The start of the 2024 baseball season is just around the corner, but dynasty fantasy leagues have been going non-stop. So, to get you ready to go for the upcoming season, here is the first installment of the 2024 Dynasty Rankings, with players No. 300 to 201 being unveiled.
When it comes to putting your dynasty team together, you want to build and then maintain a squad that can contend for years. The formula to do this, however, varies from person to person.
For me, when evaluating players for dynasty leagues, the formula for success is a dash of gut instinct mixed in with past experience and a whole lot of what the eye sees. You know a good player when you see him. But a good 34-year-old player is not the same as a good 24-year-old player. Thus, for my dynasty teams I try to follow these simple guidelines:
Youth over Age
- You will need veteran players, but you don’t want a whole team of veteran players. If there is a “tie” between a young player and the player four or five years older, I’ll take the younger player.
Hitters over Pitchers
- As a whole, young hitters perform better than young pitchers, and veteran hitters are more consistent than veteran pitchers. Basically, I trust my gut when it comes to hitters versus pitchers. Unless a starting pitcher is superior to a solid hitter in the round I am drafting, I will wait on the starting pitcher and go with the hitter.
Starting Pitchers over Relievers
- This is pretty easy to understand why. As a group, relievers are so up-and-down it is maddening. Without fail, there will be five or six closers you can pick up in the middle of the season. DO NOT DRAFT A CLOSER EARLY. I will fill out 90 percent of my starting staff before I add my closers/relievers. In my rankings, you won’t see a reliever ranked in the top 150.
The Exceptions
Yes, there is always a caveat, or two. You want to win now – who doesn’t? If a veteran hitter in his early-30s is on the board in round 5 or 6 and is clearly better than some of the younger players ranked close to him then I will take the veteran – just not too often.
As for starting pitchers, I prefer the established player in his mid- to late-20s over the first- or second-year starter. I have a good hunch as to what I will get out of the veteran compared to the younger starter, especially since many of them take a year or two to get acclimated to MLB baseball. But I already know I have one caveat to what I just said as I know where I have ranked Eury Perez. There is always the exception.
Sorry, No Prospects Here
If you are looking to see where the top prospects are ranked, you are not going to see them here. In every dynasty league I play in, prospects are added through a separate draft/auction and are part of the minor league/prospect roster. Thus, if a player has not played in a major league game, they are not going to appear in these rankings (with the exception of foreign players coming over from Japan or South Korea).
I will say this, however. Jackson Holliday, Jackson Chourio, Wyatt Langford, Dylan Crews and Junior Caminero would all be in the Top 100. Paul Skenes, James Woods, Colson Montgomery, Jackson Merrill and Marcelo Mayer would be in the Top 150. These are all great players to build around, and if your league puts all the prospects and MLB players into one pot, then get these players early.
Let’s Get to the Rankings!
Enough of the small talk. It’s time to take a look at the first set of players. This first entry covers players 300-201. Future weeks will break down the players into groups of 25.
Just Missed the Cut
If you are in a 12-team league with 25-man rosters, you get to the magic number of 300 players who are rostered. But the chances of you keeping every player on your roster throughout the season are slim to none. There are still good players that I have not ranked. Some are older, such as Josh Bell, Wilmer Flores, LaMonte Wade Jr. and Yusei Kikuchi. Others are in their 20s, like Hayden Wesneski, Cristopher Sanchez and Jordan Wicks.
If you are in a rebuild, I would hoard as many young players as possible when filling out your roster. If you are in a win-now mode, which I usually am, I will target a few young players but fill out my roster with older veterans who I believe will live up to their projections.
One player that I did not rank is a player I did rank in my keeper series – Wander Franco. As I keeper, I am looking more toward the next season. But for dynasty leagues, I am looking three to five years down the road except for a few certain players who are there to help me win this year.
Franco’s legal troubles are too risky when it comes to dynasty leagues. He was dropped in two of my dynasty leagues and no one else touched him.
