8 Fantasy Baseball Risers and Fallers - Cal Raleigh, Cristopher Sanchez, Gunnar Henderson, Tyler Glasnow, more

July 15, 2025

Connelly's fantasy baseball risers and fallers for Week 16 of 2025. He assesses hitters and pitchers performing well and poorly to determine their future value.

Welcome, everyone, to another edition of RotoBaller’s Fantasy Baseball Risers and Fallers article series for Week 16 of the 2025 season! Today, I'll look at players like Cal Raleigh, Cristopher Sanchez, Gunnar Henderson, and Tyler Glasnow.

Keeping up with the latest hitter and pitcher trends is a key component for a successful season, and RotoBaller is here to help fantasy managers! Each week, I will select a few players who have performed well recently and a few who have not, and I will analyze their performances to determine how their future outcomes may be affected.

As we head into the All-Star break, I will review first-half Fantasy Risers and Fallers. While it is important to celebrate first-half wins and lament underperformances, it is also important to identify if there are any second-half opportunities for those players. Let's wrap up the first half and look to the second half!

Fantasy Baseball Hitter Risers

All stats are current as of Sunday morning, July 13, 2025.

Cal Raleigh, Seattle Mariners (C)

.264/.377/.645 Slash Line, 38 HRs, 81 RBI, 9 SBs

Fantasy managers came into the season expecting Raleigh to be one of fantasy’s best catchers, but they didn’t expect him to be one of fantasy’s best overall hitters. Big Dumper has put together a career season with a career-high batting average and already a career-high number of home runs.

Raleigh has brought an improved approach to the plate. He has managed a career-high walk rate and career-low strikeout rate. This could be attributed to better discipline, as he has achieved a career-low chase rate and a career-low swinging-strike rate.

Raleigh has always been a power hitter, but he has reached an elite level this season. He is hitting the ball harder than ever with a career-high launch angle. His current 27.7% HR/FB rate is much higher than his 19.1% career mark, so he has received some good luck.

CAL RALEIGH
GRAND SLAM
HOMER NO. 38 pic.twitter.com/dlbEjAGU87

— MLB (@MLB) July 12, 2025

Sometimes, fantasy managers just have to sit back and enjoy their success. Raleigh is having a career season and has been one of fantasy’s top All-Stars this season. Even if he doesn't continue his insane HR pace in the second half, he has already provided a season's worth of value.

Eugenio Suarez, Arizona Diamondbacks (3B)

.249/.318/.568 Slash Line, 31 HRs, 77 RBI

Suarez has established himself as a high-power, low-average player. Despite a solid 2024, he was being drafted at pick 161 this season. This has proven to be a steal, as he has compiled a .249/.318/.568 slash line with 31 HR, 57 runs scored, and 77 RBI in his first 387 plate appearances.

Suarez has sold out for power this season, and it has worked. His 91.1-MPH average exit velocity is almost a career-high, his 50.6% hard-hit rate is a career-high and is much higher than his 39.9% career average, and his 23.4-degree launch angle is also a career-high by a considerable amount.

His overall production has been solid, but he has had plenty of ups and downs. His HR have come in spurts, and his batting average has fluctuated month over month. This could be due to a poor chase rate, whiff rate, strikeout rate, and walk rate.

It is difficult to put full faith in Suarez, given how inconsistent he has been. However, his ADP indicated that no one was fully trusting him to begin with, so his production has come at a low price for fantasy managers. To that end, it seems fine for fantasy managers to ride his wave of or until it runs out.

Fantasy Baseball Pitcher Risers

All stats are current as of Sunday morning, July 13, 2025.

Cristopher Sanchez, Philadelphia Phillies

7-2, 2.59 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 26.3% Strikeout Rate, 107 2/3 IP

Despite having a solid previous couple of seasons, Sanchez came into 2025 as an underrated fantasy option. He has continued to progress, posting a solid 2.59 ERA, a 1.13 WHIP, and a 26.3% strikeout rate in 18 starts. Will he start being taken seriously as a fantasy asset?

Sanchez offers everything fantasy managers could hope for from a high-floor, high-ceiling fantasy option. From a quick eyeball test, his Statcast page is covered in red. He limits hard contact, keeps the ball on the ground as a sinker pitcher, and generates strikeouts with a devastating changeup and slider.

Sanchez has pretty much done what he always has, but with some added velocity, which has helped his strikeouts. He has really hit his stride lately, pitching at least six innings in 7 consecutive starts. He may not be the flashiest fantasy option, but he is as solid as they come. He may not have been named an All-Star, but he has definitely been a fantasy All-Star.

Robbie Ray, San Francisco Giants

9-3, 2.63 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 26.8% Strikeout Rate, 113 IP

Ray has had an eventful career, posting bloated ERAs and walk rates at his worst and winning the American League Cy Young at his best. He missed most of 2023 and 2024 but has come back as a high-end fantasy starter this season, earning himself a spot on the National League All-Star team.

He has done a relatively good job of limiting walks by his standards. His 9.2% walk rate this season is high in general, but is lower than his 10% career average. He has thrown his slider and knuckle curveball in the zone much more than he has in the past. His swinging-strike rates on those pitches have taken hits consequently, but the tradeoff has been a net positive.

He has also kept his strikeout rate respectable by reintroducing a changeup. Ray has thrown the pitch 13.3% of the time and has gotten good results with the pitch, including a 17.5% swinging-strike rate.

