Beyond that, Semien has played in 155 games or more in six of the past seven seasons (excluding 2020). His K% jumped precipitously (16.8 to 24.3), while his walk rate went the other direction (13.1 to 10.7). In traditional 5x5 leagues, Garcia can provide value from the fifth round on. A lot of things went wrong for Giancarlo Stanton in 2022. The 24-year-old demonstrated patience at the plate with a 13.8% walk rate, which is in line with his minor league numbers. 2023 Fantasy Baseball Rankings: Top 50 catchers Check out how the fantasy baseball catcher position shakes out for 2023 draft season in our expert rankings. Dave Roberts used him strategically as a DH, which gave the 27-year-old 578 plate appearances without him wearing down like catchers often do. For most of 2022, Nolan Arenado was in the NL MVP conversation while batting directly behind the guy who eventually won it, Paul Goldschmidt. His BABIP and LOB% are both due for regression, and his xFIP was 3.53, so it's important to temper expectations in those departments. The 31-year-old hits the ball hard, in the 90th percentile in HardHit% and maxEV, and his BB% is a stellar 13.1%. The 28-year-old is too talented to leave on the board, so fantasy managers can draft him and send a quick wish into the universe that he plays basically anywhere else in 2023. Lance Lynn suffered a knee injury late in Spring Training that cost him two months of the season. Still, he will be a solid SP2 in any fantasy team rotation, giving you strikeouts and protecting your ratios, but the variance will always play into his overall numbers. He played in 32 games, hitting four homers and stealing two bases while slashing .260/.330/.500 in the small sample size. One striking reason for this was a .368 BABIP, while another was facing a lot of atrocious pitching in the NL Central. Justin Verlander had Tommy John surgery in 2020 at the age of 37, missed all of 2021 at the age of 38, and won the AL Cy Young Award in 2022 at the age of 39. He is an injury risk after playing in 136 last year and only 96 the year before. Emmanuel Clase led MLB with 42 saves last season, cementing his status as an elite closer and giving fantasy managers a reason to pay for saves in 2023. The regression happened across the board everywhere but stolen bases, where he actually increased from 15 to 25 in 2022. Willson Contreras signed a 5-year, $87.5 million deal with the Cardinals and will presumably bat in an advantageous position in their lineup. His xERA was an entire run lower than his actual, and batters hit .191 against him. SP. Drew Rom. He only played in 119 games due to a rare and persistent back injury that will require more rest days going forward, even when healthy. Trea Turner cashed in on his elite speed/power combination and signed an 11-year, $300 million contract to join the reigning National League Champion Philadelphia Phillies. Bautista is a Tier 2 closer worth targeting in drafts. He may not duplicate his .325/.407/.511 line again, his three-year average of .312/.415/.563 says that range is possible with his elite skills. The USAToday/ESPN Coaches Poll is voted on by a panel of 31 Division I baseball coaches. His RBI total of 57 should see a boost with improvement from the 7-8-9 hitters. One area that did prove disappointing was his .245 batting average, but this is misleading due to his extremely low .242 BABIP. However, fantasy managers still need to prepare for a lot of strikeouts and a low batting average, as neither will ever be a boost. When healthy, he was productive atop the Toronto lineup, smacking 25 HR, scoring 89 runs, driving in 76, and even stole 14 bases for good measure. Fantasy managers can deal with those considering he is above the 90th percentile in Avg EV, Max EV, HardHit%, barrel%, outs above avg, and sprint speed. He continued to smash the ball, sitting in the 90th percentile in avgEV, MaxEV, and HardHit%. His BB% was actually higher than his K%, though there is a good chance this won't hold in 2023. In 2022, Max Fried demonstrated that pristine control and location can still be effective in today's Triple-Digit SP Society. The 30-year-old pitched 150 innings after beginning the season on the shelf, and his numbers were markedly improved from his 2021 campaign. Reynolds hit 27 HR and slashed .262/.345/.461 and yet scored 74 runs and knocked in only 62. Seattle Mariners outfielder Julio Rodriguez delivered an epic 2022 season, so expect him to be in the running for the top pick in drafts, too. He started 31 games, pitched 172 innings, and struck out 205 batters last season, which makes that one of the quietest 200-strikeout seasons in memory. The catcher position is notoriously shallow so drafting a guy capable of hitting 30+ homers still ranks as a