300-286
*Age as of April 1, 2024
| RANK | PLAYER | TEAM | POS. | AGE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 300 | Louie Varland | Min | SP | 25 |
| 299 | Drew Waters | KC | CF/RF | 25 |
| 298 | Tyler O’Neill | Bos | LF | 28 |
| 297 | Mauricio Dubon | Hou | 2B/SS/CF | 29 |
| 296 | Evan Phillips | LAD | RP | 29 |
| 295 | Nathan Eovaldi | Tex | SP | 34 |
| 294 | Brandon Drury | LAA | 1B/2B | 31 |
| 293 | Carlos Rodon | NYY | SP | 30 |
| 292 | Jeimer Candelario | Cin | 1B/3B | 30 |
| 291 | Aaron Civale | TB | SP | 28 |
| 290 | Orlando Arcia | Atl | SS | 29 |
| 289 | Hunter Renfroe | KC | RF | 32 |
| 288 | Tanner Scott | Mia | RP | 29 |
| 287 | Tyler Stephenson | Cin | C | 27 |
| 286 | Jose Siri | TB | CF | 28 |
Change of Scenery and some Utility
It wasn’t long ago that Tyler O’Neill was a slugging left fielder, but he has not come close to matching his 2021 season when he slashed .286/.352/.560 with 34 homers. If ever there was a player who needed to change teams, it was O’Neil. Now in Boston, perhaps he can find the magic he had in 2021.
While O’Neil is a good rebound candidate this deep down the rankings, Mauricio Dubon is the kind of player you should want on your team. He doesn’t hurt you with his bat (.278/.309/.411 76-10-46-7) and he qualifies at multiple positions.
The “Old” Guys
It’s impossible to avoid players in their 30s, even in dynasty leagues. These rankings are sprinkled with those players, and while older, they are solid players to have in order to fill a void or use for a couple of years.
Nathan Eovaldi, Brandon Drury, Carlos Rodon and Jeimer Candelario are all solid players. Eovaldi has posted an ERA below 3.90 in each of the last four seasons with an ERA+ of 109 or better. Drury, meanwhile, has been the model of consistency the last two seasons, slashing .263/.320/.492 with 28 homers and 87 RBI in 2022 and slashing .262/.306/.497 with 26 homers and 83 RBI this past season.
Rodon is coming off a horrible first season with the Yankees (6.85 ERA, 1.446 WHIP in 14 starts) but posted a 2.37 ERA/0.957 WHIP in 2021 and 2.88 ERA/1.028 WHIP in 2022. He may not duplicate those numbers again, but he is a much better pitcher than he was in 2023.
Candelario picked the right time to have a career year his 22 homers and 70 RBI were career highs. Now with the Reds, he is playing in a hitter’s park surrounded by a deep lineup. He could be the starting third baseman for the Reds or play a super utility role. No matter what, he will get plenty of at-bats with the team.
One Tough Lefty
Tanner Scott is certainly not a household name. However, he is a reliever you should want on your team. Many leagues, if not most, now include holds as a category in addition to saves or holds + saves. If you are in one of those leagues, Scott is the perfect player to have.
If he isn’t the fulltime closer for the Marlins this year, then he will still get some saves and rack up some holds as well. Scott had a 2.31 ERA and 0.99 WHIP with a 12.0 K/9 rate and 2.8 BB/9 rate. He also ranked in the 90th percentile or higher in xERA, xBA, Fastball Velo, Average EV, Chase %, Whiff %, K%, Barrel % and Hard-Hit %.
Underrated Bat
There are a lot of good young catchers in the majors now. But if you can’t land one of those catchers, you could do a lot worse than Tyler Stephenson. The Reds backstop owns a career .272/.345/.419 slash line and is good for about 15 homes and 65 RBI.
