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Top 150 Hitters For Fantasy Baseball 2024: Week 12 – 6/20

Top 150 Hitter Rankings for 2024 fantasy baseball.

I recently was asked about the power outage we are seeing league-wide in 2024. From what I’ve seen so far, the primary issue is with flyballs, which have a slugging percentage over 100 points worse than it was in 2021 and over 80 points worse than what we saw in 2023. HR/FB% is also down quite a bit.

As a result, I am a bit more skeptical of players who showed a spiked HR/FB rates in 2023, and I am also moving projections down on players who hit an abundance of flyballs as they are less valuable in 2024 than in 2023. While some flyball hitters can work through this, some of the most profoundly impacted players happen to be the ones who hit a ton of fly balls – Spencer Torkelson, Jorge Soler, Adolis García, and Jake Burger are good examples of players with very high flyball rate who are struggling with lower HR/FB rates.

Not all high flyball-rate hitters are hurting, of course, but the very high flyball-rate guys who broke out last year seem to be having trouble repeating, and I’ll be more skeptical of them until/unless we see flyballs doing more damage league-wide.

 

  • 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. My way of evaluating and ranking players has worked out well for 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.
  • 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 five 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!

 

Ranking Philosophy

 

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

 

  • In 12-team formats, I just don’t see much value in guys who only provide stolen bases. It’s an important category, especially in Roto, but in shallower formats, there are too many other (and better) ways to get the steals you need without sacrificing production in the other categories.

 

  • If I 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, which I’ll also reference as appropriate. You can also get rolling charts from sources like FanGraphs or Baseball Savant. If you have any questions about how to do that or how to read these charts, reach out to me!

 

  • 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 tools such as our PLV Hitter Attributes (available for PL Pro members). I also use various projections (some free, some I buy) and dollar value generators.

 

  • 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 to 100 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 the website formerly known as Twitter (@ifthechufits) or in the comments!

 

Read The Notes

 

  • These rankings talk about what I generally project for a player, but these rankings are not projections. They include projections but also take into account performance risk, injury risk, team context, ceiling, and floor.

 

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)!

I also host an AMA in the r/fantasybaseball subreddit every Friday (starting sometime in late March) starting around noon ET that lasts through the rest of the day and into the weekend, so feel free to join the fun and ask questions or make comments.

 

Tier 1

 

  • The only change in the tier is the unfortunate loss of Mookie Betts.

 

Tier 2

There is an average net change of +1 for all players in this tier.

  • Most of the changes here are due to the previously mentioned loss of Betts.
  • The strikeouts are piling up a little for Gunnar Henderson, but he also swiped a few bags and keeps hitting home runs.
  • Pete Alsonso probably won’t be traded, but if he is, it’s hard to imagine his rank changing in any meaningful way unless he inexplicably went across town to the Yankees and started hitting behind Judge and Soto or something.

 

Tier 3

 

  • Marcell Ozuna is carrying this offense. I didn’t see a repeat of 2023 as a likely outcome, but here we are.
  • Welcome back, Trea Turner. It’s nice to see him come back and get a few hits right away. All we need to see now is a stolen base.
  • Austin Riley, who has struggled to hit for power all season, all of a sudden hits seven extra-base hits in six games. I’ve mentioned several times that nothing seemed “broken” under the hood, and it’s not that odd to see him go on a heater and start trending upward. It took far longer than it should have, but Riley has the upside to be a top-15 hitter the rest of the way and I hope that at least some of those hits happened on your active roster. I know it’s tough, especially in head-to-head, but this is often why we try to advise against benching elite players like Riley, particularly when we don’t have a specific source of concern (like an injury or a huge uptick in strikeouts or some other kind of red flag). Players like Riley can utterly dominate at any moment, and you won’t want to miss out on those games.

 

Tier 4

There is an average net change of -1 for all players in this tier.

  • Royce Lewis is so explosive when healthy. Yeah, I know that “when healthy” is doing some heavy lifting there, but Lewis is good. Goodness gracious. This guy has eight home runs in 14 games. Eight. He could finish the year with 25 dingers despite playing half a season. Heck, he has 25 through his first 84 games in the majors. This is hot, nasty, game-breaking talent.

 

Tier 5

There is an average net change of +3 for all players in this tier.

