Top 150 Hitters For Fantasy Baseball 2024: Week 15 – 7/11

Let’s just get right to it, shall we?

• 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

 

• Aaron Judge is slashing .148/.233/.148 in his last 30 plate appearances and it changes absolutely nothing. He could do this for another two weeks without me changing my opinion of his outlook. Streaks are a natural and normal part of the game.

 

Tier 2

 

• I know it has to be called Tier 2, but it’s really more of Tier 1B. At any given moment, one of these guys is making a case to join Tier 1.

 

Tier 3

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

• Elly De La Cruz almost joined Tier 2 about three times while I was adjusting the rankings. The strikeout rate is likely to stay around 30%, but that’s just fine as long as he keeps walking at a double-digit rate as he has been lately. De La Cruz has been exceptional of late, with four home runs, 11 steals, and 31 combined runs and RBI over the last 25 games while slashing .303/.393/.602, and the only thing holding him out of Tier 2 is the awareness that his slumps have the potential to last longer and be more devastating than the slumps we’d expect from those guys above him. That could change, though, if Elly can get a bit more consistent in his decision making, and he’s making some gains this season that could help him get there, especially in the zone and against breaking balls.

 

• Don’t fret over all the red, as it’s simply due to Bryce Harper returning from the IL, except for the case of

 

Tier 4

 

• I admit that I had been focusing too much on surface-level metrics in analyzing Matt Olson. Using our Hitter Ability metrics (which are available to PL Pro members), it’s plain to see that Olson has some troubling charts when compared to 2023 and also just within this season. It’s not a good look and I am not longer as adamant that a turnaround is imminent. That said, I still rank him inside the top-25 due to the massive upside and ability.

• Christian Yelich is on absolute fire and you love to see it.

 

Tier 5

 

• Jarren Duran may fall short of 20 home runs, but those in total bases and points leagues have to be thrilled with all the doubles and triples this guy brings to the table. He is tied for third in all of baseball in doubles with 25, and his 10 triples leads the league.
• The longer we go without seeing that crazy upside we expected to see from Jazz Chisholm Jr., the harder it gets to keep him quite this high in the rankings. Don’t get me wrong, a healthy jazz will stay inside the top-50 hitters, but where he falls in that is tied to what kind of upside we can expect in a full season (and we haven’t seen him come close to that long of a season since 2021).

 

Tier 6

 

• CJ Abrams has massive stolen base potential with his speed and the aggressiveness of his manager, and he flashes the ability to hit for average and power, but he has been so incredibly up and down this season that it has been difficult to get a gauge on what to expect going forward. How the heck did a guy this fast get caught stealing five times in 11 tries last month? Why did he not really run at all in May? Where did April’s power go? Knowing this potential is there makes it tough to drop him too far in the rankings, but these slumps and wild fluctuations in performance make me question how high I can keep ranking him.
• Christian Walker had a fantastic week last week which helped him get back on track for the full season numbers.
• Welcome back, Kyle Schwarber. He’s going to need a hot streak or two to approach 40 home runs for a third consecutive season, but I wouldn’t count him out yet.

 

Tier 7

 

• Anthony Volpe has been stuck in a rut and it has cost him sole possession of the leadoff spot in the Bronx. I have a feeling he will still hit in that spot against left-handed pitching (they haven’t faced a lefty in over a week). He can earn that gig back, but it may take a minute. The last 13 games where he’s posted a -12 wRC+ combined with the slump the team is going through overall has amplified the issue, but I’m not that concerned long-term.
• Ian Happ is as hot as ever, but his overall skill set and talent level hasn’t changed.
• Luis Arraez hasn’t shown as much power as he had in seasons past, and just to be clear, that was already very little power. He doesn’t score as many runs as you’d like to see from an everyday leadoff man with his kind of bat-to-ball skills (currently on pace for maybe 90 or so), which means Arraez is mostly just an elite batting average option right now.

 

Tier 8

 

• Most players in this tier are getting a bit of a boost from other players being dropped down the ranks or hitting the IL.
• Oneil Cruz is strong. See below for additional details.

• Jackson Merrill isn’t hitting for the same power this last week, but that’s totally fine. The power was a huge surprise and I’m not expecting that kind of thing to happen again. He’s had extended stretches with little to no power already this season and I expect a few more stretches to happen. Merrill’s ratios should carry him even during those outages.
• Another week, another bump for Wyatt Langford and Jackson Chourio. Love seeing the talent and opportunities on display on a regular basis.

