It’s July and with the MLB All-Star Break almost upon us, it seems fitting to take a look at the points league all-stars. This is for season performance to date so they will be among the top points scorers but I am giving a little more weight to guys that are outperforming their draft position. The fantasy MVP has to be Shohei Ohtani (406) He has more points than anyone else and yet his ADP was in the 40s. As a two-way player, he’s basically a cheat code in daily leagues, giving you an extra roster spot. Start him at pitcher when he’s on the mound and at DH when he’s not. Obviously, for weekly lineups, his value isn’t quite as sky-high because you miss out on more of his points but he’s still been amazing. He’s been impressive no matter what position he’s at with a power/speed combo at the plate and massive K upside on the mound. At only 26 years old the sky is the limit and he should easily be the number one overall pick next season in leagues where he’s a two-way player.
Other than the Sho, here are my other Fantasy All-Star picks.
Catcher
Salvador Perez (173) He was the second catcher off the board but he finds himself in pole position. I love the 19 bombs, but he’s managed to get base hits as well with a .282 average. More walks would be nice to see and the Ks are concerning because they can lead to some low-scoring weeks. Nevertheless, he’s earned his spot.
Buster Posey (156) Taking last season off really did wonders for him. Whether it was the mental break or a rest for his knees, Gerald Dempsey Posey III has turned back the clock to his MVP season. That year he batted .336 with 24 home runs. So far this season he’s batting .330 with 12 bombs. The rest of his stats are in line with that as well except he’s well off pace for 103 RBIs as he only has 27. For fantasy, he was a bit of a forgotten man after a few down seasons at the plate. If you were bold enough to draft him, you got yourself a good one.
Yermin Mercedes (133) The Yerminator comes in fifth in points among catchers, but since he was basically free in drafts and he’s even still available in about 30% of ESPN leagues. Unfortunately he has been trending down lately and has found himself on the bench more frequently. Even if he’s just a first half All-Star he’s had quite a run.
First Base
Vladimir Guerrero Jr (323) Who else could it be? He was number one off the board at his position but that still put him at the end of the first/ early second. Not only does he lead his position but he’s the top batter that isn’t Shohei. That’s still some solid value.
Matt Olson (247) The long ball has been there, but he’s also putting up doubles as well. He’s certainly outperforming his draft position so far and that earns him a place here.
Yuli Gurriel (239) Say whatever you want about him and his involvement in the Astros cheating scandal, his performance speaks for itself. He was available later on in drafts yet he finds himself as a top 3 first baseman. He just keeps racking up hits, with doubles driving his value as he leads all first basemen in that category. He’s been a driving force in the Astros lineup and should keep piling up points.
Second Base
Jose Altuve (248) We’ve already covered that I was out on him coming into the season. I’ll take my L on that one because he’s rediscovered his power stroke. That pushed him to the top of the second base ranks in the past and it’s driving him to the top of the leaderboard again.
Jake Cronenworth (218) Starting as the 15th-second baseman, he has surged into the top 5. That’s a great return on investment. He doesn’t stand out in any one category and is doing a little bit of everything to get his points. He has also managed to increase his point totals month to month which is great. I have him listed as a second baseman here, but he also has eligibility at first and short, giving you some flexibility with your roster.
Adam Frazier (220) Slow and steady wins the race and has made Frazier a top 5 guy on the season. The 24 doubles are great, as are his 4 triples. He has just a touch of power and speed but it all comes with .326 average. That’s a great guy to have on your roster.
Third Base
Jose Ramirez (252) JoRam is doing his thing, crushing bombs with a pretty nice batting average. I had hoped he might challenge for a 30/30 season but sadly he’s well of pace in steals. He was likely the first third baseman off the board but he’s earning that spot so far.
Rafael Devers (250) He’s right on JoRam’s heels for the points lead at third. His 24 doubles lead his position and are driving his value in combination with his 20 big flies.
Nolan Arenado (224) I’ll admit I wasn’t as excited about Arenado this season because he would be drinking Busch instead of Coors. Based on his performance that was an overreaction. His power is down ever so slightly but the rest of his numbers are on pace to be right in line with what we’ve come to expect from him.
