Are the top 20 1st basemen for 2024 fantasy baseball good? How do you define good? Is good definable? Are you Plato? What is a Plato? Any hoo! This post goes on for about 1.8 million words, so let’s dive in. Here’s Steamer’s 2024 Fantasy Baseball Projections for Hitters and 2024 Fantasy Baseball Projections for Pitchers. The projections noted in this post are my own, and I mention where tiers start and stop. Subscriptions are up and running, and you can already get Rudy’s Draft War Room. Anyway, here’s the top 20 1st basemen for 2024 fantasy baseball:
NOTE I: All my rankings are currently available on Patreon for the price of a Starbucks coffee, if you get one of those extra grande frappuccino jobbers. Don’t wait for the rankings to come out over the next month, and get them all now.
NOTE II: Free agents are listed as just that and not yet projected. Once a guy signs, I will write out their blurb and add in projections, or remove them, if they sign in an unfavorable place. They are ranked currently where I think they might be if they sign on for a full-time job.
NOTE III: Watch us discuss the 1st basemen rankings:
1. Bryce Harper – Went over him in the top 20 for 2024 fantasy baseball.
2. Freddie Freeman – Went over him in the top 20 for 2024 fantasy baseball.
3. Matt Olson – Went over him in the top 20 for 2024 fantasy baseball.
4. Pete Alonso – This is a new tier. This tier goes from here until Vlad Jr. I call this tier, “Black Thought.” He’s the lead MC of The Roots. I missed The Roots. Not sure how it happened. When they were first breaking out, I might’ve been in grad school. Maybe it was during that one year I didn’t listen to rap and I was listening to Matchbox Twenty. I don’t know. The only Thought I had of The Roots was from this girl I dated many years ago. She liked them. That cemented them in my brain as a girl rap group. I don’t mean a group led by girls like Salt & Pepa. I mean a group meant for girls. Like late LL Cool J. Nothing wrong those groups, but I liked my rap a little harder usually. So, I ignored The Roots. This winter I discovered them and, boy, do I feel like a fool. Black Thought is incredible. Pound for pound one of the best rappers alive. That’s this tier, ignore at your own peril, these guys are pound for pound as good as some of the guys in the top 20.
As for Alonso, he hit .217 with a .205 BABIP. He’s not a speedster, but hits the ball extraordinarily hard. His max exit velocity was 115.7 MPH and it’s always in the top 1 to 3% of the league. That’s not everything, but it shows you, how hard he hits the ball. He should get some base knocks. Last year, his base knocks couldn’t get their socks off if their toes were hot. Just wildly unlucky. Spending time on average, because his power is 50-ish homers give or take five, and he’s Matt Olson coming off an unlucky year, and they could easily be switched. 2024 Projections: 92/46/112/.251/3 in 591 ABs
5. Nolan Jones – The Steamer projections hate Nolan Jones. I have no idea why. Also, Steamer doesn’t do playing time, so when you say something like, “Why is Steamer giving Nolan Jones 139 games at FanGraphs, but 145 games here?” You’re not following what is happening. I can’t speak for FanGraphs, but Rudy does playing time for our Steamer projections (not my projections, I do these). Steamer has something like Nolan Jones will hit 1 homer every 6.67 games (making up numbers to give you an idea) and Rudy says he will play 145 games and Nolan Jones gets 24 homers (again, these numbers are made-up by me). These are not my projections, I do actual voodoo to come up with my projections. I’m just saying when you see Nolan Jones projected for 139 games at FanGraphs, that’s what’s happening. Someone over there is giving NoJo a certain number of games. Not Steamer. It is confusing because it’s listed as “Steamer.”
