If strikeouts count against you in your league, then you might want to stay clear of Adolis Garcia. 2023 MLB All-Star pitchers, reserves, complete rosters Hot starts to the year have landed four new players in the top 10, but plenty of familiar faces remain. Let's take a look at the Steamer projections on FanGraphs to find each team's No. Metrics: 95.2 EV, 59.8 HardHit%, .672 xSLG, 37 HR. Good question frankly, he was so volatile even when healthy that Im just not interested in a 12-teamer. Laureano has yet to recapture the electric ability he showed in his first full season in 2019, but the 28-year-old center fielder is projected for a solid season with 22 homers and 17 steals. Melendez is not a good defensive catcher, but he should play enough to retain eligibility there. By comparison, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. edged out Shohei Ohtani by 3.2 points for the top spot in last year's rankings, so Judge's 30.1-point edge over the rest of the field in 2022 qualifies as a landslide victory. Luis Robert Jr., White Sox (not ranked) For a few years now, we've been waiting to see what the ultra-talented Robert could do in a full, healthy season. Jose Miranda should finally take his rightful spot as the Twins' everyday third baseman - not because he's a great defensive third baseman (he's not) but because they need his bat in the lineup. Still only 26 years old for the entirety of the 2023 season, he figures to be the next young star to cash in with a nine-figure payday when he hits free agency next winter. Its finally time to be WAY too early to rank the top 200 hitters for 2023! 2023 Projected Baseball Leaders Zeile Projections | Hitters Consensus of 0 Experts Categories: HR AVG RBI R SB H 2B 3B BB OBP SLG OPS AB Positions: C 1B 2B 3B SS OF LF CF RF DH Update. He should give fantasy teams consistent production from a position where that is almost impossible to find. Your email address will not be published. Thats because these are only mine no input from others. 1. Prep for the upcoming 2023 MLB season and your fantasy baseball drafts with the latest hitter rankings from SI Fantasy. Vaughn has underestimated power and maintains a good batting average. 2023 Projected Baseball Leaders | Hitters | FantasyPros MLB Power Rankings: Picking baseball's top 10 lineups entering 2023 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. Not all was lost, though, as the 27-year-old showed off more of his speed, stealing 14 bases, which was only one less than his 2021 total. The 29-year-old paced the NL with a career-high 46 home runs, recording double-digit long balls in June (12), July (10) and September (10) while hitting primarily out of the leadoff spot in the batting order. Rafael Devers is one of the best players in baseball who seems consistently overlooked in fantasy circles. Gone are Xander Bogaerts and J.D. Metrics: 93.3 EV, 54.4 HardHit%, .535 xSLG, 46 HR. And that went down as a massively disappointing season. Premium Fantasy Draft Kit Popular What Is PLV? Hes posting the highest strikeout rate of his career; the third baseman is swinging at more pitches outside the zone than he has in any year since his rookie season but is making contact with less of them. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. Christian Yelich played in 154 games in 2022, his highest total since his last year in Miami in 2017. What is not of concern are the 81 games he gets to play at Yankee Stadium this year and each one after until 2031, thanks to his 9-year, $360 million free-agent contract. (The Marlins second baseman demonstrated that plenty well last year, when he won the American League batting title and was named an All-Star.) He mashes the ball, gets on base, and is a four-category player in a friendly ballpark. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Blue Jays (not ranked). He hit 11 homers, stole 18 bases, and slashed .283/.312/.403 in 153 games. Hes chasing more pitches outside the zone than he ever has. Gunnar Henderson's Double-A and Triple-A numbers were cheat-code level, so the Orioles brought him up for 34 games in 2022. Steady as ever, he started 159 games at first base and led the NL in plate appearances (708), runs (117), hits (199), doubles (47) and OBP (.407), while batting .325. The 25-year-old is not making it out of the second round in NFBC drafts, so chances are good his draft stock isn't going anywhere this season. He had 27 of them in 2022, but if the new baserunning rules indeed make it easier to run, his elite 24.7 ft/sec sprint speed could see him flirt with 40 in 2023. When he is healthy, he is a slash machine (career .279/.357/.479), and even though his running days are over, he will make an excellent SS2 or middle infielder on fantasy rosters. 1 spot, lvarez might have the best chance. MLB Futures Game 2023 Results: Score, Highlights, Top Prospects and 2023 Underrated Players: Bounce Back Hitters | Just Baseball The power decreased (45 HR to 26) but in exchange, his K% dropped, and he landed in the 95th percentile in outs above average. Andres Gimenez became the Guardians' everyday shortstop in 2022, and the 24-year-old is locked into that role for the foreseeable future thanks to his defense and ability to get on base. 