Under the arch in St. Louis, the weather is heating up and so are the bats of two Nolans. Between Nolan Arenado and Nolan Gorman, the Cardinals boast two of the hottest bats in recent weeks. Over the last 14 days, a total of 12 home runs, 19 runs and 33 RBI has turned the disaster of a season for the Cardinals into some form of senseless hope that the NL Central loves to foster. Between a potential future hall of farmer in Arenado and a young 23-year-old bat figuring things out at the major league level, our Top 100 hitters see the law firm of Nolan and Nolan moving on up. Who else is gaining value for the rest of the season? Read on as we dive into the Top 100 hitters for the rest of the 2023 fantasy baseball season.
Rising
- Nolan Gorman – We talked about him in the introduction. He is crushing it and will be a fixture in the middle of the Cardinals lineup. This budding superstar is rising fast and I hope you are along for the ride.
- Anthony Santander – Santander might as well have taken the first month or so of the season off. While the Orioles were piling up wins, it was not due to Anthony’s performance. However, he was not my favorite breakout candidate in the preseason for fun. Since the calendar has turned to May, he is hitting .335 with five homers and a combined 23 runs plus RBI. There is a lot more in this bat and he is just another reason for hope in Baltimore.
- Christopher Morel – I just wrote about Morel a few weeks back and since then he has been snatched up raising ownership rates to nearly 80%. I am not taking all the credit, but sure I will claim a direct correlation there. Since his recall, he has been a top 10 hitter and showing that he deserves a spot in our top 100. The Cubs and fantasy owners will be able to rely on him for the rest of the season.
- Jose Altuve – Buzz! Welcome back Mr. Altuve, we have been waiting for you. While the league batting average is below .250 in 2023, many fantasy owners are looking to Jose’s return and the boost they should get. He had a rough rehab assignment going 2 for 22 at the plate, but he is plug and play as long as he is in the lineup.
Falling
- Julio Rodriguez – The drop is not far, but Julio has utilized much of his leash so far this season. Since the beginning of May, Julio has a single multi-hit game and has found himself bouncing around the Mariners order. While he is too talented to stay in the funk for long and will continue to rack up counting stats, it does look like the young phenom is actually human.
- Manny Machado & Jazz Chisholm – Injuries and poor performance have both dampened the stocks of these two. Jazz is top five in stolen bases and has shown strong power, but Miami has one of the worst offenses in the game which limits his counting stats. Not expected back until early June just hurts. For Manny, performance has been disappointing for sure. Although, he may be back before the end of May the hand injury is a major concern the rest of the way. Both of these players are superstars, but the red flags are waving.
Watching
- Matt McLain – While he just arrived in Cincinnati, he looks to have a good opportunity for playing time in a fantastic hitter’s park. Putting up a 10/10 season in the minors prior to being called up earlier in the week, he has shown he has the chops to make a real impact. Maybe there will be an adjustment period, but he is worth a bench roster spot to see if he can be a part of your roster the rest of the way. While we will be watching for the Top 100, don’t get caught window shopping before it is too late.
- Lane Thomas – A popular pickup thanks to a hot end of the 2022 season, Thomas started slow out the gate for Washington. A generally well-rounded player that does everything just above average, he has been hot in the month of May. It would not be out of the question to see Thomas end up with a 20/20 season and look back wondering why he was available on the waiver wire.
- Paul Dejong – I do not know what to make of the Redbird shortstop who went from potential spring roster cut to All-Star level production just this spring. Over the past few weeks, the top shortstop producers go by the names of Tatis, Franco, Witt, Volpe, and Dejong. A nearly 50% hard hit rate will not be maintained, but Dejong has been a valuable fantasy asset before. I am not holding my breath, but we have seen crazier things.
- Michael Conforto – Conforto seems to have been shaking off the rust from the first month or so of the season after taking a gap year during 2022. I kind of get needing that kind of break after spending seven years with the Mets. Just the last week has seen him hitting .350+ with four dingers. He is not jumping way up the ranks, but we might just have the .250 average with 30 homers profile back on track.
