2019 Fantasy Baseball ROS Rankings

Although he has cooled off, Bellinger is clearly one of the top three fantasy assets in baseball this season. He may end the season with 120 runs, 120 RBIs, 50 homers and 15 stolen bases. And don't forget that he is still batting over .340.

Freeman is as steady as ever this season, batting a crisp .313 through the first half with 20+ homers and nearly 70 RBIs and runs each. He may not have the upside of Pete Alonso, but there is something to be said about Freeman's reliability month by month.

Bell's breakout has been legitimate with the underlying stats confirming that he is, in fact, one of the best hitters in baseball. Neither his .300 batting average nor his 45 homer pace are expected to slow down so don't get the idea to sell-high via trade.

Alonso forced the Mets' hand and won an Opening Day job by displaying his Herculean power throughout spring training. He has now hit his way into a permanent role with 31 homers (already breaking Darryl Strawberry's franchise record for a rookie) and .978. A third-deck HR shortly after the break helps to debunk the supposed Home Run Derby curse. He's still hitting .270 despite a 25.5% strikeout rate. Another slump could drag that down, but his Statcast exploits feel reminiscent of Aaron Judge's debut. We may be looking at a league-altering star who could belt 50 homers.

Rizzo once again struggled -- to a far lesser extent - out of the gate, batting .228 through April. Let's hope drafters remembered last year's atrocious start and stayed patient. He's hitting .281/.389/.523 with 19 home runs, as of July 16. He remains the rare slugger who curtails strikeouts, and the first baseman has raised 2018's ISO from .187 to .242. Rizzo remains an under-appreciated stud who will prove worth every penny of his preseason third-round cost despite a July power funk.

Fantasy owners have been disappointed with Goldschmidt and wondering if he has hit the inevitable brick wall that comes with age. It is possible but more likely that he is just in an extended slump as we've seen from him before. Expect fireworks after the break.

A scary thought for opposing pitchers, and those who avoided him in 2019 drafts, Gallo may be putting it all together. After hitting .239/.340/.592 in last season's second half, he was batting .276/.421/.653 through 50 games before going on the IL with an oblique injury. While the slugger's abhorrent contact and strikeout rates hasn't improved, he has chased far fewer pitches off the plate. As a result, he's making his batted-ball events count more. He hasn't showed too much rust since returning, belting five home runs in 16 games.

You can say what you want about Hoskins' potential, and while it may be true, the fact of the matter is that he has never contributed in the batting average department and has actually been propped up quite a bit by batted ball luck to even keep him above .260. He will provide RBIs, runs and homers, of course, but is more of a sell candidate than a buy-low.

Muncy has now been one of the best hitters in baseball over the last calendar year. He has shown no signs of slowing down so don't be shocked when you look up at the end of the season and see 40 homers and 100 RBIs with a solid batting average.

Abreu just keeps getting it done for fantasy owners year after year and this time around is no different. He has a .280 batting average with 21 homers going into the break and that's the type of reliable production we should expect in the second half too.

Whit has done exactly what fantasy owners have hoped for up until the break. He is on pace for both 20 homers and 30 steals to go with a batting average north of .300. While he doesn't possess top-tier upside, fantasy owners can continue to rely on him as a 3rd or even 2nd round value.

Following a down year in which he "only" hit 32 home runs, Encarnacion has bounced back to elite form with 27 long balls in 84 games. He's hitting more fly balls, and last year's career-high strikeout rate has dropped closer to normal. In hindsight, it's laughable that a bankable slugger was available well beyond the top-100 picks. As long as he stays healthy, the 36-year-old is on his way to another 35-40 home runs. That remains the case after getting traded to the Yankees, where he could put up absurd HR and RBI tallies as the regular designated hitter.

If Olson hadn't been injured to start the year, he likely would have been a top 100 pick. Since returning from the IL, he has done nothing to change the narrative so he should continue to be treated as though he is that top 100 player.

Most were shocked to see Santana compete in the home run derby, but he has been a beast for Cleveland and fantasy owners with 19 homers and a 90/90 RBI/run pace to go with a .295 batting average. He seems to only improve with age.

Voit finished 2018 on a complete terror and started off the 2019 season the same way. In fact, the underlying statcast metrics all suggest he might actually hit better once he returns from the IL in the coming weeks for New York.

Unfortunately, Murphy is playing like a shell of his former self. There is even less power than before and his batting average has dropped south of .290. While that is still helpful and possible to increase, fantasy owners are right to be disappointed.

Don't look now, but Hosmer is back to playing quite well again, hitting nearly .300 with some power for once. If you grabbed this bargain on draft day, you would do best to hang onto him rather than try to sell high on the trade market.

There is nothing sexy about owning Trey Mancini, but he has rebounded quite nicely from his disappointing 2018 campaign. The underlying metrics suggest what we have seen in 2019 is the real Mancini so it wouldn't be wise to attempt selling high on him.