With all of that said and why I said it here, Nolan Jones is being vastly underprojected by Steamer. In 140 games, he’s projected for 16 steals. He just stole 20 bags in 106 games. Steamer always does this; it underates guys with a smaller sample size. I get the .401 BABIP might be high, but why would a 20/20 hitter in 106 games become a 23/16 in 140 games? It doesn’t really make sense. You can say “sophomore slump” but that’s not a real thing that anyone is projecting. That’s a make-believe narrative you’ve conjured. Could he “sophomore slump?” Sure, and he could hit 45 homers and steal 35 bags. You’re just saying stuff. If you’re going off what he actually did, he went 20/20 in 106 games, but with a 29.7% K% so it’s fair to say he might slump, but he walks a lot, and Coors should offset it some. In the end, he looks like a top 5 1st baseman and: 2024 Projections: 83/29/91/.261/25 in 558 ABs
6. Cody Bellinger – Re-signed with the Cubs. That always seemed like the case. MLB this offseason went like this: (player’s name) has these two teams to choose from, their team from last year or the Dodgers. Now, you might be thinking to yourself, doesn’t MLB have 30 teams? Yeah, for now. They’re actually looking to expand. You know when a store has cucumbers soaking in a big jug of water? There’s a faint taste of something in there. Well, that’s because they keep adding water to old cucumbers. That’s MLB, old cucumber water. So, Belly got back last year in almost all the ways you want to see Belly get back: Ks way down, line drives back, HR/FB% back, not forcing anything. Easy upper deck swing that produced a just under .900 OPS, his highest mark since his MVP season without selling out. 2024 Projections: 86/25/93/.284/19 in 507 ABs
7. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. – Speaking of projections (I was in NoJo’s blurb), the projections always love Cake Batter. Him and Eloy could hit .260 to .275 and 24 to 27 homers each year for seven years straight and the projections will say: 37 HRs, .290. I get it (more or less). You make great contact and great things should happen. Have great things happened for Cake for the last handful of years? Well, they did for one of those years. The floor is rock solid here though. 2024 Projections: 90/30/98/.272/5 in 607 ABs
8. Paul Goldschmidt – This is a new tier. This tier goes from here until Walker. I call this tier, “Quicksand isn’t real…right?” If you grew up in the 80s, like me, you might have an irrational fear of quicksand. It seemed to be everywhere. Now, as I enter my 30’s (don’t do the math), I realize that quicksand isn’t a rational fear. The bottom won’t suddenly drop out on you. Or will it? At some point, Au Shizz is gonna turn to Au Shit, and you don’t want to be the last one holding the bag. It’s like the game of hot potato, but with schmotatoes. 2024 Projections: 88/27/94/.262/10 in 581 ABs
9. Christian Walker – If age is the deciding factor on the bottom dropping out for Au Shizz, what is it for Walker? Oh, wait, Walker’s going to turn 33 before the start of the season too. Walker seemed to be a 25-homer, .245 hitter, and now he’s a 35-homer, .260 hitter? Meh, I guess, but that ground feels quick and sandy. 2024 Projections: 81/30/95/.251/7 in 576 ABs
10. Spencer Steer – This is a new tier. This tier goes from here until Naylor. I call this tier, “Steer to Casas to Naylor.” I don’t usually give you many sleepers for 1st basemen (or catchers). I contend (for the featherweight championship) that you should draft a top 1st baseman and not worry about a sleeper, but there’s corner men to draft and sometimes you need a good sleeper. With that said, I wrote one sleeper for this tier and they’re all quote-unquote sleepers in this tier if they fall too late, i.e., I love all these guys.
