Fantasy Baseball ADP Values: Part 4

It seems to be a sick joke at this point. Fans are being robbed of full Mike Trout seasons. And even when he is present on the field, it’s for the Los Angeles Angels. Ugh.

His Baseball Reference page is astonishing. The Statcast metrics are wild. We know he’s one of the greatest the game has ever seen. Now let’s talk about where he would potentially land in drafts if a full season was in store. I’ll tell you one thing, it’s not at pick #132. 

Look no further than two seasons ago in 2023 when he jacked 40 long balls in 119 games. In other words, 43 missed games still resulted in one of the largest home run totals across the major leagues. When I tell you he still has first-round talent at the age of 33, I’m not kidding. 

One additional nugget I’d like to mention is the fact that Trout still displays 90th-percentile sprint speed! I know the Angels are so afraid to send him because of injury risk, but I have a feeling Ron Washington might override some of that front office mentality.

In Washington’s first season managing Trout, the superstar stole six bases in 29 games. This is encouraging, and although it’s no guarantee Trout will continue stealing in 2025, it’s worth remembering that Washington is one of the most aggressive managers out there. 

So, don’t draft an outfielder with an extremely low ceiling a round earlier. For example, consider Ian Happ. He can’t single-handedly win you a matchup, but Trout could. Take the discount plus high ceiling and hope for the best health possible.

Bryan Woo – #131

In the same way Spencer Strider probably won’t be leading the league in most depth stats, neither will Bryan Woo. Yet, Woo has true potential to be one of the best starters in the league. It’s as if he is the hidden gem amid Seattle’s deep rotation. 

The data backs up his 2024 performance. His Statcast xERA of 2.72 was even lower than his 2.89 ERA, while he walks almost nobody. In 121.2 innings, Woo issued 13 walks the whole season!

You would think maintaining that type of walk rate would eventually give way to some mistakes over the plate and result in a higher ERA. The opposite happened, and Woo kept the ball inside the ballpark reasonably well (1.04 HR/9).

Woo doesn’t allow batters to barrel up much at all, while he hits the edges with elite control. That combination is often a recipe for major success, especially in a place like T-Mobile Park. The strikeouts will be solid while the ERA and WHIP are going to be even better for your fantasy ratios.

I see Woo as a much safer option than someone like Jack Flaherty who is going a bit earlier. Flaherty was great in 2024, however regression is expected and Flaherty’s year-to-year performance is shaky.

I’d go with Woo because I don’t expect injuries to be much of an issue moving forward. In fact, I see 2025 as the year many fans learn his name.

Jake Burger – #124

Burger has now been traded away for middling prospects for the second time in his career. Both moves were perplexing, considering he’s not that expensive and under team control until 2029.

Surprisingly, teams just don’t seem to be valuing Burger a whole lot. They must not be too happy with his fielding because in my eyes, I see a tremendous power hitter. 

Back in 2023, Burger jacked 34 homers while following up that performance with 29 in 2024. Now with the Texas Rangers, Burger has the chance to be strong in the counting stats department as well.

Many in the fantasy community think he will not be getting everyday at-bats, and to that I say nonsense. Do we really think Leody Taveras or Josh Smith is going to be getting more opportunities than Burger?

In today’s MLB environment, which is controlled by power and OPS, I don’t think so. Pencil in Burger at designated hitter.

He also carries first base eligibility, which is a big plus, and he is changing to a better home park environment. Believe it or not, Texas is better suited for round trippers than Miami. And when a player like Mark Vientos is going four rounds earlier with only one year under his belt, I’d rather take the experience and discount that comes with Rakin’ Jake.