Votto, now 35 years old, hit 12 homers last year after clubbing 36 in 2017. He has just eight in 87 games alongside a .257 batting average and eyebrow-raising uptick in strikeouts. After lacing MLB's second-highest line-drive rate (31.4%) behind Freddie Freeman last year, the mark has dropped with more fly balls, but fewer hard hits. He offered hope by hitting .299/.390/.506 in June but has gotten cold again in July. Although Votto should at least improve his average, he's not going to offer enough power to make a huge dent in most mixed leagues.

Dozier entered the all-star break om pace for 20 homers, 80 RBIs and carries a .283 batting average. Regardless of whether those numbers are a fluke or not, you can bet he won't regress enough to become waiver wire fodder in the second half.

While the batting average won't be ideal, you can avoid that penalty by just sitting him when the Mariners take on a lefty. Outside of that, Vogelbach has been one of the best hitters in all of baseball and that isn't any kind of fluke considering the dominant underlying metrics.

Cron is quietly batting .269/.328/.502 with 17 homers and 54 RBIs. He has slashed his strikeout rate by chasing fewer pitches off the plate, and he gets to bat in a red-hot Twins lineup. He's on his way to another sneaky 30-HR season, likely with a batting average higher than last year's .253. That makes him an underrated CI who has proved 2018 wasn't a fluke. He returned from the IL on July 16 after missing the minimum time.

Despite entering 2018 with health woes and batting .155 in April, Carpenter went scorched earth to hit .257/.374/.523 with a career-high 36 homers. Those who bet on a 2019 repeat are running out of time. The third baseman entered the All-Star break batting .216/.325/.381 with 10 homers in 77 games. He went on the IL with illness and back spasms. Shortly after returning, he went back on the shelf with a foot injury. MLB's leader in hard-hit rate last year is now in the bottom-30 percentile, and his xSLG has dropped from .546 to .404. We saw his ability to adjust and heat up in a seismic way last year, but it's getting tougher to hold out hope.

Realmuto may be struggling so far compared to expectations, but he certainly hasn't hurt you with a BA over .270 to go with double-digit homers and a handful of steals. He may not be the top overall fantasy catcher but he could be in the secound half.

Gurriel isn't a big source of power, but playing in this Astros offense guarantees him plenty of runs and RBI opportunities. Add in a worthwhile batting average and you've got a solid starter for your fantasy squad.

According to Baseball Savant's Statcast metrics, no one in baseball has been more unlucky than Justin Smoak. He is actually hitting the ball harder and at a better angle than he did in his 2017 breakout season so it is time to buy the second-half bounceback.

Most gave up on Bruce before the season because he was so awful in 2018, but he was struggling through plantar fasciitis. Now that he is healthy, Bruce just keeps mashing with 24 homers headed into the break. He is good bet to keep hitting if he can stay on the field.

Walker has been streaky and volatile, but even so, he still managed to put together an impressive first half stat line with both power and a little speed. The batting average may drop south of .250 at some point, but he is still well worth starting even if that is the case.

Although he isn't starting every game for the Rockeis, Desmond does play enough in Coors to warrant a roster spot on fantasy teams. Gone are the days where he will steal 20 bags, but he should be solid at worst in the other four standard categories.

As usual, Braun is dealing with injuries off and on, but getting the job done for fantasy owners while he is on the field. Going into the break, he carries a .271 average with a dozen homers and a handful of steals which is what we should expect in the second half too.

Lowe didn't do much in his brief MLB debut and was thus sent back down to the minors. Since then, he has been batting .340 with bonkers power. He should be a hot pickup the moment Tampa calls him back up and may actually be worthy of a stash now.

Cabrera has been healthy and is batting .304 as a result, but his power is completely zapped and there is, of course, no hope for speed. You can roll him out in your fantasy lineup, however, and expect similar results to Votto at this point.

Martinez hasn't provided fantasy owners much with a .282 batting average and just 6 homers, but all Statcast metrics suggest those numbers will come roaring up in the second half. It might be time to add him before it costs you a pretty penny.

The breakout appeared to be arriving a year later than anticipated for McMahon, who made the Rockies' Opening Day lineup after hitting .424 with nine doubles and three homers in spring. An elbow injury, however, sent him to the IL in early April. He homered in his return, but then tumbled into the Rockies promoted uber prospect Brendan Rodgers. Although McMahon is hitting an unexciting .263/.334/.431 with just nine home runs, he should keep playing with Rodgers out for the season. Keep him in mind as a streamer when the Rockies are home.

The batting average has come crashing down and his power has completely halted to go along with the playing time. With that said, he was so exceptional for a stretch that you can make a case for stashing him until he comes out of it and mashes again.

Sano is back off the IL and doing Sano things with a .230 batting average but with loads of power. He could hit 25 bombs in the second-half with the RBIs and runs to go with it so don't give up on him quite yet.

This time last year we were talking about Aguilar in the same light as we are with Ketel Marte today. It now appears clear, however, that he isn't worth owning in fantasy leagues.

Belt has given fantasy owners reason to be disappointed for years now. Although he is never awful, it may finally be time to give up and cut him loose. There are plenty of other projects on the waivers with more fantasy upside like Bobby Bradley.