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. (Hes in the 94th percentile or above for expected average, slugging and weighted on base average.) Ranking 15 Best MLB Hitters of This Year - Players Bio Batting in the middle of that Yankee lineup should result in a 24/75/75 season, which will suffice as a 2B1 given how shallow the position is. He is not projected to be quite as much of a disaster in 2023 - his HR total should creep back above 20 instead of 13 - but a 20/70/70/5 guy with a .260 batting average and low OBP isn't someone you have to reach for in a draft. The switch hitter did everything better when St. Louis put him in the leadoff slot, which led to an overall .265/.324/.400 slash line. He is currently going in the 180s and has enough RBI upside to take a flier on him at that ADP. At most, it is a mild inconvenience if a DH-only player is available at a great value and you already have filled your utility spots. Feel free to let me know if Im missing any! Rafael Devers, Boston Red Sox (220.7 points), Metrics: 93.1 EV, 50.9 HardHit%, .497 xSLG, 27 HR. Judge was one of the most enthralling stories of 2022, and he owned the Hitter Power Rankings, too. Clearly, our panel is expecting more in Sotos first full season in San Diego. Jazz Chisholm gave fantasy managers a 60-game taste of his true potential in 2022 before being shelved with back and knee injuries. The reason he may fall out of the 1.1 slot on draft day is simply fantasy managers anticipating the regression that is likely to come. After some digging and debating, I landed on these four: The question then became how to use those statistics to best demonstrate the difference between Player A and Player B in terms of overall power. In the first season of a three-year, $50-million contract with the Astros, the first baseman has completely lost his way at the plate. In 2022, he appeared in only 114 games, a far cry from the 161 the year before. The projected top player for every MLB team in 2023 - MLB.com Even in a down year by his standards, Soto still finished with a 149 OPS+ and 54 extra-base hits in 153 games while navigating a high-profile midseason trade to the San Diego Padres. The fact that Dave Roberts might deploy him enough at 2B to give him that eligibility is just icing. MLB DFS: Top DraftKings, FanDuel daily Fantasy baseball picks, lineups 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. For ranking purposes, the primary starting points I use are plate discipline, wRC+, quality of contact metrics (also known as Statcast batted ball data), and lineup context. Matt Chapman shaved five points off his K% in his move to Toronto from Oakland. Betts has finished in the top five of NL MVP voting twice in his three seasons with the Dodgers, and he could make that three times in 2023 -- Betts is projected as a top-five position player in MLB and the second-most valuable in the NL behind Soto. Blue Jays: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (5.2 WAR). Among his accomplishments: an All-Star appearance (including an impressive Home Run Derby showing), a 25-25 campaign, an AL Silver Slugger Award and an AL Rookie of the Year Award -- all at age 21. But who will those top players be? The 24-year-old responded by slashing .329/.370/.521 with 10 HR and eight SB (out of 10 attempts). Every player on this list has either hit over .330, has more than 3,000 hits, blasted more than 500 home runs, collected. However, he still offers clear 20-20 potential at the shallower 2B position with the hope he will continue where he left off in 2022. Hottest hitting prospects from each team April 2023 - MLB.com 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. MLB The Show 23: Best hitters - RealSport101 If you miss the first half dozen third basemen, Chapman can provide some value at his current ADP. Hit .326 and .330 the past two seasons and may bat third. Some fantasy managers refuse to "pay" for catchers in a similar way to how some refuse to "pay" for saves, but J.T. He also spreads his power evenly across fields. 1) Dylan Crews Dylan Crews is a top 2023 MLB Draft prospect If not for his own teammate Paul Skenes, Dylan Crews would be a lock for the first pick. Acua Jr. is one of the best youngsters in the MLB (Getty). With many new faces around him, there is a chance he could drop down, which would harm his value. Yes, he clogs your Utility spot, and it can be frustrating to manage him in weekly leagues where he can only start as one or the other. Amed Rosario's numbers in 2022 looked quite similar to the ones from 2021. Here are the results. Realmuto as the Phillies' top player for 2023 with Bryce Harper recovering from Tommy John surgery. Yet seemingly everything has fallen apart for him this year. Steamer thinks he'll be a top-10 player in the Majors in 2023. Every team has a star worth watching this year. Best hitters in MLB 2021 - Bolavip Exit Velocity & Barrels Leaderboard Current: Exit Velocity & Barrels A table displaying leaders in Statcast metrics such as Sweet Spot % (SwSp%), Barrels, Exit Velocity (EV), Batted Ball Distance (DST), Projected Home Run Distance (HR-DST), Launch Angle (LA) and Batted Ball Events (BBE) . Jason Foley induces a groundout to end the top of the 8th inning with the Tigers' combined no-hitter still intact. Despite a small dip in his home run total, Hernndez once again posted some eye-popping batted-ball numbers, ranking among the MLB leaders in average exit velocity (96th percentile), hard-hit rate (98th percentile) and barrel rate (94th percentile). Chisholm should enter his age-25 season healthy, though he will probably lose SS eligibility in most formats. 