285-271
| RANK | PLAYER | TEAM | POS. | AGE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 285 | Vaughn Grissom | Bos | 2B | 23 |
| 284 | Taj Bradley | TB | SP | 23 |
| 283 | Matt Manning | Det | SP | 26 |
| 282 | Alec Burleson | Stl | 1B/LF/RF | 25 |
| 281 | Michael Wacha | KC | SP | 32 |
| 280 | Mark Vientos | NYM | 1B/3B | 24 |
| 279 | Alek Thomas | Ari | CF | 23 |
| 278 | Jesus Sanchez | Mia | RF | 26 |
| 276 | Bryce Elder | Atl | SP | 24 |
| 275 | Brayan Bello | Bos | SP | 24 |
| 274 | Nick Senzel | Was | 3B/LF/CF | 28 |
| 273 | Trevor Rogers | Mia | SP | 26 |
| 272 | Jose Alvarado | Phi | RP | 28 |
| 271 | Jordan Romano | Tor | RP | 30 |
Why Not?
If players are ranked this low in the rankings, then there are obvious questions when it comes to their production. Vaughn Grissom certainly has questions about what he will provide you.
Grissom was the hot player to have in 2022 when he burst onto the scene with the Braves and slashed .291/.353/.440 with five homers, 18 RBI and five steals in 41 games. Expected by many to be the shortstop of the future for the Braves after Dansby Swanson left for Chicago, Grissom instead lost his job in 2023 and appeared in only 23 games for Atlanta.
This offseason he was traded to Boston for a bag of potato chips – oops, sorry, Chris Sale. Considering he’s as broken as a bag of chips, same thing. With no established second baseman on the Bosten roster, it is easy to see Grissom in the starting lineup and provide some decent numbers for the Sox.
Worth Fishing for this Marlin
It appears Jesus Sanchez will be the starting right fielder for the Marlins this season, and if so, it will be interesting to see what he can do at the plate.
Over the last three seasons he has received between 227 to 360 at-bats and hit 14, 13 and 14 homers. His slugging percentage this past season was .450 and he ranked in the 71st percentile or higher in xwOBA, xBA, xSLG, Avg. EV, Barrel % and Hard-Hit %.
Elder and Bello
Bryce Elder and Brayan Bello are the types of pitchers who are great buy low candidates. Elder made 31 starts for the Braves and posted a 3.81 ERA and 1.28 WHIP – not bad numbers for a depth pitcher on your staff. Elder had a 6.6 K/9 rate last season, but it was 9.3 during his career in the minors and at the University of Texas, so I see it increasing a bit with the Braves.
In 28 starts for the Red Sox, Bello posted a 4.24 EA and 1.34 WHIP. Not great numbers, but he did have a 19.8% strikeout rate and a nice 6.7% walk rate, below the MLB average of 8.4%. Bello had a career K/9 rate of 10.8 in the minors, so I see him increasing his strikeout rate as well.
No Home, More Playing Time
With so much young talent, the Reds decided it was time to say goodbye to Nick Senzel after the season by not tendering him a contract. Senzel signed with the Nationals and should receive plenty of playing time. In 330 plate appearances last season, he hit 13 homers and drove in 42 runs. His true value is his versatility. Not only can Senzel play all three outfield positions, but he qualifies at third base and has experience at second base as well.
270-256
| RANK | PLAYER | TEAM | POS. | AGE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 270 | Chris Bassitt | Tor | SP | 35 |
| 269 | Lucas Giolito | Bos | SP | 29 |
| 268 | Yoan Moncada | CWS | 3B | 28 |
| 267 | Brendan Donovan | Stl | 2B | 27 |
| 266 | Luke Raley | TB | 1B/LF/CF/RF | 29 |
| 265 | J.P. France | Hou | SP | 28 |
| 264 | Brandon Marsh | Phi | CF/LF | 26 |
| 263 | Johan Rojas | Phi | CF | 23 |
| 262 | Austin Hays | Bal | LF | 28 |
| 261 | Jonathan Aranda | TB | 1B | 25 |
| 260 | Brandon Williamson | Cin | SP | 25 |
| 259 | Elehuris Montero | Col | 1B | 25 |
| 258 | Logan Allen | Cle | SP | 25 |
| 257 | Tyler Wells | Bal | SP | 29 |
| 256 | Kutter Crawford | Bos | SP | 28 |
Speed Over Decent Power?