  • Ozzie Albies is showing a few signs of life and it’s about time, right? It’s still short of the elite production we’ve been hoping for, but moving back into the two-hole and stringing together a nice stretch with runs and RBI gives us hope that the next level of Albies is potentially right around the corner.
  • Luis Robert Jr. is the one star who could see a significant jump in value if he’s moved during the trade season. Several teams could use a game-changing top-of-the-order hitter who can play center field, such as the Dodgers, Astros, Phillies, Guardians, Orioles, or Braves. It’s unlikely, sure, but putting his bat in any of those lineups makes a huge difference. I hate seeing his star fade in the abyss known as the White Sox offense.

 

Tier 6

There is an average net change of +3 for all players in this tier.

  • Riley Greene is on pace to threaten 30 home runs and that’s even rosier than my notoriously rosy projections on his power. Hitting 25 dingers would be close to a 50% gain on his preseason projections from numerous sources, and the improved walk rate is just icing on the cake.
  • Jarren Duran continues his scorching hot June with a pair of two-steal games in the last week. That brings him to eight so far this month, which helps put my mind at ease after he swiped just two bags in May. Duran should get to 35, if not 40, by the end of the season if he continues to walk at an above-average clip and strike out less than 25% of the time (the walks were down and the strikeouts were up inMay, which was a big part of the issue).
  • Adolis García looked like he was turning things around as we got into June, but the slump is back and is both longer and worse than anything else we’ve seen over the last two seasons. García has always been a streaky hitter and I think he will bounce back eventually with a three home run week or something like that, but it could get uglier before it gets better in the short term.
  • Corbin Carroll isn’t hitting home runs, but he’s hitting for extra bases, swiping bags, and doing everything else you could ask for.
  • All hail Steven Kwan, the new king of the slap hitters.
  • Randy Arozarena continues to avoid strikeouts in June, and that approach improvement is finally bearing some fruit as he has a fair of home runs and steals over the last four games. Keep the faith, especially in four or five-outfield formats. A spike is coming.

 

Tier 7

There is an average net change of +5 for all players in this tier.

  • Isaac Paredes had a bit of a slump there, but I remain a firm believer in his overall talent and he should start piling up the 350-foot home runs again in no time.
  • Manny Machado is still a startable third baseman in all formats, but my projections for him continue to slide a bit.
  • Nolan Arenado is putting up strong ratios of late, but the home run power still isn’t there, and if it isn’t back soon, then he’ll likely drop two tiers.
  • Christopher Morel has been someone I’ve been excited about due to the improved plate discipline, but these slumps are getting a bit too long for my liking.

 

Tier 8

There is an average net change of +7 for all players in this tier.

  • Oneil Cruz is making a bit more contact and avoiding extreme strikeout rates in June, and I still feel that he’s an adjustment or two away from having a month or two where he is among the most explosive hitters in baseball. Extreme physical talent is hard to find, and Cruz has it.
  • Ian Happ is hot after being cold for a long time, so jump on that horse while you can and enjoy the ride.
  • Brice Turang has impressed me, especially considering that I was quite low on him for the first two months or so. He’s improved his strikeout rate a fair amount, which helps, and while a lot of this production still feels driven by luck, it has been enough to be the leadoff man against all righties and to keep him in the lineup against lefties.
  • Salvador Perez is hitting just .198/.303/.314 over his last 24 games with just two home runs and six RBI, though he’s been a little bit better over the last week or so. He recently turned 34, but there’s still some juice left in this orange. I’m not dropping him anywhere.

 

Tier 9

There is an average net change of +5 for all players in this tier.

  • Nick Castellanos has been incredibly up and down this season, but he’s trending up right now and still has the power to be a top-20 outfielder in any given month.
  • Gleyber Torres was on the right track for a while, but only just barely. He’s gotten on base in 14 of 17 games this month, but usually only once. The June counting stats have been decent for a guy with just 11 hits (nine runs and 11 RBI), but the ratios are dreadful.
  • C’mon, Taylor Ward, you’re better than this. Show them. Show all of them.
  • Logan O’Hoppe got off to a slow start but is turning it around quickly. He’s safely above the streaming line for me thanks to the combination of talent and opportunity.

 

Tier 10

There is an average net change of +7 for all players in this tier.

