It happens every year. Several high-end players get off to slow starts, which can be concerning for those who burned a top pick in this past year’s draft. However, there are a few steady performers you shouldn’t be worried about. Here’s a look at five such names, as we approach the back-half of the 2025 fantasy season’s first month.
Randy Arozarena
I’ll start with Randy Arozarena, the Mariners outfielder who’s not having a terrible season on paper. Arozarena’s been very productive in the stolen base category, as his five steals put him in the top-22 of the league as of April 16. However, the hitting stats aren’t stellar.
Arozarena is batting just .169 on the season, which can be a killer — especially for those who have several sub-. 200 hitters on the season. However, the 30-year-old does have three home runs and seven extra-base hits on the season. Extrapolating isn’t a great idea per se, but extending that out over 550 plate appearances, that’s a 22-home-run season pace.
Stay patient with Arozarena. Yes, teams are trying to gas him up with fastballs, and to an extent, it’s working. But, Arozarena can easily post another 20-20 campaign, which would be the fifth-straight one he’s had.
Matt Olson
Last season, Matt Olson couldn’t come close to replicating his 54-home run season from 2023. The Braves’ first baseman had just 29 home runs, which isn’t a bad number. But, not for Olson, who had the fewest home runs in his MLB career over a full season since 2018 (29).
This year, it’s been more of the same — but with a twist. First off, Olson is hitting just .200 with two home runs and nine RBI. If Olson were to match his plate appearances from 2024 this season, he’s on pace for 18 home runs.
There are good and bad signs this year from Olson. One, he’s walking a lot, as he notched 13 free passes over 17 games. Two, Olson’s hitting the ball hard. His 12.3% Barrel/PA would be a career-best. However, one thing to note about Olson is that he’s getting on top of the ball a lot. Some of that has been unavoidable at points, as Olson’s getting more breaking balls and offspeed compared to past years.
Is the slow start good? No, especially after the 2024 season. However, good hitters tend to figure it out. Olson is a good hitter, and he has been making good contact.
Salvador Perez
The Royals are in a strange spot. Kansas City lost 10 of their first 18 games, and only two hitters had an OPS+ above 100 after that stretch: Maikel Garcia (111) and Bobby Witt Jr. (156). Aside from those two, the Royals had five regulars with sub-.200 averages.
Salvador Perez isn’t among the five but he’s only hitting .206 this season. And, most of his other batted-ball metrics are fine despite the .338 SLG he posted through the first 18 games of 2025. Perez’s 11% Barrel/PA is higher than the 8.7% Barrel/PA he posted in 2024. Which, may not hold up over a 162-game season but is a sign he’s hitting the ball fine.
Don’t expect Perez not to chase out of the zone; he’s one of the most egregious chasers in the game. However, out of all the Royals struggling to generate offense, Perez is one not to be concerned about.
Anthony Santander
Blue Jays outfielder Anthony Santander isn’t the only notable free agent from this past winter who’s struggling (and more on that in a minute). But, the early returns from Santander have not been impressive.
The 30-year-old is hitting .211 with two home runs and five extra-base hits, along with six RBI. His HR/PA rate dipped from .066 in 2024 — when he hit a career-best 44 home runs, 32 from the left side — to .025 in 2025. The bat speed is down on average by -0.9 MPH. However, Santander is showing good signs of late. The corner outfielder notched two home runs over the last week and currently has a six-game hitting streak.
Santander is in a fruitful position, hitting around Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Andres Gimenez, two very different hitters, yet two impressive ones. Because of that, Santander should be in a position to drive in runs for the entire 2025 season.
Christian Walker
Lastly, Christian Walker‘s first season in Houston hasn’t gone as planned. The 34-year-old is hitting just .164/.282/.230 (.512 OPS) with one home run and two extra-base hits across his first 17 games as an Astro. It’s an ominous sign, especially given the Astros’ recent history with Jose Abreu.
Yes, Walker’s metrics are down virtually across the line. He’s seeing more pitches out of the zone this season, a -0.7% dip from 2024 to 2025. And, he’s chasing out of the zone at a higher clip.
However, Walker is still taking his walks, hence why the OBP is over 100 points above the average. The 34-year-old is still making hard contact, with a Barrel% above 10%. Just give it some time.
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