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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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

Diaz missed all of last season after suffering a complete tear of his right patellar tendon while celebrating during the World Baseball Classic last March. The veteran closer threw several bullpen sessions towards the end of last season, but the Mets didn't rush him back since they weren't in playoff contention. The last we saw Diaz pitch in the majors, he struck out 118 batters over 62 innings for a strikeout rate north of 50%, but achieving those types of numbers again will depend on several factors. The obvious one is health, while the other two are Diaz's velocity and effectiveness of his slider. The slider didn't play well during his "down" season in 2019 and his ratios suffered. However, if the soon-to-be 30-year-old is throwing triple-digit heaters and wiping hitters out with the slider - look out. Monitor Diaz during spring training, but don't wait to long in the draft room to click his name, as he'll be among the top 3 closers off board soon enough.

Gallen had a fantastic season and received some deserved votes for the Cy Young Award as he helped carry the Diamondbacks to their improbable World Series run. Most of his performance indicators were right in line with 2022 but better run support helped raise his wins while a near full-run jump in his ERA can be excused by the BABIP regression which we expected would come after his rather fortunate .237 BABIP in 2022. Simply put, there is not a performance issue to be concerned with as much as a workload concern. Gallen ended up throwing 243.2 innings in 2023, which was almost exactly double what he threw just two seasons ago. He managed a 52% increase in workload just fine from 2021 to 2022, but now we add another 32% increase in workload along with the stress of working in the postseason for the first time and we cannot help but wonder about the impact of that for 2024. 2023 was an excellent season, but it would not surprise us to see Gallen take a step back this season.

Phillips was outstanding for the second year in a row, converting a career-high 24 saves while once again leading qualified relievers with a 0.83 WHIP. The 29-year-old only accounted for 54.5% of the Dodgers' 44 saves, but he was clearly their top reliever, earning save opportunities early in the season. While he did go long stretches without recording a save, Phillips was still valuable for fantasy purposes. He boosted ratios while striking out batters at a respectable 28.2% clip. His Statcast page is painted red, with a 115.1 mph (Max EV) rocket off the bat of Byron Buxton the only real blemish. Meanwhile, his 88.2 mph average exit velocity was still above-average (67th percentile). Phillips is establishing himself as one of the top high-leverage relievers in the game. If you could guarantee 30-plus saves, he'd likely be a top 5 closer, but since the Dodgers aren't exclusive with his usage in the 9th inning, he'll settle in the 10-15 range for 2024 drafts.

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.

There is no other way to say it; Miller is going to be one of the most highly sought after pitchers in fantasy baseball this season after his successful rookie debut. He won half his 22 starts at the big league level showcasing elite velocity as well as six different offerings - five of which had at least a 20% whiff rate attached to them. It is impossible not to be excited about Miller's fantasy future as long as his right arm avoids the surgeon's table after watching so many talented pitchers run into that unfortunate future in recent seasons and especially last season. The only area where Miller could stand to improve is generating more strikeouts as his current production is not limited by his stuff but more by the fact opposing batters do not chase his stuff out of the zone. Once he is able to get hitters into protect mode more frequently, the sky is the limit for him. Miller's upside is staff ace, but it is unlikely he will provide the same volume of other aces in 2024.

Snell walked an incredible tightrope during a contract year in 2023, as he posted an MLB-best 2.25 ERA despite a league-worst 13.3 percent walk rate, securing the second Cy Young Award of his career. He excelled in spite of the free passes thanks to a 0.75 HR/9, 5.8 H/9 and 84.9 percent strand rate, which was also aided by the Padres' strong defense (42 DRS). Given all the free baserunners, it's not exactly a surprise his 3.77 xERA and 3.62 xFIP don't mesh with the actual results. The 31-year-old finished with 180 innings, falling one frame short of setting a career high and marking just the second time in his eight MLB seasons that he's topped 130 innings. Snell was a boon for fantasy managers in 2023 with his run prevention and punchout numbers (31.5 percent strikeout rate), but regression almost seems guaranteed between his durability and walk concerns. Even so, the left-hander's 3.56 ERA in 51 starts during the 2021-22 seasons presents a strong floor.

Tied for 2nd in the majors with a career-high 39 saves, Doval cemented himself as one of the top closers in the game last season. After introducing a sinker to his aresenal during the second-half of 2022, the pitch wasn't as effective last year (.303 BAA), but Doval generated a career-best 49.3% whiff rate on his slider, while his 100-mph cutter was the best it has ever been. The 26-year-old struck out far more batters with his cutter than years past, with 36 of his career-high 87 strikeouts coming via the pitch. Still, Doval mixed his three pitches quite evenly, making it more difficult for opposing hitters to predict what was coming. Walks are still an issue for Doval, leading to a higher WHIP than you'd like to see for a closer, but he balances that out with a 50-plus perecent groundball rate. Doval led qualified relievers with a 2.14 gmLI and he has little competition in San Francisco, thus making him a back-end top 10 closer for 2024.