  • J.D. Martinez has looked like a new man over his last 18 games, slashing .299/.420/.612 with an excellent 18.3% strikeout rate and 14.6% walk rate to go along with 29 combined runs and RBI and five home runs. This is the guy we’ve been hoping for. Even if the production slows down, J.D. could push towards the top 50 if the strikeouts stay down.

 

Tier 11

There is an average net change of +6 for all players in this tier.

  • George Springer ended his hot streak, too quickly for us to even really enjoy it. I’m not entirely opposed to streaming this spot in your outfield in some situations as he might be just a week from falling out of the top 100 on this list.
  • Tyler O’Neill is reminding us, after an ugly two months, that he still possesses top-50 talent.
  • Jackson Merrill is not a power hitter and is not someone who I’d ever project to hit 20 home runs in a season, so the recent slew of home runs comes as a pretty big shock. He continues to hit in the bottom third of the order, which is annoying as it crushes his ability to put up counting stats, and he has just two steals in his last 32 games, but the batting average should be good enough to be worth rostering all year. Honestly, this is a great time to try and move him, especially in leagues where he has shortstop eligibility to someone who just lost a ratios-providing shortstop in Bichette.
  • I’ve been overlooking Carlos Correa who looks very much like the guy we saw in 2022. That version of Correa hit 22 home runs and hit .291/.366/.467 over 134 games. If your league mate seems interested in “selling high” because of the awful 2023, I think you should be checking in.

 

Tier 12

There is an average net change of +2 for all players in this tier.

  • Ceddanne Rafaela is finally stringing together solid performances instead of just exploding for one or two games and fading. The Red Sox aren’t likely to put him at the top of the order, which is where his skills would play best, but if Hamilton struggles, Rafaela could hit second in Hamilton’s place. There’s 20 home run, 20 stolen base upside with Rafaela and it’s finally starting to show.
  • Heliot Ramos has untapped his power in a big way so far in June, hitting seven home runs in 16 games with strong plate discipline. The strikeouts are the key, as they’ve held Ramos back in previous trips to the major leagues and would do so again if they spiked. He’s hitting second, though, and has 25 home run pop over a full season.
  • Jeremy Peña falls again and it makes me sad.
  • Maikel Garcia has been in a dark place (production-wise) for about a month now, and while he’s still leading off, losing that role would be catastrophic to his value. There’s no joy at the bottom of the Kansas City lineup.

 

Tier 13

This tier is chaos.

  • How about those rookies?! Wyatt Langford and Jackson Chourio have been on fire the last few weeks and could very well be roster staples the rest of the season. For Chourio, the improved strikeout rate is allowing him to stay in the lineup more often which allows his dynamic power and speed to stay in play. For Langford, the quality of contact was the issue and he’s finally driving the ball in the air with more authority, leading to more doubles and home runs instead of weak outs or strong singles. Both are sustainable and part of why we were so excited about them for 2024, so this is another case where if someone thinks this is their “last chance to sell high”, be sure to take advantage of them.
  • Andrew Vaughn could use a change of scenery, though he’s unlikely to get one. On the bright side, he’s hitting for some power and is an admirable fill-in at first base should you need one with upside to be a back-end starter all season.

 

Tier 14

This tier is chaos.

  • David Fry is playing more, which is good, but he’s not hitting, which is bad.
  • Sean Murphy caught fire this week along with Riley, though he still sits a lot and the performance has been mostly bad before this outburst. I’m very hesitant to get on board with Murphy as a set-and-forget catcher, but I won’t deny that he has that upside.
  • You won’t find a much easier rolling chart to read than this one for Andy Pages. When he’s keeping the strikeouts in check, he is good. When he isn’t, he’s bad. You’d think this is true for all hitters, but actually, it isn’t all that universal (some players get better despite more strikeouts because the aggression suits them, or sacrifice power for contact, and other various scenarios). I expect both lines to keep going up and down opposite each other, but at least it makes it easy to set expectations. As far as long-term outlook is concerned, I’d like to see that red line stop going up closer to 30% or 35% instead of touching 40%. That would be the mark of a more consistent hitter.

