NL West: Michael Toglia, 1B, Colorado Rockies
Wrapping up my fantasy sleepers is Michael Toglia, perhaps the most intriguing player featured here. Toglia fits right in on this list as he also doesn't really have a full season under his belt, however, he did log 100 games for the first time in 2024. 2023 was a very poor year for him as he produced -1.1 fWAR, but he had a solid turnaround in 2024 with more playing time.
Over 458 plate appearances, Toglia hit 25 home runs with a prototypical power hitter slash line of .218/.311/.456. Furthermore, his 11.8 BB% and 32.1 K% fit the power profile as well. While his overall numbers don't jump off the page, his performance in June and July of 2024 give a better picture of what his ceiling could look like.
Over those two months, Toglia hit 14 of his 25 home runs while putting up a .529 SLG and an .833 OPS. Given the power he has in his bat, that feels like it should be an average season for Toglia moving forward, especially given the home ballpark he plays in.
His 17.2 barrel% ranked sixth among hitters with at least 400 plate appearances, while his 92.2 average EV, 50.0 hardhit%, .503 xSLG, and .358 xwOBA all ranked within the top-25. He was also one of just four players with less than 500 plate appearances to hit at least 25 home runs in 2024.
While his contact rates are less than ideal, Toglia doesn't chase a whole lot, which helps set his sights on pitches in the zone he can mash. It's a similar profile to Kyle Schwarber, but the cherry on top for Toglia is that he's also a switch hitter, meaning the Rockies shouldn't do too much platooning with him in 2025. If he plays a full season, you're looking at a potential 40 home run threat.
Michael Toglia is destined for 30+ bombs in 2025 and I can’t wait to watch it go down
— Overdue Sports (@OverdueSports) December 30, 2024
In the top 9% of the MLB in xSLG, EV, Barrel%, and Hard-Hit%
pic.twitter.com/Z4kbNP1exn