Welcome to Pitcher List’s Top 500 Dynasty Rankings (OBP) in Fantasy Baseball for the 2022 MLB season
Reading lists is easy. Think about how many “top 5”, “top 10”, or “best of” lists you probably read on almost a daily basis. It’s just a list of names, right? Easy-peasy.
Writing lists is HARD. Ranking of 500 baseball players is even harder. From the beginning I was confronted with Is it definitive? Your personal preference? Where do you start, from the “best” to the “worst”? Or is it better to work backward?
For these 2022 Top 500 Dynasty Rankings, I created my own methodology for writing these rankings and I’ll be outlining it below.
If you want to get to the names, feel free to skip the next section, I’ll see you at the bottom of the page!
Okay so if you’re reading this part, you must really care about the process. Awesome!
Methodology
Question: How did you start writing this list?
Answer: I prepared these rankings with a 12 team dynasty league in mind, using a 5×5 scoring format with OBP instead of AVG and SVH for relievers. I realize that this approach may not produce the most valuable players and going forward I’ve made the mental note to contextualize my rankings for a 16T league.
I used a “blind” approach meaning that no other rankings were consulted. Zero. Why? I intended for these rankings from the ground up without being influenced by any recent group think or consensus. I read and considered scouting reports with certain prospects to determine future value.
Q: What’s the purpose of these rankings?
A: They are my attempt to rank the 500 players with the most value for OBP dynasty leagues, entering the 2022 season. Hence the title “2022 Top 500 Dynasty Rankings (OBP)”
Q: How do you define value?
A: “Value” is a composite of: previous performance, current age/skill, estimated production/skill development within the next 3 seasons. Additionally I used a forced distribution method, starting by bucketing groups of players by seven types (explained below) and ranked them within their bucket before assembling the final list.
Q: What did you use for data?
A: I used FanGraphs for most performance data, also looked at Statcast data when necessary. I also used the BBRef Player Compare Tool when ranking players of similar age + position + experience for differentiation. I also combined 2019-2020 numbers when necessary for full season stats. Steamer 2022, ZiPS 2022 (if available), ATC, The Bat, and The Bat X (if available) projections were used as well.
Player Notes
- This list uses Ohtani as a single player and not as two separate players (P/OF). Be advised.
- Bauer & Ozuna: Trevor Bauer was not included in this list while Marcell Ozuna was included. This decision was mine alone and not a moral or ethical one. It was only based on each player’s current eligibility as defined by Major League Baseball. As Bauer is still on the Restricted List, it is unknown when he would be eligible to play. Ozuna has been ruled eligible to play a full season (whatever length of season that may be).
- FYPD rankings are a separate exercise from this one. Additionally, this list began well before the January 15 international signing date. As such, any international signee (i.e. Suzuki, Arias, etc.) or 2021 draftee (Mayer, Watson, etc.) were not included.
Player Types (Percentage of Total Rankings):
| Franchise Cornerstone (10%) |
These are the “Set it and Forget it” players. The best of the best who should be targeted within the first 4-5 rounds of any startup league draft.
| Everyday Starter (35%) |
Players that are expected to get 500+ ABs/120+ IPs and produce toward the top of fantasy relevant categories. These players range in age/experience/skills but ultimately act as the base of most dynasty leagues.
| Top 100 Prospects (20%) |
Self-Explanatory. MLB rookie eligibility criteria (50IP/150ABs) was used to determine prospect status. FYPD eligible players not included.
| Bench Bats (10%) |
Position players that are likely to fall below the 500+ AB metric but bring value in one or two specific categories (HRs, SBs, etc.)
| Top Relievers (less than 1%) |
An incredibly small pool of pitchers that have shown recent ability to deliver in saves and/or holds along with high strikeout numbers. The volatility of relief pitching makes this player type difficult for me to quantify and therefore the least valuable for me to rank.
| Back-end Arms (8%) |
Similar to the “Bench Bat” type, a collection of SP4 and MIRP types that are useful in one or two specific categories. The volatility is slightly above “Top Relievers” but pitchers in this pool can easily slide into other types or fall completely out of the top 500.
| Prospects Outside of the Top 500 (15%) |
This pool of players contains a variety of prospects from pop up types to dart throws that are heavy on potential but light on results of note.
