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Andy Smith's late-round fantasy baseball sleepers for batting average (AVG) in 2025. These are upside hitters and fantasy baseball batting average draft targets.
When chasing elite power early in your draft, you are likely sacrificing your batting average production. These hitters could provide you with high power upside, but, in turn, can you put you at the bottom in batting average. However, there are several hitters going late in drafts that can help offset these power hitters and save your batting average production.
While most of these players may only contribute to one or two categories, they are last-resort targets to save your batting average production as they go outside the top 200 picks on NFBC drafts. These players have shown strong contact skills that complement the power hitters you targeted earlier in your draft. In this piece, I will analyze six hitters who are going in the final rounds of most drafts and can provide a significant improvement to your team's batting average.
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Yandy Diaz, 1B, Tampa Bay Rays
ADP: 205
Yandy Diaz sits just outside the 200 picks and is a great way to boost your batting average in your corner infield spot. Last season, Diaz had a down year from a power perspective but still produced a solid .281 AVG. He held a solid .341 OBP but a modest .414 SLG. This was a drop from his 2023 .220/.414/.522 slash line.
In 2023, he went deep 22 times but launched only 14 long balls this past summer. However, fantasy managers should not target him expecting a 20 home run output.
Instead, you should target him to improve your batting average significantly. The 33-year-old generated a strong .277 xBA (88th percentile) and a stellar 14.2 percent whiff rate (97th percentile). He also struck out just 15.3 percent of the time and generated a 31.9 percent squared-up rate.
Diaz generated an xBA of .270 or higher against all three types of pitches, which is a great heading into 2025, as he could produce against whatever is thrown his way.
Lastly, despite the drop in production, Diaz still held a 48.7 percent hard-hit rate and a 92.2 mph average exit velocity, which placed him in the 89th and 92nd percentile, respectively.
Given his low whiff rate and solid hard-hit rate, Diaz is an excellent selection to boost your batting average once inside pick 200. ATC projects Diaz to bounce back and post a .287 AVG.
Brendan Donovan, 2B/OF, St. Louis Cardinals
ADP: 236
Brendan Donovan was deployed as a super-utility player in 2024 but is expected to spend most of the 2025 season at the keystone. Given his utility role last season, he likely carries both second base and outfield eligibility on most formats and potentially third base, as well, since he made nine starts there last season.
Across 153 games, Donovan posted a .278/.342/.417 slash line with 14 home runs and five stolen bases. This production was right in line with his career .280/.364/.407 slash line from across three big league seasons.
He tallied a career-best 65 runs, 73 RBI, and 14 home runs.
Under the hood, the 28-year-old generated a solid .277 xBA (88th percentile), which suggests fantasy managers should expect him to continue to produce similar production in 2025.
Donovan also posted an impressive 15.1 percent whiff rate and a 12.4 percent strikeout rate, which placed him in the 94th and 97th percentile, respectively.
In addition, Donovan posted the highest fly-ball rate of his career (22.9 percent) last summer and posted a .280 and a .292 xBA against fastball and offspeed pitches as well.
Donovan continues to improve each season and is an excellent pick when looking for batting average as he should have an everyday role in the St. Louis starting nine.
Jung Hoo Lee, OF, San Francisco Giants
ADP: 239
Jung Hoo Lee made only 37 starts before suffering a season-ending torn labrum in June. However, during his first taste of the majors, the 26-year-old showcased elite contact skills and could be poised for a sophomore breakout.
He posted a .262/.310/.331 slash line with two home runs and two stolen bases. While that may not grab your attention, let's look beyond the surface stats.
Lee generated an impressive .278 xBA with an incredible 9.6 percent whiff rate and an 8.2 percent strikeout rate. These marks would have placed him significantly above the average marks if he had logged the qualified plate appearances.
He hit fastballs quite well, generated a .283 xBA and a near-perfect 7.3 percent whiff rate.
