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Ohtani's improbable 2023 season was sad on many fronts. Despite a second 40-20 season in three years along with his pitching prowess, he was not afforded the chance to play October baseball with his team breaking down as well as his right elbow for a second time in five years. Ohtani ended up having his elbow surgery in late September which rules him out for pitching in 2024. If he were to follow the Bryce Harper recovery timeline from a similar procedure, there is a decent chance Ohtani could still be ready for Opening Day. That said, it would be unfair to expect even this unique player to be 100% himself given what we just saw from Harper this past season as he attempted to regain his power stroke. Ohtani signed a unique 10-year pact with the Dodgers, guaranteeing himself an excellent home park for lefty power and superb teammates at the top of the lineup.

All's well that ends well? Soto was hitting .202 with five homers and 11 RBI as the calendar flipped to May, making many fantasy managers rather nervous watching their first round foundational pick get off to such a poor start. Soto went on to turn things around, hitting 30 homers, driving in 98, and hitting .290 for the rest of the season to finish as the 16th most valuable fantasy player in our standard rankings. He was one of three qualified hitters with more walks than strikeouts in 2023 and has still not fallen below the .400 mark for a season on-base percentage in his entire career. The batting average has taken a tumble since the 2020-2021 season but the volume is still in place for the other statistics. After getting traded to the Yankees for his final year before free agency, Soto will gain a massive home-park power boost, as Yankee Stadium rates as the second best park for lefty power, per Baseball Savant's park factors, while San Diego rated as the fifth-worst such park. There will be immense pressure on him to produce in pinstripes as his free agency looms next winter.

We should always be impressed when 22 year olds hold their own at the major league level considering most players that age are still taking a bus to a small to mid-sized town near you. It is even more impressive when said players do something few others do early in their careers. Henderson was one of five corner infielders with 25 homers, 80 runs and RBIs along with 10 steals joining Walker, Freeman, Bellinger, and Goldschmidt while being five years younger than anyone else in that group. Henderson has been everything as advertised so far at the plate and in the field qualifying at both positions on the left side of the infield. The only fantasy flaw in his current profile is he has been just above average in batting average as his plate discipline is still morphing into what it could be while he continues attempting to figure out lefties who have limited him to a .199 average. Those are flaws you can live with for now while enjoying his continued overall growth

Acuna went as the No. 1 overall pick in most fantasy drafts last spring and rewarded that faith by filling up box scores every time he stepped on the field. Not only did he join Jose Canseco, Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez and Alfonso Soriano as the fifth member of the 40-40 club, Acuna also established the 40-50 club, the 40-60 club and the 40-70 club. It was a historically-great individual season that culminated in a unanimous selection for National League MVP. Some amount of natural regression has to be expected in 2024, but there is no evidence suggesting what Acuna did last year was fluky. He ranked in the 100th percentile in xwOBA, xBA, xSLG and average exit velocity while appearing in 159 of a possible 162 regular-season games for the NL East champions. Maybe the steals won't be fully repeatable -- Acuna ranked in just the 65th percentile in sprint speed in 2023 -- but he's a smart baserunner with a perpetual green light under manager Brian Snitker. Entering his age-26 campaign, the superstar outfielder should again be first off the board in every standard league.

Freeman was already great but got better because he jumped in on the steals fun last year. Freeman's other numbers were as amazing as they always were as he continues to produce at a Hall of Fame pace but added cherry on top by steals as many bases in 2023 as he did over the three previous seasons combined. Freeman's 23 steals was a great reminder that sprint speed is not everything for steals as Freeman's sprint speed was in the bottom third of the league. We raise that point because that is about the only risk in this area is that he is slowing down and the steals will continue eventually fade as Freeman continues to progress into his mid 30's. There is no doubt Freeman is a first round pick; the only doubt is how high he is taken in the first round . He outearned everyone not named Acuna Jr or Olson and sits very high on our 2024 projections and when you throw in the fact Freeman has avoided the IL since 2017, he is the epitome of a safe first round foundation.

In a time of statistical volatility, it sure is nice to be able to count on the volume Ramirez produces despite the lack of supporting talent around him. Ramirez and Mike Trout lead all active players with five 20-20 seasons as Ramirez has achieved those marks in each of the past five full seasons while both accepting his walks and eschewing striking out. His 2022 and 2023 seasons by batting average and OBP were practically identical, but there was a significant dropoff in RBI as the lineup around Ramirez struggled to get runners into scoring position. Cleveland did not help that cause by focusing on slappy contact hitters and trading away Nolan Jones, but we digress. The 100-RBI plateau may be tough for Ramirez to get to once again if the lineup around him is not improved, but the volume is money in the bank as the hamate bone injury of 2019 is the only injury he has incurred in recent years.

De La Cruz took the baseball world by storm upon his arrival to the major leagues. He immediately flashed the incredible power/speed combo that made him a top prospect and hit for the cycle in just his 15th career game, helping spark the Reds to a 12-game winning streak in June. Eventually things went south for both player and team, though De La Cruz showed once again that speed doesn't slump with 18 steals in his final 50 games despite hitting just .199/.285/.361 during that stretch and falling to the bottom of the batting order. Overall, De La Cruz hit 25 homers and stole 46 bases in 136 games between Triple-A and the big leagues at the age of 21. There are swing-and-miss issues that he'll need to address and he may not reach his true potential for a while yet, but the loud tools combined with regular playing time in a band box park make it tempting to overlook his flaws. The downside potential is he ends up back in the minors after a prolonged slump.

We are going to say it: Tucker was robbed in 2023. Since Khris Davis left the league, we have lacked a statistically consistent player and Tucker looked to have filled that need with what should have been his 30th homer on the final day of the season. That is, until the official scorer turned it into a triple with an error. That scurrilous decision robbed Tucker of a third consecutive 30 homer season and his first ever 30-30 season. All joking aside, Tucker had a monster fantasy season accepting his walks, rarely striking out, and stepping up as a run producer in the third spot of the lineup while Yordan Alvarez missed time. We have longed to have Tucker hitting in the upper third of the lineup and he did not disappoint with 47 RBIs in 56 games from that spot. Whereas Dusty Baker was reticent to make changes, Joe Espada may change things up to have Tucker hit second and have Bregman in between the lefty at bats. If that happens, Tucker is worth a top five overall pick.

Ozuna struggled to a .687 OPS in 2022 and appeared to be in danger of being cut out of Atlanta's regular lineup last season after going 5-for-59 in April, but he quickly turned things around and finished 2023 with a career-high 40 homers, 100 RBI, 84 runs and a .274/.346/.558 slash line in 144 contests. That was good for a 139 wRC+, which is a vast improvement on his 85 wRC+ over the previous two years. His 2023 production was supported by a career-high 16.6 percent barrel rate and 49.0 percent hard-hit rate, which helped lead to a .284 xBA and .583 xSLG. Ozuna almost exclusively served as Atlanta's designated hitter, as he made only two appearances (one start) in the outfield, so his positional eligibility will be limited to begin 2024. That'll hardly matter to fantasy managers if he's able to replicate his 2023 campaign, but year-to-year consistency has never been the 33-year-old's forte. Ozuna's results last season were supported by strong underlying numbers and sets him up for another productive campaign in 2024, but he still carries some risk for fantasy managers given his boom-or-bust trends the past few years.

In 2022, Witt Jr missed the memo that rookies were supposed to struggle. In 2023, he missed the long-held belief that sophomores slump as pitchers begin to find weaknesses in younger players to exploit them. The young man was the only other player in baseball besides Ronald Acuna Jr to post at least 30 homers and 40 steals in 2023 and finished tied with Corbin Carroll as the sixth most valuable player in standard league formats. Witt Jr contributed to all five categories while excelling in four of them in 2023. The only area of his fantasy future that could stand to improve is his acceptance of walks as he appears to like them as much as his old man hated to dish them out on the mound. If Witt Jr could boost his OBP over .350, he could lead the league in stolen bases in 2024. As you set your draft preferences for 2024, understand Witt Jr may not even be there if you pick as high as 3rd.

We enter a new realm for Harper on draft day as we are forced to consider him as part of the first base pool now as he lost his outfield eligibility last year and with the announced divestiture from Rhys Hoskins, maybe permanently. Harper got off to an expected slow start in the power department coming off his surgery with just five homers through the end of July before he got red hot over the final two months with 16 homers and 41 RBIs capped with a 10 homer August around a .361 average. Once Harper got into his groove, everything fell back into place and he was his normal self as the final numbers show. We can excuse his lowest slugging percentage since 2018 to the post-surgical rust, but everything else looks as good as it ever was. The next hurdle is him resuming his 140+ game workload after two seasons of falling short of that much-needed mark given his lofty annual draft status.

Turner was playing in the first year of a new huge deal in a new city, so history tells us there would be some bumps in the road for the talented superstar. However, even his harshest critic would not have predicted Turner having a .235/.290/.368 line as last as Aug. 3 and hitting in the eighth spot of the lineup. Philly fans, as they are well-known for, cheered him into a hot streak? Turner got hot in a well-timed series against the lowly Royals in early August and hit .337/.389/.668 the rest of the season with 16 homers, 42 runs and 42 RBIs helping push his final numbers close to what he did in 2022. The batting average hole he dug for himself was too much to climb out of, and the lineup demotion cut into his RBIs, but the homers were up while the steals and runs held true. One would have to hope the worst of things is behind Turner and 2024 could be a MVP-type seasons for him if he can play at his late pace. That elusive 30-30 season should happen in 2024.

Despite missing 56 games due to hip and toe injuries, Judge cracked 37 homers in 2023, finishing fourth in the American League. The stars aligned in his historic 2022 MVP season and nobody should expect that level of production again, particularly in the stolen-base department (his SB total fell from 16 to just three last season). That being said, Judge is arguably the most prolific power hitter in baseball, and he chased pitches outside the strike zone less than ever last season (career-low 22.5 O-Swing%). He returned to hit .245/.408/.557 with 18 homers and 53 walks in his final 57 games, and manager Aaron Boone said in August that Judge would not need offseason surgery on his right big toe. There is no questioning his hitting ability, though it's fair to question whether the hulking outfielder/DH can hold up to the rigors of a full MLB season as he approaches age 32. Judge has reached 150 games played only twice in his career.

A marriage made in baseball heaven, Olson has done nothing but rake since Atlanta acquired him from Oakland in March of 2022. He turned it up to an even greater level in 2023, his second year with the organization, pacing all major-league hitters in home runs (54) and RBI (139) while registering the fourth-highest OPS in the bigs at .993. He finished in the 99th percentile in both average exit velocity and hard-hit rate and ranked in the 97th percentile in xSLG, all en route to a fourth-place finish for NL MVP. Olson enters his age-30 season firing on all cylinders and surrounded by one of the best supporting casts you can find. He again has a chance to lead the majors in homers and should feast on RBI opportunities as the locked-in cleanup man for the reigning National League East champions. With first base lacking some of the depth it had a decade ago, it's probably worth reaching for Olson in the opening rounds of drafts this spring.

Terence Mann told us in Field of Dreams that the one constant through all the years is baseball. He was wrong; the one constant is Devers continues to rake in Boston whether they are in a boom year contending for a title or a bust year beginning another refresh cycle as the club was in 2023. Devers finished just inside the top 30 overall fantasy players in 2023 despite the lineup issues around him with the early injury to Duvall and the ups and downs of the the youngsters Casas and Duran. Devers continued his Saberhagenmetric cycle of 30 homer & 100+ RBI seasons in odd-numbered seasons but may have fallen into the trap of the new shifting rules. Devers had his highest pull percentage in five seasons and hit for his lowest full-season batting average since 2018. His StatCast measures are still extremely red, in a good way, nearly across the board as he enters the prime years for power hitters.

