5 Sleeper Hitters to Target

Sleeper hitters are the players that fantasy managers expect to exceed this season’s expectations. The player may have fallen off in the official fantasy baseball rankings due to poor results from the 2024 season. Will player rebound? Will the player make the big league club coming out of Spring Training? Some sleeper hitters are rookies. Many sleeper hitters are veterans. Other sleeper hitters had the injury bug in 2024. A sleeper hitter can be a risky player you draft late with the potential for a high upside in 2025.

Drafting the Sleeper Hitter

Typically the first half of the fantasy baseball draft is easy. Managers can always follow the best draft pick option. Your draft picks usually fall into your lap as you anxiously await your turn, or you have clicked on auto-pick to get another beer. Managers may go off the fantasy draft script to fill a position hole that has not been filled yet. The last half of the draft gets tougher as the talent level starts to decline. There are no more potential All-Stars. And of course, the oops, I need more pitching draft picks. The search for the sleeper hitter draft picks begins.

What Should We Look For in a Sleeper Hitter?

Fantasy baseball managers must dig deep into the stats. A sleeper hitter may have the average but no power. Speed, low average but walks a lot. If the sleeper hitter has speed, doubles and triples may be part of his package. A sleeper hitter may start as a part-time player. The manager needs to check a team’s depth chart. Is the starter “holding” the position? Sleepers are the players the manager puts on the end of his fantasy bench.

Will it be an injury to one of your stars (again)? Maybe one of the higher draft picks turns into a bust. The sleeper hitter may make the difference in your fantasy team, missing or having a long run in the playoffs. A sleeper draft pick may start the season hotter in hell and lead your team to some early wins.

Sleepers will be your most interchangeable player. Take a chance on a late-round sleeper but keep an eye on the “Who’s Hot” list. If the manager makes a bad draft pick early in the season, dump that player/sleeper. Make the roster move quickly with no remorse. The waiver drop is painless and minimizing the damage is critical to your season’s fantasy success. Remember, from the wet and wintry games to the dog days of August, the baseball season is very long.

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Same Old Veteran Sleepers

Many managers fall back and rely on the same old players for their late-round draft picks. The player may have had a good year a couple of seasons ago. Play multiple positions. Steal some bases. Hit with average. Until the pitchers settle in then the batting average crashes down to the “Mendoza Line”.

Veteran players with similar statistics, Sam Hilliard OF/Colorado Rockies, Adam Frazier /OF/2B/Pittsburg Pirates, and Chris Taylor /OF/SS/2B of the LA Dodgers, fell into this category of players.

Writermiker’s 2025 Sleeper Hitter Picks

Vaughn Grissom: 2nd Base Boston Red Sox

Vaughn Grissom is the favorite to start 2nd base for the Boston Red Sox in 2025. His limited power is based on no home runs in 105 at-bats in 2024. Grissom’s sleeper hitter potential may be stolen bases, 9 projected in 2025 by ESPN. Also, batting average, hitting .291 in 2023 and .280 in 2024 for the Atlanta Braves. Multiple positions, 2nd and SS, are listed by Baseball-Reference.com. Reminder, each fantasy league ranks players differently. Grissom was slowed by injuries in 2024. He realized his potential in the minors and finished strong at the MLB level to end the 2024 season.

Joey Loperfido: LF/CF/RF Toronto Blue Jays

Joey Loperfido is currently listed as a left fielder by Baseball-Reference.com. Yahoo Sports rankings list multiple outfield positions LF/CF/RF for Loperfido in 2025. Equally important, he played 1st base and 2nd base for the Houston Astros in 2024 before being traded to the Blue Jays. Loperfido had four home runs and 25 RBIs in limited at-bats in 2024. He has the speed and the power that could lead to 20 stolen bases and 20 home runs seasons.

Trey Sweeney: SS Detroit Tigers

Trey Sweeney has the potential to become the starting shortstop for the Detroit Tigers. The determining factor is whether incumbent Tiger shortstop Javier Baez is healthy enough to return to the field in 2025. Sweeney is young and hungry which is a sleeper hitter plus. In the worst-case scenario, he is sent to the minors to start the season. The manager can move Sweeney to the Not Available (NA) roster spot and wait for his recall to the Big Leagues. ESPN projects Sweeney to hit 13 home runs and steal 18 bases in 2025.

Luisangel Acuna: SS/2B New York Mets

Luisangel Acuna hit with power in his 2024 September call-up. Acuna hit three home runs and batted .308 subbing for the injured Francisco Lindor. Baseball Reference.com lists his position as 2nd Base and SS, Acuna is a shortstop with starting potential if the injury bug bites the Mets. A good sleeper hitter draft pick for the manager to fill his last bench spot.

Hyeseong Kim: 2B/SS/OF Los Angeles Dodgers

Hyeseong Kim is transitioning to Major League Baseball from the Korean Baseball Organization. Furthermore, batting average and stolen are good sleeper categories for your team. ESPN projects Kim to steal 19 bases and hit with an average of .260 in 2025. The 2nd Base position has opened up for the Dodgers with the trade of Gavin Lux to the Cincinnati Reds. Lastly, Kim is an excellent rookie sleeper hitter to stash at the end of your bench.