Leaderboard of the Week: Late-Round Power Options

For Saturday's leaderboard, I'm diving into power options late in fantasy drafts.

To do this, I'm looking for batters projected to hit 25 home runs if given 600 plate appearances. In most instances, there is an obvious reason these hitters aren't projected to hit that PA threshold. I'm going to try to analyze the guys who could be available and provide needed home runs late in the game.

To start with, here are the 19 batters that fit the category, per the FanGraphs Steamer projections.

Below are some thoughts on most of these players. 

Mickey Moniak

Moniak is being drafted the highest because he is a solid three-category contributor. Holding back his plate appearances is that he struggles against left-handed pitchers (career .760 OPS vs RHP, .497 OPS vs LHP). Last year, he went to bat 401 times against righties (.857 OPS) and just 60 against lefties (.547 OPS).

When evaluating platoon bats this year, there is directionality to which platoon players to target. Using the RosterResource depth charts, these are the projected innings thrown by right-handed pitchers. Additionally, I combined the percentages for the other four teams in each division. 

The teams in the West Divisions have more right-handed starters than the Central and, finally, the East ones. During a season, teams play the other teams in their division 52 times, or 32 percent. 

When evaluating platoon bats, start in the west and move across the country. 

Jake Burger

The only thing holding back Burger's value is his recent health history. Last year he underwent wrist surgery and also dealt with quadriceps and oblique injuries. He was limited to 103 games after starting over 135 the previous two seasons. With a little luck on the health front, he should hit around 30 homers this year. 

Giancarlo Stanton

Stanton has the most upside of anyone on this list. He hit 59 long balls in 2017 alone. In 281 PA last year he hit 24. The low plate appearance total has suppressed his value over the last four seasons, with the most games he played in a season over that span being 114 in 2024.

I'm not betting on him playing in 140 games, but I didn't think Byron Buxton could make it through a full season. The shallower the league, the more managers should gamble on Staton with both more and better waiver wire options available.

Trent Grisham

I have no idea why Grisham is going so late. I'm guessing fantasy players want to see him repeat his 34 HR from last year. I have three tools that take different inputs from the 2025 season and estimate the number of home runs hit. They are at 25, 25, and 27, which is in line with his projections.

Max Muncy

Muncy is being avoided because of injuries and platoon potential. While he had a major split over his career, his overall skill has declined to the point where he was unplayable against lefties over the past three seasons -- a .645 OPS against southpaws yet an .897 mark against righties.

Matt Wallner

Wallner crushes righties (career .881 OPS), but struggles against lefties (.641 OPS). I expect more of the same. 

Mark Vientos

The issue with Vientos is that he's an average hitter and a horrible defender on a playoff-caliber team. Winning teams don't often count on players like him to win, and the Mets have added replacements. 

Marcell Ozuna

Fantasy players were beginning to worry Ozuna wouldn't sign, and his ADP was starting to tank. As can be seen in this chart of the NFBC ADP, Ozuna's ADP jumped with someone taking him as high as 154th.

Jorge Soler

It may be over for Soler and the majestic power, with his average exit velocity declining for the second straight season, from 91.3 mph in 2023 to to 90.5 mph and eventually 89.7 mph. Hitting for power is the only skill he has at this point in his career. Once it's gone, his fantasy value is as well. 

Tyler O'Neill

In his best season, O'Neill totaled 537 plate appearances. Last year, he was down at 209 PA with just a .684 OPS. When he is healthy, he needs to be productive on a deep Orioles roster. He might be worth a roll of the dice since he topped 30 HR in two of the past five seasons. The problem is that in the other three, he didn't hit over 15 in any campaign.

Nolan Gorman

After hitting 27 HR in 2023 in just 464 PA, Gorman wasn't able to hit over 20 the past two years. The problem has been that his strikeout rate has ballooned. Of the hitters with at least a combined 650 PA over the last two seasons, Gorman's 35.7 strikeout percentage is the highest (Michael Toglia is next at 35.1 percent). If Gorman can make more contact, he could be a solid addition. 

Christopher Morel

Morel is a power-speed threat … when he makes contact. A 36 percent strikeout rate last season kept him on the bench most of the time. If he gets his plate discipline under control, he's a solid target. 

Joc Pederson

Pederson is a utility-only platoon bat. At least he's in the AL West Division.

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