Nola shocked many when he decided to re-up with the Phillies for seven years rather than test the free agent waters in what was a lucrative market with multiple big market teams looking for pitching. Then again, Nola has pitched very well at Citizens Bank Ballpark over the years whereas his struggles have more recently been away from Philly. You may be surprised to learn that Nola pitched to a 3.29 ERA with 12 homers in 87.2 innings at home in 2023, but had a 5.43 ERA with 20 homers in 106 innings on the road last season. He is a rare bird in that he has not missed a single start since missing a handful of starts in the 2017 season and has pitched at least 180 innings in each of the past five full seasons. He has become rather stingy with walks in recent years while continuing to get 200+ strikeouts year after year. 2021 and 2023 have a familiar look to them and Nola absolutely has the ability to bounce back in 2024 as he did in 2022 while deciding to continue his career where it began.

The right-hander was limited to 18 outings (17 starts) in 2022 due to lat and shoulder injuries, but he was able to stay healthy in 2023 and set career highs in starts (30) and innings (165.2). Peralta was one of the best strikeout pitchers in the league, with his 30.9 percent strikeout rate ranking fourth, and his .211 batting average against was also elite. However, a 1.4 HR/9 (double his 2022 figure) helped lead to a less impressive 3.86 ERA, though his 1.12 WHIP and 7.9 percent walk rate were also strong. A 16 percent HR/FB ratio was well above his career average entering the season, which could indicate some incoming positive regression after giving up 26 homers. Peralta's career-high workload sets him up for a potential ace-level campaign in 2024, especially if he's able to cut down the long balls closer to his career average of 1.1 HR/9.

Lugo, long a multi-inning reliever, was a full-time starter in 2023 for the first time with mixed results. He finished the season with solid ratios, but a decline in strikeouts and wins in just 8 of his 33 starts limited his overall fantasy value. Lugo has long been known for his high spin rate pitches, but his two primary offerings did not perform the same as a starter as they did when he came in from the pen. The league hit .171 off his fastball and .159 off his curveball in 2022, but those numbers jumped to .247 and .280 last year when he worked as a starter despite both pitches maintaining their high spin rates. Lugo's velocity dipped a bit working in the rotation as well. He opted out of the final year of his deal to become a free agent and cashed in with a three-year, $45 million deal in Kansas City. The workload increase of nearly 100 innings from 2021 to last year is a concern, but Lugo's contract should assure him a rotation spot with the Royals while he remains healthy.

Cease finished second in voting for the AL Cy Young in 2022 after he posted a 2.20 ERA in 32 starts, but he stumbled to a 4.58 ERA, 1.42 WHIP and 214:79 K:BB over 177 innings last season. Some regression wasn't surprising since the elite campaign had some underwhelming peripherals, but much like the White Sox in general, his fall in 2023 was steeper than anticipated. The underlying numbers flipped in the opposite direction, with a 3.72 FIP indicating he had some poor luck. Cease's strikeout rate dropped over three points to 27.3 percent, though he improved his walk rate slightly to 10.1 percent. A .330 BABIP and 41.5 percent hard-hit rate were both career worsts, the former of which was certainly affected by Chicago's horrid defense (minus-59 DRS). His true self likely falls somewhere in between the results of the past two seasons, making him somewhat of a volatile option for fantasy managers in 2024, though his strikeout floor is strong. Cease has also been regularly mentioned in trade rumors over the past year, and a move elsewhere would likely only improve his immediate outlook.

Wheeler heads into an interesting season in the final year of his five-year contract with Philadelphia. The righty has been everything the club had hoped for when it signed him to the deal as he has missed just five starts in his time with the club while giving the staff the consistency Aaron Nola could not. Wheeler had a strong regular season and an even stronger postseason with a 1.95 ERA over five games with 35 strikeouts and three walks in 27.2 innings of work. Wheeler turns 34 in the first third of the season and is pitching for his final big deal of his career. His four-seam fastball was exceptional last year with a .199 xBA and a 31% whiff rate, but his increased usage of the pitch has cut into the groundball tendencies from previous seasons. You should have supreme confidence in taking Wheeler as your staff ace because he has pitched like one as a Phillie and we see little reason why he won't do so again in what is likely his final year with the team.

The right-hander's 2023 got off to an inauspicious start, with an ugly arbitration battle publicly straining the relationship between Burnes and the Brewers. Always the consummate professional, Burnes put together another highly successful campaign despite some hiccups, leading qualified National League starters in WHIP while reaching 200 strikeouts for the third consecutive season. His swing-and-miss dominance took a hit as Burnes averaged just over a strikeout per inning (25.5 K%), coinciding with a dip in fastball velocity. His sinking fastball let him down and the 10 wins were a disappointment, but Burnes has four above-average pitches to lean on and still projects as a fantasy ace after being traded to the Orioles in February. If the strikeouts tick back up, Burnes could find himself in the Cy Young discussion once again.

The 31-year-old was acquired by the Mariners at the 2022 trade deadline and inked a five-year extension two months later; during his first full season with the team in 2023 he posted a 3.34 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 219:56 K:BB in 197 innings. The campaign ended on a sour note, however, with nine runs allowed in Castillo's final two starts, including a 2.2-frame outing against Texas that eliminated Seattle from playoff contention. His strikeout and walk rates (27.3 percent and 7.0 percent, respectively) stayed stable, but his 1.3 HR/9 was the highest since his sophomore season in 2018. Castillo typically excelled at inducing groundballs while playing for the Reds with a career rate north of 50 percent, but he saw his flyball rate jump nearly nine points to 42.4 percent in 2023 while his groundball rate dipped below 40 percent. A barrel rate of 9.4 percent and hard-hit rate of 41.8 percent each represent career worsts, which also lines up with a 3.81 xFIP. Some regression may be in store for Castillo if he's unable to rein in those trends, but he's still likely a fairly safe bet for fantasy managers in 2024 given his track record.

For the third consecutive year, Yamamoto won the Eiji Sawamura Award, Japan's equivalent of the Cy Young. He did it in 2023 on the strength of a 1.16 ERA and 176 strikeouts in 171 innings spanning 24 appearances, including a no-hitter in front of notable MLB executives in September. The Orix Buffaloes posted the right-hander for MLB teams this winter and an unprecedented bidding war ensued, with Yamamoto ultimately signing with the Dodgers for 12 years and $325 million, the largest contract ever for a pitcher. Still just 25 years old, Yamamoto features a mid-90s fastball and three secondary pitches highlighted by the splitter, all helped immensely by exceptional command. There is already considerable hype and that may be boosted slightly by recency bias after Kodai Senga made the transition to the majors look easy last season. Yamamoto could enter SP1 range in drafts come springtime.

Lopez had an impressive first season in Minnesota by finishing seventh in the AL Cy Young voting and going 2-0 and giving up one run in 12.2 innings in the postseason. Lopez changed his arsenal in the offseason to feature a sweeper as his primary off-speed pitch which resulted in more strikeouts. Lopez had a career-high 29.2% K% and 14.8% swinging K%. He allowed just a .215 wOBA and generated a 36.3% K% on his sweeper. He also set a new high 194 innings while maintaining career-best velocity (94.8 average mph fastball). The Twins signed him to a four-year, $73.54 million contract extension after his trade from Miami as they believe they traded for a true ace and felt validated by his playoff performance.

Crawford was one of the bright spots amidst a rocky season for the Red Sox' starting pitchers. It took until June for the right-hander to find a permanent spot in the rotation, but once that happened he posted a 4.20 ERA (3.64 FIP), 1.15 WHIP and 105:30 K:BB over 98.2 innings covering 21 starts the rest of the way. Crawford has one of the most effective four-seamers in baseball, an offering with elite spin which produced a 26 percent whiff rate. The 27-year-old's arsenal is also deep, with five additional pitches which all induced whiffs at at least a 20 percent rate. Crawford is a flyball pitcher who can be homer-prone at times, but he should have a spot in Boston's rotation locked up heading into 2024 and his arrow is pointing up.

Ryan had a roller-coaster season for the Twins as he had a 2.98 ERA with a 9.65 K/9 and 0.91 WHIP through his first 15 starts of the season. He then seemingly ran out of gas by posting a 8.63 ERA and 1.81 WHIP over this next seven starts before he went on the injured list with a strained groin. His final eight starts after he returned were not much better (5.90 ERA) and the Twins limited him to one short two-inning start in the playoffs. Ryan doesn't have great velocity (92.3 average mph fastball) but has an extremely deceptive four-seam fastball that helped him generate an excellent 29.3% K% and 14.2% swinging strike rate. His weakness is as a fly-ball pitcher (31.6% GB%) he can be prone to the long ball. Home runs were especially an issue last season with a career-worst 1.78 HR/9 driven by a high 14.9% HB/FB%. He usually limits the damage for home runs by typically having one of the lowest walk rates in baseball (5.1% BB%). Ryan will be counted on at the top of the Twins rotation and could improve significantly if he can keep the ball in the park and improve one of his off-speed pitches, which all took a step backward last year.

It's damning with faint praise, but Glasnow threw a career-high 120 innings as a 29-year-old in his final year with the Rays. Coming into 2023, Glasnow had never avoided the injured list around stretches of brilliance where he looks downright unhittable. He then has bouts of command issues where he struggles with fastball location and lineups jump on him. The extra pain point in 2023 was created with the new rules as his 6-foot-8 frame leverages long extension and a slow delivery to the plate which leaves him susceptible to steals - he permitted 19 steals in 2023. He also hit the IL at the start of the season with an oblique issue and had back spasms again later in the summer. The Dodgers traded for him and then extended him this offseason, so he should have excellent run support for the foreseeable future and there are no questions about where he will be pitching. He clearly has the stuff of an ace and will look to increase his career high in innings again, but he averaged less than 65 MLB innings per season prior to last year, so make sure you're not reliant on him staying healthy all season.

Sale made 11 starts before being diagnosed with a stress reaction in his left scapula. At the time, the southpaw had recorded a 4.58 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP, with 71 strikeouts in 59 stanzas. However, a 3.63 xFIP suggested his ERA would drop had he stayed healthy. Sale missed just over 10 weeks, returning in mid-August. He made nine more starts, posting a 3.92 ERA and 1.05 WHIP in that span, fanning 54 in 43.3 innings. This time, Sale's 3.85 xFIP meshed with his actual ERA. For the season, Sale's 4.30 ERA was more than half a run over its estimators. This bodes well for a productive 2024, but with lingering durability concerns. Sale threw 102.2 innings last year, so he could handle in the 150 range, if he can stay healthy. His bloated ERA last year may keep his cost to a level where the reward outweighs the risk. The trick is to expect around 130 innings and plan accordingly. Anything more is icing on the cake.

Webb led the National League in both innings pitched and K/BB, and in the end he was the runner up for the Cy Young. The struggling Giants offense afforded Webb the worst run support in the league offering him 3.1 runs of support per game while Webb was out there holding opposing offenses to 3.25 runs in his outings. Webb's 11-13 record would have looked different if he had the 4.3 runs of support teammate Alex Cobb received. Webb's 2023 success was built around him trusting his changeup more and cutting back on his slider usage. The changeup is now his primary pitch and it has greatly aided him in limiting the damage from lefties which has been an issue for him in previous seasons. Webb has gone from a guy with questionable durability earlier in his career to someone who has exceeded 190 innings in each of the past two seasons. Now, just get him some run support!