Shortstop
Fernando Tatis Jr (260) Did you really expect it to be anyone else? He’s the top shortstop despite his injury scare that cost him some time and caused anyone who drafted him to sweat profusely. He refuses to be stopped and just keep raking. It doesn’t count for anything in fantasy but he is just having so much fun out there that you love to see it.
Marcus Semien (257) What a season he’s having, rewarding anyone who took a chance on him in drafts. He was a solid player in the past, but he’s found a new level this year and should easily set a career in home runs. He’s also racking up the other counting stats too. Keep rolling him out there and unless you’re getting amazing value in return don’t even think about moving him.
Brandon Crawford (193) He lags behind the top group but I’m a Giants fan and this is my list so here he is. His numbers are far better than I think anyone expected, especially the power. I had doubts that he would ever hit 15 home runs in a season again and he puts up 17 before the All-Star Break? He could be had very late in drafts if he was even taken at all. That’s the kind of return on investment that can push your team to the top.
Outfield
Ronald Acuna Jr (256) He’s a first round pick doing everything you were expecting him to. So while this isn’t a surprise to see him here, he’s certainly earned his spot.
Jesse Winker (249) If you drafted him at his ADP of 125 you’re loving life right now. Heck… you’d still be loving life even if you took him several rounds earlier because he’s been that good. He’s right behind Acuna in points and we all know how good he’s been. Winker has been one of the best picks you could have made this season.
Nick Castellanos (248) He started hot and still hasn’t cooled down, batting almost .350 for the season. In addition, he’s been racking up runs and RBIs with 53 of each. He’s been excellent all season, he’s just been overshadowed by his teammate who you could have taken much later.
Whit Merrifield (238) He’s a speed-over-power guy but he’s turned that into a pretty good season with 22 steals and 20 doubles leading the way. He likely came off the board fairly early but his play has made that pick worth it.
Cedric Mullins (227) Where did this come from? Raise your hand if you called this breakout. I was worried that he would lose out on playing time as the O’s got healthy, but his bat has been scorching hot all season. He’s coming off of a monster June
Starting Pitcher
Jacob deGrom (352) These numbers are just bonkers. A 0.95 ERA, 0.54 WHIP, and 136 Ks in 85 innings. It looks more like he’s playing MLB: The Show than facing real-life MLB hitters. He’s the top dog among pitchers in both real life and fantasy, not counting Shohei. He also highlights the value of innings for points leagues as his lead over the next guy isn’t as large as you might expect.
Kevin Gausman (331) If it weren’t the bonkers season deGrom is putting up, there would be a lot more Cy Young buzz around Gausman. He’s got everything you want in a fantasy pitcher: innings, Ks, and a pristine ERA and WHIP. Since the Giants are actually good this year he picked up wins as well.
Zack Wheeler (332) He’s putting up the innings and Ks that you love to see. You’re also loving that you found an Ace around pick 70.
Brandon Woodruff (321) The numbers have been excellent and the points are there. He’s been doing a great job of minimizing damage with 13 quality starts and only a pair of starts with more than 2 runs allowed.
Freddy Peralta (290) He was expected to be a reliever going into the season but he’s taken full advantage of his chance to start. If you took a chance, you’re being well rewarded.
Relief Pitcher
Josh Hader (240) He has been exactly what you expected if you drafted him as the first reliever off the board. Multiple Ks per inning, a great ERA, and 20 saves. It seems that the closer role agrees with him.
Alex Reyes (229) This is why you don’t need to pay for a top closer. Reyes has taken the Cards closing gig and been dominant. He has the K upside you want in an elite RP. His 20 saves equal Hader and he’s not that far behind in total points. For his draft price, you’re thrilled with the results.
Matt Barnes (217) His ERA lags behind the first two guys in ERA but he still has 18 saves and a great K/9 to drive his value.
So there you have it, my 2021 Fantasy Baseball Points League All-Star team. Who shouldn’t have made the cut? Who did I leave out? Hit me up with that and any other questions below or on Twitter @deltaxi1842
