, as Goldschmidt has been in a month-long slump since the end of May. The veteran is batting just .141 with three home runs, five RBI, and one stolen base over his last 26 games. This cold stretch has dropped his batting average down to .282 on the season. With Giancarlo Stanton also back from the 10-day IL, the Yankees' first baseman has sat out more games than expected.
New York has been rotating Ben Rice and Goldschmidt at first base since Stanton's return, which has caused the 37-year-old to sit out three of the team's past eight contests. With Goldschmidt hitting just .242 against right-handed pitching this season, this could turn into a sort of platoon swap between the first basemen.
Paul Goldschmidt says he has not played well for "the last few weeks, maybe even this whole month"
He adds: "It's hurting our team, the way I've played" pic.twitter.com/DcSN1LmSG6
— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) June 28, 2025
Therefore, fantasy managers should be looking to trade away Goldschmidt. While you might not get much in return for someone who is in the midst of a slump, there's a chance you could still get something valuable in return.
Verdict: Sell for cheap in all formats
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