[Batter up: Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Baseball league for free today]. In 118 games, he slashed .292/.347/.468, buoying the ratios for fantasy managers in roto leagues. Triston McKenzie reduced his BB/9 from 4.35 to 2.07 in 2022, skyrocketing up fantasy rankings and boosting the pitching staff for any manager who rolled the dice on him. Clase will turn 25 before the season and is locked into the closer role in Cleveland, making him and Edwin Diaz the clear top two at the position heading into 2023. His K/9 rate dipped to 8.24, but his BB/9 improved from 3.22 to 2.33. Martinez, so Devers will rely on Trevor Story, international signing Masataka Yoshida, Kike Hernandez, and others to boost his runs and RBI, which fell below 100 for the first time in 2022. Cedric Mullins stole 30+ bases for the second consecutive year in 2022, though the power disintegrated, lowering his home total to 16 from 30. After three years of single-digit steals, Altuve stole 18 bags while only being caught once in 2022. Chris Sale seemed like the most snake-bitten player in baseball last season. Mississippi State 7. Indeed, the 25-year-old came back in late April, immediately began stealing bases, and rewarded fantasy managers who used a high draft pick on him. George Springer continues to appear on the What Could Be All-Star Team after playing 133 games in 2022 while dealing with elbow and knee injuries that left him with many "DTD" tags. 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. Lindor is the definition of a "safe" pick in a good lineup with some upside, but he won't be returning to 2017-2019 numbers anytime soon. He'll make it worth your patience. Gleyber Torres hit 24 HR in 2022, 15 more than he managed in 2021 while using an increased launch angle and a 10.7% barrel rate. The good is that he hits the cover off the ball when he does make contact, sitting in the 97th percentile of HardHit%. $26 Adolis Garcia. What it will not make a difference in, however, is his incredible talent on the field. Logan Gilbert flashed the goods in 2021 and returned for a great year in 2022. 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. To help you prepare, we've gone and ranked the Top 300 players, in terms of fantasy value, for 2023. The Red Sox have steadily climbed in BA's organizational rankings under chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom; the club bottomed out in last place (30th) in 2019 before back-to-back 20th-place . 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. Semien is a great, reliable 2B option, which at this point, looks like a very shallow position heading into 2023. A lot of things went wrong for Giancarlo Stanton in 2022. 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. Get updated NCAA Baseball DI rankings from every source, including coaches and national polls. All of that is to say that the 31-year-old cannot be counted on for exceptional, ace-like numbers. 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 MLB London Series will be reprised in 2023 with a two-game series between the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs on June 24-25, 2023, as was announced today by Major League Baseball (MLB) and the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA). Vaughn has underestimated power and maintains a good batting average. He crushed a career-high 33 home runs while scoring 91 runs and driving in 83. However, his 30+ HR, 100+ runs, and solid advanced metrics will contribute across the board, and he is worthy of a late first-round pick. At the age of 21, he didn't take many walks and struggled with strikeouts, but these numbers should improve based on his profile in the minors. (Those downsides are only injury concerns (he played in 135 games last year), and his outfield eligibility will probably expire after this season.) Tatis missed the entire 2022 season with injuries and a PED suspension in August. The Brewers took the training wheels off for Corbin Burnes in 2022, allowing him to throw 202 innings after only 167 the year before. Ramirez ended up with 90 runs, 126 RBI, and slashed .280/.355/.514 while surrounded in the lineup by some young, inexperienced players who matured as the season progressed. The Philadelphia system is headlined by two of baseball's best pitching prospects in Andrew Painter and Mick Abel, and with improved command, Griff McGarry is capable of making a similar leap. Gone are Xander Bogaerts and J.D. His K% was an impressive 32.7, and his BB% plummeted to 8.5 (from 12.9 in 2021). 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. Two years into his St. Louis tenure, the 31-year-old has put to rest most fantasy manager fears about the lack of the Coors effect. That second-half stat line was much closer to his career average, and he still bats in a high-octane lineup that should drive his counting stats back to the 25/15 range without harming your ratios. Adley Rutschman saw three minor league levels before making his MLB debut on May 21 and subsequently played 113 games for Baltimore. 