After being highly touted as a prospect, Kirby showed great promise in his debut season in 2022. The right-hander took his game to another level in his sophomore campaign, shaving his walk rate from 4.1% to a minuscule 2.5%, the lowest among qualified starters. Kirby has already made history multiple times with his strike-throwing; he tossed 24 consecutive strikes at one point as a rookie and now owns the record for the most quality starts with zero walks (11) by a pitcher age 25 or younger. Kirby lowered his WHIP from 1.21 as a rookie to 1.04 last season while adding more than 60 innings to his 2022 total. His five-pitch mix would seem to give him some room for growth in the strikeout department (career 23.5 K%), but until we see that growth, Kirby should probably remain just outside the fantasy ace tier.

Simba famously told us in The Lion King he laughed in the face of danger, and Rutschman certainly did the same in the face of those wondering if there would be a sophomore slump for the young catcher. The 25 year old backstop was a key cog of the AL East champion Orioles lineup finishing as the eighth-most valuable fantasy catcher and the only catcher who could claim at least 20 homers, 80+ RBIs as well as 80+ runs on their resume. If not for the misconfiguration of left field in Camden, Rutschman would have joined Cal Raleigh as the only catcher with 30 homers but that monstrosity is where most pulled flyballs go to die. Rutschman has already earned a reputation for a very discernable eye at the plate as he walks nearly as often as he strike out which is a rarity for both his age and his position. Baltimore values the bat and gave him 46 games at DH so he provides plenty of volume with the added bonus of hitting first or second in the lineup. Simply put, the acquisition cost is worth it.

Smith had yet another above average offensive season at the dish, especially when you consider he was the only primary catcher to score at least 80 runs last season and just the fifth catcher to do so in the past 15 seasons joining Realmuto, Posey, Martin, and Mauer. Early on, it appeared that Smith was on his way to a huge season as he went into the break with a .279/.396/.494 triple-slash line with 13 homers and 46 RBIs, but hit .242/.320/.381 with just 6 homers and 30 RBIs after the break. Smith's production and outcomes have been consistently impressive as he handles the strains of trying to slow down opposing running games Dodger pitchers struggled to adjust to the new environment. Smith throws very well, yet the league has swiped 118 bases when he has caught over the past two seasons because he is just one part of the equation. Smith and Realmuto are the only two catcher eligible players with at least 125 games played each of the past three seasons. Invest with confidence.

Contreras fully stepped out of his older brother's shadow in 2023, and in fact led all catcher-eligible players in earned fantasy value. Traded from Atlanta to Milwaukee last winter, he logged 611 plate appearances in his first season with the Brewers -- a number padded by 29 starts at designated hitter, in addition to his 108 behind the dish. He hit .314 after the All-Star break to finish at .289 for the season, though Statcast puts his expected batting average at only .253. Contreras grounded into a whopping 23 double plays and still surpassed 160 runs-plus-RBI, and he will be in the middle of everything the Brewers do once again in 2024. While he may not see quite as many starts as the DH, his playing time is secure on account of his hitting and excellent blocking and framing metrics. There's already a lot to like and a jump in power is not out of the question.

Perez's .254 average, .292 OBP and 23 home runs in 2023 came close to exactly matching his figures from a year prior, but the homer total is a concern given he played in 26 more games than 2022. The home run and RBI (80) totals are still among the best in MLB for catchers, but the downward trend is clear as he enters his age-34 campaign. With that in mind, it's not a surprise he saw more action than ever out from behind the plate, as he made 29 starts at DH and 23 at first base. Those latter numbers should only increase going forward, though he shouldn't have issues retaining positional eligibility anytime soon. Trade rumors have become more common of late, but the remaining two years and $44 million (including a $2 million buyout for a 2026 club option) on his contract limits potential suitors. Perez is no longer close to being the top catching option for fantasy managers, but his likely high volume should make him a strong producer in 2024, even if the downward trajectory continues.

Are the years of heavy volume behind the plate finally catching up with Realmuto? He has been an above-average offensive producer for seasons on end and still finished 2023 as the third-most valuable fantasy catcher behind only William Contreras and Adley Rutschman because unlike any other catcher, he steals bases. His 16 steals last season led all players who are still catcher eligible for 2024. However, Realmuto had both a career-worst batting average and the second-worst OBP of his career last season. Realmuto was once a high-contact hitter, but he's since slipped to the bottom half of the league while his chase rate has slipped near the bottom third. Kyle Schwarber's full-time presence on the roster at designated hitter doesn't afford Realmuto the ability to stick in the lineup when he gets days off behind the plate, but if healthy, Realmuto should still play around 130-to-140 games once again while offering production in all five categories.

Affectionately nicknamed "Big Dumper," Raleigh turned in his first career 30-homer season in 2023, finishing fifth at the catcher position in earned fantasy value behind William Contreras, J.T. Realmuto, Jonah Heim and Will Smith. Raleigh is rather one dimensional at the plate, though to his credit he raised his batting average from .211 to a more-palatable .232 last season. He's also drawn walks at roughly a 10 percent clip the last two seasons, helping offset a strikeout rate pushing 30 percent. Raleigh made 14 starts at designated hitter in 2023, and while that number could always take a hit, he projects to remain in the starting lineup most days. The 27-year-old has an exceptional arm behind the plate and at this point is an important part of the leadership and game-calling with the Seattle pitching staff. He temporarily silenced his doubters with his performance at the dish last season, but beware the average can largely offset the power contributions if it gets low enough.

O'Hoppe had an intriguing yet incomplete debut season with the Angels. He got off to a great start hitting .283 with 4 homers and 13 RBIs in the first few weeks of the season before a torn labrum in his non-throwing shoulder put him on the shelf until late August. He was a fantasy monster in the final month of the season with 9 homers, 16 runs, and 15 RBIs down the stretch from the catching position. So far, O'Hoppe has hit lefties (.293) much better than righties (.220) but the overall numbers in an abbreviated season are certainly enticing. O'Hoppe is in the lineup more for his offensive upside than his defensive abilities as he is a liability behind the plate in controlling the running game and is still learning to be a better pitch framer. The potential for a 25-30 homer season is in his bat, but the upside here certainly comes with risks of his defensive liabilities costing him at bats unless he DH's more now with Ohtani's departure.

Garver rebounded from an injury-riddled 2022 season with a productive campaign, posting a 138 wRC+, the third highest of his career. Garver played in 87 games, the most since 2019, but he missed just over one-third of the season after hurting his knee in early April. When healthy, Garver was the everyday designated hitter, mixing in 27 games behind the plate. Garver's success in the batter's box was fully supported by his underlying metrics, which bodes well for continuing to log playing time at designated hitter. Garver has never been known for his defensive prowess, so it's not a surprise the metrics were not kind to him in his limited time defensively. Even so, Garver regained catcher eligibility and at least for the upcoming season, he's borderline useful in single-catcher formats and a solid option in two catcher leagues. He will work as Cal Raleigh's backup and the Mariners' top option at designated hitter when healthy, after signing a two-year deal with Seattle this winter.

When Atlanta acquired Murphy, it was coming off a season where he had collected 611 plate appearances for the Athletics. While it was anticipated Murphy wouldn't repeat that with Travis d'Arnaud in the mix, most expected Murphy would gather more than the 438 plate appearances he recorded. Confusing matters more is Murphy's 129 wRC+ was the highest of all catchers with at least as many plate appearances, and Murphy's defense was outstanding. Meanwhile, when healthy, d'Arnaud's offense and defense both displayed signs of decline. Perhaps the extra rest helped Murphy, as he posted career highs in average exit velocity, hard-hit rate and barrel percent. Even so, it's curious why Murphy didn't play more. Both backstops will be back with Atlanta this season, so it must be assumed Murphy will continue to lose playing time to his veteran counterpart. However, at some point, Atlanta should realize Murphy is the better option. Paying for more playing time is defensible, just don't take the leap to 2022 levels.

Despite serving as the No. 2 option in Houston behind Martin Maldonado, Diaz cracked 23 homers and finished as a top-12 fantasy catcher last season. Diaz slashed .282/.308/.538 and Statcast says he actually underperformed in regards to batting average and slugging -- his .287 xBA and .546 xSLG both ranked in the top eight percent of the league. Diaz is not particularly interested in taking walks (2.9 BB%) and his chase rate leaves open some questions about the sustainability of his contact. Further, Diaz's 21.9% HR/FB seems destined to fall, even with the boost provided by the Crawford Boxes. That being said, the Astros have already committed to Diaz being "the main guy" in 2024, and any giveback in the rate stats should in theory be softened by an increase in playing time. He wasn't a big name when he was traded in 2021, but fast forward a few years and Diaz is looking like a key piece on a championship-caliber ballclub.

Contreras' first year in St. Louis was a bumpy one with a .438 winning percentage being the organization's worst since 1995. The drama started early with his new team, as he was pushed out from behind the plate in May due to poor defensive metrics, since the Cardinals apparently didn't realize he's always been a bat-first catcher. He still ended up making 97 appearances at catcher compared to 30 at designated hitter, but the early-season issues set the tone for what ended up being an awful season for St. Louis. Individually however, Contreras was his usual productive self offensively, as he delivered a fourth straight 20-homer campaign (the shortened 2020 season notwithstanding) and a 127 wRC+, which tied for best in baseball among catchers with at least 450 plate appearances. Volume is the only real concern for fantasy managers at this point -- his 495 plate appearances in 2023 being the second-highest total of his career -- with the lack of opportunities keeping his run production at modest levels (55 runs, 67 RBI last season). Despite that ceiling, Contreras should be locked in as one of the better fantasy catchers again in 2024.

Fry was called up for the first time in his career in May of 2023, slashing .238/.319./.416 across 113 plate appearances. Fry is a backup option at best with limited fantasy appeal, though he does show some pop at the dish with a .178 ISO and 36.6% Hard Hit Rate in his limited major league experience. The 28-year-old may find himself back in the minors in 2024 as Cleveland signed veteran Austin Hedges to backup Bo Naylor ahead of the new campaign making him an avoid for fantasy managers even in multi-catcher formats.

If Diaz could simply only play when the Rockies were playing at home and facing righties, he would be more rosterable. Diaz hit .293 in those situations last season with seven homers and 34 RBI which was an overwhelming amount of his overall volume last season. He did hit .258 on the road, but struggled to hit lefties in any location while receiving the majority of the time behind the dish for Colorado. Diaz is in the final year of his contract with the Rockies and there are few signs the club is interested in re-signing the veteran backstop whose last above-average offensive season came in 2018. The upside with Diaz would be him catching the perfect storm of contract year breakout combined with late catcher career breakout, but both theories require a bit of Jobu's rum to truly believe in them. The best thing we can say about Diaz is that he starts at catcher and can give you 15-ish homers. Everything else is a dart throw given his numbers over the years.

Ruiz posted a .673 OPS with seven homers and 31 RBI in 112 games during 2022, and he showed some improvements last season. The 25-year-old inked an extension to keep him with the Nationals through at least 2030 just prior to the season, and he had a .260/.308/.409 slash line with 18 long balls, 67 RBI and 55 runs in 136 contests. Ruiz ranked fifth among catchers with 562 plate appearances and had an elite 10.3 percent strikeout rate, which ranked third in MLB. His strong bat-to-ball skills have translated to the majors, but he's been unable to make consistent hard contact with a 4.9 percent barrel rate and 31.9 percent hard-hit rate in his two years as a starter. Ruiz has a lower ceiling than the top catchers in the league with his power limitations amid a weak offense, but his regular spot in the lineup gives him a strong floor for fantasy managers, and there's still room to grow given he plays the most difficult position on the field.