Diaz emerged last year as one of the best closers for fantasy purposes, boasting nine wins and 37 saves with solid ratios and a 30% strikeout rate. While his save total was fourth highest in the majors, Diaz only accounted for 69.8% of the Reds' 53 saves. Cincinnati was more competitive last year, but led the league in one-run games and recorded a save in a league-leading 64.6% of their 82 wins. As such, expecting Diaz to approach the 40-save mark again in 2024 might be a mistake, especially given the 27-year-old's perennially high walk rate. Diaz did adjust his pitch usage, opting to throw far more sliders (51.5% usage) than he did in 2022 (35.2%). It was one of the best sliders in baseball per Statcast Run Value (16), while his four-seamer lost some velocity (-1.2 mph) and wasn't as effective. Diaz also faded down the stretch, possibly due to a career-high 71 appearances. Look for him to be one of the top 10 closers off the board, but don't lock in a repeat of last season's stats.

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.

Had Iglesias not missed the first month of the season with a right shoulder strain, he may have challenged for the National League lead in saves. He finished with 33 (T-8th in the league), which was still an impressive total given the missed time. The Cuban native also had no trouble stepping right back into closing duties after after pitching in a setup role for Atlanta during the second-half of 2022. Performance-wise, Iglesias was consistent as ever, though his WHIP did suffer with an elevated BABIP. A pitch mix adjustment saw him throw his changeup as his primary for the first time in his career. He increased his usage of the pitch by +11.3%, which makes sense given it's his best offering besides his slider. On the flip side, Iglesias' fastball (.327 BAA) and sinker got crushed (.519 BAA) last season. If that trend continues, it will be interesting to see if the veteran closer scales back on those pitches. Iglesias is a top 5 closer option again for 2024.

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.

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.

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' 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.

Alvarez didn't break camp with the Mets, but he was called up a week into the season and became the regular backstop, catching two-thirds of the club's games, along with seven games as the designated hitters. Alvarez fanned 26 percent of the time, which was in range of his minor league track record. However, his walk rate was just eight percent, considerably lower than his minor league pedigree. An above average exit velocity on fly balls supported bashing 25 homers. However, Alvarez's .222 BABIP, along with an above average strikeout rate rendered him a batting average liability. Some of the low BABIP was an unusually low line drive rate, along with a low BABIP on grounders. Both should improve this season, but Alvarez's average will still likely be detrimental to a fantasy lineup. On the other hand, his power is real, and his run production should pick up as the Mets offense should improve. Alvarez's defense and framing were excellent, though he had trouble controlling the running game. Alvarez should be among the leaders in homers from catchers, just make sure you can absorb his low average.

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.

Campusano entered 2023 with 92 big-league plate appearances over the previous three years, but he finally received a decent stretch of playing time last season. He made the Opening Day roster as San Diego's backup catcher but went down with a thumb injury in mid-April and was sidelined until after the All-Star break. Gary Sanchez had settled in behind the plate for the Padres, but Campusano saw regular action the rest of the way before a sprained ankle kept him out for the final week of the campaign. The 25-year-old didn't provide much defensive value but excelled offensively with seven homers, 27 runs, 30 RBI and a .319/.356/.491 slash line in 174 plate appearances. Campusano hit similarly in the minors and doesn't have much else to prove at Triple-A, and he should be the favorite to open 2024 as the Friars' starting backstop. Even if that's the case, his outlook is likely to be limited by volume since he's played over 100 games in a season just once in his professional career. Additionally, he hasn't proved he can produce at the major-league level for even a half season, let alone a full one, so there's plenty of risk that comes with his massive upside.

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.

Every year, there is a player whose playoff exploits overshadow his regular season. In 380 regular season plate appearances, Moreno swatted seven homers. In 70 postseason trips to the dish, he clubbed four dingers. Perhaps the best approach is evaluating 2024 is combining the two, yielding 11 long balls in 450 plate appearances. In those 70 plate appearances, Moreno continued to hit a preponderance of ground balls, he just happened to drive a cluster of fly balls out of the yard. However, the high ground ball rate, combined with a nine-point jump to a 41.8 percent hard hit rate supports a high BABIP, which is Moreno's primary asset; a couple more homers is a bonus. He did strike out more last season, but his 19.7 percent mark was still below average, especially for a catcher. Moreno's pitch presentation is below average, but he's otherwise outstanding behind the plate, which should result in bell cow level of playing time. Moreno is in play for those favoring to pay for a solid catcher, just don't overpay for four playoff homers.

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.

Reds manager David Bell said before the 2023 season that the goal was for Stephenson to catch roughly 65 games. Stephenson ended up making 92 appearances at catcher (78 starts) to go along with 43 appearances at designated hitter (40 starts) and eight at first base (four starts). While new arrivals to Cincinnati cemented themselves at the major-league level, Stephenson's play raised more questions than it answered in regards to his long-term future with the organization. He hit a mere five home runs in 271 plate appearances away from Great American Ball Park. By FanGraphs' WAR formula, Stephenson was below replacement level in his 142 games. He's suffered at least three concussions in his playing career and one more could force a move out from behind the plate, if his poor defense doesn't necessitate a move sooner. Now entering his arbitration years, Stephenson's starts at DH could take a big hit as the Reds find at-bats for other talented young players.

