Athletics' Hitters Fantasy Baseball Preview | Brent Rooker, Lawrence Butler, Shea Langeliers, JJ Bleday, Jacob Wilson and More

It's time to get back into the fantasy baseball team preview series! We'll tackle the Athletics to begin the week.

We've covered the Pittsburgh Pirates (hitters and pitchers), Seattle Mariners (hitters and pitchers), Colorado Rockies (hitters and pitchers), Tampa Bay Rays (hitters and pitchers), Atlanta Braves (hitters and pitchers) and Chicago White Sox (hitters and pitchers) already.

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. Also be sure to check out the FantasySP 2025 Fantasy Baseball Draft Kit!

Top Fantasy Hitters

There's a few Athletics appearing on the FantasySP Fantasy Baseball Average Draft Position list so far.

Brent Rooker is the team's first hitter on the list, being selected at pick 77.41 on average.

Lawrence Butler is going at pick 121.63 on average, while Shea Langeliers is at pick 172. JJ Bleday is also on the list, at pick 184.25 on average.

Rooker was the team's top fantasy hitter in 2024, scoring nearly 60 more points than anyone else.

In 145 games (a career high across five seasons), Rooker had a .293 batting average, .365 on-base percentage, 39 home runs, 112 RBIs, 11 stolen bases and 82 runs scored. His big season raised his career average to .258 and OBP to .337.

Rooker showed big pop in 2023, but had 43 more RBIs and 21 more runs scored in just eight more games in 2024. There's a chance Rooker regresses in 2025, but at age 30 and hitting in the heart of the lineup, Rooker is definitely the team's best fantasy hitter.

I have no problem taking him around his current ADP. The only problem with him is that he's maybe just available to start at designated hitter. If he has outfield eligibility, I wouldn't mind taking Rooker a round or so earlier. He's expected to DH again this coming season.

Butler was third on the team among hitters in fantasy points last season, but was over 100 points behind Rooker and 61 points behind Bleday.

Butler broke out in his second MLB season, tallying a .262 average, 317 OBP, 22 home runs, 57 RBIs, 19 stolen bases and 63 runs scored. He had a .211 average and .240 OBP in 42 games played in 2023.

Batting atop the Athletics' order is going to give Butler the chance to get on base, steal bases and score runs, but his RBI numbers might lack unless a player near the bottom of the order can consistently get on base.

I like Butler as a secondary fantasy outfielder. He can start most days, and if he's able to build on his 2024 season, you might have a nice draft steal on your hands.

Langeliers was fourth on the team when it came to fantasy points in 2024.

The team's primary catcher is going to bat cleanup most likely. In 137 games in 2024, Langeliers had a .224 average and .288 OBP. He had 29 home runs, 80 RBIs, four stolen bases and 58 runs scored.

That low average is what catches a lot of people's eyes, but big power numbers still make Langeliers a decent fantasy asset. I wish Langeliers could play a second position (like first base), which would boost his fantasy outlook and value quite a bit.

As is, Langeliers is a standard league daily starting option, but a better deep-league guy because of the low average. If he ends up as your top fantasy catcher, I'd make sure to draft a backup, even though he plays a healthy amount of games each season.

Bleday is also coming off his best season as a pro. In 159 games, Bleday had a .243 average and .324 OBP, with 20 home runs, 60 RBIs, two stolen bases and 74 runs scored.

Bleday should play center field for the Athletics, while batting in the No. 3 spot in the order. There's some good fantasy value there because he's got the team's best hitters surrounding him. If he wasn't at such a stacked fantasy position, Bleday might be going far earlier in fantasy drafts.

He's a good fantasy outfielder to take with your last pick or two in a standard draft. If he doesn't take a step forward, you can simply drop him without much damage done. If Bleday takes a step forward, you have another draft steal on your hands.

Other Starting Options

According to FanGraphs projections, Tyler Soderstrom is the team's No. 5 hitter for 2025.

