Fantasy Update: 2023 Re-Draft Top 25/Dynasty Top 120

Prospects have become increasingly important to winning re-draft fantasy leagues. Of course, they have always been major in-season acquisitions, but now they’re making their presence felt at the draft table, too. With more fantasy managers aware of the prospects who are likely to have an impact in a given season, the battle for their services has become much more fevered, leading some managers to stash desirable prospects for a month or two rather than try to pluck them off the wire once they are called up and risk missing out.

These 25 guys (plus a few Honorable Mentions) aren’t draftable in every format, but I wanted to cast a wide net so that the list has utility across many formats and can be revisited when those who don’t break camp on a big league roster are called up. All of them should be in the majors for a substantial portion of the 2023 season. It is worth familiarizing yourself with them so you are ready to bid on the ones who aren’t draftable in your particular league.

These rankings are now available on The Board on the 2023 Fantasy Rankings tab, where you can also see the Top 120 Dynasty Rankings!

The average draft position (ADP) included is from Draft Champions leagues from January 19 to February 19 at the NFBC, which you can find here. These leagues draft 50 players and that’s all they get for the year — no pickups or drops. That means all the relevant prospects get selected, which helps give us an idea of how the market views them.

The Duo from Japan

Two major players are coming over from Japan’s NPB and while they aren’t traditional prospects who came through MLB’s minor league system, they will still be treated as standard issue rookies for fantasy baseball purposes.

Kodai Senga | P, NYM | 186 ADP

The 29-year-old righty inked a five-year, $75 million deal with the Mets after putting together a sterling record in 11 seasons as a part of the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks. He had a 2.59 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 28% K rate, and 9% BB rate in 1,089 innings. Senga did a brilliant job limiting hits (6.4 per 9) and missed plenty of bats with a mid-90s fastball and the fabled ghost forkball headlining his arsenal. He supports the two premium offerings with a slutter/slurve triple hybrid that plays as more of a cutter in the upper-80s register, a slider in the low-to-mid-80s register, and can be more of a slow curveball when he really dials down the velocity. Eric Longenhagen highlighted how the three can meld and mold into one another in his breakdown of the signing. It’s unknown whether the Mets will go with a full on six-man rotation or more of a makeshift version that keeps veterans like Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer on their schedule and Senga pitching every sixth day, but I wouldn’t plan for more than 140-150 innings with a high-3.00s ERA and low-1.20s WHIP.

Masataka Yoshida | OF, BOS | 218 ADP

Yoshida brings with him an excellent approach (13% BB, 9% K in 3189 PA), great bat-to-ball skills (.327 AVG) and some pop (25 HR/600 PA, .212 ISO)! All of those will regress a bit with the transition to MLB but that still leaves plenty to like, especially at his very fair draft price. The biggest question mark for me is the power. Remember that Ha-Seong Kim came from the KBO with similar production (22 HR/600 PA, .199 ISO) and has hit just 17 HR with a .138 ISO in 880 PA. That said, NPB is a more challenging league than the KBO, so Yoshida won’t necessarily dip all the way to Kim’s level. The bottom line for Yoshida could end up looking similar to new teammate Alex Verdugo or maybe closer to Justin Choi’s comp of Andrew Benintendi (sans the speed, as Yoshida had just 4 SB/600 PA).

Pitchers

Hunter Brown | RHP, HOU | 254 ADP

I’m a huge fan of Brown, and while he is currently penciled in as the no. 6 starter, there is already concern about Lance McCullers Jr.’s health as of mid-February. Even if that ends up being nothing, Brown is the first man up for any injury and no team makes it through the season with just five starters these days. Brown could follow the Cristian Javier model, relieving for the first month of the season before getting a shot at starting and not letting go of it the rest of the season. A sneaky silver lining if Brown does spend time in the bullpen is that he will likely garner high leverage opportunities in a multi-inning relief role, which could lead to a handful of wins and keep him fantasy viable while he awaits his chance in the rotation.

