by See how good Seager can be in 2023
Self Corey SeagerThe ADP stays in the 50s as we get deeper into draft season, so I’m apparently going to land him anywhere. Seager is currently number 26 in my all-around and I’m tempted to push him into the second round. At 28, he is in his all-time prime and comes off a year in which he has had no luck with balls in play (.242 BABIP vs. career .317), except when they went over the fence (33 HR) .
Seager’s hitting profile wasn’t unusual by his standards last season, so don’t worry. He is among hitters who can expect to take full advantage of MLB’s new rostering rules, which should mean he will be a significant batting average asset, not a liability. Assuming good health, a 90-30-90-.300 season is definitely realistic. — Andy Behrens
The prodigal son returns
There is a lot of FUD out there regarding Fernando Tatis Jr., who is coming off both a PED suspension and multiple surgeries. But this is someone who logged a .292/125/116/48/31 by pace of 162 games before the age of 24 e while playing with one arm last season. Tatis is simply built different. And he is younger Of Vinnie Pasquantino!
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I’ve never been so excited to draft someone who falls in Round 2. —Dalton Del Don
Losing sleep over the latest Rodriguez in Seattle
I dare you to find someone ready out in the open Julius Rodriguez before me in 2023 (just kidding, don’t do this, I don’t want to compete with anyone).
I loved everything about Rodriguez’s Rookie of the Year-winning 2022 season. To think, it was his first taste of MLB action and he looked like a seasoned veteran at the plate – he hit out 145 times but still delivered a .284 batting average and a .345 OBP (and only a .345 BABIP!! ! ). He had the expected start to his major league career, found his footing in the middle of the season, went through the usual August slump that most first year players go through, and then freaked out in September and to the playoffs – this guy is legit.
We all know about the potential of 30-30 horsepower speeds, so there’s no need to get too into that here. Rodriguez has “superstars” written all over it, the new face of a Mariners franchise that has had legendary faces in the past. I’m all in — hasn’t dealt with injuries like Ronald Acuna Jr. and is seven years younger than Trea Turner. J-Rod is my No. 1 pick. 1 in the 2023 fantasy drafts. —Mo Castillo
Fly with a pair of Blue Jays stars
I know it won’t be cheap to get fantasy odds of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. OR BoBichette, but this is one party we don’t want to miss out on. Both Toronto legacy guys are still in their early 20s and the Blue Jays are introducing fences (which should help the offense more than a slight lift of the fence could hurt). While Guerrero and Bichette are already stars, we probably haven’t seen their best seasons yet.
Isn’t it fun to ride the escalator? — Scott Pianowski
A 30/30 threat without the helium
Give me Kyle Tucker, the eternal second or third fiddle in the Houston Astros’ real-world lineup who turned into a fantasy superstar. The lanky, gloveless lefty hit exactly 30 homers in back-to-back seasons and caught a career-high 25 bases last season. To top it all off, FanGraphs’ depth charts project Tucker for a . 275 batting average (others have it even higher) and 112 RBI as part of Houston’s still-formidable team.
[2023 Fantasy Baseball Rankings: C | 1B | 2B | 3B | SS | OF | SP | RP]
Why does it become a top priority for me? For one thing, I think it’s a better bet to go 30/30 than some of its more touted peers, like Braves star Ronald Acuña Jr. (perhaps treated more conservatively after knee issues) and Mariners phenom Julio Rodriguez (who ran much less in the second half).
I like Tucker’s stolen base advantage for a counterintuitive reason: It’s not… that fast. Let me explain.
Tucker doesn’t tear down basic courses with sheer speed. Instead, he stands out for his efficiency. His 86.9% success rate on steal attempts is second among all runners with 50 or more attempts since 2018. And the new pickoff rules that accompany the pitch timer appear to offer more opportunities for crafty base stealers . Production consistent with the club and lift with the legs? Sign me up. — Zach Crizer