Bailey slashed an uninspiring .225/.342/.419 at the High-A level in 2022 and entered the 2023 campaign behind Joey Bart and Roberto Perez, among others, on the Giants' catching depth chart. Needless to say, he didn't really seem to be on the fantasy radar heading into last season. As it turned out, he was promoted before the end of May and made a terrific first impression in batting .322/.347/.557 with five homers over his first 33 major-league contests. Although he continued to provide excellent defense, Bailey crashed hard at the plate the rest of the way with a .503 OPS and 29.1 percent strikeout rate from July on. A 10 percent barrel rate was nice to see, but Bailey's strikeout and walk rates were both in the 17th percentile and the switch-hitter sported just a .557 OPS against righties. His defense should provide job security, but Bailey should be reserved only for two-catcher leagues in fantasy.

Gomes had a bit of a renaissance in 2023 as a member of the Cubs. In his second season in the Windy City, the veteran backstop posted a solid .267 batting average and .723 OPS, to go along with 10 home runs and 63 RBI across 116 games. The 10 home runs were his most since 2021, while the 63 RBI were the second most of his career, behind only the 74 RBI he compiled back in 2014 with Cleveland. Those numbers don't jump off the page, but at a position that can get thin quickly, they put Gomes squarely on the map heading into 2024, particularly in two-catcher formats. The Cubs exercised his $6 million club option in November, setting Gomes up as the No. 1 catcher once again. However, 24-year-old Miguel Amaya is waiting in the wings, and he could get a chance if the Cubs fall out of contention and decide to give more playing time to young players. For now, Gomes is a solid if not spectacular fantasy catching option due to his fairly secure hold on the starting job in the short term.

He plays more than most backup catchers because he's more productive offensively than most of the other major leaguers who occupy that role, but d'Arnaud is firmly positioned as the No. 2 option in Atlanta behind Sean Murphy. The same Sean Murphy who was signed last winter to a six-year, $73 million contract extension with a $15 million club option for 2029. In theory, d'Arnaud would make sense as an option for the designated hitter role, or at least a share of it, but he drew only six starts out of the DH spot in 2023 and simply doesn't have the juice to knock Marcell Ozuna from his full-time DH perch. The same Marcell Ozuna who's coming off a career-high 40 home runs. It's worth keeping d'Arnaud on a waiver-wire watch list, but he'll need injuries on the depth chart above him to take on one-catcher, mixed-league fantasy appeal in 2024.

Haase was the Tigers' Opening Day catcher last season, but he ended the campaign back in the minors in a different organization. After he popped a combined 36 homers from 2021-22, Haase's power vanished. The slugging had been his saving grace, as he's always had strikeout issues, and without that, Haase became a liability. Detroit designated him for assignment at the end of August, and after only a brief period of time with Cleveland, he was outrighted to Triple-A Columbus. It was an unceremonious end to a brutal season -- Haase's 42 wRC+ was the worst among all players with 250-plus plate appearances -- but nonetheless he managed to land a big-league deal with the Brewers in free agency. Now entering his age-31 season, Haase projects as Milwaukee's third catcher behind William Contreras and part-time DH Gary Sanchez.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Bell signed with the Guardians, ostensibly to add pop to a productive, but power-deficient lineup. With Cleveland's offense struggling all season, they shopped Bell and his .233/.318/.383 line to the Marlins, to hopefully add pop to another lineup lacking punch. This time, the plan rang true, and Bell chimed in with a .276/.344/.490 line the rest of the way. Bell's average exit velocity and hard-hit rate were the same with the Guardians and Marlins, but his BABIP was 42 points higher with Miami, driving his improved production. Bell must have enjoyed his time in South Beach since he exercised his player option to stay. The switch-hitter should play nearly every day, spending time at first base and designated hitter. He should bat in a run-producing spot and be a sneaky asset in mixed leagues since LoanDepot Park is a neutral venue for runs and power. Bell's career 11.7 percent walk rate is a boon for OBP and points leagues.

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.

Flores put together the best offensive showing of his career in 2023 in what was his age-31 season. The veteran infielder's .284 average, .355 on-base percentage and .509 slugging percentage were all full-season career highs, as were his 23 home runs. Long known as a lefty masher, Flores did his usual tormenting of southpaws in producing an .886 OPS with eight homers in 181 plate appearances against them. He handled righties nearly as well, though, with an .847 OPS and 15 long balls across 273 plate appearances. A glance at Flores' expected stats via Statcast paint a picture of a guy who had luck on his side, as only 10 other players had a bigger spread than Flores' 32-point gap between his xwOBA (.336) and actual wOBA (.368). He's an extreme flyball hitter (46.7 percent) and pull hitter (46.1 percent), which is the recipe for overcoming a weak average exit velocity (86.4 mph), but some regression here is likely.

Tellez looked well on his way to a second straight 30-homer season in 2023 after putting eight over the boards in April. Things mostly went downhill after that, though. The 28-year-old missed six weeks of action with forearm and finger injuries and by the time he returned in late August Carlos Santana had taken over at first base for the Brewers, leaving Tellez to fight for starts at designated hitter. He did very little with the at-bats he was given down the stretch and Milwaukee chose to non-tender him this offseason. Tellez's hard-hit rate (40.4 percent) and barrel rate (8.7 percent) both dropped off significantly last season, while his strikeout rate (24.5 percent) went up. His age and track record suggest Tellez will bounce back to some degree in 2024, and he should get regular starts at least versus righties after signing with Pittsburgh over the winter.