He has three plus pitches that generate plenty of punchouts, with a 31% K rate in his 230 minor league innings and 28% during his 20-inning big league debut last year. His spotty control shouldn’t be a major problem for his WHIP because he is also tough to square up and does a good job limiting hits. After 126 innings between Triple-A and and the majors last year, Brown could handle a full six-month workload in the rotation, netting 155-165 innings using a +25-30% workload increase.

Grayson Rodriguez | RHP, BAL | 195 ADP

Rodriguez comes into spring training with a great chance to make the rotation, though his workload will be managed. It is expected that that management will come via shortened starts as opposed to a full-on shutdown late in the season. The 23-year-old righty was limited to just 76 innings last year thanks to a lat injury but dominated while healthy. He made 14 of his 17 starts in Triple-A and posted a 2.20 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, 28 K-BB%, and might’ve made his big league debut had he not missed three months. He did finish the season back on the mound, making three rehab starts at High- and Double-A before returning to Triple-A for three more. I agree with Jeff Zimmerman that Shane McClanahan’s 2021 script makes sense extended out to six months if he breaks camp, netting something in the 135-140 IP range with around 80-85 pitches per start.

Hayden Wesneski | RHP, CHC | 333 ADP

While RosterResource has Wesneski ticketed for Triple-A to start the year, he is firmly in the no. 5 starter mix, especially with Kyle Hendricks slated to miss the start of the season. An excellent September call-up performance (2.18 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 20% K-BB in 33 IP) put him on the fantasy map and if he grabs hold of a starting role in the spring, there’s no reason he can’t hold it all year after throwing 143 total innings last season. He misses bats, has good control, and keeps the ball down, so all the elements are there for a breakout season. His draft price has dropped over the winter, likely due to that RosterResource placement as well as the re-signing of Drew Smyly, though it’ll head right back up if he’s confirmed in the fifth starter role before Opening Day.

Andrew Painter | RHP, PHI | 318 ADP

Painter won’t turn 20 until April 1 so if he breaks camp with the club, he could be the first teenager to throw a pitch in the majors since 2016 (Julio Urías) and just the third since 1984 (Félix Hernández) when Dwight Gooden made his magical debut and Jose Rijo gave the Yankees a decent 62 innings of work (3.94 FIP). The 6-foot-7, 215-pound righty had a brilliant three-level season and didn’t miss a beat with each promotion, culminating with a 2.54 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, and 32% K-BB in 28 innings at Double-A. His walk rate improved every step up, too, with an 11% mark at A-ball, 5% at High-A, and just 2% in that scintillating Double-A stop. His draft price will soar if he breaks camp with the Phillies and has already risen over 80 picks since Jeff Zimmerman did his breakdown back in mid-December. I agree with Jeff that his innings could be limited after just 103 last year, which kept my ranking in check a bit. On pure talent, only Rodriguez tops him and even then, it’s close.

Drey Jameson & Brandon Pfaadt | RHPs, ARI | 371, 389 ADP

The re-signing of Zach Davies no doubt bummed out the fans of these two prospects, as it leaves them vying for just one spot along with Ryne Nelson and Tommy Henry. The PCL ate Jameson up thanks to a 1.7 HR/9 and .351 BABIP, but he was able to put a cherry on top of his season with a sharp September call-up. While it was just four starts, it couldn’t have gone much better, as he cut through the Padres, Dodgers, and Giants twice en route to a 1.48 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, and 17% K-BB in 24 innings. Of course, his 95% LOB rate did a lot of the work and his 3.27 SIERA gives a more realistic outlook on what he could do in an extended look (and even that would be a high end). He leaned on his two fastballs and premium slider while flashing a changeup and curveball. What he lacks in swing-and-miss dominance, he makes up for with a heavy groundball lean (>50% across AA/AAA/MLB last year).