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. He countered that by being in the 100th percentile in maxEV when he made contact. Arraezs skill set has always been delightfully old-school. 2 in these rankings last season when he slugged 46 home runs on his way to AL MVP honors, and while he came up short of that number in 2022, his numbers were still stellar across the board. He is exactly the type of guy you wait for once you've built up your other categories. Sign up to receive our daily Morning Lineup to stay in the know about the latest trending topics around Major League Baseball. Corey Dickerson: Mentioned above. The positives are his solid floor, and a good surrounding lineup will keep the numbers afloat. But Arraez is more himself than ever, and hes making it work in a big way. Omitted Reason: Hernandez is a tremendous offensive player but has below-average defensive capabilities. Jorge Polanco had an injury-plagued 2022 which undermined the fact that his stats when healthy were on par with his 2021 season. Hottest hitting prospects from each team June 2023 - MLB.com Heims calling card with the Rangers has always been his defense. Someone in your league will reach for him during the draft. Since 2013, Major League Baseball has invited some of the best high school sluggers in the country. Reynolds hit 27 HR and slashed .262/.345/.461 and yet scored 74 runs and knocked in only 62. Although we may be a ways off from the start of the Major League Baseball season, it's never too early to prepare. The top-end of the position has come a long way in recent years, and I could see arguments for any one of. Such is the bar Soto has set for himself early in his career (keep in mind: At 24, Soto is younger than 2022 AL Rookie of the Year Award runner-up Adley Rutschman). Despite his lowest home run total over a full season since 2015, Freeman still earns a spot in the top 25 thanks in part to an MLB-leading 47 doubles and a .511 slugging percentage that was actually higher than a year ago when he slugged 31 long balls. The 31-year-old hit .296/.401/.423 with more walks (78) than strikeouts (60), and he did it with some of the best batted-ball metrics in baseball, ranking among the leaders in hard-hit rate (91st . 1. Away from Denver, the 33-year-old hit seven homers with a .214 average and .274 wOBA. Let's take a look at the Steamer projections on FanGraphs to find each team's No. If Ohtanis early-season numbers hold up through 162 games, he would record his best season with the bat -- which, given his past production both at the plate and on the mound, would say something. His swing rate is higher (from 42.7% to 45.7%), yet his contact rate is, too (from 94.1% to 95.0%). His primary downfall when it comes to fantasy value is his 58.6% ground ball rate, which limits his HR and RBI totals. Last years AL batting champ with the Twins, Arraez recorded the first cycle in Marlins history on Tuesday against the Phillies. You might have to draft him in the fifth or sixth round to get him, but he has the potential to make it worth your while. The All-Star first baseman led the NL in slugging (.578) and OPS+ (180) while exceeding the 30-homer and 100-RBI marks in the same season for the fourth time in his career. Steamer projections have him at 43/109/104 for the upcoming season, and his ratios should see a small decline as well. 1 player in 2023, even ahead of Ketel Marte and Zac Gallen, with Steamer predicting 20 homers and 19 steals for the 22-year-old. He is in the top 10 percent in maxEV and xBA, and the new SB rules could benefit someone with his speed. The No. The 27-year-old slashed .302/.358/.492 with 27 HR, 76 RBI, and 74 runs scored in 157 games. 