As for Steer, see what I said for NoJo when it comes to his projections. Every ten-steal guy is now a 20-steal threat. Every 20-steal threat is a 30-steal lock. Yet, Steamer gives Steer nine steals in 136 games after he stole 15 steals in 156 games. Sure, he’s going to play less and steal far less. Oh…*climbs to the top of the Eiffel Tower*…kay. If you say so! His K% was 20.9% his rookie year but that’s going to get worse? Why? His Chase% was in the top 25% of the league, he had a 10.2% BB% as a rookie, and all of this is going to get worse? Um, sure, whatever. 2024 Projections: 81/25/88/.266/17 in 571 ABs
11. Triston Casas – In the 2nd half, he hit 15 homers and .317. Yo, Sting, it’s a Brand New Day! His K% was down to 23.7% from 26.1%. You don’t make those type of gains by accident. Hitters get better and he’s in a place where he could hit .275+ and 35 homers. Will he? That’s less easy to answer, but I like him for a floor of 25 HRs and .260 with upside. 2024 Projections: 84/31/88/.266/1 in 521 ABs
12. Josh Naylor – Already gave you my Josh Naylor sleeper. It was written while tastin’ the Tussin’. 2024 Projections: 79/26/102/.302/6 in 514 ABs
13. Anthony Santander – This is a new tier. This tier goes from here until Bohm. I call this tier, “United in their non-united-i-ness.” United-i-ness is a word, first of all. This tier refers to how these guys come together in this tier and their united in their differences. Their one true commonality is they should be drafted above the next tier. Some guys in this tier I like, some I’m less forgiving of, but they’re here and saying cheese for a photo.
As for Santander, I wanted to move him into the above tier, because he has similar qualities to Naylor and Casas (30-ish homers), but Santander’s got a few more steals and much lower floor for average. With a .224 BAA for offspeed stuff, I could likely get Santander out one of three times, but there’s enough junky fastball throwers in the league for him to jump on and be valuable. 2024 Projections: 76/29/88/.247/5 in 583 ABs
14. Christian Encarnacion-Strand – CES is one of those guys who has no floor and no ceiling. They are the Great Unknowns. You want a Great Unknown on your fantasy team? Then by all means! You want two Great Unknowns? Maybe you can withstand two, depending on where you draft them, but three? Well, I think you might’ve over-Great Unknown’d. So, just know there is a limit to Great Unknown’ing. Why I say CES is a Great Unknown is because his Ks could balloon, and he could hit 10 homers, .190 by June and start getting platooned. Or he could have 7 HRs, hit .270 in April and go on to have a huge 40+ homer, .270 season. That I ranked him this high, I’m like a teamster leaning on the latter. 2024 Projections: 68/26/72/.259/3 in 511 ABs
15. Isaac Paredes – Already gave you my Isaac Paredes sleeper. It was written while making the crazy sign by rotating my index finger by my ear. 2024 Projections: 81/33/92/.262/1 in 505 ABs
16. Luis Arraez – Do you want a .330 average? Then all Arraez for the King of Batting Average. 2024 Projections: 74/8/62/.333/3 in 541 ABs
17. Salvador Perez – Went over him in the top 20 catchers for 2024 fantasy baseball.
18. Alec Bohm – Nothing to this other than my gut and I just ate some panag curry that is burning a hole in my belly, but Bohm feels like he’s on the verge of burning the world down and being a top 20 overall pick next year. The projections won’t reflect it, but I see his 20 homers last year, up by seven homers the year before, and see that as a sign of him still going up, not as a sign that he’s about to come down. His HR/FB still feels doable, even low and his contact and lineup are fantastic. He feels like a 27/7/.295 three hole hitter about to show up. But realistically, he’s still solid even without the ceiling work, and here’s his realistic projections: 2024 Projections: 83/22/91/.282/5 in 561 ABs
19. Yandy Diaz – This is a new tier. This tier goes from here until Torkelson. I call this tier, “Upside yo head.” Something I don’t think I’ve mentioned before — though, I admittedly write some of these out of order then I move them around after I see their projections — but there’s more to the rankings than projections. There’s a lot actually. One big element to the rankings that you might not see in the projections is the chance for more. Upside moves guys up, like CES or Torkelson, but upside could also move guys down if your league is deep and you have a lot of upside already on your team.