  • Jarred Kelenic has a great opportunity to lock himself in as the leadoff hitter in Atlanta, and it was especially encouraging to see him keep that spot when facing a left-handed starter (Tarik Skubal, no less, who is arguably the best left-handed starter in baseball). This is the path to Kelenic being a top-100 hitter, with even more upside if he heats up.
  • Brandon Lowe is unleashing some power and the Rays are leaving him near the top of the lineup. With the state of second base being what it is, it made him easy to rank.
  • Joc Pederson is a power hitter who takes walks and crushes right-handed pitching. In a world where so many players are hurt, there’s value in that dependability. It helps that he’s hot, of course.
  • Nolan Jones gets ranked for now because he didn’t strike out for four straight games. The road trip and going back and forth between Coors and away will tell us a lot about whether we still believe there’s a lot of upside here.
  • Willi Castro bounces on and off this list quite a bit, which is more reflective of his limited upside than anything else. He’s quite useful in certain scenarios, though, such as needing speed or having a very shallow bench and a lot of injured players. If your roster is healthy and/or you don’t need speed, Castro won’t be that appealing.
  • Byron Buxton is a lottery ticket and little else due to the performance and injury risk constantly hanging over his head, but hey, maybe that’s what you need.
  • Spencer Horwitz has some on-base skills and gets to lead off, so if you’re in a pinch and need runs or ratios, he’s as good a bet as anyone else who is likely on your waiver wire.
  • Enmanuel Valdez is hot, playing most days, and eligible at second base. I honestly don’t have much else to say besides that’s all it takes to be considered for the back end of the list right now.

 

Rank Hitter Position Change
1Shohei OhtaniT1DH-
2Aaron JudgeOF-
3Bobby Witt Jr.SS-
4Juan SotoOF-
5Freddie Freeman1B-
6José Ramírez3B-
7Yordan Alvarez
T2
OF
+1
8Matt Olson1B+1
9Rafael Devers3B+1
10Gunnar Henderson3B, SS+2
11Elly De La Cruz3B, SS-
12Julio RodríguezOF+1
13Pete Alonso1B+2
14Fernando Tatis Jr.
T3
OF
-
15Marcell OzunaDH+3
16Bryce Harper1B-
17Corey SeagerSS-
18Marcus Semien2B+1
19Trea TurnerSS+UR
20Austin Riley3B+10
21Vladimir Guerrero Jr.1B-1
22Jazz Chisholm Jr.
T4
OF
-1
23Kyle SchwarberOF-1
24Jose Altuve2B-1
25Alex Bregman3B-1
26Francisco LindorSS-1
27Adley RutschmanC-1
28William ContrerasC-
29Royce Lewis3B, SS+10
30Will Smith
T5
C
-1
31Anthony VolpeSS-
32Ozzie Albies2B+2
33Josh Naylor1B-1
34Teoscar HernándezOF-1
35Ketel Marte2B+1
36Luis Robert Jr.OF+2
37Christian Yelich
T6
OF
+3
38Riley GreeneOF+7
39Jarren DuranOF+4
40Adolis GarcíaOF-13
41Corbin CarrollOF+16
42Christian Walker1B-5
43Anthony SantanderOF-2
44Bryan ReynoldsOF-2
45CJ AbramsSS+3
46Steven KwanOF+10
47Randy ArozarenaOF+5
48Cody Bellinger
T7
1B, OF
+3
49Ryan Mountcastle1B+4
50Luis Arraez2B+4
51Isaac Paredes1B, 3B-1
52Andrés Giménez2B-3
53Paul Goldschmidt1B+6
54Manny Machado3B-7
55Willy AdamesSS+7
56Lane ThomasOF+7
57Christopher Morel2B, 3B, OF-13
58Oneil Cruz
T8
SS
+8
59Nolan Arenado3B+6
60Vinnie Pasquantino1B+7
61Jordan Westburg2B, 3B+7
62Ian HappOF+11
63Lourdes Gurriel Jr.OF+6
64Alex VerdugoOF+7
65Brice Turang2B, SS+11
66Ezequiel TovarSS-2
67Salvador PerezC, 1B-9
68Nick Castellanos
T9
OF
+4
69Gleyber Torres2B-8
70Rhys Hoskins1B-
71Spencer Steer1B, 3B, OF+6
72Josh Smith3B, SS, OF+6
73Ha-Seong Kim2B, 3B, SS+6
74Alec Bohm1B, 3B+11
75Taylor WardOF-20
76Brandon NimmoOF+14
77Logan O’HoppeC+10
78Bryson Stott
T10
SS
-4
79J.D. MartinezDH+12
80Ryan McMahon2B, 3B-
81Jurickson Profar1B, OF+1
82Seiya SuzukiOF+2
83Brenton DoyleOF+9
84Starling MarteOF+4
85Matt Chapman3B-2
86Yandy Díaz1B+7
87Daulton VarshoOF+7
88Giancarlo StantonOF+7
89TJ Friedl
T11
OF
+7
90Bryan De La CruzOF+8
91George SpringerOF-31
92Alec Burleson1B, OF+7
93Tyler O’NeillOF+45
94Jesse WinkerOF+6
95Jackson MerrillSS, OF+16
96Yainer DiazC+6
97Dansby SwansonSS+6
98Carlos CorreaSS+18
99Luis Rengifo2B, 3B, SS, OF-2
100Masyn Winn
T12
SS
+1
101Ceddanne RafaelaSS, OF+12
102Heliot RamosOF+16
103Jeremy PeñaSS-28
104Jeimer Candelario1B, 3B+2
105Nick Gonzales2B+2
106Jake Cronenworth1B, 2B-2
107Thairo Estrada2B, SS+2
108Maikel Garcia3B-27
109Jorge SolerOF+18
110Cal Raleigh
T13
C
+12
111David HamiltonSS+8
112Wyatt LangfordOF+33
113Jackson ChourioOF+31
114Tyler StephensonC-28
115Mark Vientos3B-1
116Danny JansenC-8
117Nico Hoerner2B, SS-
118Jonathan India2B+2
119Andrew Vaughn1B+18
120Brendan Donovan2B, OF+4
121Ke’Bryan Hayes3B+5
122Nathaniel Lowe1B-17
123Joey Ortiz2B, 3B+6
124Miguel AndujarOF+12
125Brent RookerOF-15
126J.P. CrawfordSS+4
127David Fry
T14
C, 1B
-38
128Francisco AlvarezC+7
129Patrick BaileyC+2
130Sean MurphyC+UR
131Andy PagesOF+15
132Jarred KelenicOF+UR
133Zack Gelof2B+1
134Josh Bell1B-19
135Luis García Jr.2B-7
136Andrew McCutchenDH+3
137Brandon Lowe2B+UR
138Tommy PhamOF+UR
139Joc PedersonOF+UR
140Charlie BlackmonOF+7
141Nolan Jones1B, OF+UR
142Ty France1B+UR
143Jose Miranda1B, 3B-18
144Willi Castro2B, 3B, SS, OF+UR
145Byron BuxtonOF+UR
146Zach NetoSS+UR
147Mitch GarverC+UR
148Jake Burger3B-36
149Spencer Horwitz2B+UR
150Enmanuel Valdez2B+UR