Cooper appeared in a career-high 123 games last season between Miami and San Diego. He spent time on the injured list with an ear infection but was able to stay mostly healthy in 2023 -- something he has struggled with throughout his career. For the season, he hit .324/.375/.529 against left-handed pitching compared to just .228/.281/.384 against righties. His splits are not as pronounced for his career, but at 33 years old, Cooper may be best suited for short-side platoon duty between first base and designated hitter. A surprise All-Star with the Marlins in 2022, Cooper saw his strikeout rate jump to 28.9 percent last season while his walk rate dipped for the second straight year. Now in camp with the Cubs as a non-roster invitee to spring training, Cooper will look to secure a role with a strong showing in the Cactus League. He has enough in his bat to be passable in fantasy, but only when he's seeing regular playing time.

Mervis was pretty unlucky in his first big-league cup of coffee, but first basemen and designated hitters don't usually get many chances in their mid-20s to prove they belong in a big-league lineup. He had a .218 BABIP, .167 average and .234 xBA while showcasing an impressive 111.8 mph maxEV, 13.8 Barrel% and 50.0 HardHit% in 58 events over 99 plate appearances. His 32.3 percent strikeout rate was by far the highest mark of his pro career, but his 30.7 O-Swing% and 75.0 Z-Swing% were strong swing-decision marks for a rookie. Mervis, who turns 26 in April, was excellent for the second year in a row at Triple-A, but his exploits at that level are irrelevant at this point. He is either a Quad-A hitter or a big leaguer, and we won't know for sure until he gets an extended look. Just because Mervis looks like he's atop the depth chart in December doesn't mean that won't change as the offseason progresses, so make sure you don't go into the season relying on him.

Bauers didn't see MLB action in 2022 for the second time in the previous three seasons, but he clubbed 12 home runs in 84 games for the Yankees last year. His .202/.279/.413 slash line and 34.9 percent strikeout rate were unsightly, but he had an 18.7 percent barrel rate and 48 percent hard-hit rate. Those numbers are likely what prompted the Brewers to trade for him early in the offseason, which for a time lined him up to potentially fill the large side of a platoon at first base following the departures of Carlos Santana and Rowdy Tellez. Bauers had a 10 percent walk rate in 2023 and has maintained a solid eye in the big leagues, but otherwise his track record in the majors as a below-average defender with a .663 OPS in 412 career games shouldn't excite fantasy managers, even if he is seeing a fair amount of playing time. However, Milwaukee's signing of Rhys Hoskins, who missed of 2023 recovering from a torn ACL, is likely to limit Bauers to more of a bench role.

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.

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..

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.

Estrada followed up his breakout 2022 season with another impressive campaign, though it was truncated by a broken left hand. He returned to slash just .268/.298/.390 in his final 51 games (.272/.327/.434 before the injury). Still, despite playing in 20 fewer games, Estrada matched his homer total and exceeded his stolen-base total from the year prior. His appeal takes a hit in OBP leagues since Estrada owns a career 5.1 BB%, but he's a plus defender and carries dual eligibility into the 2024 season (second base, shortstop). While Estrada's batted-ball numbers do little to excite, he's now turned in three straight years of above-average offensive production. With better luck on the health front, Estrada could reach 600 plate appearances for the first time in his career as an everyday presence in the Giants' middle infield.

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.

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.

Some saw Kim having a good year for a loaded San Diego lineup but we are not aware of anyone who projected him to be the third-best fantasy batter on the team over the course of the full season. Kim set a professional career-best with his 38 steals and also surfaced the power and run-scoring abilities the marketplace hoped for from him in 2022. He has increased his ability to accept walks in each of his three seasons with San Diego and his batting average has improved in kind. His batting average has room for improvement, and it must come from him improving his outputs against righties as he has been a below-average producer against righties (95 wRC+ last season) while excelling against southpaws (148 wRC+ last season.) The triple position eligibility is going to further push up his draft day price for fantasy managers whereas he was one of the more incredible fantasy bargains this time last year.

Merrifield is a tough player to pin down for 2024. He broke into the majors in 2016 at the age of 27 and became a fantasy darling on account of his high average and speed. He hit above .300 twice and totaled as many as 45 steals in a season. After Merrifield's production fell off in 2022, the Royals shipped him north of the border to Toronto. He finished below league average by wRC+ last season (93), but the speedy 2B/OF hit 11 homers and stole 26 bases to once again put himself in the good graces of fantasy managers. Both sides declined his mutual option for 2024. Already entering his age-35 season, Merrifield is on the wrong side of the aging curve, and it's fair to wonder when his speed will evaporate. His power has always been modest and Merrifield can safely be categorized as a low-OBP guy given his career 6.2% walk rate. He makes consistent contact, but the quality of that contact is declining.

Coming off a National League batting title, McNeil needed a strong finishing kick in the final two months just to get his average up to .270, which was 37 points lower than the career .307 mark he carried into the season and 56 points lower than the .326 he hit in 2022. McNeil's contact skills were as good as ever with a strikeout rate of just 10 percent, but his already-weak quality of contact was even worse last season with a hard-hit rate in the fifth percentile and barrel rate in the second percentile. He also hit more flyballs, which helped him reach double digits in home runs for just the second time but also, when combined with feeble contact, led to a lot of lazy flyouts. It's possible McNeil was pressing after signing a long-term deal, and his .303/.342/.466 line from August on is probably closer to what we should expect in 2024. McNeil did end the season on the injured list with a partial tear of the UCL in his right elbow, but all signs point to that healing with rest.