Johan Rojas does one thing well – steal bases. Rojas had 14 steals in 15 attempts in 59 games for the Phillies. He hit only two homers, but he has shown pop in the minors. Rojas may or not be the starter in center for the Phillies. But in his 149 at-bats, he slashed .302/.342/.430 after slashing .306/.361/.484 in Double-A with nine homers and 30 steals.
If Rojas isn’t the starter, it will because Brandon Marsh will have held onto his job. Marsh isn’t old (he’s 26) and he isn’t horrible, slashing .277/.372/.458 with 12 homers, 60 RBI and 10 steals in 2023. If Rojas wins the starting job, Marsh will likely split time between center and left field as well as get in a few games in right.
Former Top Prospect
Jonathan Aranda surpassed rookie status last season with the Rays, but the former top prospect could be ranked a little low here if he starts to match the production he had in the minors. In 104 games at Triple-A in 2022 he hit 18 homers and drove in 85 runs while slashing .318/.394/.521. Last season at Triple-A he slashed .339/.449/.613 with 25 dingers and 81 RBI in 95 games.
Those numbers have not translated to the majors – yet. Aranda slashed .192/.276/.321 for Tampa Bay in 2022 and .230/.340/.368 last year. He can play first, second or third, so if he doesn’t garner a starting job, look for him to play around the infield and increase those numbers.
Power Potential
No player has exactly nailed down the first base job for the Colorado Rockies, which is why Elehuris Montero is a player who can shoot up these rankings. In 85 games he hit 11 homers while driving in 39 runs. His 162-game average is 20 homers and 69 RBI. However, his slash line is .239/.283/.428, he does not walk (23 walks in 492 career plate appearances), and he strikes out too much (201 career Ks). But the power is real, and so is his dynasty potential.
Ready for a Bigger Role?
After appearing in 21 games and making 12 starts for Boston in 2022, Kutter Crawford appeared in 31 games with 23 starts last season and could be ready to become a regular member of the starting rotation. He had a 4.04 ERA and 1.11 WHIP for the Sox with a 25.6 K% (MLB average is 22.1) and 6.8 BB% (8.4 is MLB average).
255-241
| RANK | PLAYER | TEAM | POS. | AGE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 255 | Shane Bieber | Cle | SP | 28 |
| 254 | Luis Garcia | Hou | SP | 27 |
| 253 | Triston McKenzie | Cle | SP | 26 |
| 252 | Alex Kirilloff | Min | 1B | 26 |
| 251 | Jeff McNeil | NYM | 2B/RF | 31 |
| 250 | Taylor Ward | LAA | LF | 30 |
| 249 | Justin Turner | FA | 1B | 39 |
| 248 | Ryan Pepiot | TB | SP | 26 |
| 247 | Eugenio Suarez | Ari | 3B | 32 |
| 246 | Alex Verdugo | NYY | RF | 27 |
| 245 | Brandon Lowe | TB | 2B | 29 |
| 244 | Leody Taveras | Tex | CF | 25 |
| 243 | Luis Rengifo | LAA | 2B/SS | 27 |
| 242 | Max Kepler | Min | RF | 31 |
| 241 | Parker Meadows | Det | CF | 24 |
The MASH Unit
Shane Bieber, Luis Garcia and Triston McKenzie all battled injuries last season – some more than others. Beiber missed a couple of months with elbow inflammation. Meanwhile, Garcia made only six starts before missing the rest of the season after undergoing Tommy John surgery. McKenzie made only four starts due a wide assortment of injuries last year.
Thanks to his injury, Bieber was limited to 21 starts. His numbers from last year (3.80 ERA, 1.234 WHIP, 3.15 K/BB rate) didn’t match what he had done the two previous seasons, but that can likely be blamed on the elbow problems.
Garcia won’t be ready to pitch until midseason, most likely. But in a dynasty league, he would still be a good addition – just one who pays off later. Since becoming a starter in 2021 he has a K/9 rate of 9.4 with a 2.8 BB/9 rate. For his career he has a 3.61 ERA, 1.159 WHIP and an ERA+ of 113.
