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Fantasy Baseball: Top pitching sleepers for 2025

dalton del don
Fantasy analyst
·7-min read

Fantasy baseball analyst Dalton Del Don takes to the mound to identify his favorite pitching sleepers. If you want even more sleepers, click here for his options from every MLB team.

Justin Martínez enters the favorite to close in Arizona, but Puk is Arizona’s best reliever who's available later in fantasy drafts. Puk recorded a microscopic 1.72 ERA with a 0.75 WHIP over 57.2 innings after moving to relief last season. His SIERA (2.16) and CSW (33.9%) both ranked top five among relievers. Puk’s K-BB% (30.0) was behind only Mason Miller.

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Puk is going undrafted in 30% of Yahoo leagues and is going after Pick 200, but his range of outcomes includes finishing as a top-five fantasy closer in 2025.

Holmes made his MLB debut last season after being a first-round pick 10 years ago, and he’ll enter 2025 part of Atlanta’s starting rotation. Holmes’ K-BB% (21.8) while starting last season would’ve ranked eighth among qualified SPs, just behind Zack Wheeler. Here’s the list of pitchers who recorded a better CSW than Holmes last year: Blake Snell, Tarik Skubal and Chris Sale.

That’s it.

Holmes’ Chase% is in the 97th percentile, while his BB% is in the 90th. He owns the third-highest SwStr% on sliders over the last two seasons. Holmes will benefit from pitching for a Braves team primed to produce more run support in 2025, so he’s a steal while going undrafted in 52% of Yahoo leagues.

Lodolo was 8-2 with a 2.76 ERA, a 1.01 WHIP and a 20.5 K-BB% that ranked top 20 among starters before suffering a finger injury during his 12th start of the season last year. He posted a 7.38 ERA and a 1.44 WHIP over his final 50.0 innings after returning, when the injury still affected his ability to grip his curveball (even after the blister healed). Lodolo’s curveball suffered a dramatic decrease in vertical break as a result.

Lodolo is the SP67 in Yahoo ADP, but he has top-20 starter upside. Go get him.

Arrighetti’s 4.53 ERA was accompanied by a 3.93 SIERA as a rookie last season. He suffered a few blowup outings, but Arrighetti also struck out 11 or more batters three times over a five-start stretch in August. He posted a 3.18 ERA, a 1.17 WHIP and the seventh-best CSW (just behind Tarik Skubal) after the All-Star break. Helped by elite extension, Arrighetti had four different pitches induce a 10%+ SwStr%. He’s a major sleeper.

Calvin Faucher enters 2025 as the favorite to close in Miami, but Tinoco looks like the better pitcher who’s also available much later in fantasy drafts. Tinoco posted a 2.03 ERA and a 0.68 WHIP over 26.2 innings after joining Miami last year thanks to increased slider usage. His overall K-BB% (18.5), CSW (29.0%) and SIERA (3.29) were all superior to Faucher’s (15.7%, 26.6%, 3.61). Tinoco is going undrafted in more than 80% of Yahoo leagues.

Holmes is attempting to become the newest success story of reliever moving to starter. His numbers have been elite out of the pen since joining New York, including the 11th best CSW (32.4%) among 169 qualified RPs last year. The Mets offer a full opportunity to start with a depleted rotation, and Holmes will benefit from moving across New York.

While Yankee Stadium is one of the three best parks in boosting homers, Citi Field is one of baseball’s more favorable pitcher’s parks. Holmes has introduced a new pitch mix during spring, and he’s a steal in fantasy drafts.

Schmidt is being drafted as the SP72 in Yahoo leagues despite posting a 2.85 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP during his second year as a starter last season. Injuries limited his workload, but he finished the year healthy. Schmidt recorded a 26.3 K% that would’ve ranked top 15 had he qualified, and only five starters — Blake Snell, Cole Ragans, Garrett Crochet, Tarik Skubal and Dylan Cease — had a higher ZoneSwing% and at least a 44% ground ball rate. Schmidt’s CSW would’ve also ranked top 15 among qualified starters, just behind Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

Yankee Stadium boosts home runs (and walks), but it plays neutral overall. New York’s SPs led baseball in wins last season, recording 60% more than the White Sox’s starting staff. Schmidt’s ERA will likely rise this season, but he’s still someone to target at an incredible discount well past pick 200, especially now that the Yankees will rely on him even more with Gerrit Cole done for the year.

Jordan Romano enters as the Phillies’ new closer after signing in Philadelphia during the offseason, but he’s coming off a down season and elbow surgery. Romano says he’s feeling great and the early results have been positive, but it may be worth noting the Blue Jays non-tendered him with no replacement to close in Toronto. Kerkering, meanwhile, looks like one of baseball’s best relievers who’s ready to step into the closer’s role. He had a better K-BB% than Jhoan Duran and Andrés Muñoz last season, and his SIERA (2.60) was the 12th best among 169 qualified relievers. Kerkering possesses the league's best sweeper and huge fantasy upside should he secure Philadelphia’s ninth-inning role.

Pivetta has the fifth-best K-BB% since 2023, so he looks like a top-40 fantasy SP after his dramatic change in scenery. Petco Park has actually boosted homers (+4%) over the last three seasons, but it remains a tough place to hit overall. Pivetta’s propensity to give up home runs should remain an issue with his move from Fenway Park (-2%); he allowed 20 of his 28 homers on the road last year. But Pivetta moves from the second-best hitter’s park to the third-best pitcher’s park according to Park Factors, so he’s an SP to target.

Harrison was a fantasy disappointment as a rookie, but there were encouraging signs. His K-BB% (18.5) after the All-Star break would’ve ranked top 20 on the season. He also admitted to wearing down during his first full year in the majors, and his ERA jumped from 4.00 to 4.54 over his final two starts. Harrison possessed dramatically higher strikeout rates throughout the minors, and his velocity is reportedly back up this spring after correcting issues with last year’s delivery caused by injuries. He’ll benefit greatly from throwing to baseball’s best framing catcher and in one of MLB’s most extreme pitcher’s parks. Harrison is a real sleeper.

Rocker is no guarantee to open the season in Texas’ rotation, and he’ll have some sort of innings limit, but he’s a sleeper to target in fantasy drafts. Rocker flat-out dominated at Vanderbilt, and he continued to last season after making a quicker than expected return from Tommy John surgery. Rocker recorded a 1.96 ERA and a 0.79 WHIP with a 55:5 K:BB ratio over 36.2 innings across the minors before posting a 25.5 K% over three starts with the Rangers to end the year. And his arm should be healthier in 2025. Rocker is an elite prospect whom THE BAT projects to post a 1.15 WHIP this season. Even if he requires some patience, Rocker will be well worth his ADP in the 240s.