Hitter List 5/31: Top 150 Hitters – Week 9 Fantasy Baseball 2023

Let’s get some basics out of the way regarding how to interpret these rankings. None of this stuff should come as any major surprise, but it never hurts to provide background:

I would recommend not paying super close attention to the specific ranks of each player, and honing in more on the respective tiers that they’re in. Each tier represents a grouping of players that I think could arguably perform at a similar level, and/or carry similar levels of risk in terms of injury concerns or playing time obstacles. If Player X is ranked at #55 and Player Y is ranked at #65, but they’re in the same tier, it means that I personally like Player X a lot better, but think there’s a valid argument to be made for Player Y performing just as well.

I take rankings like this as more of an art than a science. Every person’s rankings are influenced by their own biases, strategic philosophies, determinations of risk, and projections. It’s why no two rankings are ever exactly alike. Jon’s way of evaluating and ranking players has worked out well for Jon (and me) over the years, but it might not be a great fit for you. I can’t possibly predict your team’s specific needs, your league mates’ player evaluations, or your current waiver wire, and if I could it’d be weird. In a bad way.

Yes, these ranks vary from the official PL positional rankings that I also developed in the off-season. That’s because these are only mine – no input from others. This is a safe space for me where I answer to no one but myself…and you if you leave a comment.

I’m doing my best to use 5 starts or 10 appearances as the threshold for positional eligibility. I have not included presumed eligibilities based on likely new positions, but once those eligibilities are earned I’ll add them in. This is just a maintenance thing and we will update eligibility throughout the season. Feel free to let me know if I’m missing any!

To keep things in the same ilk, here are a couple of notes on how I generally evaluate hitters before we dive in:

Stolen bases are losing value in a hurry, at least on a per-stolen-base basis. In 2022, zero players stole 10 bases in the first month of the season. In 2023, that number was six. Almost twice as many players picked up three steals in the first month of 2023 compared to 2022. In short, stealing 20 bases in 2023 doesn’t add the value it did in 2022. Steals are much more streamable now.
If I did want to get some insight on whether what I’m seeing is new or if it’s just normal fluctuation, I’d use my favorite tool—the rolling chart. Our PL Pro members can use the tools in the Hub, which I’ll also reference as appropriate.

No stat is an island and they should all be taken in proper context. For ranking purposes, the primary starting points I use are plate discipline, wRC+, quality of contact metrics (also known as Statcast batted ball data), lineup context, and the skills we can measure using the tools in our PL Pro Tools Hub. I also use various projections (some free, some I buy) and dollar value generators. Unlike Nick, I’ll also look at other rankings as I prepare my own to feel how my colleagues value certain players, positions, or stats. I recommend trying as many of these things as you can until you find what you like.
Positional eligibility, and specifically multi-eligibility, is neat but also isn’t a huge factor in many 10- and 12-team leagues anymore due to the prevalence of multi-eligible players. It’s of more value in deeper contests like the NFBC, or in leagues with limited roster moves (draft and hold leagues, transaction limits/costs, extremely short benches, etc.), but even then the value is fairly situational and context-dependent.

On a similar note, I don’t penalize players for only qualifying in the utility slot. At most, it is a mild inconvenience if a DH-only player is available at a great value and you already have filled your utility spots.
Anyone talented enough to make it to the big leagues can be brilliant or putrid for 50 at-bats regardless of true talent. Heck, it could even last a month with no change in potential or skill. It also could be wildly meaningful. We can’t and don’t know which of these will be true until it’s over, though track record, scouting, and trends give us hints.
If you’d like input on a player or have any feedback, your best bet is to reach out to me on Twitter (@ifthechufits) or in the comments!

Ranking Notes

Check out the Hacks & Jacks podcast featuring Scott Chu and Joe Gallina, which also happened to be a finalist for Best Baseball Podcast of 2021 by the Fantasy Sports Writers Association (FSWA)!

TIER 1

If we drafted right now, Ronald Acuña Jr. and Aaron Judge should be the top two picks in every single draft. These rankings now reflect that.

TIER 2

Wander Franco has stolen six bases since this article last published. I don’t think anyone pegged him for over 25 steals this season — not even the most aggressive projection models — but here he is at 20 before June. Franco is pacing just short of 20 home runs, which is less surprising, but he won’t need many dingers if he keeps running and slashing .298/.362/.482 on baseball’s best team.
I am more terrified of Trea Turner’s descent by the day. That inability to connect on balls in the zone is very unusual for him and really goes against the type of hitter he tries to be.