The definition of a spare piece for Baltimore, Ortiz was shipped to Milwaukee along with DL Hall in exchange for Corbin Burnes in a contract year. The righty-hitting Ortiz is a plus defender who can play all over the infield, but he didn't project to provide enough offensive impact to play ahead of players like Jackson Holliday or Gunnar Henderson long term. Ortiz is a capable offensive player - he slashed .321/.378/.507 with nine home runs, 11 steals and a 17.7 percent strikeout rate in 88 games at Triple-A, good for a 121 wRC+. However, his .373 BABIP and the fact he turns 26 in July make that Triple-A production less impressive. Ortiz is a candidate to hit 10 homers and steal 10 bases without hurting your batting average, but he could hit at the bottom of the lineup against righties. He enters the season only eligible at second base, but Ortiz should play pretty regularly at third base early this season and he could be the shortstop of the future if Willy Adames leaves next offseason in free agency or gets traded during the season.

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.

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.

Edman sat out most of July due to a wrist injury but was otherwise a lineup regular for the Cardinals again in 2023. The team as a whole took a major step back, but the veteran utility man largely looked like himself with a .248/.307/.399 slash line in 137 games, which is only slightly worse than his figures from 2022. Edman's run total dropped to 69 last season after two straight years over 90, but his 13 homers, 27 stolen bases and 47 RBI were comparable to the prior campaign, especially since he played in 16 fewer contests. He split his playing time evenly between shortstop, second base and the outfield, as his versatility remains a boon for both the Cardinals and fantasy managers. Edman batted .259 and has averaged 12 homers, 30 stolen bases, 53 RBI and 85 runs across the past three seasons, and a similar campaign likely awaits in 2024 given his consistency during that span.

Vargas was a trendy pick in 2023 fantasy drafts as news emerged that he would be the Dodgers' Opening Day second baseman, but by mid-July he was back in the minors, where he remained for the remainder of the campaign. The heralded prospect struggled to a .195/.305/.367 slash line over 81 games, and the demotion came after he batted a paltry .079 (5-for-63) over his final 23 contests. Despite the disappointing stat line, there are reasons to believe that Vargas can succeed at the MLB level. He demonstrated refined plate discipline while up with the big club, posting a hearty 12.5 percent walk rate and a respectable 20.1 percent strikeout rate along with a borderline-elite 20.8 percent chase rate, per Statcast. Vargas didn't hit the ball hard consistently, but it's promising that of his 50 big-league hits last year, over half went for extra bases. Importantly, Vargas didn't sulk after being sent down, instead extending his run of minor-league success with an .886 OPS and 10 homers over 60 Triple-A contests. Los Angeles filled the void at second base following Vargas' demotion primarily by transitioning Mookie Betts from right field, and the experiment went smoothly enough that Betts will likely see considerable time at the keystone again in 2024. While that could limit Vargas' opportunities at the position, it may also mean that he gets reps in the corner outfield, where he logged some time down the stretch in the minors last season. It's unlikely that he'll be handed the keys to a starting spot out the gate as he was last year, but the Dodgers clearly still see Vargas as a part of their future, and he could earn a substantial role with a strong spring.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Burger didn't even make the Opening Day roster last year, but he ended up having a big impact for both the White Sox and Marlins. He finished second on the White Sox in home runs with 25 despite playing in only 88 games with the club. Burger added nine more long balls in 53 games with Miami following a deadline trade, finishing 15th in MLB with 34 homers in total. In a surprising twist, Burger cut his strikeout rate by nearly 10 percentage points following the move to South Beach, which lends some hope to the idea that he could be more than a one-dimensional slugger. Thanks in large part to the improved contact rate, he hit .303 with a 131 wRC+ in his small sample with Miami. Burger, the 11th overall pick in 2017, lost multiple years of development time due to two tears of his left Achilles' tendon. The health history has to be taken into account, but even with those concerns Burger has quite a bit of appeal as a third baseman/corner infielder in fantasy.

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.

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.

Suarez has been one of the most consistent sources of power over the past five-plus years, but the veteran third baseman was only able to go deep 22 times in 2023 with a .391 slugging mark; his lowest since his rookie year with the Tigers in 2014. He also once again led baseball in strikeouts with 214 while hitting just .232, and only his 96 RBI kept him fantasy-relevant for the majority of the summer. While the numbers were disappointing, the metrics suggest that Suarez deserved better in several categories. His expected slugging percentage of .423 was markedly higher, and his barrel percentage of 13.2 ranked in the 87th percentile of qualified hitters. He also was able to draw 70 walks for a second straight season, and his excellent defense at the hot corner kept him in the lineup for all 162 games even when the hits weren't falling. Suarez is a good bounceback candidate for anyone looking for power from the hot corner, and he receives a modest home-park upgrade after getting dealt from Seattle to Arizona this offseason.

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.

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.

