Early 2019 Fantasy Baseball Rankings (Top 250)

With the MLB playoffs underway, it is officially time to begin looking at the 2019 fantasy baseball season. In the coming weeks, I’ll be rolling out my dynasty rankings and early bold predictions, but we’ve got to first begin with the top 250 rankings. Much is subject to change as players change rosters and we get more information on injuries, but as of now, this is how I would draft my teams and it should give you a pretty reliable glimpse on how fantasy drafts may shape up five months from now. I’ll take it 50 players at a time and highlight one ranking that I’m particularly passionate about from each group.

Top 50

1	Mike Trout	LAA	OF
2	Mookie Betts	BOS	OF
3	Jose Ramirez	CLE	3B
4	Francisco Lindor	CLE	SS
5	Nolan Arenado	COL	3B
6	Christian Yelich	MIL	OF
7	J.D. Martinez	BOS	OF
8	Manny Machado	FA	SS
9	Jose Altuve	HOU	2B
10	Chris Sale	BOS	SP
11	Max Scherzer	WSH	SP
12	Corey Kluber	CLE	SP
13	Aaron Judge	NYY	OF
14	Bryce Harper	FA	OF
15	Trea Turner	WSH	SS
16	Alex Bregman	HOU	3B/SS
17	Paul Goldschmidt	ARI	1B
18	Andrew Benintendi	BOS	OF
19	Ronald Acuna Jr.	ATL	OF
20	Freddie Freeman	ATL	1B
21	Javier Baez	CHC	2B/SS/3B
22	Giancarlo Stanton	NYY	OF
23	Carlos Correa	HOU	SS
24	Clayton Kershaw	LAD	SP
25	Trevor Story	COL	SS
26	Aaron Nola	PHI	SP
27	Charlie Blackmon	COL	OF
28	Jacob deGrom	NYM	SP
29	Kris Bryant	CHC	3B/OF
30	Noah Syndergaard	NYM	SP
31	Juan Soto	WSH	OF
32	Ozzie Albies	ATL	2B
33	Blake Snell	TB	SP
34	Trevor Bauer	CLE	SP
35	Anthony Rendon	WSH	3B
36	Rhys Hoskins	PHI	OF
37	Gerrit Cole	HOU	SP
38	Justin Verlander	HOU	SP
39	Cody Bellinger	LAD	1B/OF
40	Eugenio Suarez	CIN	3B
41	George Springer	HOU	OF
42	Anthony Rizzo	CHC	1B
43	Matt Carpenter	STL	1B/3B
44	Corey Seager	LAD	SS
45	Starling Marte	PIT	OF
46	Khris Davis	OAK	DH
47	Whit Merrifield	KC	2B/OF
48	Gleyber Torres	NYY	2B/SS
49	Eddie Rosario	MIN	OF
50	Xander Bogaerts	BOS	SS

Cody Bellinger (1B/OF – LAD)
You may have been burned by Bellinger this year, but that doesn’t mean you should say never again on a 23-year-old power-phenom. Here is the list of players with 60+ homers in their first two years under 24 years old: Albert Pujols, Eddie Matthews, Ryan Braun, Frank Robinson, Kris Bryant, Mark Teixeira, Evan Longoria and Bellinger. That’s it. Giancarlo Stanton and Barry Bonds didn’t do it and neither did Miguel Cabrera or Ted Williams. The list is exclusive to superstars and Bellinger belongs to it. Oh, by the way, he’s got 24 stolen bases already too which only Braun can stake claim to from the list above. He is a special player and despite the lackluster 2018 results, I’m still buying a ticket. he gave us reason to hope in the second half too. From August 1st until the end of the year, Bellinger batted .312/.388/.509 with a prorated pace of 24 homers and 27 stolen bases. That will do.

51 to 100

51	Luis Severino	NYY	SP
52	Walker Buehler	LAD	SP
53	J.T. Realmuto	MIA	C
54	Joey Votto	CIN	1B
55	Justin Upton	LAA	OF
56	Jose Abreu	CWS	1B
57	Jack Flaherty	STL	SP
58	A.J. Pollock	FA	OF
59	James Paxton	SEA	SP
60	Jean Segura	SEA	SS
61	Lorenzo Cain	MIL	OF
62	Stephen Strasburg	WSH	SP
63	Carlos Carrasco	CLE	SP
64	Tommy Pham	TB	OF
65	Mitch Haniger	SEA	OF
66	Gary Sanchez	NYY	C
67	Madison Bumgarner	SF	SP
68	Adalberto Mondesi	KC	SS
69	Wil Myers	SD	OF/3B
70	Daniel Murphy	FA	2B
71	Nelson Cruz	FA	DH
72	Marcell Ozuna	STL	OF
73	Zack Greinke	ARI	SP
74	Justin Turner	LAD	3B
75	Mike Foltynewicz	ATL	SP
76	Vladimir Guerrero Jr.	TOR	3B
77	Nicholas Castellanos	DET	OF
78	Willson Contreras	CHC	C
79	Shohei Ohtani	LAA	DH/SP
80	Kenley Jansen	LAD	RP
81	Ender Inciarte	ATL	OF
82	Jose Berrios	MIN	SP
83	Edwin Diaz	SEA	RP
84	Patrick Corbin	FA	SP
85	Yoan Moncada	CWS	2B
86	Aroldis Chapman	NYY	RP
87	Rougned Odor	TEX	2B
88	Jonathan Villar	BAL	2B
89	Aaron Hicks	NYY	OF
90	Craig Kimbrel	FA	RP
91	Carlos Martinez	STL	SP
92	Jesus Aguilar	MIL	1B
93	Miguel Sano	MIN	3B
94	Edwin Encarnacion	CLE	1B
95	Nomar Mazara	TEX	OF
96	Matt Chapman	OAK	3B
97	Roberto Osuna	HOU	RP
98	Blake Treinen	OAK	RP
99	Dee Gordon	SEA	2B/OF
100	David Price	BOS	SP