Any concern Heim would split catching duties with Mitch Garver were vanquished early with Garver missing most of April and all of May with a knee injury. During that time, Heim posted a .785 OPS, locking down the primary backstop position. For the season, Heim posted a career-high 103 wRC+ while continuing to excel behind the plate as a receiver and pitch framer. For the second straight year, Heim experienced a second half swoon, posting a .282/.338/.474 line before the break, compared to .217/.282/.656 after. However, Heim's average exit velocity and hard-hit rate were nearly identical in both halves, so he likely benefited from a fortuitous .313 BABIP over the first half and a snake bit .246 mark the rest of the way. Heim has shed the all-glove label, and catchers tend to develop more power as they get older. He'll be entering his 29-year-old season, so it may manifest, but the catcher inventory is such it isn't necessary to chase the potential upside.

Freeman was already great but got better because he jumped in on the steals fun last year. Freeman's other numbers were as amazing as they always were as he continues to produce at a Hall of Fame pace but added cherry on top by steals as many bases in 2023 as he did over the three previous seasons combined. Freeman's 23 steals was a great reminder that sprint speed is not everything for steals as Freeman's sprint speed was in the bottom third of the league. We raise that point because that is about the only risk in this area is that he is slowing down and the steals will continue eventually fade as Freeman continues to progress into his mid 30's. There is no doubt Freeman is a first round pick; the only doubt is how high he is taken in the first round . He outearned everyone not named Acuna Jr or Olson and sits very high on our 2024 projections and when you throw in the fact Freeman has avoided the IL since 2017, he is the epitome of a safe first round foundation.

We enter a new realm for Harper on draft day as we are forced to consider him as part of the first base pool now as he lost his outfield eligibility last year and with the announced divestiture from Rhys Hoskins, maybe permanently. Harper got off to an expected slow start in the power department coming off his surgery with just five homers through the end of July before he got red hot over the final two months with 16 homers and 41 RBIs capped with a 10 homer August around a .361 average. Once Harper got into his groove, everything fell back into place and he was his normal self as the final numbers show. We can excuse his lowest slugging percentage since 2018 to the post-surgical rust, but everything else looks as good as it ever was. The next hurdle is him resuming his 140+ game workload after two seasons of falling short of that much-needed mark given his lofty annual draft status.

A marriage made in baseball heaven, Olson has done nothing but rake since Atlanta acquired him from Oakland in March of 2022. He turned it up to an even greater level in 2023, his second year with the organization, pacing all major-league hitters in home runs (54) and RBI (139) while registering the fourth-highest OPS in the bigs at .993. He finished in the 99th percentile in both average exit velocity and hard-hit rate and ranked in the 97th percentile in xSLG, all en route to a fourth-place finish for NL MVP. Olson enters his age-30 season firing on all cylinders and surrounded by one of the best supporting casts you can find. He again has a chance to lead the majors in homers and should feast on RBI opportunities as the locked-in cleanup man for the reigning National League East champions. With first base lacking some of the depth it had a decade ago, it's probably worth reaching for Olson in the opening rounds of drafts this spring.

In the spring of 2022, Guerrero Jr. famously stated that 2021 was a trailer and now fans will see a movie. Like most sequels, the team and the player has failed to deliver on promises. Guerrero's 2021 nomadic season in friendly run environments helped him established career hights he has failed to come close to in each of the past two seasons. Management tweaked Rogers Centre before the 2023 season, but that did not prevent Guerrero's overall numbers from sliding for a second consecutive season as he and the rest of the club struggled to produce runs despite plenty of traffic on the bases throughout the season. If you treat 2021 as an outlier rather than a ceiling, 2024 Guerrero Jr. should not disappoint you given his skills provide a very high floor. Just remember that sequels are rarely better than the original and Vlady's 2021 season is a cult classic that should be appreciated rather than expected.

Alonso is a well-established asset in real baseball and fantasy baseball at this point. Amidst trade rumors, Alonso hit 46 home runs in 2023, third in MLB behind only Matt Olson (54) and Kyle Schwarber (47), and drove in 118 (second behind Olson). His batting average plummeted to a career-low .217, but most of that was BABIP-driven (.205 BABIP, .244 xBA). Alonso hit the ball hard and cleared 150 games played for the fourth time in as many full seasons -- slugging carries his game, but Alonso deserves credit for that durability as well. He's been at least 20 percent better than league average by wRC+ in every season of his career. His defensive and baserunning limitations ding him in real life, but Alonso is a counting-stat machine and should enjoy some positive regression in the BA department.

Walker's 2023 was mostly a continuance of his 2022 season with the added bonus of double-digit steals despite his 26th percentile sprint speed. He is a great reminder that steals are not just about pure speed. He continued to use his power to all fields for his production while not giving up any of his plate discipline in the process. The improved talent around him also allowed him to hit the 100 RBI plateau for the first time in his career. That said, Walker is at a career crossroads as he is now heading into a contract year as a 33-year old right handed first baseman. You may instantly think of the guy he replaced, Goldschmidt, but not realize that Walker's timeline is three years advanced as Goldy departed Arizona after his age 30 season. We only bring this up for keeper league types because the long term outcome may not be as bright as what Walker could do in what is likely his final year in the desert as we see no reason he cannot continue this current run of production.

Goldschmidt's 2023 season was well within his range of expected outcomes, but it felt like a major letdown on the heels of his NL MVP campaign. His home-run total fell by 10 while is OPS plummeted from .981 to .810. The Cardinals finished last in the NL Central and the team's overall struggles played a part in his middling run production. The underlying numbers suggest his skills are mostly intact; Goldy still ranked in the 93rd percentile in hard-hit rate and in the 89th percentile in xwOBA. He's at the age now (36) where a lot of first basemen begin to rapidly decline, but he has never been the typical first baseman. Goldschmidt remains efficient on the basepaths as evidenced by his 11 steals in 13 attempts last season. After a spring in which he was overdrafted, Goldschmidt will likely go back to being undervalued in fantasy baseball as he's been for most of his career. Old and boring can win championships, and Goldschmidt is still a viable building block.

Encarnacion-Strand kicked the door down with a .331/.405/.637 line and 20 homers in 67 games with Triple-A Louisville to earn a promotion to Cincinnati just after the All-Star break. At 23 years old, he continued to hit for impressive power at the highest level, totaling 20 extra-base hits in his first 241 MLB plate appearances. He struck out at a 28.6% clip but still managed to bat .270 on the strength of a 10.5% barrel rate. In declining Joey Votto's option in November, the Reds said they could not commit to the playing time Votto deserves, an acknowledgment of the need to get Encarnacion-Strand and others more at-bats in 2024. Acquired from Minnesota in 2022 as part of the Tyler Mahle deal, Encarnacion-Strand will likely split time between first base and designated hitter after the Reds signed Jeimer Candelario to a multi-year deal.

Naylor had a career season at the plate despite missing over a month with an oblique injury. The career year was fueled by a few things Naylor had never done, such as hitting .363 with runners in scoring position and hitting .299 against left-handed pitching. He also fully leaned into the roster trend of better contact as Naylor lowered his strikeout rate for a fourth consecutive full season. He also murdered fastballs hitting .352 (.317 xBA.) The amalgamation of those skills is what allowed him to drive in 90+ runs with fewer than 20 homers, something only Naylor, Abreu, Heim, and Bohm did in 2023 and something last done by Asdrubel Cabrera in 2019. In all, Naylor plated 22% of his baserunners, which was only bested by Heim, Mullins, and Seager last season. All of this is to say this big step forward needs to have that first 500+ plate appearance offseason to offset the regression which is likely coming to his run production.

It took Diaz until his age 31 season, but he finally got to the 20-homer plateau and threw in a league batting title as well in his career year. The homers were a bit front loaded as 12 of his 22 homers came in the first two months of the season before he hit just two over the entire of June and July before closing with 8 more down the stretch as he chased the batting title. He hit .300 or better in every month of the season as the most atypical leadoff hitter in the American League given his size. He leads off because (points to him) he gets on base. His worst monthly OBP split was .390 in June which is how someone built like a fire hydrant was able to score 95 runs. Diaz hit the 600 plate appearance mark for the first time but did have issues throughout the season in his lower back and legs. He is now only first base eligible but was also the sixth most valuable player at the position in 2023. Diaz will not repeat, but his stock has risen.

Torkelson had an underwhelming rookie campaign in 2022 with just eight home runs and a .604 OPS in 110 games, but he found his footing during his sophomore season with 31 long balls, 94 RBI, 88 runs and a .233/.313/.446 slash line. The counting stats are impressive given the production came as a member of Detroit's poor offense, which ranked 27th with an 89 wRC+. His defense at first base still leaves plenty to be desired, and he could see more run at designated hitter going forward with Miguel Cabrera headed for retirement. Torkelson's strikeout rate worsened slightly to 25.0 percent, but he improved his walk rate a bit to 10.0 percent. The real progress came in hard contact, as he significantly improved his barrel rate and hard-hit rate (to 14.1 percent and 50.5 percent, respectively). A .252 xBA and .480 xSLG also indicate some unfortunate luck for Torkelson, so it wouldn't be surprising if he takes another step forward in 2024.

Casas struggled early, posting a miserable .184/.300/.342 line over his first 49 games. The club stuck with the youngster as they liked his approach, and his average exit velocity and hard-hit rate portended better outcomes. Sure enough, Casas went .307/.404/.570 the rest of the way, though his season ended prematurely in mid-September with right shoulder inflammation. Casas' average exit velocity dropped half a tick over the second half, but his hard-hit rate increased six points, fueling a BABIP increase from .229 to .362. Part of Casas' improvement was embracing the pitch clock by meticulously following the same routine for every pitch, and frequently using his timeout when he was behind in the count. Casas is below average defensively, but improved over the course of the season and has the work ethic to keep getting better. Casas will be hard-pressed to match last season's second half over a full season, but he has a solid chance to improve on the year as a whole.

Given that he missed the final two months of the 2023 season due to post-concussion syndrome, Rizzo's draft-day cost is going to vary widely from league to league in 2024. The concussion happened during an awkward collision with Fernando Tatis in May -- three months before Rizzo was actually placed on the IL -- and he later acknowledged that he was having trouble seeing the ball for much of the summer. That shows in his game logs, as he slashed just .170/.271/.224 with one home run in 188 plate appearances between the beginning of June and the end of July. He suffered through a five-strikeout game July 30 at Baltimore, a few days before mercifully being shut down. While it was an ugly ordeal, durability is usually one of Rizzo's best skills and he can hopefully put last year in the rearview with a reinvigorating kind of opportunity to feast in the heart of the Yankees' beefed-up batting order. He won't be a consensus top-150 pick again but could certainly return that kind of value.

Hoskins had to be carted off the field during a Grapefruit League game last spring and it was later confirmed that he suffered a torn left ACL, as feared. The surgery to repair the injury knocked Hoskins out for the entirety of 2023. While there was talk that Hoskins could return for the World Series, the Phillies never made it that far, and as expected the team declined to extend him the qualifying offer after the season. Hoskins has been quite the productive hitter when healthy, blasting 148 home runs in 667 career MLB games to date, but the health concerns are significant (and only mounting) with Hoskins now on the wrong side of 30. He underwent Tommy John surgery at the end of 2020, needed abdominal surgery in 2021 and was coming off surgery to repair the meniscus in his right knee last spring before suffering the left knee injury.

Mountcastle was batting .227/.264/.431 when he was put on the IL in early June with vertigo. He had been in a bad slump in the weeks leading up to illness but it's unclear if they were related. After returning a month later, Mountcastle went on a roll, posting a .326/.407/.492 line the rest of the way. He missed some time in September with a shoulder injury but was able to return for the playoffs. Taken as a whole, it appears Mountcastle improved across the board compared to the previous season, but his batted ball metrics, and expected average and slug were nearly identical both seasons. To his credit, Mountcastle fanned at the lowest rate since his rookie year, which was the pandemic season. Mountcastle undershot his expected homers for the second straight season, which could be due to the renovations in Camden Yards, or a hint there is latent pop. Mountcastle's cost of acquisition should be reasonable, though there are durability concerns since he's never played more than 145 games. Even so, there is a draftable floor, with a chance 2021 is not Mountcastle's apex season.

