Welcome back to week three of unveiling the top 100 Hitters for the 2023 fantasy baseball season. Over the past few weeks, we have walked through the top 25 (check it here) and then rounded out the top 50 (another link) bringing us to this week. We are now entering the back half of the top 100 hitters for 2023. This portion is where the rankings start to bunch up and hitter #51 is much closer to hitter #75 than #1 is to #2. Maybe that is stating the obvious but it is key for how we handle this portion of the draft. With this group of hitters, we start to think about needs, team makeup, and shortfalls in our categories to ensure we have a well-balanced team rather than trying to win a single roto category by lapping the field. We all know the guy that drafts only steals or seven closers, so do not be that person! With the formalities out of the way, let us get on with the rankings.
51. Andres Gimenez
52. Tommy Edman
53. Byron Buxton
54. Tyler O’Neill
55. Nathaniel Lowe
There is certainly a number of questions kicking off the second 50 for our rankings. First of all, we look at some breakouts from 2022 in Andres Gimenez and Nathaniel Lowe. Both these hitters had some good BABIP luck (.350+) while taking advantage of a full slate of playing time but certainly stepped into their own and have as much upside as they have risk. On the other side are Tyler O’Neill and Byron Buxton who have both shown their 5-tool upside but injuries have always held them back. There is little question on talent and both are worth taking a gamble if you have stability at this point in your draft.
56. Adley Rutschman
57. Daulton Varsho
58. Carlos Correa
59. Andrew Vaughn
60. Teoscar Hernandez
The AL East supports a nice core of young “catchers” that will be targets of many prospectors looking to catch the next big thing. Adley might have more unknown based on his more limited track record whereas Varsho has more questions about how he ultimately will fit in the plans of the Blue Jays. Two players where the rest of the fantasy industry seem to be flipped from reality are Correa and Teoscar. Carlos posted a 150-game pace of 24-77-70-.291 which is not too different from a guy like Alex Bregman. There seems to be some level of penalty taking place for his offseason free agency circus being applied. On the flip side, Teoscar is joining a crowded Seattle roster with a high-risk strikeout laden profile that is not worth the top 40 hitter view the industry has placed upon him.
61. Salvador Perez
62. Anthony Santander
63. Kris Bryant
64. Ryan Mountcastle
65. Christian Yelich
Anthony Santander is a prime breakout candidate this year on a team that is improving after a 2022 quasi-breakout even with some struggles in the luck categories. With some lineup protection and just a slight improvement in luck, this price will look downright silly when he blasts 40 homers, 90 RBI, and a .270 average. Also available at this point are two former MVPs from 2016 (Bryant) and 2018 (Yelich). Both have had struggles in the past few years, but with clean bills of health and expectations no longer sky-high, the price seems to have corrected going into 2023 making both players intriguing once again.
66. Gunnar Henderson
67. Rhys Hoskins
68. Oneil Cruz
69. Bryce Harper
70. C.J. Cron
Gunnar Henderson has all the tools to be a star, but if the last few years have taught us anything it is that prospects are utterly unpredictable. This is a guy I would love to own in a dynasty format but will likely have no shares of in seasonal leagues due to the price requiring him to perform from day one. Alternatively, my ranking of Bryce Harper is lapping the field. While you will not have to pay this price for his services, I believe we will see the MVP-caliber hitter in the DH role in early June as he continues to progress in his recovery.
71. Mitch Haniger
72. Vinnie Pasquantino
73. Nick Castellanos
74. Christian Walker
75. Amed Rosario
I believe in Mitch Haniger and the 30 homer, 100 RBI bat that he has always had. Yes, he has already been hurt this spring and is moving to a less than ideal ballpark. However, as we turn the page to the later rounds in the draft, there will always be some level of risk to take and I will go back to the Haniger dreams again this year. Rounding out the top 75 hitters for 2023, Amed Rosario might just be the definition of boring in the fantasy world. No matter how boring he has been the last few years, he has also been a valuable backend starting shortstop that you can plug and play every day.