 

Tier 9

 

• I wish Taylor Ward wasn’t so streaky. I’m beginning to accept that his more extreme ups and downs are just part of the package.
• Don’t let Cody Bellinger’s poor Statcast numbers make you think something is wrong. They were always not that good and he produced anyway. I’m far more worried about the finger injury than his Statcast page.
• Jarred Kelenic is getting the strikeouts under control (to an extent) and that’s key to keeping this leadoff role. He should stay there at least until Michael Harris II returns, and even then, it’d be Kelenic’s role to lose. He’s made a few gains in power and decision-making (against fastballs, specifically), which I love to see in terms of development. It’s worth noting, though, that he has some contact issues and those can often drive inconsistency.

• Ezequiel Tovar had a horrendous homestand to the disappointment of many, but I still think he can keep outperforming his Statcast metrics and be useful in all formats.
• Corbin Carroll just can’t find that power stroke, and it’s worse than what we saw in 2023.

• Are you still good or not, George Springer? Make up your mind!
• It’s a major drop for Bo Bichette, who continues to disappoint in the power department and is now dealing with a leg injury. I’m not dropping him yet, but I could see myself doing that in August if we don’t see signs of a turnaround. Truthfully, if they said he was going to hit the IL for a month and I didn’t have open spots, I’m not sure what I’d do in a 12-teamer.

 

Tier 10

 

• Heliot Ramos still has the potential to be a volatile asset, but one thing that has been very consistent is his ability to hit for power.

• Brenton Doyle saved many a manager last week with his home run heroics, and I’m curious to see how much higher his power metrics can climb.

• Christopher Morel’s strikeout issues, which he had kept at bay all season long, have resurfaced and it’s heart-breaking to see. That said, he did break a fairly long home run drought on Wednesday, so maybe this increased aggression will help reset him in a positive way? Please?

 

Tier 11

 

• Nathaniel Lowe has played well over the last month but the power still seems limited to a sub-20 home run total, which means he’d need to really step up the counting stats to generate excitement.
• I think Jesse Winker is done running, or at the very least, we should not look at him as a source of future steals. He can hit, though, and that’s what matters.
• Ceddanne Rafaela’s streakiness and ratio issues keep me from ranking him higher, but the power and speed are the real deal and I continue to assert that he’s the type of guy who can get to 20 home runs and 20 steals.

 

Tier 12

 

• Welcome back, Lars Nootbaar. It looks like he’s going to hit near the middle of the order instead of near the top, but there should still be plenty of opportunities for fantasy goodness if he gets back on track.
• Byron Buxton is lighting in a glass bottle, and seems to have more of that electricity in him than I initially gave him credit for.
• Jose Miranda don’t blow us away with home run power and isn’t a threat on the basepaths, but there’s enough pop to drive useful counting stats and his bat-to-ball skills are top notch. Combine those skills with even merely above-average decision-making skills, and you could have a second breakout on your hands.

• James Wood has fared well in his first week or so of major league action, keeping that strikeout rate at a very manageable 25.6% and walking 14% of of the time through 43 plate appearances (see the decision-making chart below for more good news) while also giving us glimpses of the power we’ve heard so much about. Sure, he’s only slugging .361 right now, but in the early goings I am more concerned with whether a hitter with a history of strikeout issues is overwhelmed by major league stuff, and that’s definitely not the case. The next step will be getting the ball in the air, something he did less of in the minors this season than in years past, though it’s not something I am particularly worried about yet. The 76% groundball rate looks ugly, but in a sample of this size it’s mostly random noise. Once he finds that lift, that 94.6 mile per hour average exit velocity and 60% hard-hit rate will get to shine.

• Ben Rice is the savior of the Bronx right now, and if there’s one thing that market is known for, it’s the even-keeled nature of the fan base that resists the urge to exaggerate the current situation. In all seriousness, Rice’s role batting first or fourth (I don’t really have a preference either way for fantasy purposes) is of extreme value, as is the first base and catcher eligibility. Even if he’s just the flavor of the moment (he’s got the talent to be more than that), it’s a flavor worth trying.

• Brooks Lee can do a little bit of everything and should get plenty of run in Minnesota in the short term.

 

Tier 13

 

• Colt Keith is back with a vengeance as he seems to have found his groove against big league pitching. He’s a prospect with a ton of upside who hasn’t been overmatched at all at the big league level, so scoop him up if it’s not too late.
• Noelvi Marte is better than this, I’m sure of it. The question is more about how long you can wait to see him emerge from this slump.
• In standard 12-team leagues, starting with Bryan De La Cruz at 125, we very firmly are in streaming/needs-based territory. Ranks from this point on will WILDLY fluctuate based on what hole you’re trying to close up at any given moment.