There have been some ups and downs for Albies in recent years, but the downs are mostly injury-related. When he's at his best and healthiest, he rates as a legitimate fantasy superstar with his blend of power and overall athleticism. The dynamic second baseman put it all together in 2023, delivering career highs in homers (33) and RBI (109) while tallying 96 runs scored as the primary No. 2 hitter for the runaway National League East champions. He also swiped 13 bases in 14 attempts despite a drop in sprint speed from where he was at his base-stealing peak. Sandwiched again among the likes of Ronald Acuna, Austin Riley, Matt Olson, Marcell Ozuna, Michael Harris and Sean Murphy, Albies should continue to rack up counting stats in bunches in 2024, what will be his age-27 campaign. It's truly remarkable that Atlanta only owes him $7 million annually over the next four seasons.

Semien needed a strong final four months to rebound from a slow start in his first season with the Rangers. He was much steadier in his second year and easily better overall with an .826 OPS in 2023 which was nearly 100 points higher than his 2022 mark. Semien's Statcast page was underwhelming as it always tends to be, but he's mastered the art of pulling flyballs down the line and just over the wall to the point that it's impossible to doubt that he simply has that skill. He also cut his strikeout rate in 2023 to 14.6 percent, allowing him to hit for a solid .276 average even with all the weakly- to moderately-struck flyballs mixed in. Finally, Semien continues to be the modern day Iron Man, leading the league in plate appearances for the third straight season. He's about as safe as an early-round pick gets.

Altuve didn't make his season debut until mid-May after suffering a fractured right thumb during World Baseball Classic play. He also missed about three weeks of action around midseason with a strained oblique. In the 90 games he was healthy, Altuve was dynamite, posting an OPS over .900 for the second year in a row. He also did his usual thing in the postseason, putting up a .906 OPS with four home runs in 11 games. Altuve will turn 34 in May and he's not a bastion of health as he was earlier in his career, nor is he an elite base stealer anymore (although he's rebounded there the last two seasons). The all-around package remains excellent, though, and worthy of an early-round fantasy selection.

Marte capped a productive season with an even more impressive postseason run. He posted a career-high 650 regular-season plate appearances while recording a 127 wRC+, the third highest of his career. Contact continued to be Marte's calling card, though he did log the second highest walk rate of his career. His power rebounded after a down season, but Marte's xSLG suggests he was a bit fortunate in that department. Marte swiped eight bags on 10 attempts, but he was one of the few players not to take better advantage of the new rules. For the second straight season, He lowered his strikeout rate while walking at a higher clip, helping maintain one of the top two spots in the Diamondbacks lineup, resulting in the second most runs and RBI of his career, both bettered only by his production in 2019 when Marte took advantage of the happy fun ball. Marte played almost exclusively at second base, losing outfield eligibility. Marte will have a hard time matching last season's power, but he offers a bankable floor with batting average stabilization.

It seems like India and the Reds may be headed for divorce, as Cincinnati has made it known that the second baseman is available via trade. India was critical of how the team assessed his injury over the summer; a setback in his recovery prompted a second MRI which showed a more significant tear of his plantar fascia. He believed he should have been shut down for a longer period of time initially. Just a few short years ago, India was NL Rookie of the Year and looked like an important part of the team's long-term future, but the organization has seen an influx of young talent at the major-league level. India hit 17 homers and stole 14 bases in just 119 games last season, though his batted-ball numbers and sprint speed leave something to be desired. If he's dealt to a more pitcher-friendly park, India's numbers could take a hit. If he stays put, he could get lost in the shuffle.

Gorman hit 14 homers with a .720 OPS in 89 games as a rookie in 2022, and he took a step forward last season with 27 home runs, 76 RBI and a .236/.328/.478 line in 119 contests. He missed some time due to back issues and finished the season on the IL due to a hamstring strain, but he should be healthy by spring training. Gorman improved his walk rate to 11.5 percent and also cut his strikeout rate a tick, but his 31.9 percent figure is still unsightly. He made 75 starts at second base and 12 at third but is a subpar defender, which could line him up for more time at designated hitter (where he made 27 starts). Gorman appears to have settled in against big-league pitching despite the heavy swing-and-miss in his stroke, and he's done so with a sustainable .298 BABIP. He should open 2024 with a regular spot in the Cardinals' lineup and certainly has upside if he's able to make a bit more contact, though that shouldn't be the expectation since his issues with strikeouts have persisted through the minors..

Oakland was eliminated from the postseason on the second day of the 2023 season, so it remains a mystery why they let Gelof stay in the minors as long as he did rather than try to push for a prospect promotion incentive pick. Gelof began the season with 12 homers, 20 steals, and a .304/.401/.529 line in Sacramento over 69 games before coming to Oakland and hitting 14 more homers with 14 steals and a .267/.337/.504 line in the same amount of games. All in all, Gelof finished with 26 homers, 100 runs, 76 RBI, and 34 steals in 138 games. All that from someone whose ADP was in the 700's last winter. Strikeouts have been an issue as he has rapidly ascended in the system since coming out of the University of Virginia which will limit the ceiling of his batting average, but he should volume plenty in the other categories as an everyday major leaguer in 2024. His market price year over year has improved more than any other hitter.

Polanco again battled durability issues in 2023, missing significant time due to ankle, knee and hamstring injuries, but he registered a .789 OPS with 14 home runs across 80 games when healthy. Polanco missed the final month of 2022 with a knee injury and his rehab then stalled during spring training postponing his debut until late April. He then missed about eight weeks between two IL stints for a strained left hamstring. When healthy, he had similar underlying metrics as last season with a strong walk rate (10.5%), a slightly better hard hit rate (40.6% to 38.7%), exit velocity (88.4 to 89.0) and Barrel rate (13.8 to 10.2). Defensive metrics were a mixed bag for evaluating his defense, but he's still seen as a good defender when healthy. He also played 15 games at third base when the Twins were thin at the hot corner, which could give him added position eligibility in some formats. Polanco has decent power for a middle infielder and good command of the strike zone, so he can still produce like his All-Star season when healthy. However, he may be a significant health risk since he's missed significant time to injury each of the last two seasons.

In a disappointing season for the Yankees as a team, Torres was a bright spot, posting his best campaign since the 2019 juiced-ball year. He shaved his strikeout rate to a career-low 14.6% over a career-high 672 plate appearances. Torres added just one home run to his 2022 total even while seeing an additional 100 plate appearances, but he's now reached 24 homers in four of his five full seasons -- not game-changing power, but nothing to sneeze at either. Add in double-digit steals each of the last three seasons and Torres is back on the right track, having put his age-24 struggles in 2021 in the rearview mirror. His defense is another story, as shortstop is fully off the table at this point and his marks at second base leave a lot to be desired. Those issues could affect his playing time eventually. For now, Torres will remain an everyday presence in the top half of the Yankee lineup.

Westburg was one of a host of top young prospects to see action with the Orioles in 2023, receiving a promotion in late June. His playing time with the American League East champs was sporadic, as he wound up starting 53 of 86 games (62 percent). Westburg did start seven of the final 10 regular-season contests and all three games of the Orioles' ALDS loss to the Rangers, so his playing time was trending up late in the year and he should be in line for regular starts in 2024. The 25-year-old popped 27 homers in the minors in 2022 and 18 in 67 games with Triple-A Norfolk in 2023 before his promotion, but he managed just three long balls in 68 games with Baltimore while dealing with the cavernous left field at Camden Yards. Westburg's average exit velocity (90.2 mph) and hard-hit rate (44.5 percent) were good, and his sprint speed (88th percentile) was better. The plate discipline, though, needs work.

Gimenez broke out in 2022 with a 142 wRC+ to earn a $106.5 million extension with Cleveland, though he was unable to replicate those results last season. The 25-year-old still provided strong counting stats with 15 homers, 30 steals, 76 runs and 62 RBI, but his OPS dipped over 120 points to .713 despite a rise in offense across the league. His BABIP dropped significantly to .289 that can likely be attributed to a reduced hard-hit rate, which cratered from 37.6 percent in 2022 to 27.0 percent. The second baseman remains an elite defender and had 23 DRS and 18 OAA, both of which rank second in MLB and make him a mainstay in the lineup through his slumps. Gimenez's speed and decent power production provide a strong fantasy floor with plenty of upside for a potential rebound in 2024.

Arraez won the AL batting title and was dealt to Miami in a deal for Pablo Lopez over the winter. Rather than pout about leaving the only organization he has ever known, Arraez simply went out and won the NL batting title as well as the overall league batting title obliterating the competition. He was one of three qualified hitters who walked more than he struck out, which is quite the accomplishment given he only walked 35 times in 617 plate appearances in 2023. His extreme bat to ball skills with a willingness to use all fields gives him the highest batting average floor in fantasy baseball and his .326 career average in nearly 2200 plate appearance attests to that. He does not run well, but is on base at a high volume to score enough runs and is not a drag on RBIs like other "slappies" can be. Don't sell his power short as he can turn and burn on occasion as well. Arraez is to batting average what Esteury Ruiz is to steals without dragging down other categories.

He hit the ground running in his first three major-league seasons, but it's fair to say Cronenworth played a role in the overall disappointment that emanated from San Diego last year. After registering a combined .770 OPS (117 OPS+) between 2020-22, he stumbled to a .689 OPS (92 OPS+) over 522 plate appearances in 2023. The batting average, the on-base skills, the slugging percentage -- all of his rate stats fell off in a major way, and with that came a drastic dip in counting-stats production. Cronenworth signed a seven-year, $80 million contract extension with the Padres last March and is not at risk of losing any sort of playing time in the immediate future, but he's also not a safe bet to fully rebound at age 30 and there are a lot of higher-upside options on the board at both first base and second base.

Turang's solid Triple-A season in 2022 did not carry over into any 2023 success at the big league level at the plate. The 23 year old struggled to square up the baseball and the league fed him a heavy diet of fastballs (56%) as they quickly figured out he was unlikely to do much with them as his .224 xBA and .325 xSLG validate. Turangs's redeeming offensive skill was his legs as he used his elite speed to swipe 26 bases in 30 attempts. Turang's fantasy upside is limited by both his weak bat as well as the fact he will not escape the 9th spot of the lineup unless that bat improves. He does have dual-position eligibility on draft day, but even that is not much to elevate his fantasy profile as he does have a remaining option the club can use should Turang not show any improvement at the plate. He can deftly field his position and run the bases, but the bat has to close the gap this season to gain more than end-game fantasy relevancy.

Stott superbly rebounded from a rough freshman campaign with an outstanding sophomore season which saw him finish as the eighth most valuable second baseman by earned auction value in standard leagues. His 31 steals were third best at the position and he provided volume in all five scoring categories while hitting in three different spots of the lineup over the course of the season. Stott's biggest improvements came from reducing his strikeout rate by 18% year over year and using all fields to vastly improve his batting average. It would be nice to see him drive up his walk rate so that his on base percentage was not so dependent upon batted ball fortunes. If he could push his OBP up over .350, 40-plus steals would be possible with more attempts as he was 91% successful in his 34 attempts last season. Stott is expected to hit in the bottom half of the lineup as the top three spots in Philadelphia are not moving and Stott lacks the thump to hit fourth or fifth.

