Fantasy Baseball Player Notes
2024 Fantasy Baseball Draft Notes
|
5.
Corbin Carroll
LF,CF,RF
Corbin Carroll arrived on the scene in 2023 and immediately showcased his power and speed, launching 25 homers and swiping 54 bases. He crossed the plate 116 times and notched 76 RBIs. With a solid .362 on-base percentage, Carroll stands out, especially given his top-tier speed, ranked in the 99th percentile. There is concern that his OBP was slightly inflated, which could slightly dampen his numbers, but he is still a solid first-round pick. Carroll's contact skills hint at sustained high-level performance into 2024 and beyond.
|
|
40.
Zac Gallen
SP
Zac Gallen had a dominant 2023 and finished third in the NL Cy Young race. The 28-year-old tossed 210 innings and struck out 220 with a 3.47 ERA and 1.11 WHIP. If we include the postseason, Gallen threw 243 2/3 innings, 60 innings more than his previous high. He gave up a lot of hard contact, and his xERA was 4.16. Gallen's xFIP was 3.49 on the plus side, and he continued to strike out more than one batter per inning. Gallen is a risky SP1, and his cost (currently in the third round) looks pretty high, given all the red flags heading into 2024.
|
|
72.
Christian Walker
1B
Will Christian Walker remain a sleeper first baseman for the third year in a row, or are people finally onto his production? The 32-year-old hit 33 home runs and drove in 103 while slashing .258/.333/.497 for an exciting Arizona lineup. Walker has an impressive K% (19.2) and xwOBACON (.380), and he has also remained healthy, playing 160 games in 2022 and 157 last year. While he is not a full sleeper in 2024, he is still the cheapest of the top 1B options, going in the fifth or sixth round in most drafts. Don't be afraid to wait - the return on investment will be worth it.
|
|
90.
Ketel Marte
2B
Ketel Marte posted a .276 batting average, hit 25 home runs, and contributed 82 RBIs over 150 games. He also notched 94 runs, eight stolen bases, and an OPS of .843. While his power and hitting haven't always peaked simultaneously, his overall performance, including an OPS+ over 100 in the last five full MLB seasons, underscores his reliability. Marte's overall hitting profile lands in the 90th percentile on Statcast. He should continue batting near the top of an exciting Arizona lineup, and another 20/90/80 season should be on its way.
|
|
136.
Merrill Kelly
SP
|
|
167.
Jordan Montgomery
SP
|
|
172.
Gabriel Moreno
C
Gabriel Moreno played in 111 games for the Diamondbacks in 2023 and offered steady ratios with very little else. He is projected to slash in the .285/.340/.420 range, meaning he won't do any damage to lineups, but there isn't much power upside. Moreno is, essentially, the exact opposite of Cal Raleigh, and it's up to fantasy managers which type of backstop they want in their lineups.
|
|
175.
Paul Sewald
RP
Paul Sewald split time in Seattle and Arizona last season, racking up 34 saves between the two clubs. Sewald's stuff is the real deal, with a K% of 32.1, xERA of 2.75, and xBA of .189. He walked more batters than his career average, but he has the makeup of a solid closer for a competitive squad in 2024. Fantasy managers should expect around 30 saves from the veteran.
|
|
198.
Lourdes Gurriel Jr.
LF,DH
Lourdes Gurriel, Jr., joined Arizona through the Daulton Varsho deal and impressed in his free agency lead-up. He achieved personal highs with 24 homers and 65 runs. Known for his solid contact hitting, ranking in the top 77% for HardHit%, Gurriel faced a dip in BABIP, likely to rebound in 2024. As a valuable OF5 pick, he's a great late-round draft choice.
|
|
203.
Brandon Pfaadt
SP
|
|
224.
Eduardo Rodriguez
SP
|
|
232.
Eugenio Suarez
3B
|
|
317.
Joc Pederson
LF,DH
|
|
318.
Jordan Lawlar
SS
|
|
356.
Kevin Ginkel
RP
|
|
363.
Alek Thomas
CF
|
|
365.
Jake McCarthy
CF,RF
Projected as Arizona's starting left fielder, Jake McCarthy brings exceptional speed, ranking in the 98th percentile, making him a decent pick for NL-only fantasy leagues. However, his value is less pronounced in mixed leagues, so he's either your last pick or waiver wire fodder.
|
|
485.
Logan Allen
RP,SP
|
|
491.
Geraldo Perdomo
2B,3B,SS
|
|
522.
Ryne Nelson
SP
|
|
538.
Blaze Alexander
2B,DH,SS
|
|
724.
Randal Grichuk
LF,CF,RF
|
|
731.
Scott McGough
RP
|
|
747.
Ryan Thompson
RP
|
|
749.
Kyle Nelson
RP
|
|
759.
Tommy Henry
SP
|
|
770.
Joe Mantiply
RP
|
|
783.
Miguel Castro
RP
|
|
|
795.
Andrew Saalfrank
RP
|
|
843.
Jace Peterson
2B,3B
|
|
925.
Slade Cecconi
SP
|
|
942.
Brandon Hughes
RP
|
|
|
978.
Deyvison De Los Santos
1B,3B
|
|
|
1120.
Ivan Melendez
1B,3B
|
|
1160.
Jose Castillo
RP
|
|
1161.
Bryce Jarvis
RP
|
|
1175.
Tucker Barnhart
C
|
|
1203.
Chris Rodriguez
SP,RP
|
|
|
1209.
Austin Pope
RP
|
|
|
1240.
Kyle Backhus
RP
|
|
|
1268.
Cristian Mena
SP
|
|
1313.
Blake Walston
SP
|
|
1319.
Luis Frias
RP
|
|
1358.
Justin Martinez
RP
|
|
|
1370.
Luke Albright
SP
|
|
|
1383.
Dakota Chalmers
RP,SP
|
|
1448.
Ricky Karcher
RP
|
|
1530.
Jose Herrera
C
|
|
1563.
Kolten Wong
2B
|
|
1585.
Pavin Smith
1B,RF,DH
|
|
1609.
Kevin Newman
1B,2B,3B,SS
|
|
1632.
Kyle Garlick
LF,RF
|
|
1693.
Jorge Barrosa
CF,LF,OF
|