Welcome back, Jose Altuve! He hasn’t run yet, but 11 hits (five for extra bases) in his first nine games is exactly what we hoped for. Altuve remains the heart and soul of this Houston lineup, so his return may also provide a spark for Kyle Tucker and others.
Bryan Reynolds has four extra-base hits in his last seven starts, including two triples! It’s great to see the power back on.

TIER 7

Until we have more of an estimate on Cedric Mullins‘ return, it’s hard to drop him further (and to rank him in general). Groin injuries can be pesky.
Daulton Varsho and J.T. Realmuto have fallen well short of expectations in 2023, and I could no longer justify keeping them so high on the list. They have the talent to turn it back around at any time, but they aren’t in the same tier right now as Will Smith and Adley Rutschman.

TIER 8

Eloy Jiménez looks healthy at this exact moment. That’s a good thing for fantasy and for baseball.
I like Josh Jung a lot, and you should keep hanging on through the future slumps. Jung is improving his ability to make contact as the season goes on, according to both PLV and in his actual strikeout rate.

Steven Kwan just can’t get the ball in the air, and there are only so many holes in the infield he can take advantage of. The plate discipline is strong, but the quality of contact is not. It doesn’t help that Cleveland’s offense is awful and that he isn’t running more like everyone else.

TIER 9

Maybe I should have dropped Teoscar Hernández more, but there’s always next week.

TIER 10

I’ve been underrating Josh Lowe, I admit it. The more I look at what he’s doing, the more I like it. For what it’s worth, I care more about him keeping his strikeout rate down than I do seeing his walk rate go up. This looks like a 20 home run, 20 stolen base player with upside, especially if they let this Lowe lead off a bit more.
Jonathan India’s play should have been enough to move him up in the rankings, but all of the chatter about India being the odd-man-out when Elly De la Cruz eventually gets the call has me worried. Reputable sites have mentioned it enough for me to think it may be more than just noise.
Nope, still no verdict on the ever-changing Lourdes Gurriel Jr. Maybe 20 home runs with good ratios?

TIER 11

Jarred Kelenic’s lack of plate discipline has me worried. Not “drop him” worried, of course, but this profile of low walks and high strike outs combined with his track record of soul-crushing slumps in the majors has me preparing for the worst.
J.D. Martinez looks like a vintage version of himself lately, though his age, injury history, and recent track record have me holding back at least a little.

TIER 12

Gunnar Henderson is turning it back on, finally, and while I’m not fully on board, his upside makes even slightly good news more exciting.
Jorge Soler is hitting home runs all over the place, and while the power is real, the streakiness is too.
Michael Conforto is the feature today, and of course he picks up a day-to-day tag right before I finish this thing up! Conforto has dramatically improved at the plate, with six home runs and 28 combined runs and RBI in his last 16 games with a .393/.426/.721 line (201 wRC+). The 19.1% strikeout rate also caught my attention—a significant improvement from early season results. Assuming he misses minimal time with this heel issue, there’s reason to believe that he could return to the type of player he was before his long layoff—a guy capable of 30 home runs and a high OBP.
Miguel Vargas just doesn’t do enough damage to the stuff he chooses to hit and it’s driving me nuts.
There are some signs of life from Brandon Lowe, but not a ton. He has the upside to hit 30 or more home runs and will generally do so in bunches, but he’s about a week or two from a big fall if we don’t see any power come out.

TIER 13

This tier is MASSIVE, and it’s because most of these guys could be cut in a shallow league with little need to debate if there is a cold streak or some kind of news update or even just a good feeling you got from watching a few at-bats.
Bryan De La Cruz continues to be strong at the plate, an extension of what he showed off in 2022. The real question is whether there is any upside to the profile. Is he more than a 20 home run, .275 hitter over a good full season, or will his aggressive nature keep the ratios down and limit the upside even further?
Matt McLain is getting hits in bunches, though Statcast suggests he’s getting more than his fair share of luck in terms of outcomes. The high strikeout rate will need to get corrected and he’ll have to find a bit more power for me to buy in as a top-15 shortstop for fantasy due to the depth of the position, and I’m just not sure he can get that power without striking out even more than he is now. McLain is a pretty good real-life prospect thanks to the speed and glove, but his fantasy upside feels limited.
As I’ve said in the past, Christopher Morel’s contact issues make his profile extremely volatile. These hot and cold streaks are par for the course.
I’ve added Francisco Álvarez in every league where I’ve needed a catcher.
Of the host of newcomers at the end of the list, I might be most interested in a turnaround of Mitch Haniger, who has shown strong power upside in years past and is most likely to keep an everyday job.