Zack Gelof is projected to hit sixth, while Jacob Wilson is ninth. Seth Brown and Gio Urshela are part of projected platoons with Luis Urias and Miguel Andujar.

Jhonny Pereda is the team's backup catcher, while Esteury Ruiz is a projected bench option who can play the outfield.

Soderstrom has some fantasy upside if he can play everyday and stick in the 5 spot. He had a .233 average and .315 OBP across just 61 games in 2024. Soderstrom had nine homers, 26 RBIs, no stolen bases and 18 runs scored in his time on the field.

He's just a deep-league option to begin the season, but is worth keeping tabs on in case he breaks out in 2025.

Gelof played in 138 games in 2024. He had just a .211 average and .270 OBP, with 17 home runs, 49 RBIs, 25 stolen bases and 60 runs scored. He struck out a whopping 188 times.

That low average and OBP, along with the punchouts, offset the power, run production and speed Gelof possesses. He's another deep-league option to keep an eye on.

Wilson is one of the team's top prospects and should be watched probably more so than any of the hitters not appearing on the FSP ADP list.

In 28 games as a rookie in 2024, Wilson had a .250 average and .314 OBP, along with three RBIs and 11 runs scored. In 79 minor league games before being called up, Wilson had a .401 average, .446 OBP, eight home runs, six stolen bases, 20 walks, 26 strikeouts and 65 runs scored.

There's some big-time fantasy potential with Wilson, even if the power numbers never come at the big league level. He should be rostered in deeper leagues and dynasties and could be an early-season waiver wire pickup if he starts the year hot.

Pereda isn't likely to be a big fantasy asset unless Langeliers is out for an extended period of time. Ruiz could be in the same boat (needing an injury to an outfielder or two), but with plenty of speed, he needs to be watched a bit more closely.

I'd find it hard to believe any of Brown, Urshela, Urias or Andujar could be big-time fantasy assets if they end up in platoons. One of them could play well enough to earn a full-time role, at which point they'd become deep-league keepers. I doubt any are standard league threats this season, but you just never know, so don't write them off.

Top Prospects

Wilson (No. 31) and Nick Kurtz (No. 38) are the team's only prospects inside the top 100 - I don't even know how that's possible, because the Athletics have been rebuilding for years.

Wilson we already discussed a bit, but Kurtz is worth mentioning too. His ETA is 2026, but as a first baseman on a rebuilding team without a locked-in 1B, Kurtz could sneak his way into the big leagues this season. He's only played 12 minor league games, but he's looked great so far and could be a quick riser after being taken fourth overall in the 2024 MLB Draft.

Denzel Clarke, Colby Thomas, Max Muncy, Josh Kuroda-Grauer and Logan Davidson are all top-30 prospects of the team from the end of last season could be called up at some point in 2025.

Clarke is an outfielder with a career .261 average and .359 OBP in the minor leagues. Across 280 games, he has 41 home runs, 78 stolen bases, 135 walks and 369 strikeouts.

Thomas is another outfielder who has two minor league seasons under his belt. In 258 games, Thomas has a .281 average, .347 OBP, 49 home runs, 174 RBIs, 77 walks and 288 strikeouts.

Muncy, a shortstop, has appeared in parts of four minor league seasons, posting a career .255 average and .346 OBP. He has 39 home runs, 174 RBIs, 38 stolen bases, 142 walks and 390 strikeouts across 315 games.

Kuroda-Grauer is another shortstop, but has just one minor league season and 28 games under his belt. He hit .324 and got on base at a .421 clip, while also posting eight RBIs, five stolen bases, 12 walks and nine strikeouts. Those are intriguing enough marks to keep an eye on him.

Davidson can play in the infield or in the outfield, so that could help him reach the big leagues. In parts of five minor league seasons, Davison has a .256 average, .340 OBP, 50 homers, 229 RBIs, 219 walks, 560 strikeouts and 26 stolen bases over 483 games.

Daniel Susac, Darell Hernaiz and Henry Bolte are a few other players under 25 years old who are in camp with the team this spring.