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. After dealing with some ankle and Achilles issues in 2022, an offseason of rest and recovery and a clean bill of health on Opening Day could be all he needs to return to elite offensive form for the upcoming season. The first step was to decide what combination of statistics best quantify power. After signing an 8-year, $168 million contract with the Atlanta Braves, Matt Olson did his best to replace franchise icon Freddie Freeman in one of the weirder series of transactions in recent memory. The question is simple enough: Who was baseball's best power hitter in 2022? Carroll's upside is in the 30/30 range, and he should have no trouble sticking as the everyday centerfielder with his plus-defense. Goldy ripped 35 home runs for St. Louis last season and led the NL in OPS at .984. Thats a massive relief for a Houston lineup playing without Jose Altuve -- yet, pitchers will still get headaches looking for ways to get Alvarez out. Hernandez and Vlad Jr. form one of the best duos in MLB from a positional player standpoint. PHOENIX, ARIZONA - AUGUST 21: Ketel Marte #4 of the Arizona Diamondbacks gets ready in the batters box against the St Louis Cardinals at Chase Field on August 21, 2022 in Phoenix, Arizona. B/R's 2023 MLB Skill Rankings: Aaron Judge and Baseball's Top 25 Power SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. Another unranked hitter who catapulted into the top five was Arraez, the Major League leader with a .500 batting average. The volume just hasn't been there to truly be a fantasy stud. leading MLB with a 30.7 ft/sec sprint speed. Cron hit 22 home runs with a .302 average and .400 wOBA when he played at Coors Field in 2022. Astros In the actual power rankings, the champs sit at the top and it wasn't even really a difficult decision. Sign up to receive our daily Morning Lineup to stay in the know about the latest trending topics around Major League Baseball. 16. Of note, he increased his stolen bases, and this trend could continue in 2023 with the new baserunning rules. No, I'm a California resident looking for the California Consumer Privacy Act form. His BB% was actually higher than his K%, though there is a good chance this won't hold in 2023. Last season, Soto topped a .400 OBP, posted a 149 OPS+ (making him roughly 50% better than league average), led the Majors in walks and smacked 27 homers. He simply doesnt miss. Vlad Jr. is projected for 39 home runs in 2023, tied for second-most of any hitter behind Aaron Judge, to go with a .292 batting average, fourth-best of any hitter, and a Major League-best 111 RBIs. I have not included presumed eligibilities based on likely new positions. Teoscar Hernandez. He contributed across all batting categories, slugging 28 HR with 75 RBI, 84 runs, and 25 stolen bases. Anderson and Xander Bogaerts are being drafted very closely together in NFBC drafts and appropriately so. 2023 Regular Season 2023 Spring Training 2023 World Baseball Classic 2022 Postseason MLB Events Team by Team Schedule. For those of you who read our 2021 Skill Rankings series last year, we're following the same format as last year's version. His fifth season in MLB saw a slight decline in hitting stats (34 HR, 95 RBI, .273/.356/.519) (and yes, that was a decline). 2023 Fantasy Baseball: Hitter Rankings, Consensus Preseason Rankings The next few years are going to be crucial for the 35-year-old if he hopes to build a legitimate Hall of Fame case. Yuli Gurriel: Owns a .287 career batting average and posted three straight seasons of a .290+ average prior to last year. As odd as it was to see Freeman wearing Dodger Blue at first, he didnt miss a beat last season. Raise your hand if you cursed at and/or traded Bo Bichette prior to the All-Star Break last season! These numbers and his BA/OBP should go up, assuming his BABIP recorrects somewhat closer to his .314 number. The 28-year-old proved up to the task, posting a 122 OPS+ with 44 doubles, 34 home runs and 103 RBI while playing in all 162 games, and his numbers would have looked even better had he not slumped over the final month of the year. The 30-year-old comes with some red flags for 2023, however. 8. Trea Turner- 92 overall Contact L: 99 Contact R: 88 Power. Ramirez did have UCL repair in November, but there is no doubt he will be ready to go for Spring Training. In three seasons, he only has 924 plate appearances, and fantasy managers have been left to wonder what it would look like if he got 600 appearances in one season. Michael Harris II played 43 games in Double-A last year before getting called up to the majors and proceeded to hit 19 HR, steal 20 bases, and slash .297/.339/.514 on his way to winning the NL Rookie of the Year award. Willson Contreras signed a 5-year, $87.5 million deal with the Cardinals and will presumably bat in an advantageous position in their lineup. Semien is a great, reliable 2B option, which at this point, looks like a very shallow position heading into 2023. And now a couple of notes on how I generally evaluate hitters before we dive in: Check out the Hacks & Jacks podcast featuring myself and Joe Gallina, which also happened to be a finalist for Best Baseball Podcast of 2021 by the Fantasy Sports Writers Association (FSWA)! His K% jumped precipitously (16.8 to 24.3), while his walk rate went the other direction (13.1 to 10.7). After his historic 62-homer season, Judge is once again projected to be the top home run hitter in baseball. The 22-year-old responded by getting 632 plate appearances, hitting 20 HR, stealing 30 bases, and scoring 82 runs while knocking in 80. Be prepared for a letdown if you reach too high for him. Oscar Gonzalez does not take walks.