In his four starts, Gore had an ugly 5.06 EA and 1.56 WHIP. But he is only one season removed from a 2.96 ERA and 0.95 WHIP with 190 strikeouts in 191.1 innings. I expect Gore to rebound and be much closer to his 2022 form.
The Really Old Guy
You know how I said there are always exceptions to the rule? Well, Justin Turner is one of those exceptions. At age 39, he is not a player anyone should plan on keeping for more than a year or two. But at this point in the rankings, he is a player who can fill a lot of voids on offense. Over the last three seasons he has been remarkably consistent.
Since 2021, his slash lines have been .278/.361/.471, .278/.350/.438 and .276/.345/.455. His home run/RBI totals have been 27/87, 13/81 and 23/96. I don’t think he is suddenly going to forget how to hit.
The Young Guy
Parker Meadows should be given every chance to be the regular center fielder for the Tigers this season after getting a 37-game audition in 2023. He doesn’t have overwhelming power, but he is likely good for around 15 homers. His real strength is his speed as he should reach 30 steals. He does strike out a lot, but he has a good understanding of the zone and had an 11.7 walk rate last season.
240-226
| RANK | PLAYER | TEAM | POS. | AGE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 240 | Nick Pivetta | Bos | SP | 31 |
| 239 | Nick Lodolo | Cin | SP | 26 |
| 238 | MacKenzie Gore | Was | SP | 25 |
| 237 | AJ Smith-Shawver | Atl | SP | 20 |
| 236 | Brent Rooker | Oak | LF/RF | 29 |
| 235 | Sean Murphy | Atl | C | 29 |
| 234 | Thairo Estrada | SF | 2B/SS | 28 |
| 233 | Bryan De La Cruz | Mia | LF | 27 |
| 232 | Ryan McMahon | Col | 2B/3B | 29 |
| 231 | Matt Wallner | Min | LF/RF | 26 |
| 230 | Kyle Harrison | SF | SP | 22 |
| 229 | Chase Silseth | LAA | SP | 23 |
| 228 | Michael King | SD | SP | 28 |
| 227 | Tommy Edman | Stl | 2B/SS | 28 |
| 226 | Lourdes Gurriel Jr. | Ari | LF | 30 |
Bound for a Rebound
Nick Lodolo had a lost season for the Reds in 2023. Thanks to a stress reaction in his left tibia, he was limited to seven starts and a 6.26 ERA. He started the year 2-0 with a 2.12 ERA through his first three starts before struggling over his final four.
But in 2022, Lodolo showed what he could do on the mound, posting a 3.66 ERA and 1.25 WHIP with a 29.7% strikeout rate. His Whiff% ranked in the 81st percentile and his K% ranked in the 87th percentile. I may actually have him ranked too low, but with only 26 career starts, I’m not ready to rank him inside the top 200 yet.
A Rising National
I like MacKenzie Gore, the problem is he is the perfect example of young pitchers needing time to round into form at the major league level. Once one of the top prospects in baseball, Gore has a 4.45 career ERA in two seasons with a 1.425 WHIP. Gore has great stuff, but he can’t control it. But there are signs of improvement.
As a rookie he had a 4.50 ERA and a 1.471 WHIP with a 4.8 BB/9 ratio and a 9.3 K/9 ratio. Last season his ERA dropped to 4.42 and his WHIP lowered to 1.401. Not great, but better than the year before. His walk rate dropped to 3.8 and his K/9 rate jumped to 10.0. If Gore can learn to command his pitches and reduce those walks, he will be a nice pitcher to have on your staff.
Twinkie Power
Matt Wallner only appeared in 76 games last year for the Twins. But in his 254 plate appearances, he made a lot of noise with his bat. He hit 14 homers and drove in 41 runs while slashing .249/.370/.507. He did have a 31.5 % strikeout rate, but that is offset by his 11% walk rate. His 162-game average is 28 homers and 88 RBI with a .361 OBP and .481 SLG. If you are starting a dynasty league or looking to fill holes, Wallner could be a steal if still available.
