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Brendan Donovan, 2B/SS/OF, Mariners (187 ADP)
Donovan’s two biggest calling cards are things we tend to underestimate in the fantasy world – batting average (career .282, never below .278) and versatility (he’s qualified to play three different positions). He’ll hit double digits in home runs but probably won’t hit 20, and he’s never stolen more than five bases in a year, although a move to Seattle might enhance that approach.
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With injuries that sidelined Donovan for about a third of last season and diminished his final statistics, I like that he’s being positioned as the leader of Seattle’s stellar offense. I want to add some Lego pieces to my fantasy roster, these versatile building blocks allow me to think position-free at the bottom of my lineup. Donovan is a perfect target.
Otto Lopez, 2B/SS Marlins (207 ADP)
Lopez already showed us category juice last year (15 home runs, 15 steals), and his .246 average was somewhat misleading. Lopez earned bonus points for his contact rate and zone discipline, while his expected average based on contact data was .269. Typical Miami discounts apply, too; this is a pretty mediocre roster, which often makes players like Lopez a few rounds cheaper than is reasonable in the draft. I’m not happy to see Lopez initially ranked sixth in a smaller lineup, but that’s certainly not set in stone.
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Think we saw Lopez’s breakout season last year? Think again. Lopez could take a step forward this year by building on the skills he’s already shown. Thanks to more playing time and an improved fly ball rate, the infielder hit a career-high 15 home runs, a repeatable total. As mentioned, this year’s improvement will be reflected in batting average, as he had a .264 BABIP last year, which offset a 13.8% improvement in strikeout rate.
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With better batting luck, Lopez was able to hit .280 while taking advantage of an increase in base plate count and his 81% sprint speed to set career highs in steals and runs scored.
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Alec Bohm, 3B, Phillies (196 ADP)
Boehm never hit like a traditional third baseman, typically producing a solid batting average but few home runs. His slugging percentage dropped to .409 last year, and you can see why the Phillies often put him in the bottom half of the lineup.
But rib and shoulder injuries have hampered Boehm for much of the year, and his youth — entering his age-29 season — leaves us dreaming of some improvement. The Phillies didn’t give up on Boehm, giving him the cleanup spot for the new season. It was a great place to work on a series, working behind Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper.
Luke Keaschall, 2B, Minnesota Twins (ADP 119)
Category league managers should be happy to draft Keaschall with his ADP (123.0) as he will be one of the steal leaders this year. The 23-year-old possesses exceptional batting ability and maintains a strong line drive that will ensure a high batting average. He also knows how to use his plate to patiently get on base, as he excelled in the minor leagues, posting an impressive 9.2% walk rate as a rookie.
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Kischal doesn’t hit hard, but that’s true of several fast players, and his average exit velocity of 86.2 mph is similar to what Brice Turang did in 2024 when he stole 50 bases. The rebuilding Twins will have Kischal running aggressively in a premium lineup spot, which should lead to 40 snaps and 85 runs.
Colson Montgomery, 3B/SS, Chicago White Sox (ADP 156)
In some cases, Breakout Season is simply a repeat of skills demonstrated in smaller sample sizes, but this time extending to the entire campaign. The same can be said for Montgomery this season, who hit 21 homers in 71 games as a rookie. While he won’t maintain his 45-homer pace, the 24-year-old will use his penchant for fly balls to go deep and hit 85 runs even against a weaker White Sox lineup. It’s also worth noting that while Montgomery could stand to lower his strikeout rate, he has a .239 batting average and a .263 BABIP, meaning his batting luck could improve in year two.
Ezequiel Tovar, SS, Colorado Rockies (ADP 192)
A few small changes could lead to a breakout season for Tovar, who has had some solid seasons and is still only 24 years old. The youngster will never be confused with Juan Soto or Bryce Harper when it comes to plate discipline, but his strikeout and walk rates improved slightly last year. He also posted a career-high average exit velocity of 89.4 mph, and his xBA, xSLG and xwOBA were all career-highs. Finally, his line drive improved to 27.8% last year, but unfortunately, his HR/FB rate was 9.0%, which caused his home run total to drop.
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In addition to technical improvements, the fact that the Rockies offense is set to improve should also help Tovar. The team scored just 587 points, the lowest score in a 162-game season in franchise history. Even in a down year, Colorado’s lineup took advantage of Coors Field and scored about 700 points. I’m not predicting major improvements for the Rockies as a team, but their offense should be more efficient this year.