As for Yandy, his upside is last year. His downside is that his high (for him) HR/FB% reverts. May he continues to muscle the ball just inches over the fence again. 2024 Projections: 80/18/71/.308/1 in 494 ABs
20. Spencer Torkelson – The upside is obvious, the downside is he’s Rhys Hoskins with an absurd number of fly balls, which isn’t bad for 30+ homers, but could easily become a .215 average. 2024 Projections: 84/34/97/.238/3 in 557 ABs
21. Vinnie Pasquantino – This is a new tier. This tier goes from here until Bryant. I call this tier, “Your mindset is damaged.” By the tier name is you’ve been hanging around other sites too long who say shizz like, “Why draft (this top 25 player) when you can have (insert player who is nowhere near as good) 200 picks later?” Sure, one or two of these guys might work out, but they also might not and if your 1st baseman doesn’t work, you’re so screwed. Do I hate these guys? Meh, it’s more I have varying levels of trust in them. I just prefer them as a Cornerman or Utility guy and not trying to psyche myself into thinking, “I drafted Alonso 150 picks later! This is so awesome!”
As for Vinnie, ay, yo, Vinnie’s back! Vinnie Parm! Vinnie Bada bing! Vinnie Maronna mia! Vinnie Paisano! So, hey, yo, I looked at, yo, Vinnie’s numbers, right? And guess what, yo, ay, oh? He’s a 24-homer guy, ay, yo, coming off an almost fully missed season. Could he be fine? Ay, yo, it’s Vinnie Bagadonuts! Will he? Ay, yo, I don’t know. 2024 Projections: 71/26/84/.261/2 in 544 ABs
22. Jeimer Candelario – Here’s what I said this offseason, “Signed with the Reds. In 1975, the Reds were the Big Red Machine. Now the Reds have 1,975 infielders. My assumption is India’s out of there quicker than Indian food is out of me. It’s a good landing spot for Jeimer, because it’s the Great American Smallpark. He had 19-22 homer power, that likely gets bumped a tad and anyone can steal ten bags with the new rules. It used to be impressive when a corner infielder could go 27/10, now it’s everyone.” And that’s me quoting me! 2024 Projections: 79/24/90/.243/8 in 513 ABs
23. Ryan Mountcastle – [dons a monocle, looks at chalk outline on a computer screen] Mountcastle says, “This tier is all 20-26 homer, .250 to .270 hitting first basemen.”
Watson says, “Mountcastle, that’s the outline of a dead body laid over your fantasy team.”
“Precisely!”
2024 Projections: 63/24/72/.267/4 in 451 ABs
24. Nathaniel Lowe – His upside and downside are basically the reverse of Yandy. You want him to remember 2022 and forget 2023. UPDATE: Sounds like he’s going to miss Opening Day with an oblique injury. 2024 Projections: 76/20/81/.270/2 in 477 ABs
25. Brandon Drury – You think you’re drafting a 1st baseman still, but we have differing opinions, because I think you’re drafting a corner man at best, a utility man at worst, and not a good one at that. There’s going to be some people who are like, “1st base is so deep, you’re crazy to draft one early.” Well, call me crazy. I bring this up now because Drury feels like a guy who will elicit some, “He’s a 27-homer, .260 hitter, how different is that from Vlad Jr.?” Um, okay, you go ahead with your Drury, as you come in 7th, and I’ll try my luck with Vlad Jr. 2024 Projections: 58/24/64/.257/1 in 466 ABs
26. Rhys Hoskins – Signed with the Brewers. So, I kinda love this signing for Hoskins’s value. You know how people try to accentuate their tan by holding a sheet of aluminum foil in front of their face? You don’t? Hmm, maybe it’s a Jersey thing. Any hoo! Do that, but with Launch Angles! Reflect Hoskins’s Launch Angle onto Yelich! Then you’d have one perfect, 2019 Yelich again! It’s brilliant! Thank me later. If the aluminum foil reflection trick doesn’t work, can Hoskins’s Launch Angle sneeze on Yelich? No? Okay. So, I do like this move for Hoskins’s value, but he still has to be healthy, which we can’t say 100% yet. This is about as perfect a landing spot as you’re gonna find for him though. 2024 Projections: 74/28/81/.237/3 in 514 ABs
27. Josh Bell – From free agents to a guy who will be traded in July, again. Josh Bell is the answer for “every team in the playoff hunt,” until he gets on the team and everyone realizes, “He’s good for one homer every 14 games, how is he helping us?” 2024 Projections: 68/22/79/.249 in 517 ABs
28. Andrew Vaughn – Andrew Vaughn at drafts: “I got Vlad Jr. 175 picks later!” Andrew Vaughn in-season, “I wish Jorge Polanco had 1st base eligibility so I could drop Vaughn.” 2024 Projections: 68/20/72/.265/1 in 561 ABs