In a time of statistical volatility, it sure is nice to be able to count on the volume Ramirez produces despite the lack of supporting talent around him. Ramirez and Mike Trout lead all active players with five 20-20 seasons as Ramirez has achieved those marks in each of the past five full seasons while both accepting his walks and eschewing striking out. His 2022 and 2023 seasons by batting average and OBP were practically identical, but there was a significant dropoff in RBI as the lineup around Ramirez struggled to get runners into scoring position. Cleveland did not help that cause by focusing on slappy contact hitters and trading away Nolan Jones, but we digress. The 100-RBI plateau may be tough for Ramirez to get to once again if the lineup around him is not improved, but the volume is money in the bank as the hamate bone injury of 2019 is the only injury he has incurred in recent years.

Terence Mann told us in Field of Dreams that the one constant through all the years is baseball. He was wrong; the one constant is Devers continues to rake in Boston whether they are in a boom year contending for a title or a bust year beginning another refresh cycle as the club was in 2023. Devers finished just inside the top 30 overall fantasy players in 2023 despite the lineup issues around him with the early injury to Duvall and the ups and downs of the the youngsters Casas and Duran. Devers continued his Saberhagenmetric cycle of 30 homer & 100+ RBI seasons in odd-numbered seasons but may have fallen into the trap of the new shifting rules. Devers had his highest pull percentage in five seasons and hit for his lowest full-season batting average since 2018. His StatCast measures are still extremely red, in a good way, nearly across the board as he enters the prime years for power hitters.

Riley and Ohtani are the only two players in baseball with at least 30 homers, 90 runs, and 90 RBIs in each of the past three seasons. Whereas Ohtani has had to do a lot of the heavy lifting on his club in previous seasons, Riley is just one very well-positioned player in the lineup with Acuna Jr and Albies in front of him and Olson behind him in the lineup. The presence of speed in front of him allows him to see a lot of fastballs, and he hit 22 of them for homers along with a .290 average. Getting on base in front of Olson and Ozuna is how someone with slightly better than average speed scored 117 runs, exceeding his previous career high by 26 runs. We see no reason why Riley cannot keep his 30/90/90 streak going another season as nothing is changing in the powerful Atlanta offense in 2024. Riley is not going to help you in the running game, but that is the only true flaw in his fantasy vitae as he heads into his peak power production years at the hot corner.

Machado collected 30 homers and 91 RBI to go along with a .781 OPS -- his lowest since 2017 -- in 138 games last season. He played through an elbow injury for much of the campaign and made 33 appearances as a designated hitter before undergoing surgery to repair a tendon immediately after the regular season. The procedure carries a 4-to-6 month recovery timeline, which clouds his availability for the start of the 2024 campaign. He provided strong defense in his 105 games at the hot corner and still delivered plenty of power despite the injury with a second straight 30-homer season. Machado isn't likely to be at full strength for the start of spring training, but it's possible he's ready to go by Opening Day. He could also be limited to serving as the designated hitter early on to help ease him back into things at third base, but his true availability won't be known until he gets further into his recovery and rehab work. Even if he does end up missing some time in April, Machado is likely to be a strong fantasy producer in 2024.

Muncy continued to take the launch angle revolution to an extreme, but at least it paid off with tying his career best in homers and setting a new personal high with 105 RBI. Muncy's average exit velocity and hard-hit rate were around 80th percentile, but even with a 49.3 percent fly ball rate, Muncy collected only 17 doubles, resulting in a low .221 BABIP. As usual, Muncy walked at an elevated 14.7 percent clip, so he was still better suited for on-base and points leagues than standard 5x5 with batting average. The Dodgers extended Muncy's contract through 2025 with a club option for 2026, so they are clearly happy with his production and his skill set generally ages well. Buffer his batting average in standard leagues and like the Dodgers, you'll be happy with his three-category contributions. Just keep in mind for the first time in several drafts, Muncy does not have multiple-position eligibility; he's third base only to begin the campaign.

Steer tends to be overshadowed a bit in the Reds' rebuild, as he doesn't have the power of Christian Encarnacion-Strand or the speed of Elly De La Cruz or the hit tool of Matt McLain. However, Steer does a lot well and showed in his first full season in Cincinnati that he has the potential to be a long-term foundational piece for the organization. At 25 years old, Steer struck out just over 20 percent of the time and notched 23 homers and 15 steals while moving around between first base (73 games), third base (47 games), outfield (47 games) and second base (16 games). While he may not light up Statcast with his batted-ball numbers -- in fact Steer ranked in the bottom 26 percent of the league in hard-hit rate -- he has an exceptional approach at the plate and does not often go chasing outside the strike zone. He had more homers and a higher OPS on the road than he did at home last season, so it wasn't all GABP-driven.

Bregman is entering into the final year of his current contract, and it could be a rather interesting year if new manager Joe Espada makes the obvious tweak in the lineup. Should Espada finally move Kyle Tucker into the 2nd spot and then use Bregman in between Tucker and Yordan Alvarez, Bregman would arguably be the best positioned hitter in baseball. The insulation of the talent in front of him and the threat behind him would put him in great position to once again drive in 100+ runs, something he has not done in the previous three full seasons. Bregman is a rarity in this modern game as a player who walks more often than he strikes out, but that success translates more to his on-base skills (.373 career) than his batting average (.274 career.) Bregman also is more at home facing fellow righties than lefties the past two seasons but his home/road splits aren't as extreme as one might believe. We'll go out on a limb and state that should Bregman hit third this season, he will win the AL MVP.

By Arenado's lofty standards, his 2023 season was a disappointment. He totaled just 26 home runs, his fewest in a full season since 2014. His average exit velocity, barrel rate and hard-hit rate all ranked in the bottom 40 percent of the league, per Statcast. It wasn't a disastrous season by any means as Arenado was an All-Star and still ranked above league average by most offensive measures, but it was a sizable step back from the previous year when he was an MVP finalist in the National League. The final month of the season was particularly rough as Arenado limped to the finish line with a .509 OPS in his final 17 games before back spasms ended his campaign. Despite the missed time at the end, Arenado still cleared 600 plate appearances, meaning he's now done so in each of the last eight full seasons. He's probably a future Hall of Famer and should be expected to bounce back to an extent, but his best days are likely behind him as he nears 33 years old.

Paredes had a wonderful breakout season becoming a full-time threat in the Tampa Bay lineup while playing three of the four infield positions. Paredes has a simple approach in that he is up there to pull baseballs, ideally over the fence since he is not the fleetest of foot. Paredes hit all 31 of his homers to left field, and in fact has hit all 53 of his career major league homers to left field. Not only does he pull a lot of baseballs, he also hits a high volume of flyballs which limits his batting average upside despite that he is both accepting of walks and does not strike out as much as one would imagine. His 98 RBI season appeared with him hitting .295 with runners in scoring position after hitting just .175 in those same situations in 2022. RISP production is not a skill so this could evaporate as quickly as it appeared which means the variability of his potential fantasy value in 2024 is rather wide. 2022 is a reminder of his downside.

Despite finishing second behind Aaron Judge in Statcast hard-hit rate and ranking in the 98th percentile in barrel rate, Chapman was only 10% better than league average by wRC+ in 2023, a step backward from his first season in Toronto. He managed a modest 17 homers and a .424 SLG in 581 plate appearances. The third baseman limped to the finish line with a .663 OPS in his final 52 games around a stint on the injured list with a right middle finger sprain. That issue aside, Chapman has been remarkably healthy throughout his career, exceeding 600 PA in each of the last four full seasons prior to last year. Barring significant changes in the batter's box, Chapman seems destined to fan at an elevated rate pushing 30%, and those swing-and-miss issues will likely continue to temper his production. That said, Chapman's defense is holding up well and he's just entering his age-31 season. His playing time will be locked in no matter where he ends up in free agency.

McMahon and Max Muncy are distant relatives insomuch as they are the only two players to hit at least 20 homers while hitting below .255 in each of the past four full seasons of baseball. Muncy brings much more to the table in run production, but we still find that to be an interesting stat. McMahon is like most Rockies in that he is better at Coors (.261, .816 OPS) than he is on the road (.219, .690 OPS) and his righty/lefty splits are not getting better as time goes on. The reliance on his home park and facing right handed pitching is what limits his upside despite the sweet dual-position eligibility he carries on draft day at second and third base. There is no reason to expect anything different from him in 2024 because he would be fooling to take a conditional opt-out of his current contract given how much of his production is married to his current home park. Set expectations at 20 homers and a .250 average and be content with that.

Despite a strong spring training, Garcia opened the season with Triple-A Omaha. After posting a weak .242/.348/.347 line with the Storm Chasers, Garcia was summoned to the majors where he stayed the rest of the season. His game is hitting the ball hard on the ground with an 87th percentile average exit velocity and 6.1 degree launch angle. He mustered a low 84 wRC+, but Garcia swiped 23 bases. There is always the chance Garcia learns to loft the ball more, but as is he offers a solid batting average floor, with some speed. He batted leadoff in 72 of 123 games but is better suited for a spot lower in the order. He's miscast at third base, but with Bobby Witt Jr. at shortstop, and no in-house challenger, Garcia is ticketed for another season at the hot corner. These aren't the ideal traits for a fantasy corner infielder, but Garcia can be useful in the right lineup construction, especially if he continues to hit at or near the top of the order.

Bohm's wRC+ increased for the second straight season, and while he exhibited better plate skills, his batted-ball metrics took a small step back. Specifically, his average exit velocity and hard-hit rate dipped a tad from 2022. A slight increase in launch angle helped counter hitting the ball with less authority, resulting in Bohm's first 20-homer season. He only attempted five steals, the same as the previous season, but Bohm was successful four times as opposed to twice in 2022, hinting he could run a little more this season. Bohm's defense improved, but it was still well below average, and with Bryce Harper entrenched at first base, Bohm is ticketed for the hot corner. He's also probably also going to continue to hit lower in the order, costing Bohm some plate appearances. Bohm is solid, but expecting another level is risky.

Candelario has always packed latent power, but Comerica Park kept most of his fly balls in the yard. Last season, he signed with Washington and homers ensued, buoyed by power-friendly Nationals Park and Wrigley Field in the summertime. Before he was traded to the Cubs, Candelario clubbed 16 homers, fueling a .258/.342/.481 line. He fell a bit after, posting a .234/.318/.445 line, but added six more homers to set a new career high. Candelario's .471 slugging mark was the second highest of his career, only bettered by .503 in the pandemic season. His strikeout and walk rate have been in the same range for many years, with no sign of changing this year. Candelario's BABIP has been all over the place, ranging from .257 to .333 over the past six seasons, omitting the .372 mark recorded in the shortened 2020 season. He finds himself in his best home park to date after signing a three-year, $45 million deal with the Reds. His dual eligibility makes for a decent late cornerman, and while he may get more days off than a true everyday player, the switch hitter should be in the middle of the lineup most days and is a must-play at home.

Hayes had some up and down moments in 2023. Hayes took forever to get things going hitting .221 with just 2 homers through the end of May before waking up to hit .337 with 3 homers in June alone. An early back injury in July shelved him until mid-August and he returned with aplomb hitting .299 with 10 homers the rest of the way. His 15 homers in 2023 were just three fewer than he hit from 2020-2022, but his 10 steals was half of what he did the previous season at a time when most guys saw their totals jump a bit. He made positive gains in elevating the ball more frequently while not sacrificing his ability to make contact as he lowered his strikeout rate for a fourth consecutive season. Hayes has the tools to be a 20-20 player in 2024 if he can continue his growth from the late summer and get back to running. Either way, he feels prime for the breakout season many have wanted from him each of the past two seasons.

