Baseball is changing in ways that not even Nostradamus could've foreseen.
If you had told me, four years ago, that today we'd have "openers," seven-inning doubleheaders, the runner-on-second rule in extra innings, or even a dual-threat All-Star, I'd have scoffed at such suggestions. With the current labor deal set to expire after the season, that's probably not all the significant change we'll see this decade.
The universal designated hitter, yes, I foresaw - and still foresee, since the National League reverted to pitchers hitting for 2021 - that coming. The same goes for decreasing starting-pitching pitch counts and increasing bullpen specialization. Still, those are dramatic changes in their own right, and things that absolutely influence player valuation in fantasy baseball. We've had to keep pace, and in fact grow, as fantasy managers, and there's no doubt the demand for that will continue through the '20s.
Change, though, presents some of the fun of fantasy baseball. We are, after all, a group with a goal of predicting the future. That's where this column comes in: It's designed to predict said future, specifically the best players in the game four seasons from now. It's where I predict -- OK, guess -- at the highest ceilings in baseball's (somewhat) distant future. Presenting: My "All-2025 Team."
The "All-2025 Team," as with past editions, follows these guidelines:
A full, 23-man, old-school Rotisserie roster: Two catchers; one apiece at first base, second base, third base and shortstop; one corner infielder and one middle infielder (listed at their primary positions); five outfielders; a designated hitter (for this team, the DH is an actual DH); and nine pitchers, in this case broken down as seven starters and two closers.
Players are listed only at the position I believe they'll play in 2025. For example, Austin Martin was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays as a shortstop in 2020 and has played 22 games there for Double-A New Hampshire this season, but for 2025, I'm projecting him as an outfielder, where he has played 20 games this year.
Players are picked based only upon how much fantasy value I believe they will have in the 2025 season and the 2025 season alone. In other words, this team projects the positional leaders on the 2025 ESPN Player Rater. This is by design, as it distinguishes players with the highest distant-future, single-year ceilings. For those seeking players projected to have the greatest overall value for the next four seasons combined, my midseason Dynasty 300 rankings will be published on Wednesday.
Only fantasy potential is considered. Defense is irrelevant, outside of how it impacts teams' decisions regarding roles and playing time.
Picks are in ranked order at each individual position, meaning that the two catchers are Nos. 1 and 2, and the "Best of the rest" picks, which are essentially the "B" team, begin with No. 3 and so on. Use this list however you wish: Improving your dynasty teams, debating with your friends or, if you wish, to clip and save so you can remind me in 2025 which ones I got terribly, terribly wrong. I know some will be! That's baseball.