2019 Fantasy Baseball Rankings

As long as Mike Trout continues to put up 30+ homers, 20+ steals, 100+ runs and bat .300 every season, you can bet he will be worth the first overall pick. Chances are, we have another decade of this consistent dominance.

It may be tempting to snag Betts with the 1st pick over Trout, after the ridiculous season he just put together, but remember that he is just one year removed from batting .264 with 24 homers. There is a chance Betts outproduces Trout, but that isn't a risk you should gamble on.

It's funny how one healthy season can help you forget that a player missed 40+ games in three of the past four seasons. While Martinez has a legitimate shot at the Triple Crown, he is also a bit riskier than many of the other first round picks so proceed soberly.

There is no denying that Yelich was a first round value in 2018 and perhaps even the #1 fantasy asset thanks to a .326 average with 36 homers, 22 steals and 110+ runs and RBIs. These numbers blew away his career marks, however, so projection models all have him regressing to a high-end second round value this year

Per plate apperance, Acuna was every bit as productive as consensus top-5 pick, Francisco Lindor, last season. Granted, Acuna doesn't qualify at shortstop, but that should tell you that the hype somehow hasn't driven him far enough up draft boards yet.

Harper may have posted just a .249 batting average in 2018, but the rest of his fantasy production was tremendous, plus his underlying metrics indicate the average returning closer to the .270 mark in 2019. His fantasy value improved when he signed with Philly because their ballpark is great for lefties, but he is still just a 2nd round pick.

Judge had a down year in 2018 which means his OPS was merely .919. If he can get back to playing 150 games this year, fantasy owners can bank on 45 homers, 110 runs and 100 RBIs. That may have you ready to grab him in the first round, but he comes with more injury risk than anyone else in the top 20

After obliterating pitchers in 2017, Stanton cooled off in a big way last year, striking out 211 times and hitting just .266 with 38 homers. There is upside for 60+ bombs this year, but believe it or not, he has only hit 40 or more once his entire career

While Blackmon wasn't the number one fantasy asset like in 2017, he still knocked 29 homers, led the league in runs and batted .291, and don't forget, that was a down year. If that is his floor, fantasy owners are getting a steal in the late 2nd round.

Benintendi is a spectacular real life player, but in fantasy, he was extremely similar to Jean Segura who happens to be going five rounds later. The arrow is pointing up for Benintendi, but not enough to warrant a top 30 draft pick

Bryant missed 60 games last year and had his least efficient season of his career by quite a bit. There is some risk in drafting Bryant in the 3rd round, but he also comes with 40 homer upside, a batting average near .300 and both 100+ runs and RBIs

Soto was every bit as good as top-ten pick, Alex Bregman per plate appearance last season, but is going 20 picks later. Keep in mind, he accomplished that as a teenager. Don't hesitate to reach an entire round to grab him before he progresses even more

Marte bounced back from his 2017 suspension season with another big year. He stolen 33 bases, knocked 20 homers and batted a quality .277. While he may not swipe 45 bags anymore, that power/speed combo makes him well worth a fourth round pick in standard leagues

Hoskins has plenty of power, as evidenced by his 52 homers in just 728 career at-bats, but his career batting average now sits at .249. There will surely be plenty or runs and RBIs once again, but there isn't much value in grabbing him during any of the first five rounds.

Looking for 40 homers? Draft Davis and write it in ink. He has knocked 133 over the last three seasons with 335 RBIs in that time. The floor is as high as you'll find in the first five rounds but the batting average is almost certainly going to be around .250 again

With the Royals not expected to compete in 2019, there is little doubt that Merrifield will surpass 40 stolen bases again. He doesn't have much in the way of power, nor will he score a load of runs in this offense, but the batting average should end up around .300 once again

Last year was a major disappointment for Bellinger owners after he hit 39 homers in just 132 rookie games in 2017. He still managed to hit 25 bombs with 14 steals, however, so the floor is plenty high. At just 23 years old, we clearly haven't seen the best of Bellinger so don't be surprised if he breaks out for 50 bombs this year or next

Springer is one of a handful of stars who started off their season with a rough patch. He started to turn in around in the second half before his injury, but only enough to get his final line to 22 homers and a .265 batting average. If he can stay healthy, Springer might lead the AL in runs scored along with plenty of homers and RBIs, but the speed has essentially disappeared

In the past five years, Cain is one of only 15 players averaging a .300 batting average, and among them, he is 2nd behind only Jose Altuve with 126 steals. There isn't much in the way of power, but you can bank on him contributing in all five categories with plenty of durablity.

