Top 200 Hitters For Fantasy Baseball 2023

• As a reminder, these rankings are geared toward a standard, daily, 12-team H2H redraft league, as that is typically the most popular fantasy baseball format. They will only factor in the five standard categories: Runs, RBI, Home Runs, Batting Average, and Stolen Bases.

• 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 mate’s player evaluations, or your current waiver wire, and if I could I 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 using 20 games as the threshold for positional eligibility in the List. I have not included presumed eligibilities based on likely new positions. 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!

And now a couple of notes on how I generally evaluate hitters before we dive in:

• I’ve gotten more level-headed over the years regarding weighing stolen bases, but I still think they’re precious given how rare they’re becoming. Every steal is important, so don’t take those “chip-in” steals for granted. Finding steals at the end of the season can be a dogfight.

• 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. While we don’t have much for rolling data in 2022, you can see where they currently are on a rolling chart and see how it compares to their career trajectory.

• 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), and lineup context. 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 myself and Joe Gallina, which also happened to be a finalist for Best Baseball Podcast of 2021 by the Fantasy Sports Writers Association (FSWA)!

• The top of the draft in 2023 is going to be deep, folks. While I expect Trea Turner to be the most-common top pick, the seven players I have in Tier 1 are the ones that I think will make up the top five in most drafts.

• Aaron Judge led the fantasy universe in every format where he was eligible in terms of pure hitting. Durability has been less of a concern lately thanks to back-to-back healthy seasons, but it remains a risk nonetheless. I could also mention that the 16 steals were a surprise and not something I think repeats in 2023, but that doesn’t impact the bottom line here. Judge should hit a ton of home runs and is a good bet to lead the league in combined runs and RBI, and that’s reason enough to draft him wherever you want.

• Speaking of stolen bases, I’d be remiss if I didn’t bring up that Julio Rodríguez stole just five bases and was caught three times from July 5 through the end of the season. That pace is closer to a 15-steal season rather than a 25-steal season, though the batting average we saw from then on (.296) is very real, as is the solid plate discipline. He could still very well be the top fantasy performer, especially because steals are difficult to predict and there’s a very real possibility that J-Rod has another month or two with eight or more stolen bases due to random-but-particular circumstances that arise for him or his team.

TIER 2

• Mookie Betts retains his second-base eligibility in Yahoo formats by a hair, which is a big deal in that format as the keystone might be the weakest position on draft day.

• The playoffs are giving us a good look at Bryce Harper, and a healthy Bryce remains one of baseball’s best hitters. The only issue I have is that health has been a problem for Harper, missing 21 games in 2021 and then 63 more in 2022. I don’t want to have to target him in the first round or early second, but the mid-to-late second round sounds pretty not bad.

• Nothing about what happened with Juan Soto this season makes any sense, and I have to believe that he will turn this around in short order because he’s one of the most talented hitters on the planet.

• Shohei Ohtani is my top pick in leagues where he is both a hitter and a pitcher and I don’t think that’s up for debate. He’s quite durable as a hitter and is the world’s only nine-category contributor.

TIER 3

• The 40 home runs are the most for Mike Trout in a single season since 2019, and the third-most in his 12-year career. Rare back disorders are not nearly enough to keep the Millville Meteor down and while injury has wreaked havoc on his career lately, it’s clear that Trout is one of the best fantasy hitters when on the diamond.

• Was Bo Bichette very mediocre for most of the season? Yes. Is Bo Bichette so incredibly good that he can salvage all of that in a month? Also yes. His slow start hurt a lot of head-to-head managers, but those in roto were rewarded if they held the line. The only thing limiting his upside at this point will be the stolen bases—Bichette converted just 13 of 21 attempts, and teams won’t tolerate that low of a success rate for very long.

• Michael Harris II only moves up these ranks, though I do wonder if we’re finally in the right tier in terms of landing spots for 2023 and on.

TIER 4

• Many will point to Adolis García’s plate discipline as a problem, and it’s certainly plausible that one day it will become untenable. That said, it is not this day. He’s going to hit home runs and steal bases and make enough contact to support a decent batting average for at least one or two more seasons, so try to enjoy it.

• Did you see Kyle Schwarber’s home run? My goodness.

• Bobby Witt Jr. hit 20 home runs and stole 30 bases and yet only finished as the 24th-best hitter for fantasy. I project him closer to 25 and 25 for next season with a neutral-ish .260 batting average or so, though I really wish that the Royals fielded a stronger team overall so that his runs and RBI weren’t so heavily capped.

• I’ve heard rumblings that folks think Corey Seager will show another level with the removal of the shift, though I’m skeptical that it will impact numbers all that much. Even without a boost, Seager should be able to threaten 30 home runs, and I do think the batting average jumps up closer to .275 or .280 because he hit against the shift just fine before 2022 (99 wRC+ pre-2022, 37 wRC+ in 2022 against the shift).

