What is up party people? Real baseball is finally upon us. As fun as Spring Training is, the real thing is just so much better. Last week we covered my Top 50 players for points leagues and now it’s time to dive into the next 50. I actually really like a lot of the guys ranked here and more than a few of them have the potential to shoot up into the top 50. And let’s be honest more than one of these guys will end up way higher by the end of the season if things break right for them. Actually the end of this list is particularly spicy and I can’t wait to watch them. So happy drafting and remember that you don’t win your league at the draft. I’ll be here all season to help you work the wire and gain an edge.
51) Adley Rutschman – The great thing about points leagues is you have a clear-cut measurement about a player’s value. Catcher is not a position that’s usually known for offensive prowess but Adley looks like the exception. This may sound bold but his projections look mighty nice.
52) Nolan Arenado – He may be on the back half of his career but projections say he still has more to give.
53) Kyle Schwarber – Schwarbs is a tough one to rank because his power comes with a dreadful average. He was a top 20 points league batter last season which is probably the best you can hope for from a guy with his profile. Still I’m fine taking a shot on him around this portion of the draft.
54) Andres Gimenez – If you had him last season you were more than pleased with his performance. I like his potential this year as well.
55) Bryan Reynolds – He’s not the sexiest option but boring can still mean a valuable part of your team. There’s no one category in which he stands out, but fortunately, that doesn’t matter in points leagues and it all goes into one big pot.
56) Brandon Nimmo – He actually finished just above Reynolds in CBS standard leagues last season so it’s only fitting that they are back to back in the rankings. Like Reynolds, Nimmo is a splash pick but he should give you a solid performance.
57) Christian Walker – First base feels like it is a little more top heavy this season than in recent years. There’s always value later in the draft but I think that you may regret not locking down one of the higher end options. As for Walker, he doesn’t take a base on balls quite as much as his name would lead you to believe but he swings a good bat and should have a quality lineup around him.
58) Masataka Yoshida – Like more than a few guys in the top 50, Yoshida highlights the difference between points leagues and categories. As with his outfield brethren Reynolds and Nimmo, there’s nothing that makes him stand out except that he does a little bit of everything. That means value if your league is drafting off of category rankings.
59) Christian Yelich – Although he may no longer be the fantasy stud of yesterday, there is still a ton of value to be had.
60) Randy Arozarena – Feels like he’s as close to a lock for 20/20 as you can get. Also feels like he could be higher up if he can work on his batting average.
61) Triston Casas – When in doubt, prioritize first base. That’s partially in jest because position scarcity is wildly overblown. However, there’s nothing wrong with using position as a tie breaker.
62) Blake Snell – At long last he signed. The Bay will be good for him but San Diego is a pretty solid pitcher’s park as well. As for Snell himself, you know what to expect. The strikeouts will be there but he will lag behind just enough in innings to drop him down the rankings to here.
63) Corbin Burnes – The move to Baltimore doesn’t change the fact that he’s a dang fine pitcher. His new home park should be a favorable environment for him. It’s a tough division but he has the stuff to match.
64) Logan Gilbert – Dealers choice between Snell, Burnes, and Gilbert so go with whoever falls. Any of them make a fine anchor for your pitching staff.
65) Yoshinobu Yamamoto – This one is definitely a bit of a gamble because for as much hype as he has around him, we don’t know how he will handle an MLB season. I don’t mean to douse him in cold water because I’m just as excited as you are to see him in action, but I just want to acknowledge the potential downside. A more realistic downside is that he probably won’t log as many innings as the guys above him.
66) Freddy Peralta – I have what one might consider a slightly irrational infatuation with him. His stuff is absolutely filthy but walks have historically been a problem. Is this the year he finally puts it all together? Well, he is only 27 so the sky is the limit.
67) Xander Bogaerts – The Dads might be good this year. Stop me if you’ve heard this before. Anyhoo, he looks primed for another strong season.
68) Luis Robert Jr – I was almost scared off by his durability concerns but after some thought, those concerns are more my perception than reality. He’s coming off a very strong season and other than injury there’s no reason to expect anything less this year.
69) Jung Hoo Lee – One of a few big name signings by the Giants, who suddenly have a whole new look. Depending on how his game translates from the KBO, Lee could be a points league star in the same vein as Luis Arraez or Steven Kwan. Don’t be shocked if there’s some rough patches as he adjusts but he could be way higher on this list by the All Star break.
70) Spencer Torkelson – He’s got the pedigree and last year he delivered. Now he could just cut down on the Ks, he could be a star.
71) Alec Bohm – Power numbers rose last year but he still managed to hit for a solid average. That’s very encouraging and it’s not unreasonable to hope for a few more dingers. As a nice bonus he is eligible at first and third. Bohms away.
