Thus far, there’ve been a lot of standout hitters who’ve either matched their lofty expectations — or surpassed them. With the first month of the 2025 fantasy baseball season done, let’s take a look at what’s been going right for names in particular, including one of MLB’s home run leaders.
Jonathan Aranda
I touched on Jonathan Aranda, the Rays infielder, earlier this April. Aranda was a good hitting infield prospect who had some knocks on his game: namely, where he would fit defensively, and struggling to catch up to the fastball at times at the MLB level. He looked more promising in 2024, as Aranda notched six home runs in 134 MLB plate appearances during an injury-riddled season.
This year, though, has been a breakthrough year for Aranda.
Aranda ranks seventh among qualified hitters in batting average (.338) and with a short porch in Steinbrenner Field, has benefited greatly from the change in scenery. The 26-year-old is batting .380 with three home runs and 10 extra-base hits at home this season.
Pete Crow-Armstrong
There are only three players (as of April 24) who had at least five home runs and 10 stolen bases through the first weeks of 2025: Oneil Cruz, Elly De La Cruz, and Pete Crow-Armstrong. Cruz and De La Cruz are well-known demons on the basepaths and plus power bats. Crow-Armstrong, though, is different.
The 23-year-old’s best assets are his defensive tracking in center field & speed. His bat’s lagged, even though he had a 20-home run season in the Minors two years ago. Crow-Armstrong was — and still is — a habitual chaser but nonetheless a very toolsy player. Now, the Cubs are reaping the benefits.
Chicago fitted Crow-Armstrong with a heavier bat (hint: the force equation in physics), got roughly three inches deeper into the box, and he’s using his tools to great effect, pushing balls both to the pull side & to the opposite field with force.
Out of the five names listed above, Crow-Armstrong could be the most impactful, all-around fantasy asset.
Wyatt Langford
Rangers outfielder Wyatt Langford was the highest-rated player on our preseason list among the bunch. We had Langford as the 59th-best player available heading into the spring and much of that was thanks to his breakout last September. He went on a tear for Texas, hitting .300 with seven stolen base and eight home runs, as well as 25 runs scored.
Langford missed some time in April thanks to an oblique issue. However, that’s been the only thing to slow down the 23-year-old this season. Langford batted .294 with six home runs and four stolen bases. The one blemish on his stat line is the eight RBI. That can be attributed to the paltry .210 OBP Rangers leadoff hitters have in 2025, the lowest in MLB.
He’s primarily batted in either the two or three hole this season.
The former Gators star was considered a great all-around hitter heading into the 2023 MLB Draft for many reasons: the power, his ability to stay short to the ball, and make consistent contact. If we can see Langford on the field for the rest of the season, he should get to 20-20 in 2025.
Tyler Soderstrom
The 2025 season has seen some weird breakout home run hitters. Namely, co-MLB leader Corbin Carroll with nine, and Tommy Edman with eight. Tyler Soderstrom, who hit 29 home runs three years ago in the Minors, might shock some but the tools have always been there.
This season, the former first-round pick has turned tools into results. Soderstrom cracked nine home runs over his first 103 plate appearances, matching his total during the 2024 season. He dealt with a bone bruise for parts of last year and spent a month in Triple-A.
Soderstrom made key adjustments, to say the least. First off, he’s chasing less. Last season, he hacked at pitches 29.1% of the time. This year, that’s down to 24.4%. Those numbers are down roughly the same pace when it comes to breaking balls:
| Year | Breaking Ball Chase% |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 28.9% |
| 2025 | 23.7% |
More laying off bad pitches, more taking and executing on good pitches. Soderstrom hadn’t had problems doing damage on mistake breaking balls, as four of his nine home runs are off breaking balls.
Add in plus bat speed and a friendlier hitting environment, and Soderstrom’s gone from intriguing young player to impact bat.
James Wood
Lastly, James Wood. Wood was one of the best hard-hit machines in Triple-A last season before he was promoted to Washington. However, while he had a 52% Hard Hit% in 2024 with the Nats, it didn’t translate into true home run power during his rookie season.
Thus far, Wood already has eight home runs, one shy of his career high. Most of those have been to the opposite field, a true testament to his power and how keeping his hands in and the swing profile/approach affects his tendencies.
The one true pull home run on Wood’s ledger came on April 23, as he got out in front on a 91 MPH Tomoyuki Sugano fastball that sat just in the inner half.
He hasn’t been as prolific on the basepaths, although he could conceivably steal 20 bases this season.
Wood, between his size, bat speed, and relatively short swing, is an anomaly. We had Wood ranked #64 in our preseason rankings, which is pretty low given his overall 2025 ceiling. But thus far, he’s chasing and missing less, making him a true top-20 talent right now.
Check out more of our fantasy coverage, including our best early-season buy-low candidates.