Pfaadt had no such problems in his Triple-A stay, with a 2.63 ERA and 0.99 WHIP in 62 innings. His fly ball lean leaves his susceptible to the long ball (1.5 HR/9 in 299 MiLB IP), which he counters with exemplary strikeout stuff (31% K, 17% SwStr) and great control (5%). The numbers game could push his debut to the summer, as all three of the other fifth starter contenders are already on the 40-man and have more Triple-A experience than Pfaadt. Of course, that doesn’t guarantee anything and if he keeps pitching like he did in 2022, he can leapfrog his org mates.

I’d be remiss to not go a bit deeper on Nelson here. I’ve got Jameson and Pfaadt a good bit higher than him, so I favor both in any draft situation right now. That said, Nelson is on the 40-man, had a successful debut (1.47 ERA, 0.82 WHIP, 15% K-BB in 18 IP), and is firmly entrenched in that fifth starter battle. He’s an Eno Sarris favorite, but he’s more confident in the slider becoming a swing-and-miss offering than I am, which is why I put him more in the solid-if-unspectacular bucket (Nelson, not Eno) as opposed to a major upside sleeper.

Kyle Harrison | LHP, SFG | 468 ADP

Harrison isn’t in the mix to break camp with a starting role, but he’s a near-lock to make his big league debut in 2023. This article mentioned that he might’ve come up late last year ($) had the Giants been in contention, though he might not be first man up with their offseason additions of Ross Stripling and Sean Manaea, as well as the return of Anthony DeSclafani. Harrison has the standard prospect setup: two plus pitches, a changeup in need of work, and spotty command, so there will be elements for the 21-year-old to work on in Triple-A. Everyone in the Giants rotation except Logan Webb is north of 30 years old with some injury history, so Harrison could spend more than half the season in the majors if he handles the challenge at Triple-A.

Cody Morris | RHP, CLE | 393 ADP

Morris is a repeat entrant this year and I could start his profile the exact same way given the similarities: “Morris didn’t get going until July due to shoulder soreness, but he was electric” upon returning, with a blistering 41% K-BB rate in 21 minor league innings ahead of his September call-up. He wasn’t quite as good during his big league run, with just an 11% K-BB rate across 24 innings (2.28 ERA, 1.39 WHIP), though the small sample was weighed down quite a bit by his five-walk start on September 13, which accounted for nearly half of the 12 walks he allowed. He showed plenty of swing-and-miss (14% SwStr) with his four-pitch mix and will get a chance to start if his body cooperates in 2023. Speaking of that, he is already dealing with some lat discomfort and the Guardians won’t have any issues being conservative with the 26-year-old righty, which bumped him down a couple spots given his history.

Bobby Miller & Gavin Stone | RHPs, LAD | 480, 510 ADP

Another team duo, the no. 2 and no. 6 prospects for the Dodgers are a pair of 24-year-old arms who could be part of a youth movement in LA this year. Miller’s blazing upper-90s heater lays the foundation for a four-pitch mix that also features a plus slider, plus changeup, and workable curveball. He netted a 31% K rate at Double- and Triple-A along with a 50% GB rate that helped him to a 1.18 WHIP despite an elevated ERA of 4.25 in 112 innings. Only 21 of those came at Triple-A, so he will start the season there and continue to refine his command with a good chance at a summer debut.

Stone enjoyed a tremendous three-level season, posting a minor league-best 1.48 ERA at High-, Double-, and Triple-A in a total of 122 innings. Only Painter bested his 2.44 FIP (2.02) and Stone’s 34% K rate was tied for the sixth highest mark (Harrison was first at 40% and Painter second at 39%). While Miller wins with power, Stone’s plus to plus-plus changeup drives his arsenal. A bump in velo to 93-96 mph has given his heater some more viability for the upper levels, though neither his slider nor his recently scrapped curveball have developed into a consistent breaking pitch just yet.

Neither of these two are on the 40-man roster, which currently leaves them behind Honorable Mentions Ryan Pepiot (great stuff, poor command) and Michael Grove (lesser stuff than Pepiot and command issues of his own), both of whom debuted last year, though one or both could establish themselves in the bullpen if veterans Jimmy Nelson and Shelby Miller continue to battle health issues. Consider this their mention as opposed to a formal inclusion in the upcoming HM section.