We should always be impressed when 22 year olds hold their own at the major league level considering most players that age are still taking a bus to a small to mid-sized town near you. It is even more impressive when said players do something few others do early in their careers. Henderson was one of five corner infielders with 25 homers, 80 runs and RBIs along with 10 steals joining Walker, Freeman, Bellinger, and Goldschmidt while being five years younger than anyone else in that group. Henderson has been everything as advertised so far at the plate and in the field qualifying at both positions on the left side of the infield. The only fantasy flaw in his current profile is he has been just above average in batting average as his plate discipline is still morphing into what it could be while he continues attempting to figure out lefties who have limited him to a .199 average. Those are flaws you can live with for now while enjoying his continued overall growth

De La Cruz took the baseball world by storm upon his arrival to the major leagues. He immediately flashed the incredible power/speed combo that made him a top prospect and hit for the cycle in just his 15th career game, helping spark the Reds to a 12-game winning streak in June. Eventually things went south for both player and team, though De La Cruz showed once again that speed doesn't slump with 18 steals in his final 50 games despite hitting just .199/.285/.361 during that stretch and falling to the bottom of the batting order. Overall, De La Cruz hit 25 homers and stole 46 bases in 136 games between Triple-A and the big leagues at the age of 21. There are swing-and-miss issues that he'll need to address and he may not reach his true potential for a while yet, but the loud tools combined with regular playing time in a band box park make it tempting to overlook his flaws. The downside potential is he ends up back in the minors after a prolonged slump.

In 2022, Witt Jr missed the memo that rookies were supposed to struggle. In 2023, he missed the long-held belief that sophomores slump as pitchers begin to find weaknesses in younger players to exploit them. The young man was the only other player in baseball besides Ronald Acuna Jr to post at least 30 homers and 40 steals in 2023 and finished tied with Corbin Carroll as the sixth most valuable player in standard league formats. Witt Jr contributed to all five categories while excelling in four of them in 2023. The only area of his fantasy future that could stand to improve is his acceptance of walks as he appears to like them as much as his old man hated to dish them out on the mound. If Witt Jr could boost his OBP over .350, he could lead the league in stolen bases in 2024. As you set your draft preferences for 2024, understand Witt Jr may not even be there if you pick as high as 3rd.

Turner was playing in the first year of a new huge deal in a new city, so history tells us there would be some bumps in the road for the talented superstar. However, even his harshest critic would not have predicted Turner having a .235/.290/.368 line as last as Aug. 3 and hitting in the eighth spot of the lineup. Philly fans, as they are well-known for, cheered him into a hot streak? Turner got hot in a well-timed series against the lowly Royals in early August and hit .337/.389/.668 the rest of the season with 16 homers, 42 runs and 42 RBIs helping push his final numbers close to what he did in 2022. The batting average hole he dug for himself was too much to climb out of, and the lineup demotion cut into his RBIs, but the homers were up while the steals and runs held true. One would have to hope the worst of things is behind Turner and 2024 could be a MVP-type seasons for him if he can play at his late pace. That elusive 30-30 season should happen in 2024.

Lindor played in all but two games for the Mets last season and posted an OPS above .800 for the first time since 2019. The 30-year-old set a career high with 31 stolen bases and also clubbed 31 homers, which made him one of four players in MLB to reach the 30-30 club. His .254 average is the second lowest of his career, but he also had career bests in barrel rate (10.4 percent) and hard-hit rate (43.9 percent). Linder's totals of 108 runs and 98 RBI were also the best figures among all shortstops. He also played through an elbow issue all season before undergoing surgery to have bone spurs removed in October, though he should fully healthy in plenty of time for spring training. Lindor remains locked in as the Mets' shortstop for the foreseeable future and should be an excellent fantasy option in 2024 as one of the more productive shortstops in baseball.

Cruz's season lasted all of nine games before he fractured his ankle on a contact play April 9 against the Chicago White Sox. He attempted to come back before the end of the season, but the soreness in his ankle never quite went away and the team decided to shut him down and get him healthy for 2024. It is best if we just wash 2023 away and look back at 2022 where we saw him strike out at a high volume, yet his O-Swing percentage as well as his overall contact percentage improved as the season went on. Cruz should have the double blessing of hitting in the middle of the Pittsburgh lineup as well as the permission to play every day that his ankle permits him on the field. We may not see the same speed we saw from him right away, but the power should be there as he is reacclimated himself to the grind of daily games at the big league level. This is more of a rust/reward issue than a risk/reward one.

Adames' 2023 campaign was a frustrating one, as he clubbed 24-plus homers for the third straight year and had a career-best 11.7 percent walk rate, but his .217/.310/.417 slash line left plenty to be desired. He may have deserved some better results with a .242 xBA and .442 SLG, but he saw his hard-hit rate drop by over seven points to 36.1 percent, while he also swung at more pitches out of the zone (a career-high 35.6 percent). He still provided strong defense at shortstop with plus-eight DRS, which is likely why he was able to retain his everyday spot in the lineup. Adames had relatively neutral home/road splits during his first full season with Milwaukee in 2022, but he was awful on the road last year with a .665 OPS. He could be a buy-low candidate for 2024 given his previous success but will obviously come with some risk for fantasy managers, especially if struggles persist away from American Family Field.

Bichette has been a model of consistency since debuting for the Blue Jays in 2019, and his .306/.339/.475 slash line in 2023 closely resembles his career line. His counting stats (20 homers, 73 RBI and five steals) took a bit of a hit as he spent time on the injured list with knee and quadriceps issues during the second half, though he still played in 135 games overall. Bichette's barrel rate remained stable at 9.6 percent, though he boosted his line-drive rate seven points to 27.4 percent to help maintain a .355 BABIP, which should be sustainable since it's only slightly higher than his career average. He recorded 38 steals over the 2021-22 campaigns, so it's surprising he stayed in single digits in 2023 given the rule changes that boosted totals league-wide. The two leg injuries likely played a role in the production drop, but he still had just three steals in 90 games heading into the All-Star break. Regardless of the stolen base total, Bichette has established a strong fantasy floor with a high average and reliable run production heading into his age-26 campaign.

The centerpiece of the Nationals' return for Juan Soto, Abrams laid the foundation for what could be a long and prosperous MLB career in his first full season with Washington. At 22 years old, Abrams hit 18 homers and stole 47 bases in 151 games, finishing fifth in the majors in the latter category behind Ronald Acuna, Esteury Ruiz, Corbin Carroll and Bobby Witt. Abrams made 71 starts out of the leadoff spot and totaled 83 runs scored. His batting average was .228 or lower in four separate months of the season, and his Statcast page is icy blue, which for some may appear reminiscent of Victor Robles' 2019. No player is a sure thing, but it would be a surprise if Abrams went the way of Robles as Abrams has more speed, more pedigree and more discernible skill already at this stage. Now 23, Abrams will look to build on his 2023 showing as the Nationals' everyday shortstop.

Fresh off signing a seven-year, $177 million contract with the Cubs last offseason, Swanson underwhelmed at the plate in 2023 with a .744 OPS, which was his lowest mark since 2018. He still eclipsed 20 homers and 80 RBI for the third straight year, but his nine stolen bases were only half his total from 2022 despite the rule changes in favor of base stealers. He spent some rare time on the injured list with a heel issue, which is the first time he's missed more than two games in a season since 2019. Swanson provided elite defense at shortstop, as his 18 DRS led the league. He also cut his strikeout rate two points to 24.1 percent and improved his walk rate over three points to 10.5 percent, though his hard-hit rate dropped below 40 percent for the first time in five seasons. Now entering his age-30 campaign, Swanson is a safe option for another productive campaign in 2024 and is a decent bet for a minor rebound.

There are players who are better real baseball players than fantasy ones while there are others who are more meaningful in fantasy than real baseball. Tovar falls into the latter as he finished the season as the 15th best shortstop with 15 homers, 70+ runs and RBIs and 11 steals. His .253 batting average was slightly above the league average, but his 70 wRC+ shows what his real baseball offensive value was. Tovar did what most Rockies do: rake at home (.276) and struggle on the road (.229) but did nearly evenly split his homers. His handedness splits were nearly dead even in his rookie season, but it doesn't matter as his excellent defense keeps him in the lineup every day. Truth be told, this was an excellent rookie season for a 21 year old with just 23 plate appearances above Double-A before making his big league debut. He must improve his suspect plate discipline to keep the sophomore slump concerns at bay.

Mr. October 2.0 had a monster 2023 season after a somewhat disappointing debut with Texas in 2022. Many expected Seager to benefit from the reduction of overshifting, but nobody saw a 82-point surge and a career-best batting average coming from him. The shift does not get all the credit as Seager previously hit over .300 in two other full seasons, but the shift certainly helped him a bit. Seager along with Luis Arraez were the only two qualified players in baseball with OBP's over .390 despite 50 or fewer walks last year, and he would have easily had 100+ runs as well as RBIs had he not missed time with both a hamstring as well as a thumb injury. He returned from that thumb injury in early August, homered in his first at bat, and went on to hit 17 more regular season homers as a warm up for what he did in October to help Texas win the pennant. Two benchmarks for Seager in 2024: 40 homer and 100 RBIs - two things he has never accomplished in his excellent career to date.

Neto began the season with Double-A Rocket City but was soon promoted to the majors. After a slow start, he raised his OPS to .769 but was placed on the IL in mid-June with a left oblique strain. Neto returned after the All-Star break, posting a .566 OPS over the next three weeks. Neto revisited the IL, this time with back stiffness. He came back in early September but continued to struggle with a .547 OPS over the last 17 games of the season. Neto possesses below average power with enough speed to generate double-digit stolen bases; his primary asset is getting on base. In part because he hit more fly balls than he did in the minors, Neto's .272 BABIP was low. The expectation is for it to increase as Neto gets more acclimated to major league pitching. Even so, Neto has limited mixed league appeal, though he could be more useful if his on-base skills warrant one of the top-two spots in the Angels lineup.

Pena fanned less and walked more than he did in his rookie season. Pena's average exit velocity and hard-hit rate were essentially the same. However, he flattened his swing, resulting in more grounders and a three mph drop in flyball average exit velocity, cutting his HR/FB mark in half. The change helped boost his BABIP by 25 points, but Pena's power was crushed as he left the yard only 10 times, 12 fewer times than his first season, despite 76 more plate appearances. He stole two more bases, but he profiled as someone who would take advantage of the new rules. It was sage to expect Pena to fall short of his freshman season, but the way he did it was curious, morphing into an extreme groundball hitter. From a fantasy perspective, Pena's transition is better for batting average, but he doesn't steal ample bases to be a top tier shortstop unless he reverts to hitting more flyballs. Pena is why tracking stats when drafting is precarious. He's likely going to be a fantasy asset, but the distribution of his stats has a wide range of possibilities.

Seen as a long shot to break camp entering spring training, Volpe won the starting job at shortstop for the Yankees with his performance in the Grapefruit League and went on total 601 plate appearances as a rookie. At age 21/22, he hit 21 homers and stole 24 bases, but his batting line settled at just .209/.283/.383. He totaled a meager 122 runs-plus-RBI while stuck primarily in the bottom third of the batting order, though he made 28 starts out of the leadoff spot. Volpe makes for an interesting case study entering 2024 because everything under the hood looks bad, but further development should be expected for the former top prospect. It's possible his crash course last season accelerates that development and Volpe quickly becomes the star player some evaluators expected, but right now he's looking like a playing-time-dependent accumulator. The Yankees stuck by him all year despite some low lows, and a long leash should be expected again in 2024.