And now, once again, it’s time for the Hitter List:

Rank	Hitter	Team	Position	Change
1	Ronald Acuña Jr.T1	ATL	OF	-
2	Aaron Judge	NYY	OF	-
3	José Ramírez T2	CLE	3B	-
4	Kyle Tucker	LAD	OF	-
5	Freddie Freeman	LAD	1B	+6
6	Mookie Betts	LAD	2B, SS, OF	-
7	Fernando Tatis Jr.	SD	SS, OF	-2
8	Julio Rodríguez	SEA	OF	-1
9	Bo Bichette	NYM	SS	-1
10	Shohei Ohtani	LAD	DH	-1
11	Yordan Alvarez	HOU	OF	-1
12	Pete Alonso T3	BAL	1B	+1
13	Vladimir Guerrero Jr.	TOR	1B	-1
14	Juan Soto	NYM	OF	+3
15	Rafael Devers	SF	3B	-
16	Mike Trout	LAA	OF	-
17	Randy Arozarena T4	SEA	OF	+1
18	Adolis García	PHI	OF	+1
19	Matt Olson	ATL	1B	+1
20	Marcus Semien	NYM	2B, SS	+1
21	Paul Goldschmidt	NYY	1B	+1
22	Wander Franco	TB	3B, SS	+8
23	Luis Robert Jr.	NYM	OF	-
24	Nolan Arenado	ARI	3B	-
25	Austin Riley	ATL	3B	-
26	Trea Turner	PHI	SS	-12
27	Francisco Lindor	NYM	SS	-1
28	Kyle Schwarber	PHI	OF	-1
29	Bryce Harper	PHI	DH	-
30	Ozzie Albies T5	ATL	2B	+1
31	Will Smith		C	+1
32	Adley Rutschman	BAL	C	+1
33	Corbin Carroll	ARI	OF	+1
34	Manny Machado	SD	3B	+1
35	Bobby Witt Jr.	KC	SS	+1
36	George Springer	TOR	OF	+1
37	Corey Seager	TEX	SS	+4
38	Jose Altuve T6	HOU	2B	+11
39	Xander Bogaerts	SD	SS	+1
40	Matt Chapman	SF	3B	+4
41	Byron Buxton	MIN	OF	+4
42	Christian Yelich	MIL	OF	+4
43	Bryan Reynolds	PIT	OF	+4
44	Starling Marte T7	KC	OF	-2
45	Cedric Mullins	TB	OF	-17
46	Alex Bregman	CHC	3B	-3
47	Dansby Swanson	CHC	SS	+1
48	Daulton Varsho	TOR	C, OF	-10
49	J.T. Realmuto	PHI	C	-10
50	Masataka Yoshida	BOS	OF	-
51	Nathaniel Lowe	CIN	1B	-
52	Vinnie Pasquantino T8	KC	1B	-
53	Sean Murphy	ATL	C	+1
54	Nick Castellanos	SD	OF	+1
55	Anthony Rizzo		1B	+2
56	Eloy Jiménez	TOR	OF	+7
57	Yandy Díaz	TB	1B, 3B	+1
58	Jazz Chisholm Jr.	NYY	2B, SS	+2
59	Josh Jung	TEX	3B	+10
60	Christian Walker	HOU	1B	+1
61	Gleyber Torres	DET	2B, SS	+1
62	Steven Kwan	CLE	OF	-9
63	Carlos Correa	HOU	SS	-4
64	Max Muncy T9	LAD	2B, 3B	+1
65	Hunter Renfroe		OF	-1
66	Ryan Mountcastle	BAL	1B	-
67	Teoscar Hernández	LAD	OF	-11
68	Salvador Perez	KC	C	-
69	Nico Hoerner	CHC	2B, SS	+1
70	Jeremy Peña T10	HOU	SS	+1
71	Anthony Santander	TOR	OF	+4
72	Josh Lowe	LAA	OF	+31
73	Jonathan India	KC	2B	+1
74	Michael Harris II	ATL	OF	-1
75	Tim Anderson		SS	+1