Puig's career has been a bit of a disappointment, but even so, his last two seasons have been excellent. In that time, he has 30 homers and 18 SB per 162 games. If he is able to stay healthy, we could be looking at a further breakout to 35 and 20 thanks to a major ballpark upgrade in Cincy this year.

Despite playing 34 fewer games than Andrew Benintendi over the last two seasons, Pham has outplayed him from a fantasy perspective. Pham is being drafted four rounds later and is coming off one of the best second-halfs in the MLB

Rosario has been remarkably consistent the past two years with a .290 and .288 batting average, 27 and 24 homers, 78 and 77 RBIs and 9 and 8 steals. Expect much of the same from him again this season, making him worthy of a 6th round pick in standard leagues.

Ozuna may have taken a huge step back last year, but even so, he put up 23 homers, 88 RBIs and a .280 batting average while playing with a significant shoulder injury. We don't know yet whether or not he will be ready to go on opening day, but assuming health, we might be closer to the 37 HR, 124 RBIs, and .312 BA we got from Ozuna in 2017.

Although Haniger hasn't done it for as long as someone like Nelson Cruz or Justin Upton, he was better than both last year thanks to a .285 batting average on top of his 90+ runs, 90+ RBIs and power. Projection models are fond of him once again this year, but there is a bit more risk than the aforementioned annual powerhouses.

Castellanos was a disappointment for so long that it may still be hanging over his stock. The fact of the matter, however, is that he has been great the past two season, hitting .285 with 49 homers and 190 RBIs. He only qualifies as an outfielder now, but should be regarded every bit as high as someone like Justin Upton or Mitch Haniger.

We've seen enough of Conforto by now to know that the hype was overblown. Sure, he has had some extremely promising stretches, but over a full year of health in 2018, he wasn't as good as Randal Grichuk who is going over 100 picks later because of the difference in name value.

There is plenty of reason to be excited about David Dahl, as his upside is a true five-category contributor. With that said, he has been among the most injury-prone players in baseball so even 400 plate appearances is no guarantee.

Upton is one of the only players with at least 30 homers in each of the last three seasons. You can also bank on 80+ RBIs and runs, and while his stolen bases have come down over the years, 10 is a good bet once again. Upton's batting average won't help you, but it should be enough to warrant a sixth round pick in standard leagues.

You may not love the idea of destroying your team's batting average with his .210 line, but you'll be hard-pressed to find 40 homers, and perhaps even 50 from anyone 50 picks early, let alone around the 9th round of drafts. If you combine him with Daniel Murphy in the 5th, you've got two players who combine for a .260 average with 65-70 homers. When you look at it that way, Gallo's value jumps off the page.

Prior to yet another injury, Pollock was among the best fantasy assets in baseball. He had 12 homers, 9 steals and 38 RBIs through just 186 at bats. The ceiling for Pollock is a 30/20 player with a batting average near .300, but he has only played more than 115 games just twice in his career so don't forget about the risk in drafting him.

McCutchen might not be that first round pick he once was when we were getting 30 homers, 20 steals and a .320 batting average, but he is still a plenty capable fantasy asset. He is as durable as they come and has managed 20+ homers in 8 straight seasons. Not only that. but he still steals double-digit bags per year and is moving into by far the best ballpark of his career so don't be surprised if we get a resurgence.

Myers is commonly thought of as injury prone and last year's 79 missed games certainly doesn't help. With that said, he averages 23 homers and 20 steals over the last three years even despite last year's disappointing season. There is major upside here even though his batting average is almost certain to stay under .260 again.

Jimenez may not be Vlad Jr. but most other years, he would be the consensus top fantasy prospect. His game is in the mold of Manny Ramirez where he could be a mainstay in the middle of a lineup, hitting 30 homers with 100 RBIs and a .290 BA every year. That might not all come right away, but from the moment he is called up, you can expect a top 30 fantasy outfielder.

If Alex Reyes doesn't make the Cardinals' rotation, Robles is far and away the favorite to win NL Rookie of the Year. Robles is a true five-tool talent that is polished enough to be a top 45 fantasy outfielder right away. The power may come a little later, but he will steal more than enough bases to warrant a mid-round pick.

 

 

 

 

Gordon is going to absolutely destroy you in two categories and his batting average isn't anything to write home about. With that said, the potential of 60 stolen bases makes him worth the price of admission toward the middle of drafts.

 

 

 

Braun isn't often healthy, but when he is on the field, he has continued to rake over the last three years. In that time, his per 162 game average is 30 homers, 18 steals and a .279 batting average. If he can finally stay on the field, fantasy owners will hit the jackpot this year.

