2019 Fantasy Baseball ROS Rankings

Drafters know what they're getting in Arenado, who has batted no lower than .287 with at least 37 homers and 110 RBIs in the last four years. He has played all but 16 games in those four seasons, making him a durable beacon of consistency worthy of a first-round selection. He signed an extension during the offseason, so investors no longer need to worry about a midseason trade removing him from Coors Field. A lack of steals is an unfortunate, but acceptable tradeoff for locking in bankable production at every other category. This steadiness earned him the benefit of the doubt despite still not hitting a home run until April 14. He made up for lost time once the Rockies hosted more at Coors Field and now has 20 taters while hitting .312/.377/.562 at the All-Star break. He's still a stud.

Despite once again residing among baseball's laggards in swinging strikes and outside-swing rate, the jovial infielder is batting .285/.319/.541 with 22 homers. He's pummeling balls with a 92-mph average exit velocity and is in line to once again produce triple-digit RBIs and runs. However, he has drawn three walks in 38 games since the start of June and has stolen just five bases all season. Maybe skeptics were right not to want him as first-round anchor.

While the batting average has dropped, Bregman is still compiling RBIs, runs and homers at a rate where you can't move him out of the top five third basemen in fantasy. Don't be shocked if he kicks it into the next gear in the coming months too.

Rendon may not have the ceiling of an Alex Bregman or Manny Machado, but his consistency is a sight to behold. He is on pace for 35 homers, 120 runs, 110 RBIs and a .310 batting average. We may be looking at a first round fantasy pick next year.

Machado has taken a step back from an obvious second round pick to a fringe top 50 player. There is still a chance he returns to that type of production, but as expected, the new ballpark seems to be playing a significant role in his numbers.

Believe it or not, Bryant is on pace for 130 runs this season despite his slow start. He won't bop 40 homers like some of the other stars, but with a quality batting average and sufficient power, fantasy owners have to be pleased with their investment.

Going into the break, there has been no third basemen more valuable to his fantasy team than Devers. He is stealing bases, hitting bombs and scoring an unbelievable number of runs thanks to his high batting average. Lock him in as a top 30 pick next year.

Don't look now, but Jose Ramirez is back to obliterating baseballs over the past month. He may not finish the season like the first round pick we all expected him to be, but he will at the very least reward to owner who was patient enough to hold onto him.

Chapman entered the All-Star break on pace for 100 runs, 100 RBIs and 35 homers. That batting average isn't ideal, but those are the numbers of a bonafide stud. If drafts were tomorrow, he'd be top 60 without a doubt.

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.

Although he wasn't a popular free agent this off-season, fantasy owners knew they could rely on his power, especially with him being in Milwaukee, and Moose has delivered. He is on track for 45 bombs to go with 100 RBIs and runs.

Suarez has been great over the last few seasons and while he may have slowed down in the first half this year, there is nothing wrong with a guy who bats .250 if he is hitting 35 bombs with 100 RBIs which is the pace Suarez is on going into the break.

Playing time was supposed to be the only impediment to Guerrero winning fantasy leagues. Since making his highly anticipated debut on April 26, he's hitting a pedestrian .249/.328/.413 with eight home runs in 61 games. Even drafting generational prospects is risky. The talent remains undeniable, so the 20-year-old could still heat up a la Ronald Acuna Jr. last year. Those who spent a premium pick on the rookie third baseman should hold tight and wait for him to get comfortable in the big leagues. He might be a buy-low candidate is someone is also worried about the imaginary. Home Run Derby curse.

Turner is still chugging along as an underrated fantasy baseball asset. He may reach 90 runs, 20 HRs and a .300 batting average this season despit being drafted low each and every season.

Donaldson has managed to stay healthy so far this season, but the risk remains a factor. With that said, when he is on the field, you can still bank on 30-homer power with plenty of RBIs and runs.

Escobar keeps producing to little fanfare, batting .279/.337/.540 with 17 homers and 59 RBIs in late June. The elevated average comes with a .236 xBA, so treat this as a worthwhile corner or middle infielder peaking rather than a sustainable breakout.

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.

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.

Riley had everyone excited upon his arrival to the bigs and while that name recognition may still linger, he is coming back down to earth a bit. Don't be shocked if he finishes the year with 35 homers, but his batting average won't help much and he offers zero speed.

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.

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.

Chavis raked after his promotion, producing eight home runs and a .404 wOBA in his first 25 games. By the All-Star break, his wOBA has dropped to .337 while striking out in one-third of his plate appearances. The swoon wasn't a surprise for anyone who noticed his poor contact rates early in his debut, but don't abandon the newcomer entirely after one prolonged slump. He can still offer power in a strong Red Sox lineup and is eligible for three positions (1B, 2B, and 3B) in Yahoo leagues.

Senzel has merely been mediocre for fantasy owners up into the break with a .258 average and limited power, but he does have 8 steals already and we know he has the potential to breakout much like Scott Kingery did earlier this season.

Kingery was white-hot for a month and has since come back down to earth like Tim Anderson. While Kingery is a quality ballplayer, his underlying metrics suggest the regression will continue coming, albeit with some power and speed to soften the blow.

