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Finding This Year’s Tyler Anderson (2023 Fantasy Baseball)

Finding This Year’s Tyler Anderson (2023 Fantasy Baseball)

In 2022, Tyler Anderson wasn’t even being drafted in 15-team mixed leagues. He was considered a boring journeyman that had never really been much more than a matchup streamer in the deepest of leagues. He would go on to make a pitch mix change and employ an improved changeup that propelled him to a season in which he threw 178.2 innings with a 2.57 ERA, a 1.00 WHIP and 138 strikeouts.

So who is this year’s Tyler Anderson? In this article, we are looking for pitchers who are not being drafted in the top 450 picks that could come out of nowhere to post a breakout season. These are my picks for this year’s Tyler Anderson.

Fantasy Baseball Draft Kit

This Year’s Tyler Anderson

Matthew Boyd (SP – DET)

Boyd has flirted with being a very good pitcher before but always struggled with home runs and consistency. He is coming off of a season in which he only threw 13.1 innings because he was returning from Tommy John surgery. However, the stuff was there in that small sample, and he has looked fantastic in spring training. Since he is on a one-year deal, the Tigers will not limit his innings, and he could be a huge value late in drafts.

Clarke Schmidt (SP – NYY)

Schmidt has been a top prospect in the minors for what feels like forever, but he has never really gotten the opportunity in the Majors. He wasn’t going to get much of an opportunity this year either, but the Yankees are already struggling with injuries because of Frankie Montas and Carlos Rodon starting the year on the injured list (IL). Schmidt has great two pitches and average command. He has the skills to break out and the offense to support him to a lot of wins in New York.

Yusei Kikuchi (SP – TOR)

I feel like I am Charlie Brown trying to kick a football with this one. When Kikuchi’s slider is working, and his velocity and command are there, he can be unhittable. But, unfortunately, we have just not seen it all come together since he came over to the U.S. He has looked pretty good in spring, getting a lot of strikeouts, so is this finally the time he breaks out? Probably not, but like I said, I am like Charlie Brown.

Graham Ashcraft (SP – CIN)

Ashcraft had moments early in 2022 where he looked like he might be a really interesting pitcher because of his heavy ground ball tendency and good control. He struggled down the stretch though, but part of that was injury related. He entered spring training throwing 100 miles per hour and getting more swing and misses, which is really interesting because if he can get strikeouts with that ground ball rate, he could be a really sneaky breakout this season.

James Paxton (SP – BOS)

Paxton has been a top-30 starter before but has had his career derailed by injury. He is already dealing with an injury, so that is not a good sign, but it is a minor leg issue that shouldn’t keep him out long. When healthy, Paxton can be a huge strikeout guy who does a good job of keeping men off base via walks and doesn’t give up many home runs. Can he return to his vintage self? I don’t know, but he is free in drafts right now.


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