Jonathan Villar (2B – BAL)
I never thought I’d be recommending this name again, yet here we are. Just two seasons prior, Villar was a fantasy superstar, swiping 62 bags and swatting 19 homers while qualifying at both 2B and SS. In 2017 and for the start of 2018, he took a big dip, but once he was dealt to the Orioles, Villar took off again. In just 54 starts (exactly one-third of the season), he hit 8 homers and stole 21 basses. That 24/63 pace looks awfully familiar. Sign me up for a lottery ticket in 2018 when Villar could return second round value out of a ninth-round draft slot.

101 to 150

101	Tim Anderson	CWS	SS
102	Brian Dozier	FA	2B
103	Felipe Vazquez	PIT	RP
104	Didi Gregorius	NYY	SS
105	Gregory Polanco	PIT	OF
106	Joey Gallo	TEX	OF/1B
107	Eric Hosmer	SD	1B
108	Scooter Gennett	CIN	2B
109	Max Muncy	LAD	1B/3B
110	Rafael Devers	BOS	3B
111	David Dahl	COL	OF
112	Matt Olson	OAK	1B
113	Elvis Andrus	TEX	SS
114	Michael Conforto	NYM	OF
115	Jameson Taillon	PIT	SP
116	David Peralta	ARI	OF
117	Josh Hader	MIL	RP
118	Robinson Cano	SEA	2B
119	Michael Brantley	FA	OF
120	Robbie Ray	ARI	SP
121	Jonathan Schoop	MIL	2B
122	Sean Doolittle	WSH	RP
123	Jose Peraza	CIN	SS
124	Kyle Schwarber	CHC	OF
125	Brad Hand	CLE	RP
126	Raisel Iglesias	CIN	RP
127	Eloy Jimenez	CHW	OF
128	Yasiel Puig	LAD	OF
129	Andrew McCutchen	FA	OF
130	Yoenis Cespedes	NYM	OF
131	Lance McCullers Jr.	HOU	SP
132	Josh Donaldson	FA	3B
133	Jon Lester	CHC	SP
134	Sean Newcomb	ATL	SP
135	Zack Wheeler	NYM	SP
136	Harrison Bader	STL	OF
137	Luis Castillo	CIN	SP
138	Chris Archer	PIT	SP
139	Masahiro Tanaka	NYY	SP
140	Nick Pivetta	PHI	SP
141	Victor Robles	WSH	OF
142	Odubel Herrera	PHI	OF
143	DJ LeMahieu	FA	2B
144	Buster Posey	SF	C
145	Cesar Hernandez	PHI	2B
146	Miguel Andujar	NYY	3B
147	Ken Giles	TOR	RP
148	Wilson Ramos	FA	C
149	Kyle Hendricks	CHC	SP
150	Byron Buxton	MIN	OF

David Dahl (OF – COL)
It sure did take long enough, but it appears that Dahl has finally arrived. After years of hype followed by injuries and let-down, the Rockies’ potential star has implanted himself firmly into the heart of Colorado’s lineup. The young slugger was phenomenal in September, batting .287/.330/.985 with 9 homers and 27 RBIs. While he may not exactly be Nolan Arendo with that RBI pace, the batting average could actually rise over .300 as he continues to mature as a hitter. Dahl won’t steal 20 bags, but his 32/10 prorated pace will certainly please fantasy owners if he can keep it up, and frankly, there is room for much more if the September breakout was, in fact, legitimate.