 

Taxi Squad

This year, the Taxi Squad will be a handful of players at each position who either are on the cusp of the list or who have been hot topics of late.

Players are listed in no particular order.

Another update: Hitters who hit the IL will end up in the Taxi Squad until they return to the roster.

Catcher

  • Connor Wong (C/2B, BOS) — Makes a ton of contact and is getting batted ball luck, but can fill in for you when the matchups are right.
  • Ryan Jeffers (C, MIN) — A fine fantasy catcher, but with so many producing there’s not a need to hold onto a slumping one unless there’s a lot of upside.
  • Jonah Heim (C, TEX) — He’s been putrid at the plate recently and his history of being mediocre is a lot longer than his history of being good.
  • Keibert Ruiz (C, WAS) — Points league streamer.

First Base

  • Luke Raley (1B/OF, SEA) — Power and speed that comes with streakiness and contact issues.
  • Ryan O’Hearn (1B/OF, BAL) — It’s a strict platoon. Stream against righties and nothing else.
  • Mark Canha (1B/OF, DET) — Mostly valuable in points leagues.
  • Carlos Santana (1B, MIN) — Hot again, I guess.
  • Spencer Torkelson (1B, DET) — I still believe long-term but he’s not rosterable unless you are in a deep keeper or have an NA slot.
  • Justin Turner (1B/2B/3B, TOR) — Hitting better, but sitting a lot.
  • Tyler Black (1B, MIL) — Likely in a platoon, but had some hype as a prospect and the first base job is very available.

