Anyone can have an off season, for any number of years. But what if that poor season is actually the start of an actionable trend? Today, let’s look at some hitters who underperformed in 2025 and try to reason if they’re good fantasy baseball investments for the fresh season.

Mookie Betts, SS, Dodgers

Betts had the worst season of his career in 2025, setting new lows in all three slash categories and stealing just eight bases. His fantasy value was propped up by durability (he played in 150 games) and environment (boosted by able teammates, he scored 95 runs and drove in 82). His bat speed has noticeably fallen in recent years, and his hard-hit metrics also tumbled into troublesome areas last season.

Player ascension isn’t always linear, but player decline almost always is. Betts still has the mind and approach of a winning player, but his MVP-contention days are probably gone for good as he settles into his age-33 season. I’ll need him to slip into the fourth round before I get tempted.

Bryan Reynolds, OF, Pirates

After four years of consistent fantasy production, Reynolds slumped for much of 2025, with his OPS+ dropping to 99 and his power and steals collapsing. A bad shoulder had something to do with it — although Reynolds played through the injury, he shut down the running game for good the final four months. His bat was more in line with career norms in the second half (.276/.364/.453) and the Pirates have improved their lineup for 2026. Reynolds feels like a solid value with a Yahoo ADP of 181.7.

Salvador Pérez, C, Royals

Although Pérez maintained his power stats last year, his average dropped to .236 and his OBP fell to .284, worrisome trends in an age-35 season. But appreciate the bad luck Pérez encountered — his batted-ball stats suggest he should have held a .269 average and a .534 slugging percentage (88 points higher than his actual).

The Royals give Pérez plenty of DH time and occasional first-base starts, so he’s not burdened by catching all the time. Pérez should also enjoy the Kansas City fences coming in (and down) and an upgraded lineup around him. I know betting on catchers in this age pocket isn’t an easy assignment, but Pérez is a target with a Yahoo ADP of 95.9.

Willy Adames, SS, Giants

Adames picked a perfect time for his career year — he was the 15th best fantasy hitter in 2024, coinciding with his free-agency tour. Last season’s stat depression in San Francisco was predictable, a mixture of the size of the ballpark and the pressure of the enormous contract.

[Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Baseball league for the 2026 MLB season]

But Adames seemed to settle into his new situation by the middle of the year, conking 21 homers after July 1 and stealing eight bases in the last two months. Adames' batting profile and the roominess of his home stadium will always make batting average a concern, but you can angle for profit with an affordable ADP of 105.1.

Gleyber Torres, 2B, Tigers

It might appear that Torres has settled into the useful but boring part of his career — respectable average, a few homers, the occasional steal. But last year’s haul was probably unlucky, given the components. Torres bumped his walk rate and trimmed his strikeout rate and earned a .462 slugging percentage based on quality of contact — but had a .387 slugging percentage on the back of his baseball card. Given normal luck, we’re probably looking at a 23-26 homer season.

The Tigers were wise to keep Torres and his keen eye should allow him to hold the No. 2 slot in the lineup all year. Yahoo rooms are offering him at a cheap 183.4 ADP ticket.

Yordan Alvarez, OF, Astros

Hand and ankle injuries limited Alvarez to a two-month season last year, and he wasn’t much of a treat when he was able to play (career-low 121 OPS+, just six homers). The previous year, Alvarez dealt with hand, arm and oblique injuries, though he gutted through 147 games and played well enough to finish ninth in the MVP balloting.

Alvarez has the batting eye of an angel but the body of an older man, and Houston’s lineup is no longer the generous float of glory years. Still commanding a top 40 pick, Alvarez is not in my draft plans.

Luis Robert Jr., OF, Mets

Robert has been a down player for two seasons, with a laundry list of injuries keeping him out about one-third of the time. But his walk rate did rise appreciably last year and at least he offered category juice — 14 homers and 33 steals in just 110 games. And while the .223/.297/.364 slash line is depressing to look at, he was somewhat unlucky with his results, 23 points cheated in average and 62 points unfortunate in slugging percentage. He’s on a better team, he’s still just 28 and the ADP is a reasonable 152.0.

Robert isn’t a circled target on my board, but I’ll maintain an open mind when his spot comes up.

The word sleeper has become a nebulous term in the fantasy world, with various definitions depending on who you ask. But we all can agree that if you hit on a sleeper at the fantasy baseball draft table, you’ll be happy. Let’s assume the most general of sleeper definitions — a reasonably inexpensive commodity who has a decent chance to outkick his ADP — and move alone from there. 

[Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Baseball league for the 2026 MLB season]

Here are some sleepers I like from the outfield in 2026. 

OF Daylen Lile, Nationals (214.9) 

The market is giving you a giveaway draft price here; please take advantage. Lile wasn’t overmatched in his first run through the majors, slashing .299/.437/.498 with nine homers and eight steals over 91 games. And the steal count is going to rise — he possesses a speed score in the 92nd percentile, and he had a silly 11 triples in 91 games last year. Some say the triple is a dying play in modern baseball — Lile is single-handedly bringing it back. His stolen-base success rate will rise as he gains experience. 

The Nationals were patient with Lile at the front of his debut, but he was hitting cleanup at the end of last season. This year, he’s slotted in the No. 3 spot, after James Wood and CJ Abrams and ahead of Dylan Crews. I probably can’t sell you on the bottom of the Washington lineup, but the top needs little defense. 

OF Ramon Laureano, Padres (215.1 ADP)

Laureano was probably the most underrated outfielder in fantasy baseball last year — he was the No. 29 outfielder in 5x5 value — and I initially had him as a double-digit value on my tiered rankings. I’m a little concerned the Nick Castellanos signing could create a logjam in the San Diego outfield, and ultimately, I decided to be prudent with Laureano’s ranking, mindful that he’s in his 30s and has never logged 500 at-bats in a season. Still, he’s an above-average hitter, and hopefully the Padres will give him some leash. 

Nobody picked outside the top 200 is a sure thing, but Laureano has already shown upside to be excited about. 

OF Kerry Carpenter, Tigers (205.2 ADP) 

Carpenter doesn’t take many walks and he’s never hit left-handed pitching much — the Tigers have generally platooned him — so at first glance, you’re thinking he’s a capped-ceiling player. But Carpenter showed some progress in limited work against lefties last year (three homers, .400 slugging) and Detroit is considering giving him more exposure to southpaws this season. 

So you have two paths to make your money on Carpenter this year. If he approaches 500 at-bats, 30-plus homers and 85-plus RBI are reachable targets. And if the platoon sticks, at least he can focus on what he normally does: mashing right-handed pitching. Carpenter is also in the prime part of his career arc, stepping into his age-28 season. Carpenter is probably a better pick for leagues that allow for regular lineup tinkering, but no matter your format, consider his positives. 

OF Wilyer Abreu, Red Sox (210.3 ADP) 

I’m not going to cheat and call Abreu a breakout player, because we’ve seen growth the last two years. If he doesn’t get hurt in the second half of 2025, Abreu likely gets home with 30 homers and 100 RBI. His .256 career average isn’t a problem, and although Boston’s outfield is congested — this roster is still begging for one more trade — Abreu’s Gold Glove defense marks his spot in the lineup. If Abreu didn’t get hurt last year, his ADP would surely be 30-50 slots higher this spring. 

OF Justin Crawford, Phillies (205.1 ADP) 

The ADP is on the rise but it’s still going to be reasonable all spring, so consider the upside case with this intriguing rookie. Crawford hasn’t developed power yet, but he was a .334/.411/.452 player at Triple-A last year, with 46 steals in 112 games. And that came while navigating his age-21 season; time is on his side. 

Crawford is in camp as a non-roster invitee, given a chance to win the bigger half of Philly’s center field platoon. But with Johan Rojas facing a PED suspension, Crawford has a shot to take this job all for himself. Crawford's defense is MLB-ready — the Phillies will appreciate having a good defender join their outfield, for once — and he’s not going to have the bat knocked out of his hands. 

Crawford also checks the pedigree box, as he’s the son of former All-Star Carl Crawford. You’ll see similarities in their games.  

1B/OF Alec Burleson, Cardinals (175.7 ADP) 

I’m putting Burleson at the bottom of today’s list because he might be more of a value pick than a true sleeper. Again, amigos, I’m not hung up on definitions. I’m just trying to give you some appealing players to target in your drafts, guys you can make a profit on. Burleson applies. 

Burleson figured out lefties in 2025 and no longer has any worry about being platooned. His contact skills are excellent and he still might grow into a 25-30 homer guy. He also qualifies at first base, which has quietly become a difficult fill in recent seasons. The Cardinals will probably have Burleson in the No. 3 slot all year, ideal for volume and run production.