It took a bit longer than expected, but Profar finally emerged as a strong major leaguer by batting .254/.335/.458 with 20 homers and 10 steals in 2018. Perhaps the Rangers knew what they were doing when moving him to the A's. He's batting .212/.276/.370 at the break. He has at least maintained some power and speed with 10 homers and six steals. Profar's multi-position eligibility could help investors in deeper mixed leagues, but Franklin Barreto could take away from playing time at second base.

Thames has shown flashes of all that pop we got in 2017 during his breakout campaign but the Brewers just aren't playing him enough to make much of a fantasy impact. He belongs on your waiver wire speed dial, however.

On the bright side, Bauers has created some distance from the Mendoza line after batting .201 in his MLB debut season. He has bolstered his contact rate by over seven percent, but he's also generating fewer hard hits. Without much of a power bump, the hope is that he chips his way to a stealthily productive 20/10 campaign with a passable batting average. That will play in five-outfielder formats, though he hasn't shown much to buy into anything more. He may be heating up, however, hitting .297/.333/.541 since the start of June.

 

The batting average has devestated fantasy owners thus far in the first half and while it may come up, it won't be enough to warrant rostering Kike in a standard-sized league.

The batting average hasn't been there with Niko this year, but there is reason for hope and when you add that to the fact that he is a reliable source of both power and speed, he is worthy of keeping an eye on for a potential injury fill-in in the coming weeks.

 

Smith, a former top prospect who is only 24 years old, treated his sleep apnea during the offseason after a disappointing debut. He's now forcing his way into the Mets' lineup despite Pete Alonso's emergence by batting .328/.414/.590 in 141 plate appearances. With a higher wRC+ than Alonso, he's going to keep playing in left field. Even though he's benefited from some good luck, Smith is swinging far too hot a bat to ignore in deep leagues.

Feel free to drop Buster at this point. He isn't likely to finish the season with double-digit homers and doesn't play in a good enough offense to tally up runs and RBIs like the top 15 fantasy catchers in baseball.

Moran is still batting near .300 heading into the all-star break and although he doesn't offer a ton in the power department, finishing with 18 homers and 80 RBIs would be a welcome line to any fantasy owner.

Boston placed Moreland on the IL on May 29 with a lower back strain. He was leading the Red Sox with 13 home runs, putting him two shy of 2018's tally in 78 more games, but was also batting just .228. Not expected to miss much time, he can be stashed in deeper leagues. In shallow mixed leagues, however, it's not imperative to keep a career .250 hitter who has never tallied more than 23 homers in a season.

 

Zimmerman had his run as a useful fantasy baseball player but it seems to be over at this point so go ahead and cut him loose for one of the better options on waivers.

 

Shaw could potentially be a worthwhile addition at some point later in the year, but for now, he has lost his job to Hiura and should be released in every format.

Just because Bradley hasn't started out all that hot for Cleveland doesn't mean you should give up on him. Rather, keep a close eye on this potential 40-homer threat, as he could explode onto the fantasy scene any day now.

After hitting .178 with the Reds last year, Dixon is batting .277 with right home runs in 44 games for the Tigers. Four walks and 44 strikeouts make him an easy bust candidate, but he's also hitting the ball with authority when making contact. While the odds are on him regressing, the Statcast data (.265 xBA, .340 xwOBA) isn't so pessimistic. With an everyday job in tow, he's at least worth adding in deep leagues for a temporary power jolt.

 

Davis is raking for the Mets, but it hasn't quite shown up on paper. His underlying metrics are exceptional so don't be surprised if his batting average and power numbers follow in the second half.

Nobody saw it coming, but Pablo is back and playing great for the Giants. Of course, he isn't playing every day so the counting stats aren't ideal but with a .290 batting average and 11 homers in 176 at-bats, there may be a place for him on your fantasy squad.

 

 

Alonso wasn't especially impressive last year with a .250 batting average and just 23 homers, but he is just one year removed from posting an .866 OPS with Oakland and Seattle so don't discount a big bounce-back campaign.

 

 

 

Canha has hit 15 home runs with a 150 wRC+ to little fanfare. His walks are up (15.5%), the strikeouts are down (19.5%), and the lifelong platoon player is suddenly crushing fellow righties. Despite over-performing his Statcast numbers, the 30-year-old is still a sneaky add in deeper mixed leagues.

The A's, who acquired Morales from the Blue Jays early in the season, shipped him off to the injury-bitten Yankees. Despite his listless .211/.321/.289 slash line, the Statcast expected numbers (.279/.380/.469) likes his far more. He could see some reps at DH with Giancarlo Stanton sidelined and Miguel Andujar out for the season, so give him a look in AL-only and 15-team mixed leagues.

 

 

 

 

Injuries briefly gave Bird a path to playing time, but he joins many of his Yankees teammates on the IL with left plantar fascia tear. This isn't Bird's first foot-related injuries, so don't expect a quick recovery. He's not rosterable anywhere, and it might be time to abandon hope of a post-hype breakout.