2020 Fantasy Baseball Rankings (NL)

Albies was remarkable last year with a .295 batting average to go with 24 homers, 15 steals and over 100 runs. He did all of that as a 22-year-old so you'd have to think there is room for even more growth in 2020. He is well worth a fourth-round pick at this point.

There is no one who will deny the likelihood that Marte's .329 batting average drops this year but we are still talking about a kid who hit 32 homers with 10 steals last year. As we've seen with Jose Ramirez and J.D. Martinez, these breakout stars can sometimes even further improve.

In his first year with the big league club, Hiura was every bit as good as advertised, going for 19 homers, 9 steals and a .303 BA in just half a season. We could very well see him among the top three in the position by year's end, but he isn't quite as safe as any of the options above him.

Villar is moving from a great hitter's park to one of the worst but we are still talking about someone who went 24/40 homers/steals with 111 runs and a .273 batting average. There is some risk, as we saw in the 2017 disappointment

Muncy now has 70 homers over the last two seasons and while fantasy owners know he won't be a source of help in the batting average department, he still managed 100+ runs because of the 90 walks. Multi-position eligibility certainly doesn't hurt either.

There were many skeptics after McNeil's strong rookie performance but it now clear that he is a hitter through and through. He'll again compete for the batting crown and seems likely to his 20+ homers once agin for the Mets this season.

Moustakas is a virtual lock to hit 30+ homers with 80+ RBIs but he doesn't steal any bags and with the power will likely come a sub-optimal batting average. You could do worse in the 9th round, however, because at the very least, he is a reliable three-category contributor.

Escobar had a heck of a breakout season, driving in 118 RBIs thanks to 35 homers. The batting average will never be great but he certainly won't hurt you in that category. What's more, is that he'll qualify for 2B and 3B so that you can slide him around during the week.

There is a chance Lux is dealt to Boston but it seems most likely that he'll stay. If he does, the most likely fantasy outcome is a Daniel Murphy-lite from day one but with upside for more. He hit .347 with 26 homers last year in just 113 minor league games.

 

McMahon didn't play every day as some expected but he still managed 24 homers. With more playing time this year, that could spike to 30+ and his .250 BA is likely to improve as well considering his aptitude in that department throughout the minors.

Newman was expected to hit for average with 15-20 steals but just because he accomplished it as a rookie doesn't mean we can quite expect that performance in 2020. Rather, his MLB season was actually better than anything he ever did in the minors.

Don't look now, but Wong was actually great last year, hitting .285 with 24 steals and a dozen homers. While he hasn't exactly been consistent in his career, repeating those type of numbers would make him a downright steal late in drafts.

Kingery slowed down after his blazing start but still finished with 19 homers and 15 steals in just 126 games. With a full season likely ahead of him and multi-position eligibility, this may end up being one of the steals of the draft when he goes 25/20 with a .260 average.

Senzel was expected to be an immediate five-category contributor but has run into some injury issues then struggled with a .256 batting average. The upside is still there but compared to others being drafted in the 15th round, he comes with more risk.

Hampson was everyone's favorite late-round sleeper last year but the Rockies fiddled around with their lineup and he was only given 299 at-bats. In that time, he showed some power and great speed, but that batting average struggled. Unless they trade Arenado, he might struggle for playing time again.

Murphy didn't do all that much either of the last two seasons with just 12 and 13 homers plus 90 missed games combined, but his batting average has still be reliably good. If he can manage to stay healthy, .315 and 20 HRs is not out of the question.

Castro was a total afterthought for most of the season but he finished on such a strong note that he ended up with 22 homers, a .270 batting average and 86 RBIs in Miami's crummy lineup. Now that he is in Washington, 100 RBIs is a realistic goal.

Cano may be old and coming off a rough season, but he missed 55 games again and had some rough BA luck. He is a prime bounceback candidate who could jump to 20 homers, .280 at the plate and you can grab him in the last few rounds.

Berti was never much of a prospect and is actually already 29 years old. He won't ever hit for power, but 25+ steals with a solid batting average and perhaps even 85 or 90 runs is a legitimate possibility. Plus, he plays most positions and has limited competition for playing time.

Urias only batted .219 in his anticipated rookie campaign but it was a small sample size so we shouldn't quite give up on him yet. Rather, this is someone worth putting on waiver-wire speed-dial following drafts in case he starts to break out.

Profar may have batted .218 but he is still young enough that we can expect some improvement. Even if we don't get it, he is strong enough in the other four categories that you can use a late-round pick on him knowing you'll get steady production.

At-bat for at-bat, Kendrick was one of the best hitters in the MLB last season despite his old age. He somehow went from a 4 home run hitter to 17 bombs with a .344 batting average. It is hard to tell if it will stick around for a full year but he is well worth a late-round investment.

Cabrera never feels exciting to draft but there is much to be said for someone who you can count on for 15 homers, 80 RBIs, 65 runs and a batting average that won't kill you late in drafts.

 

It wasn't long ago that Happ was being drafted within the first 10 rounds because of his power/speed combo. Playing time needs to come back and the BA is an issue but he has upside worth monitoring.

Galvis is quietly one of the most consistent offensive shortstops. His upside is limited, of course, but you can count on him for 20 homers, 65 runs, 65 RBIs and a decent average.

 

 

Taylor's at-bats dropped 200 last season but he was every bit as efficient as we've seen. 20 homers, 15 steals and a quality batting average is within reach to go with his multi-position eligibility.

We've now seen Frazier hit over .275 three straight seasons and while he doesn't offer a ton of power or speed, the 80 runs certainly helped fantasy owners a bit last season.

Rodgers hasn't shown it at the big league level yet but there is a reason he has been a top 20 prospect for four straight years. His bat should provide a strong batting average with sufficient power but that won't happen until the Rockies finally give him some playing time.

 

 

Flores finally signed and with Scooter Gennett out of San Francisco, Flores has a solid path to consistent playing time for the first time in years. This reliable bat is a solid late-round investment.

Dozier has now hit 20+ homers in six straight seasons and he did it last year despite missing nearly 30 games. Yes, the batting average will be rough but he is also a source of RBIs and runs too.

 

The Dodgers' depth chart always makes it seem like Kike will have trouble finding playing time but they will again carve out 400 at-bats for him one way or another and fantasy owners can expect 15+ homers, 60+ RBIs and 55+ runs.

Kipnis is nowhere near where he once was but at the very least, you know you'll get 15 homers, a handful of steals and 50+ runs and RBIs with a late-round investment.