72) George Springer – Can’t argue with his production from last season. Worth a spot on your squad in this range.
73) Ha-Seong Kim – He was better than expected last season and while that may be his peak I still like him as a solid option this year.
74) Mike Trout – Once you accept that he won’t play more than 130 games, and that number may be high, you can start to evaluate him. Injuries have reared their ugly head far too often but when he’s on the field he is still an impact bat.
75) Royce Lewis – He’s likely too rich for my blood but if he falls in this range I’m very interested in his potential.
76) Isaac Paredes – There’s big time value to be had here. His ADP is closer to 150 but he will return far better than that.
77) Oneil Cruz – Last year was a letdown, but all that untapped potential is still there. I’ve tried to temper my expectations by ranking him here but man, he will be fun to have on your team.
78) Andrew Vaughn – Is he exciting? Not really. But he can help your team if you missed out on the top end first base options.
79) Tarik Skubal – This could be his big breakout if he can get up to 160-170 innings. Everything else already looks great.
80) Max Fried – I wanted to have him higher but, I’ll be honest, the elbow issues have me a little wary. Projections look good but I don’t think I can comfortably draft him much higher than here.
81) Joe Ryan – The Ks are great as are the walks. Only blemish is that he allows a few too many runs. He only logged 161 innings last season but he should be able to get up into the 180s this year.
82) J.P. Crawford – Bet you didn’t expect to see him inside the top 100. Points leagues are wild.
83) Anthony Santander – The power is pretty nice and if the rest of the lineup comes together like it should, he should rack up RBIs as well.
84) Cody Bellinger – I don’t quite know what to make of him. He’s an MVP who forgot how to hit and then rediscovered his swing. Last season looked pretty dang good and I want to believe that will carry into this year.
85) Spencer Steer – I liked him already but this week has been absolutely brutal for the Reds and they will need him to play as much as possible.
86) Adolis Garcia – I wanted to rank him higher because I love him and his power. Unfortunately, he strikes out too much for this format. If your league doesn’t penalize that, he would probably land in the top 25.
87) Jackson Chourio – Now let’s have some fun. Grey thinks that Jackson has Acuna upside. He will break camp with the big league club and oh boy, the upside is outstanding. At only 20 years old he probably won’t fully realize that potential this year and I wouldn’t be shocked to see some rough stretches. Still, I can’t deny what he could be.
88) Wyatt Langford – Like Jackson, Wyatt should be up in the show on Opening Day. After the spring he’s had, the Rangers would be downright silly not to unleash him on major league pitching.
89) Jordan Walker – He’s a Razzball favorite and I would probably get relieved of my duties if I didn’t mention him. But don’t think I’m only doing it out of obligation. I absolutely loved him going into last season and like everyone else, I was disappointed in the results of his first season. Call it growing pains but he still has light tower power. To the moon.
90) Justin Steele – He won’t wow you with the Ks but a strikeout per inning is certainly more than fine. I like that he put 173 innings last season and even a slight uptick there would be big.
91) Nolan Jones – Coors for half his games, enough said. Also, he’s a really good hitter regardless of park factors.
92) Merrill Kelly – If he maintains the jump in Ks and keeps logging the innings, you’ll be very happy with him.
93) Luis Rengifo – I like him here with the report that he will bat leadoff this season. Of course, it remains to be seen if that comes to fruition once Spring Training ends but I do like his multi position eligibility. He should qualify everywhere but first base and catcher so he’s a great versatile piece to give you some roster flexibility.
94) Seiya Suzuki – Quietly, he’s been pretty darn solid for points leagues. Solid power, solid average. That’s a winner.
95) Thairo Estrada – I’m excited to see what he can do in the revamped lineup in SF, ideally at the top of it. He has some pop and speed. If the rest falls into place he should be part of a much more potent offense.
96) Anthony Volpe – After a much hyped start, it felt like he fizzled out. Aside from his average, which was terrible, he actually wasn’t that bad. There’s room for that to improve and I think he can be worthy of this ranking.
97) Nick Castellanos – The fact that he’s known as the Greek God of Hard Contact should be all you need to know.
98) Jesus Luzardo – This is about to be his breakout year.
99) Ke’Bryan Hayes – Back to a boring option. He was hyped but didn’t quite deliver. However, that doesn’t make him a bad pick.
100) Will Smith – Bit of a drop off from Adley to here but it’s not as extreme as it might look at first glance. That lineup is so good that anyone who gets at bats should be worth something.
As always find me here or on X for all your fantasy needs
No Jazz C in the top 100? Wild
I have him just outside it
No Jazz in the top 100? ? Wild