• Paul Goldschmidt slowed down at the end of the season, but even then he wasn’t ever bad. He was just decent instead of other-worldly. Goldschmidt falls down these rankings because I don’t expect players of his age to repeat career years, but if he falls too far in drafts he’ll be a strong value.

• Fernando Tatis Jr.’s suspension includes playoff games, so the further the Padres go, the earlier you can expect Tatis to return in 2023. There’s a lot to unpack about how someone might feel about Tatis next season, but it’s still apparent that he’s an elite fantasy asset when he’s playing.

TIER 5

• Eloy Jiménez and George Springer would be at least one or two tiers higher if I thought they had a decent chance of playing 150 games. Instead, I think you should be happy with 140, or maybe even 130. That said, the upside is strong.

• Xander Bogaerts should hit for power again, but even if he doesn’t he has some value at this ranking thanks to the incredibly stable floor. Despite hitting about 10 fewer home runs than we projected in 2022, Bogaerts finished as a top-50 hitter thanks to solid overall contributions.

• Ozzie Albies will be playing second base for Atlanta in 2023 no matter what. The real question is whether he finds his rhythm and hits second, or if he struggles again and hits at the bottom of the order. This ranking views the former as more likely.

TIER 6

TIER 7

• Byron Buxton is an enigma wrapped in a riddle wrapped in a vest. OK, that’s a little dramatic, but he’s really tough to put a value on thanks to the weird-but-strong performances he has when healthy combined with the fact that he is ever so rarely healthy.

• Jazz Chisholm Jr. is another injury-risk guy who could make a huge impact with the power and speed combination plus a decent hit tool. Whether I roster him is likely tied to how aggressive my league mates are on his toolsy skillset.

• Christian Walker is the type of player who could see a batting average increase due to the shift, but don’t expect it to change his power outputs. He’s a home run hitter with a low-to-average batting average on a scrappy but raw team that will make it more difficult to pile up counting stats.

• Tim Anderson and Luis Robert will look better in projections than they will in rankings due to, again, the injury risk. Both are game-changers when they play, and there’s always a chance they do plenty of that in 2023. That chance isn’t super high, but it’s a chance nonetheless.

• Amed Rosario is being slept on in the early mock drafts I’ve done so far and I have to think it will stop eventually. It’s not terribly sexy, but he will chip in some power and speed while scoring runs and hitting for a high average.

TIER 8

TIER 9

• Trevor Story could be a whole lot better than this, but he definitely was not in 2022. Story’s issues were mostly injury-related, as he was hitting and running well in spurts throughout the season. The batting average might get a bit ugly, but Story managed 16 home runs and 13 steals in just 94 games this season and should be more than capable of a 20-20 season if he plays more than 130 games in 2023.

• Kris Bryant is still on the Rockies, meaning that he should come into 2023 hitting third in the best home-field advantage in fantasy. The injury risk is extreme, but at some point, he’s got to be worth it.

• I still believe in Taylor Ward, who really turned it back on in the latter part of the season after struggling with injuries and slumps during the late summer. Ward had seven home runs over his last 35 games along with a .344/.390/.570 line, and it’s more than enough to have me back on board. Hitting right behind Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout helps too.

TIER 10

TIER 11

• I’m lower on Alejandro Kirk than most because getting the ball off the ground is harder than it sounds. It requires changes to timing (though usually not changes to the swing itself), and that’s tough for anyone to do. Kirk is in a great lineup spot and should have no issues getting RBI and hitting for average, but without plus power, it could end up a little empty compared to the top tier. I just don’t think he has the same upside as those guys.

• Lars Nootbaar was just turning it back on at the end of the season, and his combination of power, speed, and control of the strike zone could get him to 20 home runs and 10 steals in 2023. The batting average won’t be great, especially not compared to his strong OBP, but he should more than make up for it, especially if he gets back into the leadoff spot for the always-competitive Cardinals.

• No idea what to do with Josh Bell besides being disappointed in his second half and hoping he can cure whatever ails him in that regard.

• Harrison Bader has 20-20 power and speed upside, though it comes with big health question marks and a weak batting average. If he stays hot in the playoffs, there’s a good chance he goes too early for me to wind up with him on many teams.

• Josh Jung is better than what he showed in 2022, I’m certain of it. There’s plus power here that should come with a decent batting average. The counting stats should be good too with Semien, Garcia, and Seager also in the lineup.

TIER 12

• Jorge Mateo was a very up-and-down guy in 2022, and I don’t expect that to change much in 2023. If the ups don’t go quite so high in 2023, then this is a more likely end-of-season ranking than being the 73rd-best hitter like he was this season.

• I don’t see how the Padres let Ha-Seong Kim ride the pine after providing such useful contributions with the bat and glove in 2022. Not sure how it’ll play out when Fernando Tatis Jr. returns, but somehow Kim will end up with plenty of games.

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