Fantasy Baseball 2025: First Base Sleepers

When it comes to fantasy baseball, and fantasy sports in general, everyone is always trying to find the next potential star player who nobody else is aware of. It’s a fair goal. Fantasy managers will try to find value wherever they can. 

I will be providing as many draft tips as possible now that we’ve hit February, and getting started with sleepers is a phenomenal way to do so. My definition of ‘sleeper’ refers to players who are being taken outside the top 180 NFBC rankings. This means guys to focus on after the 15th round of a 12-team format.

Kicking off my series of fantasy baseball sleepers to draft for 2025 is the first base position. If you focus on the top first basemen across the league, elite talent dries up quickly. Outside of Freddie Freeman, Bryce Harper, Matt Olson, Christian Walker, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr., the tiers get shaky.

I’m not saying you should take any of the following players as a lone first base option. Rather, they are alternatives for your corner infield spot, which is always difficult to fill in deep drafts.

Not many people know these names. That will soon change. Let’s take a look at these silent advantages!

Don’t Underestimate Jonathan Aranda – #343

Believe me, I understand why you’d raise your eyebrow at this one. Aranda has seen time with Tampa Bay in each of the past three seasons with little to show for it. Some of you might be getting a bit impatient with Aranda. I’m here to remind you he’s only 26 years old and hasn’t played more than 44 games in a season.

Aranda has the ability to play all around the diamond, which makes it easy for manager Kevin Cash to implement him into the lineup more so than other players. If we get 120 games out of Aranda, the year-end totals are sure to be interesting. 

Even though there has been little in the way of actual statistical production so far, the Statcast metrics point in a positive direction. He did not qualify against other major leaguers because of the low amount of games he played, but what we saw in his short time last year was encouraging. 

If qualified, Aranda would’ve put himself in the 91st percentile for exit velocity while producing an xwOBA of .362 and an xSLG of .518. He did not chase often and took his walks when he needed to do so.

One thing that strikes me about Aranda is that he lets the game come to him, not forcing mistakes or getting too eager at the plate. This characteristic is often hard to come by with young players, something which could be a byproduct of the intelligent Rays analytics department. 

And sure, I could say go and look at his minor league stats. What stuck out to me about these numbers was his Triple-A work. When players are hitting well at this level, there’s always a chance for success in the majors.

In 2022, Aranda played 104 games with Triple-A Durham, slashing .318/.394/.521 with 18 long balls. The next season? 95 games at .339/.449/.613 with 25 dingers. I’m telling you straight up, don’t take this guy lightly.

At an ADP of 343, why wouldn’t you take a shot like this? Aranda is so low on the draft board that guys like Daulton Varsho and Andrew Benintendi are going before him. Yikes. Such players have very little chance at a super high ceiling, unlike Aranda.

Plus, remember where the Rays are playing this season? A ballpark with the exact same dimensions as Yankee Stadium. That’s right, the lefty Aranda could have a field day in 2025. If you don’t grab him at the back end of your draft, it may just be too late once he produces a torrid April.

Tyler Soderstrom Has Big Power Potential – #300

A career minor league OPS of .871 is impressive. Even more tantalizing was the 29 home runs and 105 RBI he hit across three levels in 2022. And last season’s showing at Triple-A Las Vegas was more of the same, as he smacked 21 long balls in just 77 games.

Tyler Soderstrom has the chance to surprise fans this season at the ripe age of 23 with true potential ahead. He only played 61 games in 2024, which means he did not qualify for hitter ranks, though the few signs we got were encouraging. 

The exit velocity, barrel rates, and impact on the baseball are hard to ignore. Soderstrom also ranks in elite range for bat speed, one of the most important metrics year-over-year in my opinion. He takes chances on pitches, which will create some tradeoff in the form of average and power. But when it comes to fantasy, I always prefer power over anything else. 

Don’t look now, but this Athletics team has formed a promising young core, especially with their latest extension of Brent Rooker. Along with Rooker, Lawrence Butler is a fresh superstar, as is lockdown closer Mason Miller. First base is open for Soderstrom to take, and he should hold said position for years to come.

Michael Toglia’s Data Is Too Good To Deny – #182

Aaron Judge, Shohei Ohtani, and Juan Soto. That’s the company Toglia was in when it came to barrel rate last season. His 17.2% mark placed him fourth behind those three sluggers.

Hitting in a place like Colorado already boosts stats naturally, but for a guy with this kind of analytical makeup, the sky could be the limit when it comes to power. I could see a regular floor of 25 bombs with an .800 OPS in his future.

If you’re not buying it…fine. I’d be skeptical of that statement, too. But there’s a reason he was just in the top 9% in xSLG, exit velocity, barrel and hard-hit rate. 

Another argument against Toglia could be the lineup context. Yes, the lowly Rockies have struggled as of late, but I’m here to tell you…get ready for it…I don’t care.

There are good enough hitters ahead of him that will allow for proper RBI opportunities. Budding star Brenton Doyle will make a quality leadoff hitter. Behind him is Ezequiel Tovar who smacked 26 homers last season. And if Ryan McMahon plus Kris Bryant can both stay on the field, that’s a solid group at the top half of the lineup card. 

At just 26 years old, I think Toglia has the best chance to break out. The data is too good to deny, and even though he already displayed a sneak peek of the power prowess, that was only in 116 games. If we get a full season out of this guy, it’s not crazy to think we can get 35 missiles from his bat. 

And would you look at that, the soon-to-be offensive force also stole ten bases as a sweet treat. Man, those power/speed guys are just too enticing not to take chances on. Plus he’s eligible as an outfielder? It just got even better! 

Toglia comes at a price when everyone in drafts is beginning to look for value since their core is established within the first fifteen rounds. I say target him and let it rip!