Despite being selected in the third round of the 2019 draft, Triolo never carried much prospect pedigree or hype. That's because Triolo's carrying tool is his defense, as he's played every position along the infield since joining the organization. That set him up well to take advantage of openings along the team's infield in a utility role, and he did just that to close 2023 by playing 35 games at second base, 13 at second base, seven at first base and one at DH in his first sample in the majors. That versatility could also mean he maintains a role in 2024, but the question then becomes whether that will make him fantasy relevant. Across any significant sample in the minors, Triolo never posted an ISO above .176 and that mark was just .099 in 209 plate appearances with Pittsburgh. That lack of power will put a lot of pressure on his hit and speed tools. Triolo regularly hit above .280 in the minors, and it appears that success carried over after his promotion. However, his strikeout rate spiked to 30.1 percent and he relied on a .440 BABIP to hit .298 with the Pirates. That's a concerning sign for his batting average potential, but if he can secure an everyday role and get on base (11.5 BB% in majors), Triolo should be a source of stolen bases. He had consistent success in that regard in the minors and then stole six of seven bags successfully upon reaching the majors. That was backed by a 77th percentile sprint speed, leaving stolen bases as his primary path to fantasy relevance.

At this point in his career, Wisdom has settled in as a fairly predictable player. He's going to hit for power but likely not do much else. In 2023, Wisdom popped 23 home runs in just 97 games, giving him 20 or more long balls in each of the last three seasons. He also batted below .210 for the second straight year, and he's now just a .214 career hitter. Wisdom continued to swing and miss a lot, as he struck out nearly 37% of the time last year, but he walked nearly 10% of the time as well. Add it all up, and the 32-year-old is basically a three-true-outcomes player. The ability to hit the ball over the wall is nice, but there are plenty of corner infielders who do that and more, which makes Wisdom a limited fantasy option. Plus, he could be squeezed out of a regular role in Chicago by the likes of Matt Mervis and Nick Madrigal. Wisdom is worth rostering if he's playing regularly and hot at the plate, though he may not be someone you can count on all season.

Montero did his best in September to salvage another disappointing season, slashing .286/.355/.531 with six home runs during the final month. Four of those homers came over the final six contests of the season. Still, the overall numbers were quite dreadful, and the 36.2 percent strikeout rate along with a 4.9 percent walk rate were untenable. Montero also looks to be unplayable at third base at this point, with the Rockies not giving him a start there after April. He's still just 25 and mashed again during his multiple stints back at Triple-A Albuquerque (1.129 OPS with 15 home runs in 35 games), so perhaps we shouldn't call it quits on Montero just yet. He's probably running out of chances, though.

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.

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.

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.

Hoerner took hold of a starting job for the Cubs in 2022 and produced a .281/.327/.410 slash line with 10 homers, 20 steals, 55 RBI and 60 runs in 135 games, and he followed up with similar production last season. He moved from shortstop to second base in 2023 following the signing of Dansby Swanson and had nine long balls, 43 steals, 98 runs and 68 RBI with a .729 OPS across 150 contests. Those figures resulted in a 102 wRC+, and he was sixth in the league in stolen bases while being caught seven times. He hit 46.9 percent of his balls on the ground and didn't consistently make solid contact with a 1.7 percent barrel rate and 33.0 percent hard-hit rate, both of which rank near the bottom for qualified hitters. However, none of those figures are significantly different from the previous year, which indicates his production over the past two seasons is sustainable. Hoerner should provide a strong average with plenty of runs and stolen bases for fantasy managers again in 2024 with his high-contact, low-power approach, though he's unlikely to be a significant contributor in other categories.

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.

Bogaerts delivered six homers and a .914 OPS in his first month with the Padres, but the summer months weren't quite so productive. The veteran shortstop also had a 1.122 OPS during the final month of the season, but his .244/.308./358 slash line in between made for an underwhelming debut campaign in San Diego. In total it was a solid overall season with 19 homers, a career-high 19 steals, 83 runs and 58 RBI to go along with a .790 OPS, though that production certainly doesn't live up to the 11-year, $280 million contract he signed last offseason. His hard-hit rate also dropped over five points to 34.3 percent, while a .252 xBA and .395 xSLG indicate he was fortunate to hit .285 and slug .440. Bogaerts has regularly outperformed those expected figures throughout his career and may continue to do so, but less hard contact will make that trend more difficult to maintain. He's likely to be a productive fantasy shortstop again in 2024 and could improve his counting stats if the Padres' lineup gets back on track, but Bogaerts' longer-term outlook is looking a bit less rosy heading into his age-31 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.

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.

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.

A 6-foot-3 lefty-hitting shortstop, Merrill split his age-20 season between High-A and Double-A. His 12.1 percent strikeout rate was exceptional for a prospect of his caliber who was young for his levels. Merrill's hit tool has a chance to be pretty special, but he also has above-average power potential and lacks pronounced lefty/righty splits. He's a decent athlete and could chip in double-digit steals early in his career. Merrill played the vast majority of his games at shortstop, but he also saw five games in left field, two games at second base and a game at first base. San Diego has an extremely shallow depth chart, so while Merrill's most natural positions may be spoken for, there should be room for him somewhere this summer.