29. Kris Bryant – I’ll be honest with you, I understand the allure of drafting a guy like Bryant. He could be solid if he plays 140 games. I just cackled so loudly. One hundred and forty whats?! Games?! Stop it! 2024 Projections: 56/17/67/.258/2 in 405 ABs
30. Anthony Rizzo – This is a new tier. This tier goes from here until Kirilloff. I call this tier, “Delusional after a head injury.” The last tier was a damaged mindset that you were getting a player later who could perform like someone 150 picks earlier in drafts. Now you have CTE and delusions that these guys are sneaky late picks. 1st basemen are solid up top, but no one said they’re 25+ players deep. I was secretly congratulating myself for keeping my top 20 catchers post under 4,000 words, and now this one is headed for 6,000 words. Real quick: Rizzo stinks, but the Yanks will play vet stinkers like Rizzo. At-bats good, at-bats from a vet stinker, less good. 2024 Projections: 56/22/64/.231/3 in 414 ABs
31. Justin Turner – Signed with the Jays. Without the Jays, Turner is Ustin. [doing sign language poorly] “You compete me.” [person, who is more proficient in ASL, signs, “Compete in what?”] Person who can’t do ASL very well says, “Always and forever.” So, Fenway was the best stadium for Turner’s stroke, and Toronto is going to make him look like he’s all 39 years of his age. After his signing, I lowered him in my rankings, and I wouldn’t mess with him unless you want a counting stats play. 2024 Projections: 63/17/66/.251/3 in 451 ABs
32. Ty France – I see London, I see Ty France, I see a fantasy team that doesn’t have a chance. 2024 Projections: 71/17/74/.256/1 in 531 ABs
33. Nolan Schanuel – To give you an idea where I am with Nolan Schanuel. I should’ve wrote a rookie post for him, but I also couldn’t get properly motivated for a guy who looks like Ty France in Anaheim. Yes, he’s France down the coast. Call him Nolan Monaco. 2024 Projections: 58/16/56/.261/1 in 446 ABs
34. Wilmer Flores – This guy is a trap. You see his numbers from last year and you think, “That’s Santander 200 picks later,” then you get to April 15th and you have Wilmer Flores as your 1st baseman and you’re thinking, “I wonder if it’s too early to rebuild my dynasty league.” 2024 Projections: 55/18/61/.260 in 421 ABs
35. Jake Cronenworth – Padres sell-off didn’t include Cronenworth (because no one wanted him, and neither should you). Saw Jake Cronenworth projected as the three-hole hitter in the Padres’ lineup and I guffawed. 2024 Projections: 63/15/71/.231/7 in 481 ABs
36. Luke Raley – Traded to the Mariners. Dipoto saw a market inefficiency and will head into the 2024 season with Julio Rodriguez and 8 DHs. 2024 Projections: 51/16/44/.236/10 in 389 ABs
37. Joey Meneses – If you see someone else get Meneses and you want to get him, that’s just pheromones. Don’t pay attention to that. 2024 Projections: 67/15/72/.260 in 568 ABs
38. Jonathan Aranda – If Kevin Cash trusted him to face lefties, I would move him up–Actually, my ranking of him even this high is giving the Rays the benefit of the doubt that they will start the year with him. We could get to the end of March, and I might remove him from my rankings. Or move him down. 2024 Projections: 49/16/51/.262 in 366 ABs
39. Jose Abreu – Feels like we’ve just witnessed the last year of Abreu playing anywhere near-full-time. Or maybe I’m just hopeful Joe Espada doesn’t wear those glasses where the eyes are open and he’s sleeping underneath. 2024 Projections: 51/16/54/.232 in 410 ABs
40. Brendan Donovan – Person drafting Donovan, “He’s a leadoff guy on a team that will be better and I do not have CTE.” Saying you don’t have CTE doesn’t make it so. It’s not like insanity. 2024 Projections: 61/14/51/.282/6 in 385 ABs
41. Alex Kirilloff – I judge a position and how deep it is by how many guys have a legit shot at having a top 20 season at that position, and this position is deep if wonky, i.e., Alex Kirilloff is not ranked or drafted 20th overall at 1B, but he has a shot at a top 20 1B season. That should not be confused with, “This guy is a top 20 guy.” Kirilloff has a little issue that he needs one shoulder surgery per year. 2024 Projections: 47/14/53/.264/2 in 321 ABs
42. LaMonte Wade Jr. – This is a new tier. This tier goes from here until Noda. I call this tier, “Hit on the head during the draft.” The tiers go from damaged mindset to hit in the head in the recent past to hit on the head during the draft. These guys are mostly platoon bats or should be.