Second Base

  • Brandon Drury (1B/2B, LAA) — Looked awful before hitting the IL, but could always go on a power surge and be relevant again.
  • Edouard Julien (2B, MIN) — Nothing that happens in the minors is likely to change my opinion of what he can do. He’s an elite decision-maker with big contact issues against major leaguers.
  • Connor Norby (2B, BAL) — Can’t stash him unless you have an open NA slot.
  • Colt Keith (2B, DET) — The hot streak is over but hopefully he can bounce back.
  • Davis Schneider (2B/OF, TOR) — No longer a full-time player.
  • Isiah Kiner-Falefa (2B/3B/OF, TOR) — Low upside, but eligible all over and playing a lot.
  • Dylan Moore (2B/SS/OF) — Streakiness is part of the package but the upside is very real.

Third Base

  • Matt Vierling (3B/OF, DET)— Still hits near the top of the order but that won’t last much longer.
  • Junior Caminero (3B, TBR) — Struggling lately and I worry a call-up won’t lead to immediate playing time.
  • Daniel Schneemann (2B/3B/SS/OF, CLE) — Super-utility guy who is hot right now. His name has too many letters.
  • Coby Mayo (3B, BAL) — There’s no room for him but the power and plate discipline (before 2024) is exciting.
  • Abraham Toro (3B, OAK) — No single stand-out tool but does enough of everything to be relevant when he’s hot.
  • Noelvi Marte (3B, CIN) — He’ll be eligible soon, but I don’t recommend stashing quite yet unless you have a deep bench. He’ll be ranked around 100 when he’s back. 20/20 upside in a full season.
  • Elehuris Montero (1B/3B, COL) — He’d have made the list if not for sitting twice randomly.

Shortstop

  • Edmundo Sosa (3B/SS, PHI) — I know they said he would play when Turner came back, but then he quickly sat twice in a row.
  • Jackson Holliday (SS, BAL) — Long-term outlook hasn’t changed, but the O’s are in a tough spot
  • Paul DeJong (SS, CHW) — Hot again, as he is from time to time.
  • Ezequiel Duran (INF/OF, TEX) — Versatile and flashes talent from time to time but the role will dry up once Jung is back.

Outfield/DH

There are probably 5-10 more guys at any given time who you could argue belong on this part of the list.

  • Hunter Goodman (OF, COL) — Keep an eye on the catcher eligibility. He has two starts (three appearances) so far and with Diaz out more may be coming.
  • James Wood (OF, WAS) — Top-10 prospect with plenty of pop but may not be up until mid-summer (or later).
  • Heston Kjerstad (OF, BAL) —Not the worst use of an N/A slot, assuming you have one.
  • Cedric Mullins (OF, BAL) — Droppable. This outfield is a mess.
  • Jordan Walker (OF, STL) — If you want a silver lining, he rebounded nicely after his last trip to the minors.
  • Will Benson (OF, CIN) The strikeouts are tough to watch outside of OBP, and I think the Reds want someone more reliable leading off.
  • Jack Suwinski (OF, PIT) — He’s still the same left-handed streaky power bat he’s always been, which means there will be times he should be rostered.
  • Max Kepler (OF, MIN) — A fine replacement-level guy when you need some pop.
  • Justyn-Henry Malloy (OF, DET) — Love the character and the on-base skills, but not sure he’ll get the playing time or do enough damage with the bat to be worth a scoop in standard leagues.
  • JJ Bleday (OF, OAK) — He’s more valuable in OBP because of the walks but the rest of the package isn’t that exciting.
  • Pete Crow-Armstrong (OF, CHC) — Stuck in a platoon, and there’s still some development to be done in the bigs.
  • Josh Lowe (OF, TBR) — Between the durability issues, playing time issues, and streaky performance, I am struggling to put him on the List.
  • Austin Hays (OF, BAL) — He’s hot, which happens when you’re aggressive. Without a full time role he’s a daily streamer at best.
  • Nelson Velázquez (OF, KCR) — Aggressive and has pop, and like most guys with this profile, prone to streaks.
  • Jose Siri (OF, TBR) — Has speed and power to spare, but injury issues, strikeouts, and streakiness hold him back.
  • Jake McCarthy (OF, ARI) — Pure speed streamer.
  • Jesus Sanchez (OF, MIA) — Hits the ball hard but doesn’t pull it much which kills his home run upside.
  • Masataka Yoshida (OF, BOS) — Need to be certain he’s an everyday player before he’s back on the list. Sat a lot before getting hurt.