 

Tier 14

 

• Maybe Anthony Rendon has something left in the tank, and that’s a gamble worth taking if you’re struggling to find a stop-gap at third base.
• Ryan Jeffers was terrible for a month or so, but we’ve kept a candle burning for him because he has raw power that isn’t easy to find. Much of the drop-off from early season could have been from a drop in decision value, though a rise in contact ability can help make up for that in some scenarios.

• Masataka Yoshida seems to be recovering from a poor start to the season and has clawed his way back into the everyday lineup. The power won’t be that impressive, but perhaps he can be a poor man’s Jose Miranda the rest of the way.
• Michael Busch’s season-long numbers can be misleading, particularly his lofty wRC+, as they are driven by his early season and very recent success along with wRC+’s high valuation of walks which doesn’t exactly translate to fantasy glory.
• Good for Rece Hinds. There are some skills driving this incredibly small sample of success, but there’s not much we can learn from what we’ve seen besides the fact that he’s playing and could have something worth rostering here.
• Justyn-Henry Malloy is playing more regularly and playing well, so there’s definitely some appeal if you need power or OBP at the back end of your roster.
• David Hamilton’s ratio magic has run out and now he’s a steals-only contributor.
• Kyle Higashioka is probably just hot, but hot catchers are worth at least a little attention.

 