solid move. Clay Holmes had two seasons in 2022. He also struggled defensively, which could lead to more time at third base, depending on how Kansas City wants to play him. 1 is the addition of stolen bases. He somehow made it back before the end of the 2022 season, starting two games and looking like the Glasnow of old. 31/12/2022 WBSC Softball World Rankings: Argentina, USA close 2022 on top of men's & women's rankings. The 33-year-old still has a K% in the 92nd percentile in the league, though this did drop from 37.7% to 31.7% last year. Tim Anderson played in only 79 games in 2022, just another lost piece in an overall lost White Sox season. Yes, the Reds are going to be absolutely terrible, so there probably won't be many wins. The Blue Jays took the training wheels off Alek Manoah, and he responded with 196 2/3 innings of ace-level pitching. He hit 16 homers, his most since 2019, but he only stole 18 bases, a severe drop off from the 47 he snagged the year before. Aside from turning 40 in February, fantasy managers need to be wary of the BABIP of .240, which is 30 points below his career average and due to regress. Pitchers and catchers report this week and Spring Training games are not very far away. He is not as highly sought after as the overpowering, high-strikeout guys above him, but he will provide everything fantasy managers need in a closer and then some. His K% was an impressive 32.7, and his BB% plummeted to 8.5 (from 12.9 in 2021). Ronald Acuna Jr. appeared in 119 games last year, a significantly higher number than the original projection of a July return from his torn ACL injury. Tatis missed the entire 2022 season with injuries and a PED suspension in August. Unfortunately, he also offers 3.4 BB/9 as he sometimes isn't sure where his 100-mph throws will end up. His BB% actually went up, and his K% stayed in the 90th percentile at 14.4. Camilo Doval went 27 for 30 in save opportunities in 2022 with a 2.53 ERA and 1.24 WHIP, and he will enter 2023 as the clear-cut closer for the Giants. He is near the bottom of the league in K%, Whiff%, BB%, and chase rate. Jake McCarthy is a vessel for stolen bases in the later rounds of drafts. Barlow will still get his fair share of save opportunities, but this smells like a closer by committee to start the season. However, the 25-year-old smashed 30 HR with 107 RBI, 71 runs, and 25 stolen bases in 2022 en route to another World Series win for the Astros. The 29-year-old picked up an extra 25 2/3 innings of postseason work, the first of his career, bringing his total innings to a career-high 230. Injuries plagued him and led to UCL surgery in his left thumb in the first half of the season. He countered that by being in the 100th percentile in maxEV when he made contact. He started 32 games, throwing 189 innings and striking out 212 batters. The "Free Kyle Tucker" movement didn't garner the momentum fantasy managers were hoping for as he continued to bat in the sixth spot way too often. . The 34-year-old closer for the World Series Champions is in the 97th percentile in fastball spin and the 100th percentile in curveball spin. The only question for fantasy managers is whether or not you believe he can stay healthy. He mashes the ball, gets on base, and is a four-category player in a friendly ballpark. Points Earned. His xFIP was a ridiculous 1.04, and he stranded 90.4% of runners on base. Rafael Devers is one of the best players in baseball who seems consistently overlooked in fantasy circles. If spin rate is your jam, you'll love what Ryan Pressly has to offer. Surprisingly, there's quite a lot of agreement between the ZiPS list and the FanGraphs list at the top of the pitching ranks. After he signed a six-year, $75 million contract, the Braves should allow him to throw more innings, probably in the 150-160 range, and he should still have RP eligibility, making him a points-league stud as well. It will be very important to keep track of where Happ is batting in the revamped Cubs lineup. With Castillo, the concern is often that he starts slow, but Seattle may be a perfect location for him to settle in more quickly, as home games in April and May will have a roof option. But at the end of the day, fantasy managers are drafting him for his elite speed and ability to steal bases, a skill that may get even better depending on how the new baserunning rules play out. Tatis missed the entire 2022 season with injuries and a PED suspension in August. Montgomery is never going to strike out a ton of batters, but he maintains good ratios and has started 30+ games in the last two years. The case for Turner is an easy one; he hasn't hit under .290 since 2018 and his OPS has been over .800 for five straight seasons. It's just every other part of the picture that