Top Giant
Drafted in the third round of the 2020 draft, Kyle Harrison is considered the top prospect in the Giants system and got a taste of the big leagues last year. In his seven starts, he displayed good control with a 2.9 BB/9 rate and a 1.154 WHIP, thanks to allowing only 29 hits in 34.2 innings. He also had a 9.1 K/9 rate. He will likely have his share of ups and downs, but he is a nice pitcher to target.
225-211
| RANK | PLAYER | TEAM | POS. | AGE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 225 | Teoscar Hernandez | FA | RF | 31 |
| 224 | Jake Fraley | Cin | LF | 28 |
| 223 | David Bednar | Pit | RP | 29 |
| 222 | Ryan Helsley | Stl | RP | 29 |
| 221 | Nestor Cortes | NYY | SP | 29 |
| 220 | Matt Chapman | FA | 3B | 30 |
| 219 | Griffin Canning | LAA | SP | 27 |
| 218 | Giancarlo Stanton | NYY | RF | 34 |
| 217 | Jacob deGrom | Tex | SP | 35 |
| 216 | Justin Verlander | Hou | SP | 41 |
| 215 | Willy Adames | Mil | SS | 28 |
| 214 | Andrew Abbott | Cin | SP | 24 |
| 213 | Alejandro Kirk | Tor | C | 25 |
| 212 | Mickey Moniak | LAA | LF/CF/RF | 25 |
| 211 | Brenton Doyle | Col | CF | 25 |
Super Sub
Jake Fraley will likely not be a starter for the Reds in 2024, but since he can play all three outfield spots and fill in at DH, he should get about 400 at-bats this season. And when he is at the plate, he should produce close to 15 homers, 55 RBI and 20 steals. As a depth player, that is great production.
Comeback for Cortes
After a breakout season in 2022 for the Yankees, Nestor Cortes did not have the kind of follow-up season he wanted in 2023. Thanks to injuries, Cortes was limited to 12 starts and had a 4.97 ERA. But if you look at his numbers, he was better than what that ERA implies.
His walk rate of 2.8 matched his career rate and his 9.5 K/9 rate also matched his career average. What hurt was the 1.6 HR/9 rate. That number was 0.9 in 2022. Cortes may not match the 2.44 ERA he posted in 2022, but he is much better than what he showed during his injury-plagued 2023 campaign.
Solid Rebound Season
After missing all of 2022, Griffin Canning had a strong comeback season in 2023 with the Angels. While posting a 4.32 ERA and 1.236 WHIP, I like his 9.9 K/9 rate and 3.86 K/BB rate. With ERA always being volatile, those two rates go a long way with me when determining a pitcher’s value.
Additionally, his Whiff%, K% and BB% were all above average, ranking in the 72nd, 69th and 76th percentile.
A Pair of Exceptions
If Justin Turner was the first exception to the rule of youth over age, then Jacob DeGrom and Justin Verlander are the second and third exception. When on the mound, DeGrom is still one of the top pitchers in baseball. The problem is the amount of time he spends in the IL compared to actually pitching. His numbers prove he is still talented, but with his age and mostly his injury history, he falls down to this ranking.
Verlander, meanwhile, is a complete one-year rental/hole filler. But aside from his age, he is still a solid pitcher. With the Mets and Astros last year he had a 3.22 ERA and 1.133 WHIP and a 131 ERA+. He isn’t a huge strikeout pitcher anymore, but he is still had a 8.0 K/9 rate.
Nice Debut Season
As a 24-year-old rookie with the Reds, Andrew Abbott had a nice debut season. In 109.1 innings, he had a 9.9 K/9 rate, a 3.87 ERA and an ERA+ of 118. What he needs to do to take the next step is reduce his 3.6 BB/9 rate. The league also figured him out a bit the more he pitched. He had a 1.21 ERA in June and 3.31 in July. Then it ballooned to 6.08 in August and 6.10 in September.