The youngest qualified hitter at Triple-A last season, Winn went on a summer-long heater that earned him a call to the majors late enough in the calendar to preserve his rookie status. He had a .553 OPS in his first 21 games at Triple-A and slashed .309/.383/.520 with 17 home runs and nine steals on 11 attempts over his final 83 games before getting the call. Over that stretch, his 14.7 percent strikeout rate and 9.5 percent walk rate were particularly impressive, even considering the automated balls and strikes system at Triple-A. Winn, a former two-way prospect, is probably known best known for his 80-grade arm at shortstop, however he's a great all-around athlete with plus speed and plus bat speed. He will turn 22 during spring training and is a shoo-in to enter the year as the everyday shortstop. Winn won't wow anyone with his exit velocities at this stage of his development, but his 81.7 percent contact rate, steady playing time and speed on the bases portends a fairly high floor. It should have surprised no one that he struggled initially in the majors, given his age, and a .196 BABIP played a role in that as well.

It's difficult to overstate just how hard Anderson crashed and burned in 2023. The 30-year-old came into the year having slashed .318/.347/.474 over his previous four seasons. He won one batting title during that stretch and, among regulars, no one sported a higher batting average than Anderson. Last season, the shortstop fell off to an anemic .245/.286/.296 line, with his .582 OPS ranking 133rd out of 133 qualifiers. The Statcast data matched the production, with Anderson's xwOBA ranking in the bottom eighth percentile. Anderson's sprint speed also cratered to the 45th percentile, which could indicate his early-season knee issue continued to nag at him after his stint on the injured list. After the White Sox decided against picking up his $14 million option for 2024, Anderson eventually landed with the Marlins on a one-year, $5 million deal. He is expected to serve as Miami's everyday shortstop.

The Giants reportedly want to give Luciano a chance to be the everyday shortstop in 2024, and that motivation from the club is arguably the best thing he has going for him in redraft leagues. Steamer projects the 22-year-old shortstop to hit .219 with a .296 OBP, and while he is a good defensive shortstop, it remains to be seen if San Francisco would allow him keep the everyday job all season if he is producing at that level. Known for his high pedigree as the headliner of the 2018 J-2 international signing class and his plus raw power, Luciano's strikeout rate has steadily trended in the wrong direction. He struck out at a 29.8 percent clip at Double-A, a 35.9 percent clip at Triple-A and a 37.8 percent clip in 45 MLB plate appearances. Unlike many other talented shortstops with questionable hit tools, Luciano doesn't provide much speed on the bases, so he needs to hit for a decent average to avoid being a player who perpetually hits in the bottom third of the lineup and is only rostered in deep leagues for his power and playing time. He missed time in 2023 with back and hamstring injuries and has only played 56 games at Double-A and 18 games at Triple-A, so it would be understandable if he needed more developmental time in the minors.

Hernandez's time in Boston ended with a whimper, as he struggled to a .599 OPS in 86 games with the Red Sox last season before being traded. The Dodgers brought him back to Los Angeles, where he had enjoyed his most success, and Hernandez indeed rebounded down the stretch. He was even included on the team's NLDS roster and will return to the Dodgers in 2024, having signed a one-year deal in February. After his 2018 season, it looked like Hernandez might break the chains of merely being a utility/platoon player, but at this point in his career he will have to accept a niche role. Hernandez, now 32, is a career .239 hitter with modest power and little speed. Coming off double hernia surgery in October, he may be eased into action this spring, though the team expects him to be available for the March 20-21 series against the Padres in South Korea.

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.

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.

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.

Some may write off Harris's 2023 struggles as a prototypical sophomore slump, but it is not that easy. Harris was being taken as early as the end of the second round last winter but finished the season just inside the top 100 overall and just inside the top 70 for hitters based on our final earned auction values. Harris got injured early in the season and he took awhile to shake off the rust to resume his production. He did perform better against lefties than he did as a rookie, but what ultimately limited his 2023 production was hitting 9th in 88 of the 138 games he played. It is incredibly tough for a high round draft pick to max out their production out of the bottom of the lineup. On another team, Harris is likely hitting high in the lineup most days but Atlanta has more traffic on its depth chart than it does on its local highways. It would take an injury to someone else to get Harris into the top half of the lineup, so do not go back to the second or third round well.

Chisholm Jr. first got us excited for his fantasy future after a solid rookie campaign, but his follow-up efforts have been marred with injury. 2023 saw him miss time with turf toe, an oblique strain, and a hamstring strain. The turf toe required offseason surgery to fix, but the demands of the centerfield position are not likely to reduce Chisholm Jr's. injury risk any time soon. The injury risk also comes along with a batting average risk as Chisholm Jr. continues to take an aggressive approach at the plate, but around all that risk is an above average offensive player with surprising pop and speed to burn when his lower half is healthy. His dual eligibility is gone for now, but the upside risk/reward upside remains as he is quite capable of a 30-30 season if his body holds up to the demands of his position. Every season, there are a handful of players who are early market values; this will be one of those players.

It was another miserable year for the Rockies in 2023 with an NL-worst 59 wins, but Jones excelled after being acquired from the Guardians during the offseason. He missed Colorado's Opening Day roster but was called up for his season debut in late May, and he hit the ground running with a .942 OPS in his first 28 games. Jones put up similar numbers the rest of the way and finished his rookie campaign with a .297/.389/.542 slash line, 20 homers, 20 steals, 62 RBI and 60 runs in 106 contests. Encouragingly, the Coors Field effect didn't appear to have much of an impact on him, as he posted a .928 OPS at home compared to a .935 OPS on the road. However, his .404 BABIP isn't sustainable, which combined with a 29.7 percent strikeout rate is a strong indication of overperformance (that is also backed up by an xBA of .247 and xSLG of .492. Even taking that into account, it was an excellent season for Jones, who will open 2024 as an everyday starter in the Rockies outfield and should provide strong fantasy production even if he's unable to fully replicate last season's numbers.

