See how good Seager may be in 2023
If Corey Seager‘s ADP stays within the 50s as we get deeper into draft season, then apparently I’ll land him in all places. Seager is presently No. 26 in my total ranks and I’m tempted to nudge him into the second spherical. At 28 years previous, he is in his absolute prime and coming off a yr through which he had no luck on balls-in-play (.242 BABIP vs. profession .317), besides after they went over the fence (33 HR).
Seager’s batted-ball profile wasn’t uncommon by his requirements final season, so no worries there. He’s among the many hitters who can count on to profit essentially the most from MLB’s new shift guidelines, which ought to imply he’ll be a big asset in batting common, not a legal responsibility. Assuming good well being, a 90-30-90-.300 season is certainly real looking. — Andy Behrens
The prodigal son returns
There’s loads of FUD on the market concerning Fernando Tatis Jr., who’s coming off each a PED suspension and a number of surgical procedures. But that is somebody who’s recorded a .292/125/116/48/31 per 162-game tempo earlier than turning 24 years previous and whereas taking part in with one arm final season. Tatis is solely constructed totally different. And he’s youthful than Vinnie Pasquantino!
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I’ve by no means been extra excited to draft somebody falling to Round 2. — Dalton Del Don
Losing sleep over the most recent Rodriguez in Seattle
I dare you to search out somebody able to overdraft Julio Rodriguez sooner than me in 2023 (I’m kidding, do not do this — I do not need to compete with anybody).
I beloved all the things about Rodriguez’s Rookie-of-the-Year-winning 2022 season. To assume, it was his first style of MLB motion and he seemed like a seasoned veteran on the plate — he struck out 145 occasions however nonetheless delivered a .284 batting common and a .345 OBP (and only a .345 BABIP!!!). He had the anticipated meh begin to his Major League profession, discovered his standing in the course of the season, went by the standard August hunch most first-year gamers endure, after which went bonkers in September and the playoffs — this child is legit.
Story continues
How excessive will you draft Julio Rodriguez in 2023 fantasy? (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos through Getty Images)
We all know concerning the 30-30 power-speed potential, so no must get into that an excessive amount of right here. Rodriguez has “celebrity” written throughout him, the brand new face of a Mariners’ franchise that has had some legendary faces previously. I’m all in — he hasn’t handled harm like Ronald Acuña Jr. and he is seven years youthful than Trea Turner. J-Rod is my No. 1 choose in 2023 fantasy drafts. — Mo Castillo
Flying with a pair of star Blue Jays
I do know it will not be low cost to get fantasy shares of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. or Bo Bichette, however that is one celebration we do not need to miss out on. Both of Toronto’s legacy children are nonetheless of their early 20s, and the Blue Jays are bringing within the fences (which is predicted to assist offense greater than a slight fence elevating will harm). Although Guerrero and Bichette are already stars, we in all probability have not seen their finest seasons but.
Isn’t it enjoyable to experience the up escalator? — Scott Pianowski
A 30/30 menace with out the helium
Give me Kyle Tucker, the perpetual second- or third-fiddle within the Houston Astros’ real-world lineup who has became a fantasy celebrity. The lanky, no-batting-gloves lefty has whacked exactly 30 homers in back-to-back seasons, and final season nabbed a career-high 25 bases. As a cherry on prime, FanGraphs’ depth charts challenge Tucker for a .275 batting common (others have it even larger) and 112 RBIs as a part of the still-formidable Houston squad.
[2023 Fantasy Baseball Rankings: C | 1B | 2B | 3B | SS | OF | SP | RP]
Why does he bubble as much as a prime precedence for me? For one, I believe he is a greater guess to go 30/30 than a few of his extra hyped comparables, akin to Braves star Ronald Acuña Jr. (maybe being handled extra conservatively after knee points) and Mariners phenom Julio Rodriguez (who ran far much less within the second half).
I like Tucker’s stolen base upside for a counterintuitive cause: He’s … not that quick. Let me clarify.
Tucker would not blitz the basepaths with pure pace. He as an alternative stands out for effectivity. His 86.9% success charge on steal makes an attempt is second amongst all runners with a minimum of 50 tries since 2018. And the brand new pickoff guidelines that go along with the pitch timer appear possible to present extra alternatives to wily base-stealers. Consistent manufacturing with the bat and upside with the legs? Sign me up. — Zach Crizer