muddies the water. His primary downfall when it comes to fantasy value is his 58.6% ground ball rate, which limits his HR and RBI totals. Even though he had an ERA of 2.61, his FIP was 2.44, which is a product of pitching in front of one of the worst defenses in baseball. His EV and HardHit% certainly showed no signs of slowing down, and he remains an on-base machine batting at the top of a fearsome lineup. Manny Machado took a look at his 2021 numbers and thought they were a little low, so he decided to have one of the best years of his career in 2022, finishing second to Paul Goldschmidt for NL MVP. He is a Top 3 third baseman, providing a bankable 30/100/100 while slashing in the .300/.360/.500 range for fantasy managers who decide to power their infield early in drafts. A healthy Gallen is a steal at his ADP of 74. At age 25, Kirby can serve as a great SP3/SP4 for fantasy managers with hope that he will climb the ranks going forward. The 29-year-old scored 101 runs and tallied 100 RBI, often batting behind Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman in L.A. Fantasy managers shouldn't expect a repeat RBI performance, given that he is almost assuredly going to bat leadoff in Philly, but repeating a 20 HR/100 R season is likely as Citizens Bank plays well to right-handed power. Miranda is right on the edge of being a sleeper if he's able to build on last year, but he also runs the risk of some growing pains in his sophomore season. He missed time in the middle of the season with a finger injury he incurred while stealing a base, or he would have probably joined the 30/30 Club. Jordan Romano saved 36 games for the Blue Jays in 2022, and he is the clear-cut closer going into 2023. *Rankings for 2023 Grad and younger are available to Crosschecker Rankings & Scouting Reports and Scout subscribers. Unranked. In the offseason, the Texas Rangers handed the 34-year-old a five-year, $185 million contract to anchor their staff. Wander Franco will only be 22 years old when the first pitch of the MLB season is thrown. Soon we will be talking about Pitchers and Catchers reporting. The Coors effect isn't going to bring the 31-year-old back near his prime, but he should put up better numbers in 2023 and recently stated he would be ready to go for Spring Training. With a current ADP of 93, the 25-year-old should produce good value for fantasy managers who focus on position scarcity in the early rounds. So why isn't he begin drafted higher than his current ADP of 101? If you miss the first half dozen third basemen, Chapman can provide some value at his current ADP. Kevin Askeland Feb 16, 2023 Active baseball coaches with most wins Webb utilized his slider and changeup more last season, which helped to protect his ERA and WHIP. Rhys Hoskins lost 67 points off his ISO but hit three more home runs than he did in 2021. Bogaerts will be a solid, but not elite, producer in a lineup with Juan Soto and Manny Machado. Someone in your league will reach for him during the draft. Drafting the 30-year-old is a smart idea if you pick an SP1 with more upside (and more risk) because you know what you're going to get. The shortstop position feels deeper than in years past, but heading into his age-29 season, Seager remains at or near the top. He only pitched 153 innings; he missed time due to a diagnosis of Raynaud's Syndrome, which affected the index, middle, and ring fingers on his pitching hand. Additionally, the acquisition of Xander Bogaerts, a more relaxed Juan Soto, and a returning, ringworm-free Fernando Tatis Jr. surround him in the Padres lineup. There is a lot to love about O'Neill in fantasy formats, but there is a lot to question as well. Kershaw has always pitched as though allowing walks offends him to his core, and he is still in the 93rd percentile in walk rate. 2 starter in Minnesota in 2022, striking out 151 batters in 147 innings, going 13-8 with a 3.55 ERA and 1.10 WHIP. Health is the big issue with him though, as he hasn't played over 120 games since 2019. His 2022 numbers, however, rewarded whoever took him two rounds too late, finishing 16-8 with a 3.10 ERA and 0.95 WHIP and 197 strikeouts in 194 2/3 innings. His Statcast page is a thing of beauty, and his K% projection is around 37. 