The 2019 National League MVP was non-tendered by the Dodgers after the 2022 season and subsequently joined the Cubs on a one-year, $17.5 million deal, and he revitalized his career in the Windy City. Bellinger missed a month during the first half with a knee issue but still played in 130 games, making 81 starts in center field and 44 at first base. He delivered strong counting stats with 26 homers, 20 steals, 97 RBI, 95 runs and a .307/.356/.525 slash line while cutting his strikeout rate nearly 12 percentage points to 15.6 percent. However, he had a career-best .319 BABIP to go along with career worsts in barrel rate (6.1 percent) and hard-hit rate (31.4 percent), which led to a .270 xBA and .437 xSLG, all of which indicates some fortunate results for Bellinger in 2023. That being said, those expected figures would still be significant improvements on his ugly numbers from the previous two years. He'll turn 29 years old in July and should be a solid middle-of-the-order bat in 2024, but fantasy managers shouldn't expect a repeat of 2023 given his underlying numbers.

Thomas took another improbable step forward last season, finishing as one of 19 MLB players to go 20-20 in 2023 while also surpassing the century mark in runs scored. It all added up to just a 109 wRC+ and 2.7 fWAR across 682 plate appearances, as Thomas' middling on-base percentage and defensive metrics dinged him. Traded twice earlier in his career, including in exchange for Jon Lester in 2021, Thomas was a popular name at the trade deadline, but Washington surprised many by holding onto the outfielder. While last season may very well go down as his career year, the Nationals clearly believe in the late bloomer's production. His low walk rate and issues with same-side pitching could catch up to him in time, but Thomas should be expected to be in the lineup every day under manager Dave Martinez to begin 2024.

Philadelphia inked Castellanos to a five-year deal for $100 million after the 2021 season, but the organization is reportedly already having a bit of buyer's remorse as there are rumors it would like to move on from his streaky bat and terrible defense. The fact Castellanos has three more years and $60 million left on his deal makes trading him rather tough. The Phillies are frustrated because Castellanos is streaky; he hit .313 in April and .351 in June, but .162 in July, .235 in the second half of the season and has been abysmal in the postseason for them. Fantasy managers are not as concerned because the volume of production was still there even if Castellanos's run production slipped in conjunction with his outlier on-base percentage from 2021. Kyle Schwarber's continued presence on the roster clogs up the DH spot most of the time, so the much-needed move to DH for Castellanos is not happening as long as he remains with the club. For now, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

The veteran outfielder broke out of his two-year funk in 2023, finishing with a .278/.370/.447 slash line to go along with 19 homers, 28 steals (31 attempts) and 78 RBI in 144 games. It's a far cry from the MVP-level production Yelich posted during his first two years in Milwaukee, but it's still a marked improvement on his .737 OPS from the previous two seasons. A .342 BABIP was backed up by an xBA of .277 and xSLG of .450, which indicates his 2023 results should be sustainable. Yelich's chronic back issues continue to linger and cost him nearly two weeks in September, but he's still played in all but 26 games over the last two years. That MVP form is likely long gone as he enters his age-32 campaign, but Yelich will still have plenty of fantasy value with a decent chance at a 20-20 campaign in 2024.

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.

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.

Outman began the season on the busier side of a center field platoon, but it wasn't long before the rookie became an everyday player, appearing in 151 contests. The lefty swinger still must hit for more power facing southpaws, as evidenced by his .254/.357/.308 line, but a 246/.351/.484 effort facing right-handers landed Outman third in the NL Rookie of the Year voting. Outman stole 16 bases in 19 tries, for an 84 percent success rate, which could lead to being given the green light more this season. Strikeouts are Outman's primary concern since his 44th percentile hard-hit rate doesn't support maintaining the .343 BABIP Outman registered last season. He doesn't chase much, but when he swings at pitches out of the zone, his contact rate is terrible. This is fixable, especially since Outman's walk rate is above average, but he's a batting average liability until he can demonstrate more contact. This restricts him to the lower half of the Dodgers order, but with his power and speed combination, and the potency of the lineup, Outman is still a strong mixed league asset, just don't pay for upside that may not immediately manifest.

Walker was at the front of the line of the 2023 Shiny New Toy group with a monster spring training that had rapidly pushed him up March draft lists as fantasy managers were hoping for the next Julio Rodriguez. By season's end, the likes of Luke Raley, Ryan O'Hearn, and Brandon Marsh outearned Walker in overall fantasy value. Walker finished the season as an above average run producer (116 wRC+) but did not excel in any one category for the disappointing Cardinals team. Walker did get off to a strong start, but still went back to the minors at the end of April and also hit .209/.258/.352 in July which cut into his overall production. Normally this kind of season would push a player's draft value down to a more reasonable level, but Walker's upside is simply going to be too tempting for fantasy managers to resist. If he can pull the ball a little more, 30 homers should happen and it could also elevate him from the bottom half of the lineup.