Rank	Hitter	Position	Change
1	Shohei OhtaniT1	DH	-
2	Aaron Judge	OF	-
3	Bobby Witt Jr. T2	SS	-
4	José Ramírez	3B	-
5	Gunnar Henderson	3B, SS	-
6	Juan Soto	OF	-
7	Elly De La Cruz T3	3B, SS	+2
8	Bryce Harper	1B	+UR
9	Yordan Alvarez	OF	-1
10	Freddie Freeman	1B	-3
11	Rafael Devers	3B	-1
12	Pete Alonso	1B	-1
13	Austin Riley	3B	-1
14	Vladimir Guerrero Jr.	1B	-
15	Marcell Ozuna	DH	-2
16	Corey Seager T4	SS	+1
17	Trea Turner	SS	-1
18	Jose Altuve	2B	-
19	Francisco Lindor	SS	-
20	Julio Rodríguez	OF	-
21	Matt Olson	1B	-6
22	Alex Bregman	3B	-1
23	Christian Yelich	OF	+6
24	Adley Rutschman	C	-1
25	William Contreras	C	-1
26	Jarren Duran T5	OF	+4
27	Josh Naylor	1B	-2
28	Ketel Marte	2B	-
29	Will Smith	C	-3
30	Marcus Semien	2B	+2
31	Jazz Chisholm Jr.	OF	-4
32	Riley Greene	OF	+1
33	Steven Kwan T6	OF	+2
34	CJ Abrams	SS	-
35	Luis Robert Jr.	OF	+2
36	Christian Walker	1B	+3
37	Ozzie Albies	2B	-1
38	Anthony Santander	OF	-
39	Kyle Schwarber	OF	+UR
40	Randy Arozarena	OF	+1
41	Bryan Reynolds T7	OF	+5
42	Anthony Volpe	SS	-11
43	Adolis García	OF	-3
44	Teoscar Hernández	OF	-2
45	Manny Machado	3B	-2
46	Lane Thomas	OF	-1
47	Ryan Mountcastle	1B	-3
48	Isaac Paredes	1B, 3B	-1
49	Paul Goldschmidt	1B	-1
50	Willy Adames	SS	-1
51	Jordan Westburg	2B, 3B	+2
52	Brice Turang	2B, SS	+2
53	Vinnie Pasquantino	1B	+2
54	Brandon Nimmo	OF	+6
55	Ian Happ	OF	+4
56	Andrés Giménez	2B	-4
57	Luis Arraez	2B	-7
58	Oneil Cruz T8	SS	-
59	Spencer Steer	1B, 3B, OF	+10
60	Lourdes Gurriel Jr.	OF	+3
61	Salvador Perez	C, 1B	+5
62	Alec Bohm	1B, 3B	+2
63	Jackson Merrill	SS, OF	+4
64	J.D. Martinez	DH	+1
65	Logan O’Hoppe	C	+6
66	Seiya Suzuki	OF	+8
67	Wyatt Langford	OF	+11
68	Jackson Chourio	OF	+11
69	Taylor Ward T9	OF	-13
70	Cody Bellinger	1B, OF	-13
71	Jarred Kelenic	OF	+4
72	Jurickson Profar	1B, OF	+4
73	Ryan McMahon	2B, 3B	-
74	Ezequiel Tovar	SS	-12
75	Yainer Diaz	C	+2
76	Corbin Carroll	OF	-15
77	Nick Castellanos	OF	-7
78	Willson Contreras	C	+3
79	Jonathan India	2B	+3
80	George Springer	OF	+19
81	Carlos Correa	SS	+6
82	Alec Burleson	1B, OF	+1
83	Bo Bichette	SS	-32
84	Josh Smith	3B, SS, OF	-12
85	Tyler O’Neill T10	OF	-1
86	Heliot Ramos	OF	+5
87	Matt Chapman	3B	-2
88	Brenton Doyle	OF	+13
89	Alex Verdugo	OF	-9
90	Christopher Morel	2B, 3B, OF	-22
91	Bryson Stott	2B	-3
92	Nolan Arenado T11	3B	-3
93	Jorge Soler	OF	-1
94	Nathaniel Lowe	1B	+6
95	Andrew Vaughn	1B	-1
96	Jake Cronenworth	1B, 2B	-1
97	Jesse Winker	OF	-7
98	Ceddanne Rafaela	SS, OF	+4
99	Yandy Díaz	1B	-13
100	Francisco Alvarez	C	-3
101	Mark Vientos	3B	-3
102	Cal Raleigh T12	C	+8
103	Rhys Hoskins	1B	-10
104	Lars Nootbaar	OF	+UR
105	Brendan Donovan	2B, OF	-2
106	Byron Buxton	OF	+14
107	Brent Rooker	OF	+7
108	Sean Murphy	C	+1
109	Jose Miranda	3B	+28
110	James Wood	OF	+22
111	Ha-Seong Kim	2B, 3B, SS	-6
112	Jeremy Peña	SS	+6
113	Ben Rice	C, 1B	+UR
114	Masyn Winn	SS	-3
115	Ryan O’Hearn	1B, OF	+6
116	Joc Pederson	OF	-3
117	Nico Hoerner	2B, SS	-2
118	Brooks Lee	2B	+UR
119	Colt Keith T13	2B, 3B	+UR
120	Jeimer Candelario	1B, 3B	-13
121	Maikel Garcia	2B, 3B	+2
122	Noelvi Marte	3B	-6
123	Nick Gonzales	2B	-1
124	Zack Gelof	2B	+5
125	Bryan De La Cruz	OF	-29
126	Dansby Swanson	SS	-22
127	Andy Pages	OF	-1
128	Gleyber Torres	2B	-1
129	Willi Castro	2B, 3B, SS, OF	-12
130	Eloy Jiménez	OF	-
131	Josh Lowe	OF	+4
132	Mitch Garver T14	C	+11
133	Patrick Bailey	C	-21
134	Luis García Jr.	2B	+UR
135	Anthony Rendon	3B	+UR
136	Ryan Jeffers	C	+UR
137	Tyler Stephenson	C, 1B	+13
138	Spencer Horwitz	2B	-10
139	Shea Langeliers	C	+UR
140	Masataka Yoshida	OF	+UR
141	Michael Busch	1B	+UR
142	Miguel Andujar	OF	-3
143	Cedric Mullins	OF	-24
144	Rece Hinds	OF	+UR
145	Justyn-Henry Malloy	OF	+UR
146	J.P. Crawford	SS	-22
147	David Hamilton	SS	-39
148	Zach Neto	SS	-3
149	Kyle Higashioka	C	+UR
150	Danny Jansen	C	-17

 

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, BOS) — Ice cold for the last week but still hits in the heart of the order.
• Jonah Heim (C, TEX) — His history of being mediocre is a lot longer than his history of being good.
• Keibert Ruiz (C, WAS) — Points league streamer.
• Ben Rortvedt (C, TBR) — If you need a second catcher to stream, go for it.
• Bo Naylor (C, CLE) — Has plenty of pop and hitting a bit better of late.
• David Fry (C/1B, CLE) — Finding playing time, but the decision value and power metrics have taken a steep drop of late.

First Base

• Rowdy Tellez (1B, PIT) — On a wicked hot streak and avoiding strikeouts but this just feels like a hot streak.
• Luke Raley (1B/OF, SEA) — Power and speed that comes with streakiness and contact issues.
• Carlos Santana (1B, MIN) — Streamable in spurts, especially in OBP.
• 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.
• Nolan Schanuel (1B, LAA) — Slappy points league and ratios contributor (unless slugging is one of your ratios).
• Jhonkensy Noel (1B, CLE) — Has power upside, but don’t expect consistency in performance or playing time.
• Michael Toglia (1B/OF, COL) — Streamable at home due to the power but the batting average is poison.
• LaMonte Wade Jr. (1B/OF, SFG) — Will be interested if he gets out of a platoon.
• Justin Turner (1B/2B/3B, TOR) — Gas tank seems a bit empty these days, but he’s had a heckuva career.

