Fantasy Baseball Starting Pitcher Draft Steal Candidates for 2025: Shota Imanaga, Michael King, Roki Sasaki and More

Let’s continue my fantasy baseball draft steal series with the starting pitcher writeup.

There’s a ton of pitchers I could have mentioned, but I identified five guys listed inside the top 100 picks so far on the ADP rankings.

I’ve gone over draft steals at first base, second base, third base and shortstop so far. Also be sure to check out the starting pitcher draft bust story. My top-10 starting pitcher rankings for redraft and dynasty leagues are also available.

Check out Fantasy Baseball Average Draft Position data for 2025 and get ready for your fantasy drafts by utilizing the FantasySP Fantasy Baseball Mock Draft Simulator.

1. Cole Ragans

Ragans is a borderline top-10 fantasy starting pitcher on the ADP list and the No. 9 ranked SP on my redraft list for 2025, but I still think he could be a big draft steal.

He finished seventh last season at the position, and I think he could be even better if he gets in close to 200 innings this year. Last year in 32 starts, Ragans struck out 223 batters over 186 1/3 innings. He went 11-9 (another area he could improve) and had a 3.14 earned run average.

He’s a good value for where he’s being picked right now, and as long as he stays healthy, I think he’s got a great chance to outperform his draft slot. 

With just one good MLB season under his belt, he’ll probably appear on a lot of bust lists. Even if he regresses a bit from last season, he still has a decent chance to finish in the top 10, or rank around where he was drafted. I see more upside than downside here, and that’s why Ragans is a steal candidate to me.

2. Shota Imanaga

Imanaga, or anyone else we’ll discuss in this article, didn’t appear in my top-10 starting pitchers, but all were in the honorable mention section.

Imanaga is the No. 23 pitcher on the ADP list and going around pick 80 so far. Last season, Imanaga was the No. 9 fantasy starting pitcher, so I’m not really sure why his stock is so low right now.

As spring training heats up and the regular season nears, I expect Imanaga’s draft value to skyrocket. If you are drafting soon, take advantage of that and land a potential top-10 starting pitcher in the 70s or 80s.

He made 29 starts last season, covering 173 1/3 innings. Imanaga had a 15-3 record and 2.91 ERA, along with 174 strikeouts. He only walked 28 batters.

I’m not really sure how anyone can look at those numbers and expect a big dropoff going into his second season. If anything, an increase in innings should help Imanaga post even more fantasy points.

Hopefully Imanaga’s draft value stays low so you can take advantage of things in your own draft, but I think it’s much more likely that his value rises considerably between now and the middle of March.

3. Bryce Miller

Miller was the fantasy pitcher to finish right behind Imanaga. He’s the 18th-ranked pitcher and going around pick 70.

That’s more reasonable than how far Imanaga fell, but it still sets Miller up to be a big draft steal if he can just replicate last year’s numbers.

Miller had a solid rookie season in 2023, going 8-7 with a 4.32 ERA across 25 starts. He covered 131 1/3 innings and struck out 119 batters. He made 31 starts last season, going 12-8 with a fantastic 2.94 ERA. Miller had 171 strikeouts over 180 1/3 innings.

Again, how can someone look at that and then think he’s going to drop several spots this coming season? I just don’t get it.

Sure, his big drop in ERA might be alarming to some fantasy owners, but the 26-year-old is just starting to figure things out at the big league level. It wouldn’t surprise me if his ERA dropped even lower in 2026.

His strikeout numbers are not elite, but a sub-1.00 WHIP has Miller as a top-end fantasy option. The fact that you can nab him as your second, or maybe third or fourth, fantasy pitcher is absurd, and something I would love to have happen.

Again, I think Miller’s draft value is going to go up between now and the start of the regular season, but for those of you drafting early, I’d be all for taking Miller. There’s not a ton of risk, and the upside is definitely higher.

He’s even more valuable in keeper/dynasty leagues, and could emerge as one of the top fantasy pitchers in the game for years to come with another big season in 2025. Make sure he’s outperforming the preseason expectations while on your team.

4. Michael King

King is the No. 21 pitcher on the ADP list, going around pick 75. He finished just two slots below Miller last season.

King was a breakout pitcher in 2024, starting over 10 games for the first time in his six-year career. In his 31 games and 30 starts, King had 201 strikeouts over 173 2/3 innings pitched. He had a 13-9 record, which doesn’t exactly line up with his stellar 2.95 ERA.

King has a 3.20 ERA for his career, but to see him seamlessly transition to the starting rotation was a shock to a lot of people. We are all now wondering if he can keep things up in 2025 and beyond, or if he will regress.

At his current draft slot, I think his upside outweighs the downside, and that’s why he’s on my draft steal list. If King can get in closer to 200 innings, he might not only be a steal, but contend for the top fantasy SP slot.

I’d be all over King at his current draft value, and am still going to be a fan if it rises by a round or even two. 

5. Roki Sasaki

Sasaki has a ton of hype surrounding him going into his first MLB season. The 23-year-old was a star overseas and now joins the best team in the majors, the Dodgers.

In four seasons in the Nippon Professional Baseball Organization, Sasaki had a ridiculous 2.10 ERA. He went 29-15 and struck out 505 batters in 394 2/3 innings pitched. His 0.89 WHIP is also absurd.

He’s technically the top prospect in baseball going into 2025. There, he has a 70-grade fastball, 55-grade slider, 80-grade splitter, 60-grade control and 65-grade overall.

If Sasaki can settle in quickly, he has the chance to not only be another draft steal, but the top pitcher in the game. He could be a Cy Young candidate, and will lead a ridiculously stacked Dodgers’ starting rotation.

There’s some injury concerns, but his high upside erases those concerns in my mind. If you can land Sasaki around pick 75, like his ADP currently is, you may have the draft steal of the year on your hands. He’s currently No. 22 among starting pitchers on the draft list.

He’s another pitcher who should see his draft stock rise as the season closes in. I wouldn’t be surprised to see it rise significantly too.

If you are drafting now, take advantage of things and get him for a very reasonable pick. You might need to take him a round or so earlier to ensure you don’t miss out on him, but I still think that’s good value.

Let’s see how much his stock rises between now and the start of the regular season.