Jung Hoo Lee’s rookie year was cut short, but his elite contact skills shined:
.278 xBA, 9.6% whiff, 8.2% K rate. Now SF’s everyday CF and leadoff man
ATC projects a .282 AVG
—steal at his 239 ADP. @TheReal_NFC 🚀
If you need an AVG boost, target Lee#FantasyBaseball pic.twitter.com/CvjeZkNq90— Andy Smith (@A_Smith_FS) February 3, 2025
Slotting in as the everyday center field in San Francisco, Lee is shaping up to be a steal when looking for batting average at his ADP. ATC projections also believe in the sophomore, as Lee is projected to hit a .282 AVG, the 13th-best in the sport.
Update (3/20): Lee is dealing with back discomfort. However, his MRI did not show any structural damage. While he may miss time early in the season, he is still worth targeting in the final rounds in all formats, especially when looking to improve your batting average.
Ivan Herrera, C, St. Louis Cardinals
ADP: 245
If you are looking for a batting average behind the dish past pick No. 200, target Ivan Herrera. Gabriel Moreno of the Arizona Diamondbacks would have made the cut, but he is being selected at pick 195.
Herrera received his first extended look at the majors last summer after logging just 24 appearances during the 2022 and 2023 seasons. Across 72 games last season, the 24-year-old held an impressive .301/.372/.428 line with five home runs and five stolen bases. He generated an excellent .293 xBA and a .366 xwOBA, both of which are among the top marks in the sport.
He posted an xBA of .302 and .340 when facing fastballs and offspeed pitches. When facing breaking balls, he saw a slight drop in production with a .262 xBA.
Need batting average at your No. 2 catcher?
Ivan Herrera is your guy. (ADP: 245 @TheReal_NFC )
.301 AVG last year, .293 xBA, elite contact skills.
He is slated to be the everyday backstop in St. Louis
ATC projects 4th-best AVG (.266) at the position 👀 #FantasyBaseball pic.twitter.com/DmqMihenrm— Andy Smith (@A_Smith_FS) February 3, 2025
With Willson Contreras slotted to play first base in 2025, Herrera should see most starts behind the dish, with Pedro Pages slotting in as the No. 2 option. ATC projects Herrera to have the fourth-highest AVG (.266) at the position.
Jacob Wilson, SS, Athletics
ADP: 462
Jacob Wilson is considered the top prospect in the Athletics system and the No. 68 overall on MLB Pipeline. The former sixth-overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft made his big league debut last summer but could only appear in 28 games before suffering a season-ending hamstring injury.
In this small stint, Wilson posted a. 250/.314/.315 line. He generated a .266 xBA, which suggests that he should see some positive regression over a full season. In addition, like other players on this list, Wilson posted a stellar 12.7 percent whiff and 9.7 percent strikeout rate.
Wilson flashed elite contact skills in the minor leagues last season. In his first 22 games at Double-A, he posted an incredible .455 AVG with a .373 OBP. Then, in his first 26 games with Triple-A Las Vegas, Wilson posted a .396 AVG with a .448 OBP.
He should be penciled in to be the team's Opening Day shortstop and could produce an elite batting average production in the final rounds of your draft. ATC projects the Grand Canyon University product to post a .282 AVG in his sophomore campaign.
Masataka Yoshida, DH, Boston Red Sox
ADP: 543
The 31-year-old was deployed as a designated hitter in all but one contest last season and was on the strong side of a platoon. Across 108 games, Masataka Yoshida held a .280/.349/.415 line with 10 home runs and two stolen bases. In his debut season, Yoshida held a similar .289/.338/.445 line with 15 long balls.
Yoshida generated a .258 xBA but showed an elite eye at the plate with a stellar 14.6 percent whiff and a 12.4 percent strikeout rate, which placed him in the 95th and 97th percentile, respectively.
While his xBA was not overly impressive compared to other players on this list, Yoshida lowered his ground-ball rate by eight points and raised his fly-ball rate by five points compared to his rookie season, which is a positive sign for his 2025 production.
While he may have trouble finding his way into the lineup, he is worth a late flier in AL-only formats. ATC projects the 31-year-old to post a .281 AVG, which is the 19th-highest mark in the sport.
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