151 to 200

151	Corey Knebel	MIL	RP
152	Yu Darvish	CHC	SP
153	Nick Senzel	CIN	3B
154	Cole Hamels	CHC	SP
155	Miguel Cabrera	DET	1B
156	Dallas Keuchel	FA	SP
157	Jeurys Familia	FA	RP
158	Adam Jones	FA	OF
159	Mike Clevinger	CLE	SP
160	Tyler Glasnow	TB	SP
161	Brandon Morrow	CHC	RP
162	Billy Hamilton	CIN	OF
163	Tyler White	HOU	1B
164	Stephen Piscotty	OAK	OF
165	Eduardo Rodriguez	BOS	SP
166	Salvador Perez	KC	C
167	Seranthony Dominguez	PHI	RP
168	Mike Moustakas	MIL	3B
169	German Marquez	COL	SP
170	Jordan Hicks	STL	RP
171	Evan Longoria	SF	3B
172	Ian Happ	CHC	OF/3B
173	Ian Desmond	COL	1B/OF
174	Carlos Santana	PHI	1B
175	Jose Martinez	STL	1B/OF
176	Amed Rosario	NYM	SS
177	Charlie Morton	FA	SP
178	Yasmani Grandal	FA	C
179	Andrelton Simmons	LAA	SS
180	Willy Adames	TB	SS
181	Yadier Molina	STL	C
182	Kirby Yates	SD	RP
183	Paul DeJong	STL	SS
184	Miles Mikolas	STL	SP
185	Cody Allen	FA	RP
186	Jurickson Profar	TEX	SS/3B/1B
187	Travis Shaw	MIL	3B/2B
188	Mallex Smith	TB	OF
189	Brett Gardner	NYY	OF
190	Francisco Mejia	SD	C
191	Matt Kemp	LAD	OF
192	Scott Kingery	PHI	SS
193	A.J. Minter	ATL	RP
194	Shin-Soo Choo	TEX	OF
195	Kevin Gausman	ATL	SP
196	Zach Britton	FA	RP
197	Trey Mancini	BAL	OF/1B
198	Brandon Nimmo	NYM	OF
199	Jake Lamb	ARI	3B
200	Alex Reyes	STL	SP

Tyler Glasnow (SP – TB)
This is a dangerous name to be recommending, but then again, so were Blake Snell and Trevor Bauer this year, but I did that anyway because of the potential they so clearly had. The worst case scenario is that you find out quickly that Glasnow isn’t an ace and you cut ties before he ruins your season. What that is a possibility, it seems more likely that he has finally turned the corner and may join Snell atop that Rays’ rotation for a long time. After posting the best numbers in minor league baseball during the 2017 season, Glasnow struggled in the majors until being dealt to Tampa where he finished out the season with 3 or fewer runs allowed in 9 of 11 starts. In that time, Glasnow cut down on the walks while striking out well over a batter per inning. He wrapped up his season with 9 Ks over 5 innings, finishing with 10.3 K/9 on the season. There is a legitimate chance he carries that momentum over in 2019 and catches the AL East by storm.

201 to 250

201	Hunter Renfroe	SD	OF
202	Josh Bell	PIT	1B
203	Franmil Reyes	SD	OF
204	Max Kepler	MIN	OF
205	Kyle Tucker	HOU	OF
206	Adam Eaton	WSH	OF
207	Starlin Castro	MIA	2B
208	Kyle Gibson	MIN	SP
209	Keone Kela	PIT	RP
210	Dellin Betances	NYY	RP
211	Corey Dickerson	PIT	OF
212	Mike Zunino	SEA	C
213	Evan Gattis	FA	DH
214	Ketel Marte	ARI	2B/SS
215	Brad Boxberger	ARI	RP
216	Rich Hill	LAD	SP
217	Justin Smoak	TOR	1B
218	Tyler Skaggs	LAA	SP
219	Marcus Semien	OAK	SS
220	Dakota Hudson	STL	SP
221	Zack Godley	ARI	SP
222	Archie Bradley	ARI	RP
223	David Robertson	FA	RP
224	Fernando Tatis Jr.	SD	SS
225	Hyun-Jin Ryu	LAD	SP
226	Chad Green	NYY	RP
227	Rick Porcello	BOS	SP
228	Brandon Belt	SF	1B
229	Wade Davis	COL	RP
230	Maikel Franco	PHI	3B
231	Manuel Margot	SD	OF
232	Jorge Alfaro	PHI	C
233	Jose Leclerc	TEX	RP
234	Danny Jansen	TOR	C
235	Yonder Alonso	CLE	1B
236	Kyle Freeland	COL	SP
237	Luis Urias	SD	2B
238	Brendan Rodgers	COL	2B/SS
239	Kyle Seager	SEA	3B
240	Ryan Zimmerman	WSH	1B
241	Carlos Rodon	CWS	SP
242	Jose Quintana	CHC	SP
243	Austin Meadows	TB	OF
244	Greg Bird	NYY	1B
245	Carl Edwards Jr.	CHC	RP
246	Jorge Polanco	MIN	SS
247	Jed Lowrie	FA	2B
248	Shane Bieber	CLE	SP
249	Ben Zobrist	CHC	OF/2B
250	Luke Voit	NYY	1B

Franmil Reyes (OF – SDP)
If you take a look at the exit velocity leaderboard, you’ll see Reyes sandwiched between superstars like Christian Yelich, Mookie Betts and Kris Davis. His launch angle needs some work, but after being called back up to the majors on August 5th, Reyes obliterated MLB pitching, batting .318/.385/.933 with 10 homers in 157 at-bats. That was by no means a fluke either, as it came following a .324/.428/.614 line in Triple-A. The 6’5″275-pound masher is still just 22 years old and will likely only improve over the off-season. You better believe I’ll be getting plenty of shares with hopes that he is a major breakout in 2019.

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