2023 Fantasy Baseball Rankings (AL)
Expert Consensus Ranking (22 of 26 Experts) -
Rank | Player (Team, Position) | Overall | Notes | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Daulton Varsho (TOR - C,CF,RF) | 34 | 26.0 | -8.0 | Daulton Vasho has catcher eligibility, which is one of the primary draws to him being drafted in the 40-50 range. The other draws include his 27 homers and 16 stolen bases, something only J.T. Realmuto can top at the position. The Diamondbacks traded Varsho to the Blue Jays in the offseason; Rogers Centre should support another 25-HR, 15-SB season and he could see a bump in runs and RBI with the better lineup around him. This will probably be the 26-year-old's last season with catcher eligibility, but in non-keeper leagues, he is a good asset. |
2 | Salvador Perez (KC - C,DH) | 39 | 39.0 | ‐ | Everyone saw Salvador Perez's regression coming following his career year in 2021. The question was only how far the fall would be. In 2022, he appeared in only 114 games, a far cry from the 161 the year before. Injuries plagued him and led to UCL surgery in his left thumb in the first half of the season. Even with that, the 33-year-old hit 23 home runs with 76 RBI and 48 runs scored. The catcher position is notoriously shallow so drafting a guy capable of hitting 30+ homers still ranks as a solid move. He will also presumably get more time at DH with M.J. Melendez on the roster. |
3 | Adley Rutschman (BAL - C,DH) | 48 | 31.0 | -17.0 | Adley Rutschman saw three minor league levels before making his MLB debut on May 21 and subsequently played 113 games for Baltimore. The 24-year-old demonstrated patience at the plate with a 13.8% walk rate, which is in line with his minor league numbers. His K% was much higher (18.7) than at lower levels, but this should normalize as he becomes more comfortable. The Orioles seem dedicated to their youth movement, and Rutschman is a Top 3 defensive catcher by multiple metrics, so he will be in their lineup on a regular basis. You might have to draft him in the fifth or sixth round to get him, but he has the potential to make it worth your while. |
4 | Alejandro Kirk (TOR - C,DH) | 61 | 54.0 | -7.0 | Alejandro Kirk played in 139 games, getting 541 plate appearances and showing improvement in almost every area. The 24-year-old slashed .285/.372/.415 and added 14 home runs. His Statcast page is filled with red in every area except barrel% and sprint speed. The Blue Jays heeded his offensive prowess by using him as DH on many days when he wasn't behind the plate. Toronto also helped sort out its overload of catchers by traded heralded prospect Gabriel Moreno to Arizona for Daulton Varsho. While Varsho has catcher eligibility, he will most likely play outfield or DH rather than take at-bats away from Kirk. Feel free to wait on catcher and snag Kirk in the eighth or ninth round. He'll make it worth your patience. |
5 | MJ Melendez (KC - C,LF,RF,DH) | 82 | 60.0 | -22.0 | M.J. Melendez debuted and appeared in 129 games in 2022, showing off his patience and power to the tune of 18 HR and a 12.4% BB rate. He batted leadoff 64 times, indicating the Royals are dedicated to getting him plate appearances in front of Bobby Witt Jr. and Salvador Perez. Melendez is not a good defensive catcher, but he should play enough to retain eligibility there. Unless you're in a quirky league where defense counts, Melendez fills a scarce position with decent skills. |
6 | Cal Raleigh (SEA - C) | 107 | 81.0 | -26.0 | |
7 | Danny Jansen (TOR - C) | 128 | 107.0 | -21.0 | |
8 | Jonah Heim (TEX - C) | 150 | 130.0 | -20.0 | |
9 | Yasmani Grandal (CWS - C,DH) | 187 | 141.0 | -46.0 | |
10 | Christian Vazquez (MIN - C,1B) | 174 | 140.0 | -34.0 | |
11 | Logan O'Hoppe (LAA - C) | 175 | 146.0 | -29.0 | |
12 | Eric Haase (DET - C,LF) | 198 | 151.0 | -47.0 | |
13 | Mitch Garver (TEX - C,DH) | 245 | 205.0 | -40.0 | |
14 | Shea Langeliers (OAK - C,DH) | 180 | 149.0 | -31.0 | |
15 | Jose Trevino (NYY - C) | 234 | 190.0 | -44.0 | |
16 | Bo Naylor (CLE - C) | 196 | 144.0 | -52.0 | |
17 | Christian Bethancourt (TB - C,1B) | 222 | 196.0 | -26.0 | |
18 | Mike Zunino (CLE - C) | 269 | 174.0 | -95.0 | |
19 | Francisco Mejia (TB - C) | 265 | 252.0 | -13.0 | |
20 | Ryan Jeffers (MIN - C) | 260 | 254.0 | -6.0 | |
21 | Reese McGuire (BOS - C) | 273 | 277.0 | +4.0 | |
22 | Sam Huff (TEX - C) | 305 | 329.0 | +24.0 | |
23 | Martin Maldonado (HOU - C) | 310 | 330.0 | +20.0 | |
24 | Max Stassi (LAA - C) | 286 | 299.0 | +13.0 | |
25 | Kyle Higashioka (NYY - C) | 330 | 328.0 | -2.0 | |
26 | Jorge Alfaro (BOS - C) NRI | 281 | 297.0 | +16.0 | |
27 | Cooper Hummel (SEA - C,LF) | 370 | 372.0 | +2.0 | |
28 | James McCann (BAL - C) | 327 | 320.0 | -7.0 | |
29 | Connor Wong (BOS - C) | 344 | 343.0 | -1.0 | |
30 | Tom Murphy (SEA - C) | 356 | 363.0 | +7.0 | |
31 | Matt Thaiss (LAA - C,1B) | 343 | |||
32 | Seby Zavala (CWS - C) | 346 | 369.0 | +23.0 | |
33 | Korey Lee (HOU - C) | 366 | 389.0 | +23.0 | |
34 | Tyler Soderstrom (OAK - C,1B) NRI | 391 | 384.0 | -7.0 |