Crow-Armstrong set for big role

A new season can bring new opportunities for younger players across the league. Let’s highlight five players who are primed for more playing time in 2025 and what that could mean for their fantasy value.

Jasson Dominguez, New York Yankees

The big news of the Yankees offseason was losing Juan Soto to the Mets in free agency. No one hitter will be able to make up for his departure. The Yankees have tried to make improvements at a few positions to try and help compensate for his loss, including adding Cody Bellinger to play center field and Paul Goldschmidt to replace Anthony Rizzo at first base.

Another big area of improvement for the Yankees could be in left field, where Dominguez will take over for Alex Verdugo. Verdugo was terrible at the plate, posting a .123 ISO and a .283 wOBA. Dominguez has been a top prospect throughout his time in the minors. In 2023, he hit 15 home runs, stolen 37 bases and had a .357 wOBA across 109 games at Double-A. Across 44 games at Triple-A last year, he had seven home runs, 15 stolen bases and a .376 wOBA. He did not perform well over 18 games in the majors, but he continued to draw walks, posting a 16.4% walk rate. Another season removed from Tommy John surgery, Dominguez has the potential to hit 25 home runs and steal 25 bases in a full season playing left field for the Yankees. If he hits leadoff behind Aaron Judge, he could also score runs in bunches.

Austin Wells, New York Yankees

Wells began last season splitting time behind home plate with Jose Trevino. However, he eventually became the Yankees’ primary catcher. He finished with 414 plate appearances during the regular season. He launched 13 home runs and had a .315 wOBA. While he only batted .229, he showed a good eye at the plate with an 11.4% walk rate and a 21.0% strikeout rate.

The Yankees traded Trevino to the Reds during the offseason. The other catching options behind Wells are Alex Jackson, J.C. Escarra and Ben Rice. None of those players should be a legitimate threat to steal playing time away from Wells. While he still might struggle to help fantasy managers much with his batting average, the potential for him to play at least 130 games could leave him with a chance to threaten for 20 home runs.

Xavier Edwards, Miami Marlins

Edwards has shown an ability to hit for a high average and steal bases throughout his time in the minor leagues. In 2023, he hit .351 with a .402 wOBA and 32 stolen bases across 93 games at Triple-A. Last year, he hit .330 with a .371 wOBA and five stole bases across 26 games at the same level. That was enough to earn him a call up to the majors. Over 70 games with the Marlins, he then hit .328 with a .359 wOBA and 31 stolen bases.

What you like to see with Edwards is his ability to avoid strikeouts. He never posted a strikeout rate above 18.8% during any of his stops in the minors. He has also shown an ability to draw walks, including his 12.0% walk rate at Triple-A in 2023. In the majors last year, he had a 10.9% walk rate and a 17.2% strikeout rate. Don’t expect him to hit for much power, but with his speed and ability to make contact, he could bat around .300 and steal over 40 bases in a full season with the Marlins.

Tyler Fitzgerald, San Francisco Giants

The Giants selected Fitzgerald in the fourth round of the 2019 Draft. He reached Triple-A by 2023, hitting .287 with a .212 ISO and a .373 wOBA across 102 games at the level. He also added 20 home runs and 29 stolen bases. The Giants did promote him to the majors, but he had just a .310 wOBA over 10 games. After getting off to another hot start at Triple-A last year, the Giants once again called Fitzgerald up to the majors.

Fitzgerald’s second stint with the Giants brought much better production. He hit .280 with a .217 ISO and a .357 wOBA across 96 games. He once again showed his combination of power and speed, hitting 15 home runs to go along with 17 steals. However, it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows. He was a bit lucky, given his .380 BABIP. Also, he had a 31.7% strikeout rate.

The Giants added Willy Adames to play shortstop this winter, which means Fitzgerald will move to second base. A full season in the majors could easily lead him to produce at least 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases. However, it might be difficult for him to hit for a high average again if he can’t cut down on his strikeouts.

Pete Crow-Armstrong, Chicago Cubs

After being selected in the first round of the 2020 Draft, Crow-Armstrong reached Triple-A in 2023. He appeared in 34 games at that level, hitting six home runs and stealing 10 bases to go along with his .365 wOBA. After posting a .255 ISO and a .343 wOBA over 26 games at Triple-A last year, Crow-Armstrong was called up to the majors.

Over 123 games with the Cubs last year, Crow-Armstrong underwhelmed with a .148 ISO and a .289 wOBA. His 23.9% strikeout rate wasn’t terrible, but he had just a 7.4% barrel rate and a 36.8% hard-hit rate. What should stand out to fantasy managers were his 27 stolen bases. Crow-Armstrong enters this year as the Cubs starting center fielder. He is an excellent defender, which helps his cause to stick in the lineup. Prior to last year, Crow-Armstrong had never posted a wOBA below .365 during any of his stops in the minors. If he can get his wOBA up to at least around .330 this season with the Cubs, he has a chance to steal 40 bases. In addition to his stolen base potential, Crow-Armstrong has 20-homer upside.

Mike Barner has been covering fantasy sports since 2007. His work has appeared in Sports Illustrated, Yahoo, SportsLine and RotoWire. Mike was also a finalist for the 2018 FSWA Basketball Writer of the Year award. Follow Mike on Twitter @rotomikebarner.