76	Thairo Estrada		2B, SS, OF	+1
77	Alex Verdugo	SD	OF	+2
78	Lourdes Gurriel Jr.	ARI	1B, OF	+7
79	Lars Nootbaar	STL	OF	+4
80	Luis Arraez	SF	1B, 2B, 3B, OF	+4
81	Jarred Kelenic T11	CWS	OF	-9
82	Seiya Suzuki	CHC	OF	+4
83	Nolan Gorman	STL	2B	+4
84	J.D. Martinez		DH	+18
85	Ty France	SD	1B, 3B	+4
86	Cody Bellinger	NYY	OF	+2
87	Rowdy Tellez	ATL	1B	+3
88	Ian Happ	CHC	OF	-8
89	Giancarlo Stanton	NYY	OF	+2
90	Esteury Ruiz	MIA	OF	+3
91	Brandon Nimmo	TEX	OF	+4
92	Alec Bohm	PHI	1B, 3B	+2
93	Willson Contreras	BOS	C	+5
94	Ketel Marte	ARI	2B, OF	+6
95	Andrew Vaughn	MIL	1B, OF	+6
96	Jonah Heim T12	ATL	C	+9
97	Jeff McNeil		2B, OF	+9
98	Gunnar Henderson	BAL	3B, SS	+16
99	Isaac Paredes	HOU	2B, 3B	+5
100	Jorge Soler	LAA	OF	+27
101	Michael Conforto	CHC	OF	+15
102	Whit Merrifield		2B, OF	+15
103	Willy Adames	SF	SS	-21
104	Kris Bryant	COL	OF	-37
105	Miguel Vargas	CWS	1B, 2B, OF	-6
106	Amed Rosario	NYY	SS, OF	+1
107	Brandon Lowe	PIT	2B	-29
108	Orlando Arcia	MIN	2B, SS	+5
109	Lane Thomas	KC	OF	+6
110	Eugenio Suárez	CIN	3B	-13
111	Jorge Polanco T13	NYM	2B	-2
112	Andrés Giménez	TOR	2B	-31
113	Brandon Drury	KC	1B, 2B, 3B	+9
114	MJ Melendez	NYM	C, OF	-6
115	Alex Kirilloff		1B, OF	+5
116	Andrew Benintendi	CWS	OF	+5
117	Austin Hays	CWS	OF	+6
118	Anthony Volpe	NYY	SS	-7
119	Bryan De La Cruz	PHI	OF	+UR
120	Spencer Torkelson	DET	1B	+4
121	Riley Greene	DET	OF	-29
122	Javier Báez	DET	SS	-4
123	Brent Rooker		OF	-27
124	Josh Naylor	SEA	1B, OF	+6
125	Cal Raleigh	SEA	C	+6
126	C.J. Cron		1B	+6
127	Joey Meneses	ATH	1B, OF	+6
128	Taylor Ward	BAL	OF	-9
129	James Outman	MIN	OF	-3
130	Matt McLain	CIN	SS	+UR
131	Marcell Ozuna	PIT	OF, DH	+4
132	Christopher Morel	MIA	2B, 3B, OF	-20
133			3B	+3
134	Joey Gallo		1B, OF	-6
135			SS	+2
136	LaMonte Wade Jr.	CWS	1B, OF	-2
137	William Contreras	MIL	C	+4
138	Jose Siri	LAA	OF	+4
139	Francisco Alvarez	NYM	C	+UR
140	Jake Cronenworth	SD	1B, 2B, SS	+4
141	Bryson Stott	PHI	2B, SS	+4
142	Tommy Edman	LAD	2B, SS, OF	+7
143	Zach McKinstry	DET	2B, 3B, OF	+UR
144	DJ LeMahieu		1B, 2B, 3B	+6
145	Alejandro Kirk	TOR	C	+3
146	Mitch Haniger		OF	+UR
147			3B	+UR
148	Tyler Stephenson	CIN	C	+UR
149	Ke’Bryan Hayes	CIN	3B	-2
150	Anthony Rendon	LAA	3B	-11