Second Base

• Jorge Polanco (2B, SEA) — There’s upside here, but he’s looked so awful in a Mariners’ uniform.
• 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) — 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.
• Michael Massey (2B, KCR) — Let’s see if he recaptures any of that pre-injury magic.

Third Base

• Matt Vierling (3B/OF, DET)— Hitting third, but this offense is not very good.
• Junior Caminero (3B, TBR) — On a rehab and hit a home run (albeit at the complex level).
• Coby Mayo (3B, BAL) — There’s no room for him but the power and plate discipline (before 2024) is exciting.
• Jake Burger (3B, MIA) — Just has not been the same since hitting the IL (and maybe a little before then).
• Ke’Bryan Hayes (3B, PIT) — Has speed and upside, but simply not getting it done.
• Donovan Solano (1B/2B/3B, SDP) — Has regular playing time and versatility, but is more of a jack-of-all-trades than a difference-maker in any specific category.
• Lenyn Sosa (2B/3B, CHW) — Hyper-aggressive approach means he’ll get hot for short spurts but I don’t see a path to reliability.

Shortstop

• 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.
• Max Schuemann (SS, OAK) — There’s only so much excitement you can muster for the guy batting ninth for the A’s.
• Thairo Estrada (2B/SS, SFG) — Doesn’t have a clear role and hits at the bottom of the order again.

Outfield/DH

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

• 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.
• Heston Kjerstad (OF, BAL) — Just not enough playing time to make him a must-roster in 12-teamers.
• Max Kepler (OF, MIN) — A fine replacement-level guy when you need some pop.
• Jordan Walker (OF, STL) — If you want a silver lining, he rebounded nicely after his last trip to the minors.
• 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.
• Austin Hays (OF, BAL) — 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.
• Wilyer Abreu (OF, BOS) — Streaky hitter who is more of a streamer than locked-in fantasy regular.
• Jo Adell (OF, LAA) — If you’re looking to chase upside, this is a good place to start.
• Colton Cowser (OF, BAL) — That power will make him interesting at various times but the unsteady role and streakiness will hold him back.
• Daulton Varsho (OF, TOR) — There are too many outfield options to suffer these slumps in 12-team leagues.
• Tommy Pham (OF, CWS) — He leads off and that’s about it.
• Angel Martínez (OF, CLE) — Has walked four times more than he’s struck out to start the season, but not sure the overall tool set is enough in standard leagues. Scoop him up in OBP if you need a stream, though.

IL Stashes

• J.T. Realmuto (C, PHI) — Hopefully we see him before August.
• Triston Casas (1B, BOS) — Almost ready to swing a bat. Will likely be a Top 50-75 player when he’s ready.
• 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.
• Luis Rengifo (2B/3B/SS/OF, LAA) —Should still somehow steal 30 bases this season after stealing just 18 from 2019-2023.
• Isiah Kiner-Falefa (2B/3B/OF, TOR) — Shouldn’t be out long.
• Matt McLain (2B, CIN) — Not back until the last month or two of the season. Droppable if your IL is full.
• Joey Ortiz (2B/3B, MIL) — Should be back soon.
• Xander Bogaerts (2B/SS, SDP) — Tough stash if you’ve already got a loaded IL.
• Royce Lewis (3B, MIN) — The injury bug will just not let go of this man.
• 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.
• Jordan Lawlar (SS, ARI) — He’s out until possibly August. Outside of top 100 on return but worth watching.
• Kyle Tucker (OF, HOU) — This thing keeps dragging on but finally getting good news. Top-five player on return.
• Fernando Tatis Jr. (OF, SDP) — Top-20 on his return, probably sometime in mid-July.
• 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.
• TJ Friedl (OF, CIN) — Constantly battling injuries, should be back by mid-July. Top 80-100 on return.
• Giancarlo Stanton (OF, NYY) — Should be back by the end of July. Top 80-100 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.
• Starling Marte (OF, NYM) — I wouldn’t expect him back until early August. Top 100-120 on return as he may sit even more until fully healthy.
• 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.
• Jordan Beck (OF, COL) — Droppable if your IL is full.
• Ronald Acuña Jr. (OF, ATL) — Obviously, he’s a drop in redraft leagues. Still top-5 in dynasty.
• Mike Tauchman (OF, CHC) — Droppable in most formats. Grade 2 sprains can take a minute.

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