2023 Round Rock Baseball Classic: Schedule, how to watch LSU, Iowa, K-State, Sam Houston . Cleveland Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez might be the safest player available. Gerrit Cole demonstrated some decline in 2022, allowing 1.48 HR/9 on his way to a 3.50 ERA and a career-high total in homers allowed with 33. His xFIP was a ridiculous 1.04, and he stranded 90.4% of runners on base. The tools are all there: Robert has good speed, reduced his strikeout rate in 2022, and his expected slash numbers will be helpful to fantasy squads. Or he could clog your IL for two-thirds of the season. While Father Time will claim all athletes at some point, the 39-year-old Morton seems to have an agreement in place to avoid being claimed yet. He played in 84 games last season, slashing .295/.358/.500 with 16 HR, 54 RBI, and 40 runs. Wright will be a helpful SP3 who can be had in the tenth round of most drafts. While his chances of repeating 40+ saves are low, he enters the season as THE guy in Boston and should be one of the Top 10 closers off the board. For 5x5 leagues, Urias finished third in the majors with 17 wins last year, and while it's not great to chase that category, he seems a safe bet to do well in it. 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. He hit .270, though his xBA was only .254. Willson Contreras signed a 5-year, $87.5 million deal with the Cardinals and will presumably bat in an advantageous position in their lineup. Josh Hader may come at a discount in 2023 due to those who fixate on a stretch of outings in August 2022 or look only at his final ERA. While you shouldn't overlook him, you can certainly hope your league mates do. Luis Severino returned from Tommy John surgery, and the Yankees applied restraint to his workload early in the season. Building on his outstanding 2021 season, he was one home run away from his third career 30/20 season (29/20). 11 East Carolina (American Athletic Conference), No. When he did take the mound, the 38-year-old continued his march of dominance in his new digs. If you feel the need for pitching speed, Hunter Greene offers you all that and then some. He struck out 192 batters on his way to a 2.54 ERA and sparkling 0.91 WHIP. Toronto also helped sort out its overload of catchers by traded heralded prospect Gabriel Moreno to Arizona for Daulton Varsho. 1 with a farm system led by Julio Rodriguez and George Kirby. However, beware the innings limit that is sure to come. His GB% of 33.5 and LOB% of 82.8 contribute to his excellent ratios. Hoskins makes for a nice CI option. His HR tally dropped from 34 to 14 and games played went from 132 to 96. Tatis's raw skills are phenomenal; he hits the ball as hard as anyone in the game, runs extremely well, and gets on base. Just beware that his numbers might look much closer to 2021 than 2022. When the Yankees traded Jordan Montgomery to St. Louis for an injured Harrison Bader at the deadline, it seemed like somewhat of a baffling move, especially as he tore up the NL Central upon arrival. Amed Rosario's numbers in 2022 looked quite similar to the ones from 2021. Wander Franco will only be 22 years old when the first pitch of the MLB season is thrown. He will strike out and doesn't take as many walks as he should, but the lineup around him provides plenty of protection and a fantastic ceiling for counting stats. Felix Bautista is a hard-throwing righty who arrived in Baltimore and immediately became a high-impact reliever. He remains worthy of a second-round pick in 2023. This is your annual reminder to ensure you know how Shohei Ohtani's pitcher/hitter eligibility is treated in your league(s), as it can make a world of difference in fantasy value. This is still a player with Top-3 closer abilities, so fantasy managers in leagues where others shy away due to a few outings in August should draft, sit back, and enjoy. 2023 Projections Baseball stats for 1B. The Diamondbacks traded Varsho to the Blue Jays in the offseason; Rogers Centre should support another 25-HR, 15-SB season and he could see a bump in runs and RBI with the better lineup around him. Starling Marte had a good 2022 season, but injuries prevented him from being a truly great fantasy asset. Jeremy Pena arrived to Houston and promptly hit 22 HR and stole 11 bases. Christian Yelich played in 154 games in 2022, his highest total since his last year in Miami in 2017. He played in all 162 games in 2022, swatting 25 HR with 96 RBI, 99 runs, and 18 stolen bases. Who should be the No. There is a real chance that Patrick Corbinthe same guy who went 6-19 with a 6.31 ERA in 152.2 innings last seasonis going to be the Opening Day starter for the . 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 Orioles seem dedicated to giving their prospects every opportunity to succeed, which boosts Mullins's value in the runs category. Kevin Askeland Feb 21, 2023 MaxPreps Top 25 baseball rankings Eleven ranked teams begin seasons this week, including No. Spencer Strider arrived in MLB in 2022 and promptly helped many a fantasy manager make the playoffs. He struck out 194 batters in 148 2/3 innings and held a 2.54 ERA and 0.95 WHIP. There is hope that the White Sox have realized that Eloy Jimenez is a designated hitter and will deploy him as such in an effort to keep the 26-year-old healthy. The issue for fantasy managers is that he hasn't been durable, crossing the 150-game mark only once in his entire career. He also now has the security of an 11-year, $331 million contract to stay with the only team he's been on, though whether or not that impacts his performance remains to be seen. His BABIP was slightly lower than his career average, meaning fantasy managers could see a small bump in batting average. What Gonzalez weirdly does well is make contact, as his K% is 20, and he deploys this skill in the enviable position of batting directly behind Jose Ramirez. 