Desmond has now gone 20/20 in five of his last six healthy seasons. His .236 batting average isn't what you'd hope for, but keep in mind that he batted .285 and .274 the previous two seasons so he should jump back in 2019.

 

The Pirates had him buried on their depth chart for what seemed like forever thanks to the presence of Andrew McCutchen, Gregory Polanco and Starling Marte. Now that he has been freed to Tampa Bay (with Tyler Glasnow) in the Chris Archer trade, we will finally get to see the kid shine. Meadows was once considered a future all-star, and while he likely won't venture into that territory any time soon, if at all, we are looking at someone who, even as a rookie, should hold a mediocre batting average while contributing in all four of the other roto categories.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hamilton is going to give you no power, of course, and his batting average will almost certainly drag you down, but 50 steals will more than make up for both of those problem spots. If you are low on steals in the middle of your draft, Hamilton can quickly solve that problem.

 

 

Mancini's batting average dropped 50 points last year, but much of that was due to a rough BABIP. While he likely won't bounce-back up to the .290's his batting average likely won't kill you while he provides another 25 homers for fantasy owners.

 

Although Bauers was awful last year with a .201 batting average, there is plenty of reason for optimism. Bauers should provide 15 to 20 homers with double-digit steals and a significantly better batting average in 2019.

 

 

 

With the way the Dodgers' team is constructed, it is tough to tell whether Taylor will see another 500 at-bats this year, but if he does, we are probably looking at 20 homers and double-digit steals to go with a decent batting average and plenty of runs.

Martinez rakes, there is no doubt about that, but he also lost his path to playing time when Paul Goldschmidt was acquired this off-season. Now, he requires an injury to either Marcell Ozuna or Dexter Fowler/Tyler O'Neill to see more than 300 at-bats.

Outside of Marwin's huge 2017 season, he hasn't offered much from an offensive perspective. There is some power, but his batting average will hurt fantasy teams and the depth chart doesn't guarantee even 450 at-bats for him.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Belt still hasn't surpassed 20 homers in any season and over the last two seasons, his batting average has dropped down below .255. If he can stay healthy for once, however, Belt may reach 25 homers if he keeps up his HR-rate.

 

 

It is easy to look at a .300 batting average and assume a rookie will only get better. Wendle likely played over his head last year, though, and was a 28-year-old rookie. There is no power to his game, and while he may offer 15 to 20 steals, it won't be enough to make him anything more than a late-round pick.

 

 

The Astros don't currently have a spot for Tucker with Michael Brantley now joining George Springer and Josh Reddick in the outfield. With prospects like Tucker, however, there is no need for a spot. He is good enough that they will make room. When he gets the call, expect him to be a top 35 fantasy outfielder right away, and perhaps even more. Tucker may be the top draft and stash prospect this year if you've got room on your bench.

 

 

 

Last season we saw a major breakout from Hernandez who was previously a platoon-only bat versus lefties. Kike swatted 21 bombs in just 402 at-bats, and while that may happen again, he offers nothing in terms of speed and is more than likely a .230 batting average guy.

 

 

 

 

There isn't a direct path to consistent playing time in the Cubs lineup for Happ, but you can bet Maddon will find a way to get him nearly 400 at-bats, and if one of their starters suffers an injury, Happ has an outside chance at 25 homers and 15 steals which would be an incredible value late into drafts.

Stewart is expected to start for the Tigers, but their offense is so barren that he can't be relied on for many RBIs or runs. His batting average might be ok, but more likely, his power would be the calling card. He is one worth keeping an eye on, but shouldn't be on your draft radar in standard-sized mixed leagues.

 

 

 

Kipnis has been around forever and reached his peak long ago, but he is still just 32 years old and has plenty of baseball left in him. Unfortunately for fantasy owners, it will come without any speed or a quality batting average. Still, 20 homers and 70 RBIs will do the trick as a late-round pick.

 

 

 

Zobrist isn't going to see 500 at-bats, nor does he offer much in the way of power or speed, but he is a reliable source of batting average late in drafts and that should be enough to warrant owning him as a depth piece.

Now that the Dodgers signed A.J. Pollock, it seems unlikely that Verdugo will make an impact in the majors until June. When he does, we are looking at a startable fantasy outfielder, but he isn't quite worth drafting in standard leagues as a stash and hold.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Although Perez likely won't steal 34 bases like we saw in 2016, he is a sufficient source of speed late into drafts with enough at-bats that he'll add counting stats. There won't be much in the way of power, but his batting average won't kill you either.