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Well, I’ve done a couple of mock drafts already, so I figured it would only be appropriate to take a first shot at 2024 rankings. This is the earliest I’ve done baseball rankings, maybe ever. I have a general disdain for rankings, but give the people what they want. Every time I look at my rankings I change something, so feel free to give me your constructive criticism, but know that I’m looking at them constantly too.

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1. SS Adael Amador | 20 | AA | 2025

A plus hit tool combines with above average power and excellent plate skills to make Amador the easy number one in this organization. A switch-hitter at 6’0” 200 lbs, he slashed .302/.391/.514 with nine home runs, 12 stolen bases, 26 strikeouts and 31 walks in 54 games at High-A Stockton. His ten games in Double-A didn’t go as smoothly, but it’d be premature to care. More useful to note that he earned that promotion as a cherry on top of a good season than to parse the small sample. I have 2025 as the ETA here, but that’s partly because the Rockies figure to be out of contention by the time Amador might be ready to graduate Triple-A if he has another strong season.

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First off, here’s what I said when he was called up this year, “Was listening to Fleetwood Mac’s Everywhere (Remastered) when I saw the news that Jordan Lawlar was being promoted, and the wind chimes playing in the background were perfectly timed as I spun out, arms outstretched, seeing stars because my equilibrium isn’t that good. Then […]

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1. SS Jordan Lawlar | 21 | MLB | 2023

The snakes slithered into the World Series on the strength of Corbin Carrol’s fantastic rookie season and some dynamite outings from the starting rotation. Lawlar’s on the books with a chance to repeat Carroll’s rookie of the year feat and establish himself as an everyday player in the top half of a contending lineup. At 6’2” 190 lbs, Lawlar plays plus defense at shortstop and brings plus power and speed on offense. The hit tool was his only question mark, but Lawlar answered that with a midseason surge that landed him in Triple-A, where he slashed .358/.438/.612 with five home runs, three stolen bases and 12 strikeouts in 16 games. He joined the big league club in September but couldn’t keep the hits coming and batted (and slugged) .129 with a 32.4 percent strikeout rate in 14 games. Would’ve been nice to see him help enough to have an obvious job entering 2024, but a couple weeks of 0-fers is no big deal for a guy his age debuting during a pennant race.

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Masyn Winn hit 2 homers and stole two bags in 122 ABs in the majors, while hitting .172. Welp, what are we doing here? Are we now covering stinkers? The Diabolical Voice In My Head, “Hey, if we’re going to cover stinkers, we should cover you, Grey!” That’s not cool. “May not be cool, but at least it doesn’t stink, like you!” Damn, way harsh. So, there’s a case to be made Masyn Winn is a stinker like that Diabolical Voice In My Head said. “It’s you, man, you’re the diabolical voice!”

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The journey through the 2024 Top Keepers continues this week with a look at the top shortstops. Compared to some of the other positions we’ve covered, shortstop is actually a pretty deep position. If you get stuck with a Tier 4 player, like a Jeremy Pena or Tommy Edman, you still have a decent shortstop on your hands.

Even in Tier 5 (players ranked 31-40), you still can get a decent utility player or fulltime shortstop with some solid upside. Meanwhile, the top shortstops are players who are not just the best at this position, but are some of the best players in the game. Overall, this is a strong group of players.

Now, on to the rankings!

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Format = Position Player | Age on 4/1/2024 | Highest Level Played | Estimated Time of Arrival 

1. SS Masyn Winn | 22 | MLB | 2023

The outcomes were awful in Winn’s first big league stretch. It was just 37 games, but you can’t slash .172/.230/.328 across any stretch without creating some question marks. They wear caps and sleeves at this level. The son of big leaguer Randy Winn, Masyn is certainly aware that he’ll have to hit to hold his spot in 2024, and I’m betting he will. He’s as physically gifted as anyone on the team and has typically figured a level out after a brief adjustment period. Feels like a pretty easy buy at his current NFBC ADP of 449. A .250 average with 15+ homers and 25+ steals is well within his range of outcomes.

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Most of the 2024 fantasy rookie outlook posts will be hitters. That’s not by accident. Hitters are easier to predict, especially rookies. Also, I like guys who have tasted the majors. If a player has seen time in the majors, then they’re more likely to be guaranteed a spot on the major league team next year. Unfortch, this doesn’t work for pitchers for one obvious reason. If hitters are looking good in Triple-A, then they can be called up for that delicious cup of coffee in the majors, if it’s not too latte.

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Aptronyms fascinate me. It’s when one’s name fits perfectly to their occupation. Like if my name were Grey Albrightaboutfantasy. Nominative determinism says there’s a causal relationship between a person being attracted to areas of work that fit their name. For unstints, Usain Bolt runs fast, Thomas Crapper worked with toilets, and Prince and Cecil Fielder were fielders. Think about this before naming your kid, Dumbass. Or Dumbass Jr., if your name is already Dumbass. Though, just naming your kid, Presidentoftheworld, isn’t going to be all they need. With all that said, Pete Crow-Armstrong does a crow hop and combines both solid arm strength and accuracy. Overall, his fielding is excellent. Let’s see an example:

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Format = Position Player | Age on 4/1/2024 | Highest Level Played | Estimated Time of Arrival 

 

1. RHP Paul Skenes | 21 | AA | 2024

Skenes gave up catching and quickly became the best pitcher in college baseball. At 6’6” 235 lbs, he wasn’t really built for crouching all day. What he was built to do is shove 100 mile per hour fastballs through the strike zone and bury unhittable sliders. The club jumped him up to Double-A for a couple of short outings, so it stands to reason that’s where he’ll open 2024, but this could be a situation where his stuff is just too dominant for the minor leagues.

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First off, what have we said about Kyle Harrison in the past, here’s Itch, “No secret I don’t like this pitcher as much as other sites, who have frequently pushed him up around the top-20 range because he can be dominant when he’s in rhythm. Remains on the list despite a 1.56 WHIP because he could be a front-line starter if he ever finds a delivery he can repeat.

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