Those who looked at pictures of Diaz's pecs instead of his launch angle hoped the Rays could unlock his power potential. They haven't been disappointed, as the 27-year-old has slugged .482 and pelted 12 home runs in 315 plate appearances after mustering nine in 1,099 plate appearances for Cleveland and its Triple-A affiliate over the last two years. While he continues to hit too many ground balls, his 24 barrels shows the ability to simultaneously hit hard contact and elevate. He has proven worthy of rostering in all formats despite cooling off in July.

Myers followed 28/28 and 30/20 campaigns with 11 homers and 13 steals an injury-shortened 2018, so it was easy to envision a 25/20 rebound if he stays healthy. He also added third-base eligibility to his portfolio, making him an intriguing bounce-back option. Having stayed healthy so far, Myers has 12 long balls and nine steals in 93 games. However, a .217 batting average and bloated 36.1% strikeout rate has banished him to the bench. He might need a midseason trade to recover any value in standard mixed leagues.

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.

Although Franco isn't going to help your fantasy team's batting average and he only has mediocre power, there is worth in the fact that he plays almost every day in one of the best lineups in baseball. With that will come both RBIs and runs.

Cabrera is the cut-off between a long list of useful fantasy middle infielders and players who can fill a roster spot if you are desperate for counting stats. The batting average is going to hurt and he surely won't steal bags, but the other three categories are all plusses.

Nunez has always had power, there was never a doubt about that. What is surprising, however, is that it has translated to a 90 RBI, 80 runs pace. The batting average will be tough to swallow, but even so, he is worthy of a fantasy roster spot without question.

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.

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.

Anderson doesn't do much for a fantasy team in terms of batting average and you can be sure he won't pile up runs and RBIs in Miami's lineup, but he might hit 20 homers and won't kill you in any category.

Fletcher isn't going to help you win the home run category, nor will he steal double-digit bases, but he might reach 80 runs with a batting average near .300 so make room for him if he is still available in your league.

 

Longoria was finally starting to heat up, hitting six home runs in nine games before going on the IL with plantar fasciitis in his foot. He's likely to miss at least two weeks, so those who just added the veteran third baseman should stash him if possible. Despite hitting an uninspiring .241/.318/.446, he went on the shelf with a .270 xBA, .501 xSLG, and .364 xwOBA.

Seager was as consistent of a fantasy asset as you could find two years ago, but age has slowed him down enough that it is to the point where there is no case to be made for owning him in fantasy baseball.

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.

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.

Frazier has had a bit of a resurgence this season, and while it hasn't amounted to a ton, there is a place on a fantasy roster for a guy with 25 homer power and a mediocre batting average which is what he appears to offer again.

There is nothing sexy about drafting Candelario, but you can anticipate his batting average coming up 20 points this year, as he was among the most unlucky hitters in that department last year. Along with that, fantasy owners should get around 20 homers from him.

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.

La Stella was among the top breakout infielders this year before going on the IL for 2 to 3 months. If you have enough room on your IL or even bench, he may be worth holding onto for the head to head playoff stretch.

 

Placed on the IL in early April, Lamb missed nearly three months with a grade 2 quad strain. Splitting time between first and third base, it took eight games until his return to capture his first homer of 2019. After batting just .229/.307/.348, Lamb will need to prove worthy of rostering beyond deep leagues.

The Yankees have been surprised with this kid as he hit .305 in the first half. The batting average will drop a bit and there won't be much power, but if he keeps playing every day in this lineup, he'll be worth owning and using every week.

Kang may not open the season as the starter in Pittsburgh, but with the way he is playing this spring, you'll want to keep a close eye on him. After all, we've seen Kang be a useful fantasy piece in years prior.

Astudillo missed two weeks with a hamstring strain, but when healthy he has continued to look like a legitimate threat to hit .300 thanks to his prodigious contact rate. He's unlikely to provide much in way the of power, but he doesn't really need to in order to be a helpful fantasy player at a weak position.

Crawford's bat hasn't quite developed as fast as many expected, but he is a source of both speed and power but with upside for more. Keep an eye on him as a potential waiver wire pickup in the second half.

 

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.

 

 

Lowrie has been on the IL all season and just suffered another setback. Even if and when he returns to action, fantasy owners shouldn't pay any attention.

 

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.

 

Surprisingly demoted to Triple-A, Happ has done nothing (.229/.355/.371) to work his way back to the majors. He's now only worth stashing in NL-only and dynasty leagues.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cozart may miss time at the start of the season with a mild calf strain, and after his 2018 performance, it is fair to forget about him, but don't be so quick to forget how excellent he was in 2017 with the Reds, knocking 24 homers with a .297 batting average in just 122 games.

 

 

Receiving more playing time while Jose Altuve recovers from a hamstring injury, Diaz has homered twice in two starts. He offered 18 homers and a 102 wRC+ in 452 plate appearances for the Blue Jays last year, so he's a fine short-term scoop while getting reps in a loaded Astros lineup.