And here’s the Taxi Squad, presented in no particular order:

Taxi Squad

Hitter	Position	Team	Comment
Ronny Mauricio	2B/SS	NYM	No idea when he comes up and if he plays every day when he does, but among the most imminent of the top prospects.
Elly De La Cruz	SS	CIN	I don’t think he’s coming up for a few more weeks yet, and I’m not sure how the roster will shake out, but obviously an elite talent.
Kyle Manzardo	1B	TBR	Not sure where he would fit in the lineup every day, and not yet on the 40-man, but would be immediately interesting if called up.
Curtis Mead	2B/3B	TBR	Having a rough go of things in 2023 and injured his wrist, but should return to triple-A action soon.
Colton Cowser	OF	BAL	Strikeouts are down and power is up, so why the heck did they sign Aaron Hicks instead of adding him to the 40-man roster?
Ryan Noda	1B	OAK	.400+ OBP is great, but it’s coming with no power or speed right now.
Jordan Walker	3B/OF	STL	Still love him in dynasty, but the Cards passed him up for Óscar Mercado when Carlson hit the IL and that’s a rough sign.
Triston Casas	1B	BOS	Just isn’t playing enough, and remains very streaky.
Casey Schmitt	3B/SS	SFG	Cooled off, and just don’t have enough power or speed for me to be that interested.
Justin Turner	3B	BOS	Doesn’t wow you, but steady and in the heart of the lineup.
Brandon Marsh	OF	PHI	Heating up a little, but striking out too much for me to think it’s going to last.
Yoán Moncada	3B	CHW	I’m not a believer, but folks I respect think he can be a bounce-back guy.
Mike Yastrzemski	OF	SFG	Was heating up prior to injury and has been a streamable power option in the past.
Tyler O’Neill	OF	STL	Crazy upside is locked within a fragile frame.
Jarren Duran	OF	BOS	He’s droppable in standard leagues.
Gio Urshela	SS/3B/1B	LAA	Playing every day and hitting pretty well, albeit near the bottom of the order. He could make the top 150 if he moved to the top of it, though.
Jake Burger	3B	CWS	Just two extra-base hits in his last 47 trips to the plate. He’s droppable now that Eloy is back.
Nick Pratto	1B/OF	KCR	The walks are still there and he’s picked up outfield eligibility in many formats, but the strikeouts are catching up to him.
Jeimer Candelario	3B	WAS	Serviceable because of his role on a bad team, but once he cools off he’s droppable.
Endy Rodriguez	C	PIT	The Pirates have two fantastic catching prospects, though Endy isn’t doing quite as in triple-A as Henry Davis is in triple-A
Akil Baddoo	OF	DET	Starting regularly, walking more than he strikes out, and showing off some power. LIFE IS WORTH LIVING.
Willi Castro	3B/OF	MIN	On fire right now, but the plate discipline is worrisome and the extra-base power is lacking outside of his recent two-home run game. Steals are legit, though.
Brendan Donovan	1B/2B/3B/SS/OF	STL	Limited power, but a decent OBP and points play due to high walks, low strikeouts, and versatility.
Jake Fraley	OF	CIN	If he played every day, he might be something.
Jurickson Profar	OF	COL	Streamer at home. That’s it.
Luis Garcia	2B/SS	WAS	Makes a lot of contact, but his aggressive approach is prone to streakiness.
Elias Díaz	C	COL	He’s on a road trip, and I wanted to put Alvarez on the List.
Mitch Haniger	OF	SFG	Turning it around fast!
Matt Mervis	1B	CHC	He should get better with contact as he gets more exposure to big league pitching.
Edouard Julien	2B	MIN	Contact remains an issue.
Nolan Jones	3B	COL	Excellent approach and power in the minors this season, but hard to trust the Rockies with a young hitter.
Henry Davis	C	PIT	Who knows when the Bucs will call him up, but unstoppable in double-A right now. If only the Bucs didn’t have two fantastic catching prospects.
Paul DeJong	SS	STL	He gets really hot for a few weeks with tons of power, but eventually his poor hit tool catches up to him.
Ezequiel Duran	2B/3B/SS	TEX	Oblique injuries are scary, especially for a guy who was battling for space on a crowded roster.
Jack Suwinski	OF	PIT	Big power upside, but swings and misses a lot at pitches in the zone.
Mickey Moniak	OF	LAA	Maybe mildly intriguing in deep leagues if he leads off more, but nothing about this looks sutainable.
Owen Miller	1B/2B/3B	MIL	He’s put up a good month before just to fade back into fantasy obscurity, and this doesn’t look any different than the previous times.
CJ Abrams	SS	WAS	He can slap the ball and he runs, but the OBP is not good and he’s not running as much as we’d hope.
Harrison Bader	OF	NYY	Hurt yet again. Health has never been a strength.
Taylor Ward	OF	LAA	This hurts as I really liked him coming in, but he’s struggled and now is losing plate appearances.

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Hitter List 5/31: Top 150 Hitters – Week 9 Fantasy Baseball 2023

Scott Chu

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Hitter List 5/31: Top 150 Hitters – Week 9 Fantasy Baseball 2023

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