The weather has turned and our top 100 hitters are sizzling as June kicks off for our fantasy rosters. Looking back to last June, we had standout performances such as Jon Berti’s 18 steal month or Kyle Schwarber getting ready for the Home Run Derby with 12 dingers. This June, we welcome back Jordan Walker to the big leagues and anticipate the debut of Elly De La Cruz, while other players such as Manny Machado find their way back from injury. Going out with a few bold predictions this month myself, I see Giancarlo Stanton coming off the IL swinging to the tune of 13 homers while Ronald Acuna Jr. nabs 12 bags to lead all players. I’m addition we go to London and watch the Cardinals sweep the Series against those Cubs. Without further ado, here are the Top 100 Hitters for the rest of the 2023 fantasy baseball season.
Rising
- J.D. Martinez – Sure, he is roughly 73-years old and has only utility eligibility. However, he plays for a powerful Dodgers offense and has been hitting the ball like he is in his prime. Exit velocities and barrel rates in the top 5% in the league and xBA over .300 certainly make his current lines seem understated with a .278 average and 12 homers. Seven of those homers with 20 RBI have come in just the last two weeks. He cannot keep this up, but for a guy that some have written off, there is a lot to like.
- Josh Jung – Jung is sitting in the top 20 of the Razzball Player Rater. Over the past two weeks, he has been raking to the tune of a nearly .450 with a combined 26 runs scored and batted in. I often look for three key elements in a hitter between prospect pedigree, minor league success, and opportunity. All the indications are there and Jung should have been further up our rankings even before the recent outburst.
- Corbin Carroll – Could he be breaking out in his second season with a 20/40 season? It is certainly possible and he has been more than we could have hoped for. There is very little in his profile to question his success and it is merely about finding the right slotting on our list. Carroll will be a fantasy stalwart for years to come.
- Mitch Haniger – Haniger has been featured in this column a number of times due to his continued production when healthy. The key being, if he is healthy. That said, right now Mitch Haniger is healthy and hitting as he does. Over the last week, he has three different three hit games with eight runs batted in. He jumps up the rankings since he has his health and will be valuable to fantasy lineups with the only question being for how long?
Falling
- James Outman – One of the biggest breakout stories of the early season had warning signs that prevented him from jumping too far up our rankings. Since May 12, Outman has struck out at a 40% clip with a full five hits in 54 plate appearances. The fall from grace was faster than expected and it appears the league has adjusted by throwing the high heat more often and he has not adjusted back. There is still talent here, but any adjustment will take time and selling low might be the right idea in single season leagues.
- Jorge Mateo – A hot April has turned into a frigid May for Mateo. Without getting on base, the steals drop. Without luck in the flyball department, homers disappear. Mateo is now striking out at a nearly 30% clip over the last month and his quality of contract has dropped off a cliff. Mateo is nothing more than a streaky hitter and should be treated as such.
- Anthony Volpe – The most talented player on this portion of our list, Volpe has a ton of potential. Some poor luck and challenges at the plate from a strikeout perspective have not helped. This is a scenario where he moves to the bench for the pain he is causing your batting average but he is far from a drop at this point despite what any frustrated owners may say.
Watching
- Elly De La Cruz & Jordan Walker – Walker was just called up after some more seasoning in the minors and Elly De La Cruz will be here shortly. Either player could take off and be a league winner while just as easily learning their way through the season before being valuable contributors down the line. We want to watch, but in all reality both of these guys are owned and will be plugged in when they play based on potential alone.
- Royce Lewis – Lewis has returned with a bang from the injured list. He has not yet lived up to the hopes of his prospect days, but has the tools to be a solid fantasy contributor although I believe it is doubtful he will be a star. With added positional flexibility with his appearances at third, Lewis is worth an add to watch and see what he can do. Don’t expect much speed, but a little power and average is not out of the realm of possibility.
- Keibert Ruiz – Being traded for Max Scherzer and then signing an eight year contract shows a certain level of dedication from the Nationals that we should recognize. They clearly believe that Keibert is not only their catcher of the future but an impact player. This is a 24-year old that was rushed to the majors and already has four seasons of learning under his belt. He has matched his career high in homers, strikes out less than almost anybody in the league, and sports an xBA of .297. There is a lot to like here for a young catcher that is still growing into his swing.
