Top 100 Hitters: Second Half Kick Start

Here we are running into the second half coming off an incredibly exciting All-Star break.  I think I could personally listen to Alek Manoah pitch mic’d up for the next five years and not get bored.  As we look at what may be the last gasp for owners trying to make the playoffs or ride it out in the roto standings, we owe ourselves a reset and the opportunity to move some big names up or down in the rankings.  While the Home Run Derby was fun, it does not really change our outlook for Julio Rodriguez or Juan Soto.  However, the second half will bring us the return of a few key contributors and give others a chance for a much needed reset.  Without further ado and random rambling, jump into the rankings and read through below to see the movers and shakers as we jump in with two feet to our Top 100 rankings for the rest of the 2022 fantasy baseball season.

Rising

• Bobby Witt Jr. – Witt has been consistently above average most of the season outside of March/April.  With the slow start, the steady progress has been able to slide under the radar slightly when compared to the other Rookie of the Year front runner, Julio Rodriguez.  However, having a rookie season that realistically could deliver 20 home runs and 30 steals with a .260-.270 average is really special.  He was likely overdue for a bump up these rankings.
• Kris Bryant – Finally getting a chance to be healthy, Kris is showing flashes to remind us why the Rockies dropped $182 million through his age 36 season.  Across 13 game in July, Bryant is hitting .350+ with four homers and 17 runs + RBI.  Likely an after thought for many at this point in the season, Bryant is still playing in Coors and only a few years removed from MVP form.  All that said, his movement up this week is mostly due to health and opportunity rather than underlying skill.
• Mitch Haniger – Speaking of health and opportunity, Mitch Haniger is nearly back on the field for the Seattle Mariners.  He is embarking on a rehab assignment as we speak and will be looking to give the crowded Seattle outfield a boost.  Let us not forget, just last season Haniger delivered 39 dingers with more than 100 runs and 100 RBI showing us what he can do when healthy.  There is little reason to doubt his ability to continue to hit as he has always done in his career.  Don’t be surprised when Haniger is clubbing them over the last few months of the season.

Falling

• Ketel Marte – Marte is arguably coming off his hottest month of the season, yet dropping down the rankings.  Despite a mini-power surge boosted by some extra fly ball luck, Marte is nothing more than a third or fourth outfielder in our roto game after he teased us with a power spiked year in 2019.  Beyond that year, he has been below average in the power and speed departments.  While he delivers a respectable average, we have to recognize he is nothing more than a slightly above replacement player at this point in time.
• Nick Castellanos – After two phenomenal seasons, Nick has simply fallen off a cliff.  With his quality of contact dropping and hard hit rates in the bottom quarter of the league, we cannot continue to wait.  Maybe the big contract is getting to him or maybe he simply woke up on the wrong side of the bed, but he is clearly pressing.  He has never swung at the first pitch more in his career while getting on top of the ball for a career high ground ball rate.  Those tendencies do not produce results and we can only hope the All-Star break gave him a moment to reset.

Watching

• Leody Taveras – Over his last 10 games, Taveras has hit .432 with nine runs, 12 RBI and four steals.  Still just 23 years old, Taveras consistently showed 30 steal speed in the minor leagues and may be on the front edge of a hot streak.  While there is little expectation that he emerges as a top 100 hitter the rest of the season, he might be the right fit for a speed needy team.
• Alex Kirilloff – Battling a wrist injury over the past two seasons, Kirilloff has struggled to match the lofty expectations that came along with his rapid ascent in the minors.  However, he may be finally getting healthy exhibited by the way he slashed through a recent trip to the minors to the tune of a .359 average, 10 homers, and numerous counting stats in just over a month of games.  Back in the majors, he is looking to make waves and has been on a mini seven game hitting streak going into the break.  This is one to watch that I believe will be in the top 100 by end of the season.

Dropping out this week: Seiya Suzuki, Jeff McNeil, Brendan Rodgers, Josh Rojas, Alejandro Kirk, Nathaniel Lowe, Travis D’Arnaud