Robbie Ray, Nasty 87mph Changeup. 👌 pic.twitter.com/SyKZANW6hG

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) May 31, 2025

Ray has allowed a lot of hard contact in the air, and his 3.70 SIERA is a run higher than his ERA, but his 9.2% HR/FB rate is much lower than his career 15% mark. This could be due to good luck, but it also could be due to him pitching his home games in pitcher-friendly Oracle Park.

Ray has been a pleasant surprise for fantasy managers this season. While they knew he had it in him to be a high-end contributor, his bumpy performance history and previous injuries made it less than a sure thing.

Fantasy Baseball Hitter Fallers

All stats are current as of Sunday morning, July 13, 2025.

Gunnar Henderson, Baltimore Orioles (SS)

.281/.350/.458 Slash Line, 11 HRs, 31 RBI, 10 SBs

Fantasy managers came into the season with high hopes for the Orioles and especially Henderson. They have been disappointed, and Henderson has not lived up to his lofty 8 ADP. Is there hope that he can get back to top-tier production in the second half?

He has not provided nearly the power stats fantasy managers were expecting. Fortunately, there are signs of a brighter future. Henderson has hit the ball harder than he ever has this season with a similar 11.1-degree launch angle. However, he hasn’t barrelled the ball up as much. This doesn’t fully explain his drastic HR/FB rate drop to 13.8% though, which is much lower than his 20% career mark.

His lack of runs and RBI does have to do with the O’s’ offensive struggles. The team has had middling offensive production this season and is in last place in the American League East with a record below .500.

It may be a tall order to ask for Henderson to return first-round value this season, even with a better second half. However, I wouldn’t be surprised to see his power production return to form, given how well he has impacted the ball.

If you're looking to catch a vibe this summer, Gunnar Henderson has you covered 😎 pic.twitter.com/0DzV4xvyAO

— MLB (@MLB) July 1, 2025

Marcell Ozuna, Atlanta Braves (UT)

.239/.364/.396 Slash Line, 13 HRs, 42 RBI

While he has only been utility eligible for several seasons, Ozuna has been one of fantasy’s safest bets for four-category production. Things have not followed that narrative this season, with a .239/.364/.396 slash line, 13 HR, 37 runs scored, and 42 RBI. Can Ozuna salvage his fantasy season in the second half?

Ozuna’s batted-ball profile seems better than his peripherals, although it hasn’t been as exceptional as it has been previously. His 91.3-MPH average exit velocity is right in line with his career average, but his 11.1% barrel rate, while above average, is his lowest since 2021. His swing speed has also steadily declined from 2023 onward.

Ozuna may not be impacting the ball quite as well as he has, but his results seem to indicate bad luck. He is still hitting the ball harder than most, and he has posted a career-low 9.1% swinging-strike rate. His .265 expected batting average and .483 expected slugging percentage support the notion of bad luck so far.

Like the O’s, the Braves have underperformed offensively, and Ozuna seems to have underperformed his expected results. He is 34 years old but seems to have plenty left in the tank. I think he could be a second-half buy-low candidate.

Fantasy Baseball Pitcher Fallers

All stats are current as of Sunday morning, July 13, 2025.

Tyler Glasnow, Los Angeles Dodgers

1-0, 3.52 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 28.9% Strikeout Rate, 923 IP

Rostering Glasnow for fantasy is always an experience. He has pitched over 100 innings just three times in his 10 seasons and is constantly plagued by injuries. However, he is typically excellent when on the mound. He has made just six starts this season with ok peripherals. Will he end up being worth the top-100 pick he was drafted at?

It is difficult to draw conclusions after just 23 IP, but fantasy managers are forced to take this approach with Glasnow. One big issue has been walks. His career 9.3% rate isn’t great, but his current 14.4% is a career-high and is problematic. His slider has been the biggest culprit. He had only thrown the pitch in the zone 36.6% of the time compared to 46.4% for his career.

He hasn’t gotten the same type of movement on the pitch and has seen a drop in swinging-strike rate from a career mark of 20.1% to 14.6%. He has dealt with numerous shoulder and elbow injuries, which may have something to do with it.

Really nice showing from Tyler Glasnow
When healthy, he's a top 20 SP. Fingers crossed he can stay healthy for the second half pic.twitter.com/6O4w7fuyIU

— Andy Smith (@A_Smith_FS) July 9, 2025

The narrative for Glasnow is still the same; he can be a top fantasy contributor if he can stay healthy. Injuries have been an issue once again, and he hasn't looked quite as strong as he has. At this point, I worry that Glasnow will struggle to pitch enough meaningful innings from a fantasy perspective.

Raisel Iglesias, Atlanta Braves

11-15 Save Opportunities, 4-5, 4.42 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 27.5% Strikeout Rate, 36 2/3 IP

Iglesias has been one of fantasy's safest closer options for many years and came into this season as a top-10 fantasy closer. As I mentioned earlier, the Braves have struggled, and Iglesias has not been immune, picking up just 11 saves with a bloated 4.42 ERA. Can he get things back on track if the Braves can?

There is certainly hope for the veteran. His Statcast page presents better than his peripherals in general. Specifically, he had several blowup outings earlier in the season that inflated his ERA. However, he has turned in 14 consecutive scoreless outings while allowing just one walk with 17 strikeouts.

He picked up three saves in that time, but the Braves have seen just six save opportunities in the last 30 days. They are currently 10 games under .500, which makes it inherently more difficult for a closer to provide fantasy value.

He is now 35 years old, and his peripherals look lackluster, but Iglesias has pitched more like his old self lately. His fantasy value has partly been dragged down by his team context, but the Braves could very well turn things around in the second half. I think Iglesias could be a sneaky buy-low candidate for the second half.

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