Top 100 Hitters For 2020 Fantasy Baseball Week 1

On the one hand, it’s unbelievable that Opening Week happened at all. On the other, it’s a mad mad mad mad world only Sid Caesar would love. Juan Soto, you’re out! Clayton Kershaw, you’re out! Anthony Rendon, you’re out, but Mike Trout is back in! We’ve got masked players sometime, then other times standing next to each other chatting and laughing at first base. We’ve got players spitting, as if that wasn’t going to happen. We’ve got Angel Hernadez strike zones when we were hoping beyond hope that he would be one that would opt out, instead of one of the few we would depend on. As will likely be the case all season there will be big shifts in this week’s rankings. On top of all the above info the Yankees look healthy (for now), and the Blue Jays are settling Buffalo. What?! I’m bumping the Jays just because they’ll feel a little better now actually having a home. Even more because most of the team had a great time in Buffalo in the not too distant past. Also because, I mean, I love Duff’s, beef on weck, the Anchor Bar and tailgating at Bills games, but there’s much less of a chance of catching Covid in the quiet nightlife of Buffalo.

With an expanded playoffs you would think all the players who have half a chance would stop messing around and get to work, but you never can tell. You can find last week’s controversial list here. Here are some of the movers for this week, followed by the list:

Ronald Acuna, Jr. – Yes, for the second week in a row I’m dropping him. Yes, Freeman is back, but as players such as Eduardo Rodriguez are showing us the virus can have some lasting effects. Also, all the Braves catchers at least look like they have the virus. The Braves are not looking too good right now.

Ozzie Albies – As goes Acuna, thus goes Albies. Freeman was already bumped down so he’s not changing much.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. – Buffalo here he comes! He blasted one over the Green Monsta in Fenway this week, and he only hit .367 with an 1.141 OPS in AAA at Buffalo last year. Suddenly becoming the flavor of the month again.

Bo Bichette – This guy’s across the board production gets a boost because he’s going home too. .275, 16 dbls, 8 homers, 15 steals in 56 games at AAA Buffalo last year. Yes, these guys aren’t returning to AAA, but they’re going back to a place they are extremely familiar with.

Cavan Biggio – His first time on the list, this guy absolutely raked in AAA Buffalo last year. It was only 43 games, but he hit .312 with a .963 OPS. It’s home cooking, it’s familiarity, when so much is unfamiliar this season it has to count for something.

Mike Trout – I’m not saying he wasn’t serious thinking about his family’s health, but his team has a much better chance of getting in the playoffs this year with the new expanded system. I still have some doubt he’ll be out for a week or two, but he deserves a bump.

Anthony Rendon – Oblique injury, not good at all. That kind of thing can linger.

Shohei Ohtani – Anthony Rendon may be going out, but Ohtani is looking better with Trout in.

Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge – The twin towers, and New York Yankee medical staff, are done messing around. They both look healthy and ready to steamroll the east. Of course, one tweak here or there and the hype will die down. But for now, it’s beast mode for these guys.

Juan Soto – Say it ain’t so. He could be out a short time because there are no symptoms, maybe it hits him like a mack truck in a week. Who can say?

Kris Bryant – What many thought was a back injury issue for Rizzo doesn’t appear to be, but now Bryant has one. Not a big move, but he’s on notice.