Every fantasy supervisor frets over their first-round pick greater than they probably ought to, and I’m no exception. In spite of everything, the influence of making the flawed selection along with your best funding is troublesome to disregard.
Those that wish to be sure that they depart the first spherical with the most secure celebrity they will discover ought to reorder their draft queue to the rankings under.
1. Trea Turner (SS, Philadelphia Phillies)
Turner has been a rock-solid fantasy contributor the previous 5 seasons. The profession .302 hitter can carry a fantasy squad in the batting common class whereas exceeding the 20-homer plateau, scoring 100 runs and inserting amongst the MLB steals leaders. Relocating from the Dodgers to the Phillies is an improve in phrases of house park for the 29-year-old, and his new lineup ought to present an inexpensive facsimile to the one he’s leaving.
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2. José Ramírez (3B, Cleveland Guardians)
Ramírez offers Turner a run for his cash in phrases of safety, having ranked amongst the league leaders in homers, runs, RBIs and steals the previous three seasons. He has been a fantasy star for many of the previous six years, as his solely hiccup was a mediocre efficiency in 2019. At age 30, Ramírez is primed for one more glorious season as the centerpiece of Cleveland’s stable lineup.
3. Freddie Freeman (1B, Los Angeles Dodgers)
A profession .298 hitter who has batted over .300 in six of the previous seven years, Freeman is arguably the most secure supply of batting common in the first spherical. As the centerpiece of a Dodgers lineup that at all times scores loads of runs, he ought to attain the century mark in runs scored and RBIs. Freeman’s homer totals are inclined to bounce between acceptable and nice, which is the solely factor that retains the 33-year-old from topping this checklist.
4. Kyle Tucker (OF, Houston Astros)
Tucker affords an important mixture of a excessive flooring and ceiling. At age 26, he’s nonetheless younger sufficient to take a step ahead. And with 60 homers and 39 steals the previous two seasons, he has established a reliable basis of offering an elite power-speed mixture. Tucker spent most of final season batting fifth or sixth in the lineup, however sliding right into a premium spot might actually increase his ceiling.
5. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (1B, Toronto Blue Jays)
Guerrero Jr. confirmed final 12 months that even his disappointing stat traces are fairly good when he hit .274 with 32 homers, 97 RBIs and 90 runs scored. These numbers ought to function the presumed flooring for the 23-year-old going ahead, as he’ll log many campaigns that extra resemble his 2021 season (48 HR, 111 RBIs, 123 R, .311 BA). I can see the rationale for ignoring Guerrero in the first few picks, however he’s a rock-solid possibility in the second half of Spherical 1.
6. Mookie Betts (OF, Los Angeles Dodgers)
Betts was terrific final season, when he amassed 35 homers, 82 RBIs and 117 runs scored. And as Yahoo colleague Scott Pianowski has commented on Betts over the years, even his worst seasons are fairly precious from a fantasy perspective. Betts now not swipes luggage recurrently sufficient to be a consider the preliminary eight or 10 picks, however he’s a high-floor possibility close to the Spherical 1-2 flip.
7. Aaron Choose (OF, New York Yankees)
After hitting .311 with 62 homers, 131 RBIs and 133 runs scored final season, Choose warrants consideration as the No. 1 general pick. However the imposing slugger stays a higher damage danger than the gamers who’ve preceded him on this article, as he missed 142 video games in the 2018 by way of 2020 seasons earlier than establishing an improved sturdiness baseline the previous two years.
8. Shohei Ohtani (UTIL, Los Angeles Angels)
Ohtani has proven plain expertise as a hitter, having produced 80 homers, 193 runs scored, 195 RBIs and 37 steals the previous two seasons. And by coming to the plate in all however 9 contests throughout these two years, he has confirmed that he’s succesful of being a dependable fantasy star whereas figuring out of the rotation. However Ohtani will at all times include the danger that an damage on the mound might trigger him to overlook some begins as the Angels’ designated hitter.
9. Juan Soto (OF, San Diego Padres)
Seemingly one of the most secure choices a 12 months in the past, Soto now carries a component of danger. The southpaw slugger carried out under expectations for the Nats in 2022 earlier than bottoming out as a member of the Padres and ending the marketing campaign with an .853 OPS that was by far the worst of his five-year profession. I anticipate Soto to bounce again in his age-24 season, however I can’t transfer him larger on this checklist till he returns to kind.
[2023 Fantasy Baseball Rankings: C | 1B | 2B | 3B | SS | OF | SP | RP]
10. Julio Rodríguez (OF, Seattle Mariners)
Rodríguez has a sky-high ceiling, however he additionally has only one 12 months of MLB expertise and subsequently can not discover his title any larger on this checklist of MLB superstars. Moreover, the teenager’s rookie season included some highs and lows, similar to a .544 OPS in April and a .701 OPS in August. Lastly, Rodríguez is named a speedster however swiped simply six bases after July 1 final 12 months.
11. Ronald Acuña Jr. (OF, Atlanta Braves)
Full disclosure: Acuña Jr. is my No. 1 general participant for 2023. I’m keen to look previous his warts and seize him as my roster anchor, however I additionally need to acknowledge that there are important causes for concern after he struggled with knee soreness following his April 28, 2022, return from a torn ACL. I anticipate the 25-year-old to return to being a dominant power-speed asset this 12 months, however I can’t assure that it’ll occur.
12. Yordan Álvarez (OF, Houston Astros)
Álvarez slid right down to the backside of this checklist when he reported some hand soreness in the preliminary days of spring coaching. The ailment raises purple flags on account of the proven fact that Álvarez handled the identical subject final August, when he slumped to a .638 OPS throughout 23 video games. The lefty slugger additionally performed in simply two video games throughout the 2020 season and missed a complete of 45 contests the previous two campaigns.