IL Stashes

  • J.T. Realmuto (C, PHI) — Hopefully we see him before August.
  • Willson Contreras (C, STL) — Droppable if your IL is full. Still five or six weeks away at best.
  • Elias Díaz (C, COL) — If you only have one or two IL spots he might be a drop.
  • Henry Davis (C, PIT) — He should go back on the wire in single-catcher leagues.
  • Triston Casas (1B, BOS)Almost ready to swing a bat. Will likely be a Top 50-75 player when he’s ready.
  • Christian Encarnacion-Strand (1B/3B, CIN) — Likely out for the year.
  • Alex Kirilloff (1B/OF, MIN) — Droppable in 10-12 teamers.
  • Mookie Betts (2B/SS/OF, LAD) — He’ll be back in the top tier on return.
  • Matt McLain (2B, CIN) — Not back until the last month or two of the season. Droppable if your IL is full.
  • Michael Massey (2B, KCR) Droppable if your IL is full. Outside of top 100 on return.
  • Brendan Rodgers (2B, COL) — Should be back by the end of June.
  • Xander Bogaerts (2B/SS, SDP) — Tough stash if you’ve already got a loaded IL.
  • Josh Jung (3B, TEX) — Getting very close. Will be a top 50-75 player when he’s ready.
  • Max Muncy (3B, LAD) — Will likely be a top 75-100 player when he’s ready.
  • Bo Bichette (SS, TOR) — Top-50 hitter on return.
  • Jordan Lawlar (SS, ARI) — He’s on a rehab now and will be with the big league club when ready. Outside of top 100 on return but worth watching.
  • Kyle Tucker (OF, HOU) Should be back by the end of the week. Top five player.
  • Mike Trout (OF, LAA) — He should be back this season and should be stashed on ILs. Should be in the top 25-35 on his return.
  • Jasson Domínguez (OF, NYY) — Dealing with an oblique issue, and the roster is currently fairly crowded.
  • Eloy Jiménez (DH, CHW) — Death, taxes, yada yada yada. Outside of top 100 on return.
  • Michael Harris II (OF, ATL) — No timetable for a return. Top-75 hitter when he comes back, assuming he can reclaim a spot near the top of the lineup.
  • Kerry Carpenter (OF, DET) — Hard to stash if your IL is already full. Borderline top 100 on return.
  • Evan Carter (OF, TEX) — Makes you wonder if back issues have been an issue all season. Droppable if your IL is full. Outside of top 100 on return.
  • LaMonte Wade Jr. (1B/OF, SFG) I’d expect him to be back around the All-Star Break. Droppable if your IL is full.
  • Jordan Beck (OF, COL) Droppable if your IL is full.
  • Ronald Acuña Jr. (OF, ATL) Obviously, he’s a drop in redraft leagues.
  • Wilyer Abreu (OF, BOS) Droppable if your IL is full. Outside of top 100 on return.
  • Mike Tauchman (OF, CHC) — Droppable in most formats. Grade 2 sprains can take a minute.

Photos by Icon Sportswire | Design by J.R. Caines (@JRCainesDesign on Twitter and @caines_design on Instagram)

Scott Chu

Scott Chu is a Senior Fantasy Analyst here at Pitcher List and has written about fantasy baseball since 2013. He's also the inventor of Fantasy Curling (as seen the Wall Street Journal) and co-host of the Hacks & Jacks Podcast on the PL Podcast Network, and 4x FSWA Award nominee for Best Fantasy Baseball Podcast. In addition to being a fantasy analyst, he's a dad of three, animal lover, Simpsons fanatic, amateur curler, a CODA, and an attorney.

5 responses to “Top 150 Hitters For Fantasy Baseball 2024: Week 12 – 6/20”

  1. Andreas says:

    No way Bregman > R. Lewis. That’s a joke.

  2. Babbo B says:

    Not sure Castro is all that useful for speed anymore, either – two steals in his last 25 games, three in his last 35.

  3. Vh says:

    Wilson Contreras is on rehab assignment. Not 5 or 6 weeks away. He may be back in a week or so.

  4. J.C. Aoudad says:

    Great work, as always. Is Nolan Gorman off the Taxi Squad on purpose?

  5. Billy Bathhouse says:

    How many more home runs until your weekly piss on Jackson Merrill ends?

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