All's well that ends well? Soto was hitting .202 with five homers and 11 RBI as the calendar flipped to May, making many fantasy managers rather nervous watching their first round foundational pick get off to such a poor start. Soto went on to turn things around, hitting 30 homers, driving in 98, and hitting .290 for the rest of the season to finish as the 16th most valuable fantasy player in our standard rankings. He was one of three qualified hitters with more walks than strikeouts in 2023 and has still not fallen below the .400 mark for a season on-base percentage in his entire career. The batting average has taken a tumble since the 2020-2021 season but the volume is still in place for the other statistics. After getting traded to the Yankees for his final year before free agency, Soto will gain a massive home-park power boost, as Yankee Stadium rates as the second best park for lefty power, per Baseball Savant's park factors, while San Diego rated as the fifth-worst such park. There will be immense pressure on him to produce in pinstripes as his free agency looms next winter.

Acuna went as the No. 1 overall pick in most fantasy drafts last spring and rewarded that faith by filling up box scores every time he stepped on the field. Not only did he join Jose Canseco, Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez and Alfonso Soriano as the fifth member of the 40-40 club, Acuna also established the 40-50 club, the 40-60 club and the 40-70 club. It was a historically-great individual season that culminated in a unanimous selection for National League MVP. Some amount of natural regression has to be expected in 2024, but there is no evidence suggesting what Acuna did last year was fluky. He ranked in the 100th percentile in xwOBA, xBA, xSLG and average exit velocity while appearing in 159 of a possible 162 regular-season games for the NL East champions. Maybe the steals won't be fully repeatable -- Acuna ranked in just the 65th percentile in sprint speed in 2023 -- but he's a smart baserunner with a perpetual green light under manager Brian Snitker. Entering his age-26 campaign, the superstar outfielder should again be first off the board in every standard league.

We are going to say it: Tucker was robbed in 2023. Since Khris Davis left the league, we have lacked a statistically consistent player and Tucker looked to have filled that need with what should have been his 30th homer on the final day of the season. That is, until the official scorer turned it into a triple with an error. That scurrilous decision robbed Tucker of a third consecutive 30 homer season and his first ever 30-30 season. All joking aside, Tucker had a monster fantasy season accepting his walks, rarely striking out, and stepping up as a run producer in the third spot of the lineup while Yordan Alvarez missed time. We have longed to have Tucker hitting in the upper third of the lineup and he did not disappoint with 47 RBIs in 56 games from that spot. Whereas Dusty Baker was reticent to make changes, Joe Espada may change things up to have Tucker hit second and have Bregman in between the lefty at bats. If that happens, Tucker is worth a top five overall pick.

Despite missing 56 games due to hip and toe injuries, Judge cracked 37 homers in 2023, finishing fourth in the American League. The stars aligned in his historic 2022 MVP season and nobody should expect that level of production again, particularly in the stolen-base department (his SB total fell from 16 to just three last season). That being said, Judge is arguably the most prolific power hitter in baseball, and he chased pitches outside the strike zone less than ever last season (career-low 22.5 O-Swing%). He returned to hit .245/.408/.557 with 18 homers and 53 walks in his final 57 games, and manager Aaron Boone said in August that Judge would not need offseason surgery on his right big toe. There is no questioning his hitting ability, though it's fair to question whether the hulking outfielder/DH can hold up to the rigors of a full MLB season as he approaches age 32. Judge has reached 150 games played only twice in his career.

Tatis sat out the first 20 games of 2023 while serving the remainder of his PED suspension, though he still set a career high with 141 games played after missing the entirety of 2022 with shoulder and wrist injuries in addition to the suspension. The 25-year-old finished the first half with 16 homers, 14 steals and an .871 OPS, but he hit just .225 with nine homers and 15 steals in 71 contests after the All-Star break. It was still a productive season overall, but his above-average 113 wRC+ is a far cry from the elite 154 figure he posted across his first three big-league campaigns. The encouraging news is that Tatis was able to stay healthy in 2023, and he started in all but two games following the suspension. He also made a seamless transition to having right field be his primary position, and he led the league with 29 defensive runs saved. Tatis is a strong rebound candidate for 2024 following a down second half, though it may be optimistic to expect him to regain his 2019-21 form, when he was arguably the best hitter in MLB.

Betts would've easily captured his second career MVP award in 2023 if not for the bonkers season Ronald Acuna put up. The 31-year-old's .307 average, 39 home runs, 126 runs scored and 14 stolen bases were all highs during his time as a Dodger and his 107 RBI broke a major-league record for a leadoff hitter. Not only that, Betts further added to his defensive versatility, starting nearly as many games at second base (62) as he did in right field (77) while also adding his first career 12 starts at shortstop. He fell just shy of retaining shortstop eligibility, but Betts will enter 2024 with dual eligibility and is expected to be the Dodgers' regular at the keystone. You can make a strong argument for Betts being the second pick in fantasy drafts after Acuna.

A star is born. Carroll flashed tremendous potential as a late-season call-up in 2022 and then did nothing in 2023 to dissuade the notion that he is one of the brightest young players in the sport. He tallied 65 extra-base hits in 155 regular-season games, stole 54 bases in 59 attempts, and placed seventh among all major leaguers in runs scored (116) to help the Diamondbacks claim the final NL Wild Card spot and stage a run all the way to the World Series. The one legitimate knock against him is that he has a weak outfield arm, but fantasy managers have the luxury of simply ignoring that fact. At age 23 and absolutely dripping with category-spanning fantasy upside, Carroll is sure to be a first-round selection in every mixed-league draft this spring. He could even regularly come off the board within the first five picks. That eight-year, $111 million contract extension he signed with Arizona last March already looks incredibly team-friendly and gives the D-backs some leeway to build an even better supporting cast around him.

Schwarber continues his Adam Dunn impresssion with his three true outcome lines and poor batting averages on a near annual basis. The .266 average from 2021 is rather reminiscent of Dunn's batting average run in 2009-2010 before he became what Schwarber is doing here in recent seasons. Schwarber may be the most atypical leadoff hitter in baseball with his sub .200 batting average and body type, yet his OBP skills make him a solid fit for the job. Schwarber had amazing production in runs, RBIs, and homers, but complete lack of batting average and steals limits his ceiling as a fantasy producer. Thankfully, he retains his outfield eligibility on draft day since he was forced to play in the outfield while Harper monopolized the DH position most of the season. 2024 should be more of the same for Schwarber as the surrounding cast remains consistent and his three true outcome skills are unlikely to change anytime soon. Perhaps resuming full-time DH will refresh his legs for a few steals.

Rodriguez followed up with his excellent rookie season with an even more productive sophomore season excelling in all five scoring categories on his way to finishing as the 8th most valuable fantasy player in standard formats in 2023. Rodriguez was the only player in the American League to hit at least 30 homers, both score and drive in over 100, while also stealing more than 30 bags while Acuna Jr bested him in every category overall. That said, the youngster is still prone to slumps. He hit below .250 in 3 of the 6 months and just 3 of his homers and 21 of his RBIs came in high leverage situations. A monster second half got him to his final numbers, and he really caught his stride once he was left in the second spot of the lineup behind Crawford's on base percentage. You should expect more of the same from Rodriguez in 2024 with fewer slumps in between bursts of awesomeness as he continues to mature as a hitter.

Santander's triple slash improved across the board as he benefited from legislating the shift. The switch-hitter faced a shift 89.4 percent of the time as a lefty in 2022, posting a .219 BABIP. Last season, he was shaded 65.3 percent of the time when batting left-handed, leading to a .292 BABIP. The higher BABIP helped counter a career high strikeout rate, though it wasn't egregiously high. Santander's homers dropped, but his percentage of extra base hits increased four points, so his slugging percentage improved. After stealing just three career bases heading into last season, Santander was 5-for-6 with the new rules, so there's some hope he'll run a tad more. Santander's defense remained a tick above average in right field, assuring he'll continue to play nearly every day, even as the Orioles continue to promote prospects to the majors. There isn't an area where Santander pops with upside, but he's a durable and reliable compiler on a team with a potent lineup.

If Alvarez had a 100% health rating, you could make the case for him being the first hitter taken after Acuna Jr. When Alvarez is not playing through an injury or missing time with an injury, he is a run producing monster. Alvarez was limited to 114 games due to hand, arm, and an oblique injury yet still managed to finish in the top 25 for home runs and RBI despite the missed time. Alvarez is doing now what David Ortiz was doing at the end of his career numbers wise, but doing so in 80% of the plate appearances. If Alvarez could ever get a full season, 2005-2007 Ortiz numbers are at the edge of possibilities for him because he is that good of a hitter. He takes his walks and he does not strike out at the rate other hulks like him do while also handling lefties well. Simply put, this is a fantasy foundational player who is a perennial MVP candidate and worth the risk to reach because the numbers he could put up in a 600 plate appearance season will win leagues.

Hernandez was acquired by the Mariners from the Blue Jays last offseason to bolster the M's lineup for 2023, and he provided 26 homers and 93 RBI in 160 games during a contract year. However, his .740 OPS was the worst since his rookie campaign in 2016 as his strikeout rate rose nearly three points to 31.1 percent. Two hot months carried his production, as he hit .337 with 13 home runs during June and August while laboring to a .222 average in 432 at-bats the rest of the campaign. He especially struggled at T-Mobile Park with an 81 wRC+ compared to a 126 mark on the road, which could make Seattle hesitant to bring him back for 2024, either via a long-term deal or the franchise tag. Hernandez entered 2023 with 73 homers and an .852 OPS over the previous three seasons (324 games), and getting away from the pitcher's park in Seattle could help him return to that form in 2024.

Garcia was likely a title maker for many fantasy managers coming off a season where he set career bests in three categories by maximizing power and being more accepting of his walks. Naturally, the power growth fueled a second consecutive 100 RBI season and the increased time on base allowed him to score 20 more runs than he did in 2022, and the steals went..down? Garcia was 81% successful in his 31 attempts in 2022, but only attempted 10 steals (9 successfully) last season. Some of that comes down to a declining sprint speed which went from the 90's to the 40's in a hurry but there was also more traffic on the bases in Texas than we had previously been. Garcia should be expected to volume his way to another valuable fantasy season in at least three categories while missing minimal time. The strikeout rate it is what it is, but Garcia is clearly able to remain productive with a very supportive team context. He's not Khris Davis consistent in batting average, but he is close.

In large part due to working with Dustin Pedroia in the spring, Duran displayed a positive change in attitude, not to mention a reworked swing. Even so, Duran opened the season with Triple-A Worcester before being called up in early April to add outfield depth following the wrist injury to Adam Duvall. Duran turned out to be more than depth as he became the regular center fielder, demonstrating much more hustle. Unfortunately, Duran was limited to only 102 games as he missed almost a quarter of the season after season-ending surgery on his left big toe. The league had begun to adjust, so the lost time makes it harder to evaluate the extent of Duran's break out. Through July 23, he batted .317/.367/.514, but afterwards, he posted a .219/.269/.370 line. Duran is expected to be ready for spring training and should be a regular in the outfield. There is no doubting his stolen base prowess, but his power and ability to get on base are unclear. He'll probably land closer to the early version, but don't expect a repeat of his pre-All-Star break production.

Reyolds appeared on the way out of Pittsburgh after requesting a trade last offseason, but he instead inked an eight-year, $106.75 million extension early in 2023 to end the contract drama. On the field it was more of the same for the outfielder, as he played in 145 games for the second straight year, though his .790 OPS, 24 homers and 8.5 percent walk rate were a bit down from 2022. However, he set a career high with 12 stolen bases and improved his strikeout rate to 21.6 percent to go along with 85 runs and 84 RBI. He's been well above average at the plate over the past two years but has been unable to replicate the .302/.390/.522 slash line he posted in 2021, and the recent production may be more realistic to expect moving forward. With that said, Reynolds enters 2024 as a reliable and extremely productive fantasy option in the outfield as he enters his age-29 campaign.