As for Wade, I cannot tell a lie, I kinda like LaMonte in NL-Only leagues. He won’t kill you in any category (and he won’t be great either). That’s good for a very deep league. LaMonte’s all right! I’m thinking of DelMonte and pineapples, aren’t I? Hmm… 2024 Projections: 72/17/48/.251/4 in 379 ABs
43. Mark Canha – Here’s what I said this offseason, “Traded to the Tigers. Being traded to Detroit is punishment for being an unironic foodie. Oh, you like losing yourself in new restaurants? Well, go lose yourself in 8 Mile.” And that’s me quoting me! 2024 Projections: 57/12/62/.258/12 in 453 ABs
44. Ryan O’Hearn – “Yes, we can make it to the playoffs if Ryan O’Hearn has a career year.” O’s just need Ryan O’Hearn to have a career year every year. 2024 Projections: 42/12/48/.241/4 in 361 ABs
45. Kyle Manzardo – I should’ve wrote a rookie post for him, but I also couldn’t get properly motivated for a guy who looks like Nolan Schanuel but in a platoon, who might not start the year with the team. Call him Nolan Schnooze. 2024 Projections: 48/13/51/.263/2 in 380 ABs
46. Carlos Santana – Signed with the Twins. I always say stuff about Baldelli being a Big Big Dummy platooning nearly everyone, but I bet Santana is like the one guy besides Correa that isn’t platooned. Doesn’t mean he (or Correa) stays on the field, though to add a caveat on a caveat, Santana has had better health than 90% of the Twins’ lineup. 2024 Projections: 61/17/71/.221/2 in 461 ABs
47. Hunter Renfroe – Here’s what I said this offseason, “Signed by the Royals, which is pretty hideous signing. Some of these teams are just better off not signing guys if they’re going to sign 4th outfielders on better teams, and simple prospblocks. Renfroe isn’t going to fix anything on the Royals, instead he prospblocks. Who? I don’t even know, Waters? Blanco? Pratto? It doesn’t matter, play your prospects!” And that’s me copying and pasting me! 2024 Projections: 51/20/62/.228 in 481 ABs
48. DJ LeMahieu – Did drafting LeMahieu work for people last year? No, it did not. You, “But it’ll work for me this year!” 2024 Projections: 62/13/42/.237/3 in 403 ABs
49. Rowdy Tellez – Here’s what I said this offseason, “Signed with the Pirates. Solid move for them. Is it sad that the Pirates actually are upgraded by Rowdy Tellez? [locks mouth, throws away key, realizing that now I have no way of dictating the rest of this post to the intern, buys sign language books on Amazon] So, it’s not great the ‘rates are upgraded by Tellez, but for fantasy it’s as good as it’s getting for him. Will platoon with Connor Joe, which will sound like a bad political stunt where the President is answering questions of middle schoolers, Tellez/Joe.” And that’s me quoting me! 2024 Projections: 48/20/57/.223 in 377 ABs
50. Cavan Biggio – “Did you cheat on me with Dave Magadan?” That’s Craig Biggio to his wife while watching Cavan. To get that reference, I went to look at the 1995 Astros, and Magadan had 2 HRs. Dot dot dot. In 127 games! And two steals! At 3rd base! Holy crap! For full disclosure, because I do nothing if not disclose, I’m hearing from Jays people that Orelvis Martinez will replace Cavan, and is a solid late-round pick. For what it’s Cronenworth, as always. 2024 Projections: 59/16/66/.222/6 in 402 ABs
51. Ryan Noda – You call an Italian grandmother, a Noda, you don’t draft one. 2024 Projections: 63/19/51/.215/5 in 477 ABs
52. Tyler Soderstrom – This is the last tier of the 1st basemen. I call this tier, “Odds, ends and mostly ends.” As for Soderstrom, went over him in the top 20 catchers for 2024 fantasy baseball.