2023 College Baseball Top 25 and with Total Votes, Team Records and Previous Week's Team Rankings If strikeouts count against you in your league, then you might want to stay clear of Adolis Garcia. Still, in leagues with an SS and MI slot, fantasy managers can do a lot worse than a 30/10 guy in the ninth round. Assuming he starts 20+ games this year, he will provide fantasy managers a strikeout-per-inning performance by coupling a 96-mph fastball with his punchout 85-mph slider. 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. While Varsho has catcher eligibility, he will most likely play outfield or DH rather than take at-bats away from Kirk. 02/06/2022 World champions Argentina new world No. With a K% in the 96th percentile, the 25-year-old will be one of the Top 3 RP without a clear path to saves taken off the board. Olson played in all 162 games last season, continuing his career of solid durability, so fantasy managers can draft him with the expectation that his numbers will normalize in his second year in Atlanta with a good lineup around him. 2 JSerra Catholic. The 24-year-old responded by slashing .329/.370/.521 with 10 HR and eight SB (out of 10 attempts). 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. Other bad news includes a Statcast page that is almost entirely blue, meaning he was ineffective in almost every meaningful statistical category during his first season in Philadelphia. His homers fell from 31 to 27 as a result, but he increased his runs and RBI by 11 each, and he stole 25 bases to boot. Don't get blinded by his 1.84 ERA from last year, either. Fantasy players need to note two important things: (1) The change from pitcher-friendly Oracle Park to hitter-friendly Yankee Stadium will have some elevated effect to his ERA; and (2) Beware of drafting an oft-injured pitcher coming off a career year. Just make sure you have enough IL slots. Raise your hand if you cursed at and/or traded Bo Bichette prior to the All-Star Break last season! Melendez is not a good defensive catcher, but he should play enough to retain eligibility there. Nico Hoerner should be the Cubs' everyday second baseman, and he should bat near the top of the lineup. Arizona is on the upswing, but the Diamondbacks are often forgotten about on draft day. In a SV+HD league, Munoz would be considered a stud, and he still has plenty of value in 5x5s. He somehow made it back before the end of the 2022 season, starting two games and looking like the Glasnow of old. It is somewhat concerning that his K% went up while his BB% went down, but the slight drop in counting stats is projected to normalize back to his 35/100/100 levels. He missed 52 games due to injury, and his BABIP was a career-low (by a lot) .227. Cristian Javier began 2022 in the bullpen and then started 25 games, bringing joy to fantasy managers' hearts everywhere. He gave up more home runs in 2022, but his underlying metrics suggest a straightforward, above-average SP4 for fantasy rotations. Fantasy baseball draft season is upon us! 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. The rest of his numbers remained stellar. Dylan Questad RHP / Waterford, WI / 2023 Ranked inside the top 150 nationally, RHP Dylan Questad (Waterford Union; uncommitted) takes over the top spot with an impressive jump to his offerings. He is an OF5 being drafted in the OF4 range because of the cliff the position drops off of in drafts. With that of course comes a nice normal preseason of fantasy baseball draft prep. The 29-year-old does not fit the profile of a truly elite closer, but he should collect another 30 saves, securing a good base in 5x5 leagues. Is it new Philadelphia Phillie, Trea Turner, fresh off another 20-20 season? Corey Seager can hit. Feb 17, 2023 As a reminder, fantasy baseball rankings aren't as simple as fantasy football rankings. He made his way back in July and pitched 5 2/3 innings before a line drive fractured his pinky finger. Oneil Cruz headed to Triple-A following Spring Training because while the Pirates predictably floundered around the first one-third of the season. He allows weak contact and his xERA sits in the 90th percentile. Take the discount and don't look back. Yu Darvish is an often-overlooked starter in fantasy drafts, be it his age or his past inflated ERA that drive people away. Out of 14 Statcast pitching categories, the 28-year-old ranks in the 99th or 100th percentile in nine of them. He's another pitcher who will be a nice SP4 or SP5 to add later in drafts to help balance your ratios. 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.