1 starter. Framber Valdez became Mr. Quality Start in 2022, tossing 201 1/3 innings in 31 starts for the World Champions. He used a four-pitch arsenal to get 33 saves with a 2.98 ERA and 0.89 WHIP. Xander Bogaerts signed an 11-year, $280 million contract with the Padres in the offseason, joining what should be a top-10 offense in all of baseball. Acuna should return to his former self with the extra time post-surgery. Gone are Xander Bogaerts and J.D. Matt Chapman shaved five points off his K% in his move to Toronto from Oakland. The first half of 2022 found him in a terrible lineup, so opposing pitchers walked him 95 times in 436 plate appearances. His BABIP was a little high (.290), which led to his .293 batting average, so fantasy managers should consider that regression and expect more in the .270 range. He should enter 2023 as the clear-cut closer in St. Louis, and if he continues to throw in the triple digits as often as he did last year, he can shore up your saves category while helping your ratios and strikeouts. Fantasy managers can draft him with confidence. Dansby Swanson will enter his age-29 season with a freshly signed 7-year, $177 million with the Chicago Cubs. He famously broke the A.L. The list of third basemen capable of that feat stands at one unless Bobby Witt has 3B eligibility in your league. Steamer projections have him at 43/109/104 for the upcoming season, and his ratios should see a small decline as well. The Orioles become the 19th different team to lead our talent rankings. He has elite curveball and fastball spin rates, but he was a bit wild with the breaking pitches, which is pretty typical for pitchers coming back. 02/06/2022 World champions Argentina new world No. His xwOBA and xSLG are both near the 90th percentile, and he hit particularly well at Camden Yards in spite of the extended left field fence. He contributed across all batting categories, slugging 28 HR with 75 RBI, 84 runs, and 25 stolen bases. The surface stats are much uglier than fantasy managers have been used to seeing. We have no illusions that Pittsburgh's lineup is going to boost any of his numbers, but 20 steals from 3B later in the draft is nothing to sneeze at. But it is best to exercise some caution and ensure you have outfield depth if you plan to roster him. Feel free to wait on catcher and snag Kirk in the eighth or ninth round. Vinnie Pasquantino can hit. He has power to all fields, bats in the middle of a World Champion lineup, and will protect your ratios in traditional 5x5 leagues and those with advanced categories. Still, his elite on-base skills continue to increase his value in fantasy leagues, especially considering that he bats leadoff in one of the most explosive lineups in baseball. 1. Arizona is on the upswing, but the Diamondbacks are often forgotten about on draft day. His oWAR of 5.4 was eighth in the NL overall and first for catchers by a wide range, and he is in the 86th percentile in sprint speed among ALL players. Chris Sale seemed like the most snake-bitten player in baseball last season. He struck out 192 batters on his way to a 2.54 ERA and sparkling 0.91 WHIP. Hoskins makes for a nice CI option. Other concerns include the fact that Judge will be 31 years old for the majority of the season and played in a career-high 157 games last year. While his HR total dropped to 21, his runs (117), RBI (100), and SB (13) kept him in the fantasy MVP conversation. Over the last month of the season, he showed some patience and ability to get on base, which allowed him to get 15 SB to go along with his 17 HR. The only concern is the continued leg and ankle injuries that he experienced last year, but he comes at a discount and remains a C1 in this draft. Who should be the No. Feb 17, 2023 As a reminder, fantasy baseball rankings aren't as simple as fantasy football rankings. Down the stretch in 2022, he showed improvement with a 45:8 K:BB ratio in August and September. Here we have provided the baseball 2023 players:- Paul Goldschmidt Freddie Freeman Vladimir Gurrero Jose Abreu Pete Alonso Matt Olson Ty France Nathaniel Lowe Luis Arraez Rhys Hoskins Corbin Burnes Justin Verlanders Carlos Rodon Max Scherzer Sandy Alcantara Shohei Ohtani Max. Ozzie Albies played in only 64 games in 2022, losing time to a broken foot and then a broken pinkie finger. It's possible they leave him in the 2-slot, especially until Bryce Harper returns, in which case he will continue to score runs and increase his RBI total. Including the postseason run, Verlander threw 195 innings last season, and even though he has been a workhorse for his entire career, it is fair to question how many more years he can continue to flirt with 200 innings. This should be another exciting season, and our analysts' draft rankings can help you build a potent, championship-worthy team check them out below: 2023 Fantasy Baseball Rankings powered by FantasyPros. He should rack up the RBIs batting in the middle of that order, and he may creep back toward the 30-HR mark as well. Take the discount and don't look back. Carlos Rodon celebrated turning 30 by signing a six-year, $162 million contract with the Yankees, and it's not hard to see why New York was willing to pay him. News. The last time Arenado did not hit 30+ HR with 100+ RBI was in 2014 (ignoring the pandemic-shortened season). He hit 23 homers with 93 RBI and 93 runs scored while batting smack in the middle of one of the most dangerous lineups in baseball. 