What is a “must-have” player? It can often be called a sleeper, or sometimes it is a player we are targeting in every draft. Sometimes this is based on upside, and sometimes it is based on value. Either way, when you draft as much as I do, trends develop, and you start to see who your targets are. Here are my “Must Have Players” for 2023.
What is a “must-have” player? It can often be called a sleeper, or sometimes it is a player we are targeting in every draft. Sometimes this is based on upside, and sometimes it is based on value. Either way, when you draft as much as I do, trends develop, and you start to see who your targets are. Here are my “Must Have Players” for 2023.
Justin Mason’s Must-Have Players in 2023
Values
Seiya Suzuki (OF – CHC)
Suzuki is dealing with a mild oblique injury, so the price should drop even more, but he was the only player in Major League Baseball that had a top 25 barrel percentage and a top 25 zone contact rate in the second half of the 2022 season. He struggled early in the year and then dealt with a ring injury, but once he was healthy, he was among the best players in baseball.
Randy Arozarena (OF – TB)
Arozarena was one of two players in baseball last year with 20 home runs and 30 stolen bases, the other being Bobby Witt Jr. (SS, 3B – KC), and Witt is going in the first round of the draft while Arozarena isn’t going in the top 30 picks. With the new rules that are likely to increase stolen bases, he could steal 40+ bags.
Nelson Cruz (DH – SD)
This one’s for you, deep-league players. Cruz had a disastrous season in 2022, but he struggled with his vision and had corrective surgery in the offseason and is reportedly healthy. If he is the 2021 version of himself, he may be the most insane value in fantasy, as he is currently not even being drafted in most 15-team formats. If he is completely washed, then he is an easy drop a couple of weeks into the season.
Chris Sale (SP – BOS)
Sale has gotten a reputation for being injury prone after the last few seasons, but it is pretty undeserved. He did have Tommy John in 2020 but pitched well when he returned at the end of 2021. He missed a lot of last season, but they were really weird, fluky injuries like falling off of a bike and getting hit by a comebacker. He still has an SP1 upside and is going outside of the top 150 picks.
Brady Singer (SP – KC)
Singer finally put together a breakout season last year with a 3.23 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP in 153.1 innings. He should push 175+ innings with elite control and good command. He doesn’t have the biggest upside, but what he does have is a pretty nice floor.
Upside
TJ Friedl (OF – CIN)
Friedl is projected to lead off for the Reds in one of the best parks in baseball to hit in. He has enough power to hit 20 home runs in Cincinnati and a ton of speed with very good contact skills. Even conservative projections have him for 15 home runs and 10 stolen bases, but we could see a Cedric Mullins-esque breakout where he hits 20+ home runs and steals 20-30 bases while leading off for the Reds.
Jarred Kelenic (OF – TB)
The fantasy industry buries top-tier prospects that struggle early in their Major League career. This has only gotten worse in recent years because of the success of so many young prospects that have turned into superstars because it makes the ones that don’t succeed quickly. Kelenic was considered a “can’t miss prospect” two years ago, and while he has struggled a ton in the Majors, he continued to be dominant in the minor leagues, which gives me some hope that he will figure it out in the big leagues at some point. He spent the offseason retooling his swing, and all reports have been great from spring training. He even hit two home runs in his first spring game. I think this is the year we finally see the breakout.
Jordan Walker (3B – STL)
Walker is widely considered a top-three prospect in baseball with a ton of power and speed. He is blocked at third base because of Nolan Arenado (3B -STL) but is transitioning to the outfield. His bat is so good that there has been a lot of talk that he makes the team out of camp. If he does, he could be a top 5-10 player at one of the weakest positions in fantasy while gaining outfield eligibility very quickly which is another weak position. If it is announced that he is making the team, his ADP will rise tremendously in the same way that Julio Rodriguez did last year.
Kyle Bradish (SP – BAL)
Bradish made a pitch mix change in the second half of the season, which resulted in fantastic results. He has also seen a bump in fastball velocity in spring which is encouraging and could lead to some added strikeout upside. The park in Baltimore protects him from home runs which is also a big plus. He is so cheap that the combination of upside and value makes him an easy gamble.
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