But Abbott should be able to make some adjustments and be a solid dynasty pitcher.
210-201
| RANK | PLAYER | TEAM | POS. | AGE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 210 | J.D. Martinez | FA | DH | 36 |
| 209 | Max Muncy | LAD | 3B | 33 |
| 208 | Christian Walker | Ari | 1B | 33 |
| 207 | Andres Munoz | Sea | RP | 25 |
| 206 | Luis Matos | SF | LF/CF/RF | 22 |
| 205 | Endy Rodríguez | Pit | C | 23 |
| 204 | Steven Kwan | Cle | LF | 26 |
| 203 | Jung Hoo Lee | SF | CF | 25 |
| 202 | Brett Baty | NYM | 3B | 24 |
| 201 | Mitch Keller | Pit | SP | 27 |
If You Need Hitters…
J.D. Martinez, Max Muncy and Christian Walker are no longer spring chickens and likely are one-year rentals in dynasty leagues at this point. But all three can still hit.
Martinez is the best all-around hitter out of this trio. He is coming off a .271/.321/.572 year with the Dodgers with 33 homers and 103 RBI. I don’t see him matching those final two numbers, but I see him matching his slash line with just a little lower slugging percentage.
Max Muncy is the infield version of Kyle Schwarber – he’ll hit a lot of homers and help your slugging percentage, but he’ll kill your batting average. The last three seasons he has hit 36, 21 and 36 homers. But he had a .196/.329/.384 slash line in 2022 and a .212/.333/.475 slash line last year.
But if you are grabbing Muncy, you know what you are getting, and this is power production. The same can almost be said of Walker. Over the last two seasons he has hit 36 and 33 homers and driven in 94 and 103 runs. Unlike Muncy, he has been able to produce a better batting average as his slash lines the last two seasons have been .242/.327/.477 and .258/.333/.497.
Youngsters to Target
As I have stated, I avoid drafting relievers early, but if I want to reach for a closer outside of the established closers, I would take Andres Munoz. He jumped from four saves to 13 last season. Even if he is not the fulltime closer this year, he will rack up holds and saves. But what I really like about him is his career K/9 rate of 12.7. He fanned 13.3/9 in 2022 and last season his K/9 rate was 12.3.
The one reason to be weary of Munoz is the fact he walks too many hitters. For his career it is 3.3/9 but last year it was an 4.0/9.
Luis Matos has great bat-to-ball skills. In his debut season with the Giants last year he had a 13.0% strikeout rate. But the power that was expected from Matos has not materialized yet. Before being promoted to the majors, he hit 12 homers combined at Double-A and Triple A and 12 the year before at Rookie and High-A. But I believe he has the ceiling of a .300 hitter with 20 homers per season.
Catcher Endy Rodriguez is going to miss most, if not all, of the 2024 season after he tore his UCL taking a swing during winter ball. But if you have room to add and stash him away, he is a good target. At 23 he is not super young anymore. But he has shown power in the minors, hitting 25 homers across three levels in 2022 and he has a career slugging percentage of .509 in the minors. After joining the Pirates he only slashed .220/.284/.328 with three homers and 13 RBI in 57 games. But he did have a decent walk rate (8.3%) and wasn’t completely overmatched as he had a 24.0% strikeout rate.
The Export
I originally had Jung Hoo Lee ranked closer to the Top 150. But I have backed off that a bit just because of the up-and-down success of players coming over from Korea. Lee has an amazing career slash line of .340/.407/.491 in 884 career KBO games. He also walked 383 times with only 304 strikeouts. So the hitting should carry over with the Giants. He is not going to hit .340, but he should be a solid .290 t0 .300 hitter.
But don’t expect power from Lee. He hit only 65 dingers in thos 884 career games, and playing half his games in San Francisco isn’t going to improve his power. Expect may 10 homers, but he has some speed to offset the lack of power and could be good for 10 to 15 steals.
Come Back Next Week
Thanks for reading and come back again next week for the second installment – 2024 Dynasty Rankings: 200-176.