2023 . In his fourth year in the league, Randy Arozarena hit 20 HR, knocking in 89 and scoring 72 while stealing 32 bases. He played in all 162 games in 2022, swatting 25 HR with 96 RBI, 99 runs, and 18 stolen bases. Harris should be a 20/20 guy for the foreseeable future, and he is surrounded in the lineup by guys who will boost his counting stats. Not a bad way to introduce yourself to the neighborhood. Strider has the makings of a bona fide ace and is only 24 years old. With the addition of Xander Bogaerts, the return of Fernando Tatis, Jr., and the presence of Manny Machado, this is a real-life team you want multiple pieces of in fantasy. He finished as 1B15 last year, but there is a good chance he could move up the chart with his impending free agency looming. At his current ADP of 129, he is an absolute steal, even taking into account that he won't play 150 games. While he is projected to have double digits in those two categories again, unless he learns a great deal more patience at the plate and figures out how to get on base more, he could be a bust in 2023. Jorge Polanco had an injury-plagued 2022 which undermined the fact that his stats when healthy were on par with his 2021 season. Fantasy managers can count on significant strikeouts and not many walks, but he is at or above the 90th percentile in five power-hitting categories that can be a salve for those burns. As Mookie Betts enters his age-30 season, there is some expected decline in a few areas (fly ball rate increased but led to a lower ground ball EV/BABIP). He is exactly the type of guy you wait for once you've built up your other categories. The Home Field Sports fantasy baseball rankings series continues with second basemen and shortstops, which are normally tough positions to navigate with not many reliable hitting threats. When he returned, it looked like all of the skills that made him so highly sought after had disappeared. Felix Bautista is a hard-throwing righty who arrived in Baltimore and immediately became a high-impact reliever. The two knocks on Machado are that his K% was a career-high of 20.7, and he's not getting faster as he ages, but fantasy managers aren't drafting him for his speed. Riley sits in the 95th percentile or higher in HardHit%, xSLG, Barrel%, avgEV, MaxEV, and xwOBA, which puts him in a tiny group of batters who can provide power numbers without destroying your ratios. With a seasoned Adley Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson in front of him, Santander will fill your power categories in the tenth round or so. The Angels have stated they plan to pitch Ohtani every sixth day as regularly as possible, meaning he could conceivably get 28-30 starts in addition to 600 plate appearances. Where do you draft the superstar who will only play half the season at most? 2023 Fantasy Baseball Rankings Articles by MLB Position ALL - C - 1B - 2B - SS - 3B - OF - SP - RP Above you will find all of RotoBaller's 2023 fantasy baseball rankings, tiers, auction. His xFIP was 3.97, and he hands out free passes like a new business in a strip mall. If he returns to 2021 form, he can be a five-category contributor, but he comes with plenty of risk in 2023. The Blue Jays traded Teoscar Hernandez to the Mariners this offseason, which should be a similar situation to the one he just left regarding young talent. One of the 2023 Fantasy baseball breakouts the model is jumping on: Yankees shortstop Oswald Peraza. It's a risky proposition, but the payoff could be incredible. He gives up more HR than fantasy managers would like (1.22 HR/9 last year), but he balances that with a 9.24 K/9 and 2.88 BB/9. Whether or not you draft Luis Robert depends entirely on how risk-averse you are to injuries. The annual Fantasy Extra issue of USA TODAY. We can't blame the Pirates for Reynolds's increased K% (23.0) and decreased BB% (9.1%), but we certainly can put the onus on them for his putrid runs and RBI numbers. By that, we mean that chances are good that Minnesota will use him in high-leverage situations, no matter which late inning that might be. When he returned, he dazzled fantasy managers with his 11.41 K/9 and 3.49 xFIP. 51 - 100. Buxton played in only 92 games last year, 61 in 2021, 87 in 2019, and 28 in 2018. His K/9 rate dipped to 8.24, but his BB/9 improved from 3.22 to 2.33. Even with his torn UCL last season, he still slashed .286/.364/.514 and powered the Phillies to the World Series. Pittsburgh has a good long history of trading great players once they reach arbitration, so chances are that he will don a different uniform come Opening Day.