Every MLB season is full of surprises, and 2025 was no exception. Here are the players who produced the most shocking stat lines, without having a major injury as part of the equation. Some of these players have reached a permanent new level – either for better or worse – while others are due for another shift in 2026.
Cal Raleigh, C, Mariners
Recap: Raleigh entered the season as a powerful, low-average catcher who was often selected just outside the top-100 picks. He finished the campaign as the most valuable fantasy asset, when factoring in position scarcity. The numbers are absurd — not only did Raleigh lead all catchers in homers, RBI and runs, but he nearly doubled the second-best homer total and was 25 RBI and 21 runs ahead of the second-place finishers.
Looking ahead: Surprisingly, both advanced and expected stats back up Raleigh’s ridiculous stat line. He has done everything right, including lowering his strikeout rate, raising his walk rate and increasing his frequency of pulled fly balls. Raleigh won’t be this good in 2026, but he still deserves to be selected during the first two rounds.
Geraldo Perdomo, SS, Diamondbacks
Recap: Perdomo opened the season on waivers in most leagues, as he had career highs of six homers and 47 RBI. He finished 14th among all players in roto production. He ranked among the top-15 players in runs, RBI and batting average, and no one was able to top Perdomo in all five standard categories (20 HR, 98 R, 100 RBI, 27 SB, .290 BA).
Looking Ahead: Perdomo was one of just two qualified hitters to accumulate more walks than strikeouts, which is a great foundation for consistent offensive success. He should continue to fare well in a productive D-backs lineup, but there are signs that some regression will occur, namely that he doesn’t hit the ball hard and is slightly below average in sprint speed.
Trevor Story, SS, Red Sox
Recap: Story produced 21 homers, 90 RBI and 73 runs in three injured-plagued seasons with the Red Sox before turning the clock back to his days with the Rockies by going deep 25 times and swiping a career-high 31 bases this season. The Boston faithful finally saw the player they expected when Story signed a six-year contract in 2022.
Looking ahead: Story will turn 33 in November, which makes him plenty young enough to repeat an excellent season. But the durability concerns won’t disappear after one healthy year. There is also plenty of blue on Story’s Statcast page, as he has terrible plate discipline. Let’s set 2026 projections at 20 homers, 25 steals and a .245 average.
Pete Crow-Armstrong, OF, Cubs
Recap: Crow-Armstrong had one of the strangest seasons of any player. He was pushing the likes of Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani for fantasy supremacy at the end of July, when he had already totaled 27 homers, 29 steals, 78 RBI and 74 runs. Unfortunately, his play fell off a cliff (4 HR, 6 SB, .188 BA) in the final two months. The net result of these extremes still made PCA the 28th overall roto asset.
Looking ahead: This may be the hardest player to value for 2026, as he could be anything from a first-round player to waiver-wire fodder. Crow-Armstrong has elite speed, which means that his steals are set in stone. But he may be a massive bust who hits .235 with 15 homers.
George Springer, OF, Blue Jays
Recap: If we omit players who returned from a major injury, Springer was likely the MLB Comeback Player of the Year. The 36-year-old appeared to be in steep decline when he logged a .732 OPS in 2023 and a .674 OPS last season, but he turned things around to the point where he finished third in baseball with a .959 OPS this year. Springer also posted the third best homer total, second highest steals total and third best runs scored total of his illustrious career.
Looking ahead: Everything seemed to break right for the Blue Jays in 2025, as they rode their impressive contact skills to finishing fourth in the Majors in runs scored. There is significant potential for team-level regression, and at Springer’s age, it may be hard for him to repeat such a productive season. He belongs in the range of Round 10 for 2026 drafts.
Trevor Rogers, SP, Orioles
Recap: Rogers opened the season on the injured list and then spent time in the minors. He made a spot start in May but didn’t join the rotation until June 18. All he did after that point was lead the Majors in ERA (1.92) and rank fourth in WHIP (0.94). He made this happen by making major strides with limiting walks and homers.
Looking ahead: It’s concerning that Rogers was this dominant while striking out just 24.3% of batters. After all, most fantasy aces rack up whiffs in bunches. He’s clearly going to regress; it’s just a matter of the degree to which it will happen. The guess here is that Rogers settles in as a No. 3 starter in 12-team leagues.
Mookie Betts, 2B/SS/OF, Dodgers
Recap: A first-round pick in many 2025 drafts, Betts finished as the 92nd roto asset. And he needed a strong finish (.899 OPS in September) to make that happen. Even the support of a star-studded Dodgers lineup wasn’t enough to prop up Betts, who still has elite plate discipline but no longer hits the ball as hard as he used to.
Looking ahead: We have seen veterans go through droughts and then bounce back. For example, Betts’ teammate Freddie Freeman had a terrible two-month stretch this year. But this wasn’t two bad months – it was almost a full season. As a member of the Dodgers, Betts can score 90 runs in his sleep. But the rest of his skill set is in doubt to the point where he should fall outside the initial three rounds of 2026 drafts.
Jackson Merrill, OF, Padres
Recap: Although injuries played havoc with Merrill (115 games), he also struggled when healthy (16 HR, 1 SB, .264 BA). The disappointing sophomore campaign came on the heels of a dazzling rookie year in which he hit .292 with 24 homers and 16 steals. Merrill wasn’t simply unlucky, as his strikeout rate rose and his average exit velocity dropped this year.
Looking forward: Merrill is too young (22) and too talented not to bounce back. There will likely be a significant dip in his draft-day cost (his 2025 Yahoo ADP was pick 28), and I’ll be at the front of the line to take advantage of the opportunity.
Devin Williams, RP, Yankees
Recap: Williams entered 2025 as the No. 1 reliever on some draft boards. After all, he had recently joined a loaded Yankees roster and had dazzling career stats that included a 1.83 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 14.3 K/9 rate. But he lost the closer’s role on two separate occasions and finished the season with 18 saves and a 4.79 ERA.
Looking ahead: Williams is heading to free agency, and the expectation here is that he will sign a one-year “prove it” deal with any team that is willing to hand him the closer’s role. He will be a boom-or-bust draft option once the initial 10-12 closers are off the board.
Read the full article here