53. Enrique Hernandez – Re-signed with his alma mater, the Dodgers. One thing you can always guarantee in the Dave Roberts’ era of the Dodgers. Chris Taylor and Enrique Hernandez will be more valuable than you expect and Gavin Lux will be less valuable. Don’t ask me how. It’s Dave Roberts’s ability to make the impossibly stupid possible. 2024 Projections: 47/10/42/.231/3 in 354 ABs
54. J.D. Davis – He’s hit .248 two years in a row. If Jonathan Davis Davis does that for a third year, he gets to sleep with Khris Davis’s wife. With her consent, naturally! UPDATE: With signing of Chapman, the Giants waved Jonathan Davis Davis bye bye. 2024 Projections: 59/16/61/.247/1 in 412 ABs
54. Seth Brown – Wrote a sleeper post for Seth Brown last year and this is my way of saying I think 2023 Grey was on drugs. Serious narcotics. Should we pee test 2024 Grey? 2024 Projections: 48/20/54/.225/5 in 420 ABs
55. Elehuris Montero – Bud Black says Montero will run. Unfortunately, he’s confusing Elehuris Montero with his Nissan Murano. 2024 Projections: 44/16/49/.239 in 346 ABs
56. Jared Triolo – Wanted to squeeze Triolo in because I was so impressed with his minor league numbers. More impressed than most prospect hounds, which worries me a little. Triolo also sounds like a bad Italian restaurant. That worries me less. “You don’t like Triolo’s chicken parm? Wow, what a snob!” 2024 Projections: 53/10/58/.241/12 in 412 ABs
57. Mark Vientos – Nothing standing between Mark Vientos and being an All-Star, except an 18,000-foot wide moat labeled, “The New York Mets Are Cursed.” 2024 Projections: 51/22/54/.206/2 in 409 ABs
58. Hunter Goodman – Want a guy who can hit 30 homers if given 160 games played who won’t play 160 games? Boy, do I have the guy for you! But, wait, it gets better! He can steal ten bags if he hits .300 but he won’t hit .300 or steal even four bags! If you like how that sounds, I know who you can call because it’s all Goodman! 2024 Projections: 55/15/64/.231/3 in 429 ABs
Omitted but considered: Brandon Belt, J.D. Davis, C.J. Cron, Matt Mervis, Alec Burleson, Matt Duffy, Jordan Diaz, Gabriel Arias, Patrick Wisdom, Wil Myers, Jake Bauers, Trey Cabbage, Jake Cave, Ramon Urias, Emmanuel Rivera, Tyler Nevin, Kevin Newman, Aledmys Diaz, Garrett Cooper, Dominic Smith, Gio Urshela, Connor Joe, Nick Pratto, Luken Baker, Joey Votto, Joey Gallo, Owen Miller, Bobby Dalbec, Keston Hiura, Pavin Smith, Gavin Sheets, Mike Moustakas, Troy Johnston, Donovan Solano, Spencer Horwitz, Trey Mancini, Jared Walsh, Yuli Gurriel, Michael Toglia, Alfonso Rivas, Frank Schwindel, Jared Young, Jon Singleton, Haydn McGeary