Luis Ortiz | RHP, PIT | 413 ADP

Ortiz’s 20% K-BB rate in Double- and Triple-A was 18th in the minors (min. 120 IP) and led to a mid-September call-up that had some flashes before St. Louis spoiled it at the end. His control issues were evident throughout the four-start sample, though he put together a sparkling 1.17 ERA and 0.78 WHIP in 15 innings before the Cardinals erased it all with six runs in just 2/3rds of an inning, pushing his bottom line to a 4.50 ERA and 1.13 WHIP. It’s four starts at the end of the day, so little can be drawn from it, though the 25% K and 13% SwStr rates underscore his swing-and-miss upside. His 98.5 mph fastball and upper-80s plus-plus slider were all he needed for his 2022 success, but if the show-me changeup doesn’t develop, there could be some volatility for the 24-year-old flamethrower.

Ken Waldichuk | LHP, OAK | 369 ADP

Oakland did well in the Frankie Montas trade and not just because he’s ailing heading into the 2023. Waldichuk battled some home run issues in his 35-inning debut (1.3 HR/9) but looked solid otherwise, with a 16% K-BB rate and 12% SwStr rate. After 130 innings between the minors and majors last year, there’s no reason he can’t put up a full workload this year, especially with no one pushing him out of the rotation. Of course, that’s a double-edged sword, as the A’s will also be light on offense and bullpen support, which will likely leave him with a single-digit win total.

Honorable Mentions:

Eury Pérez | RHP, MIA | 542 ADP – Wait, so why does this super tall, uber talented teenager in the NL East get relegated to HM while Painter makes the list? Perez turns 20 just five days after Painter and is also in contention for baseball’s best pitching prospect, but he isn’t actively competing for a spot on the Marlins roster in camp and feels like a summer call-up at the soonest. Remember, this is a fantasy list focused solely on 2023.

Ricky Tiedemann | LHP, TOR | 570 ADP – Tiedemann’s eye-popping debut (2.17 ERA, 0.86 ERA, 29% K-BB in 79 IP at A/A+/AA) has him firmly in the conversation for the best lefty pitching prospect in baseball and at least getting some consideration for the overall best. He had all of 11 IP at Double-A, though, and while traditional prospect timelines have gone by the wayside in recent years, I’d still be surprised to see him get more than a late-season call-up.

Taj Bradley | RHP, TBR | 550 ADP – Eric highlighted how Bradley maintained his velo spike from 2020 and with his plus command, he’s now a premium prospect a step away from the majors after 59 innings at Triple-A last year. It’s always hard to know what the Rays will do with a young arm, though, so I couldn’t put him in the main list right now. Keep tabs on him as a potential in-season pick-up, though.

Cade Cavalli | RHP, WAS | 456 ADP – A shoulder injury limited his debut to just one uninspired outing instead of the month and a half he was slated to get. While he has a relatively secure rotation spot, the looming health concerns bumped him down the list a bit. He is also on a brutal team, so his fantasy production will be reliant upon his ratios and strikeouts — wins will be tough to come by. The control issues (11% MiLB BB rate) were no doubt exacerbated by the balky shoulder. In short, if volume is all you are looking for, Cavalli can be your guy, but the results might not be fantasy-worthy outside of the deepest formats.

DL Hall | LHP, BAL | 463 ADP – The O’s are giving him a shot at the rotation though his command profile still screams “reliever!” to me. He can be a multi-inning bullpen stud with tons of strikeouts or even work his way toward a closer’s role down the line even if he never gets a firm handle on the walks.

Gavin Williams | RHP, CLE | 660 ADP – The oft-injured righty had a wonderful pro debut (1.96 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, 24% K in 115 IP at A+/AA) and resides in the pitching factory that is the Guardians organization. The latter almost works against him for 2023, though, as he’s buried on the list of candidates right now and still must figure out his changeup. If he does ascend, I could see some relief work for him with that upper-90s heater capable of playing out of a major league bullpen right now.

Kyle Muller | LHP, OAK | 477 ADP – Don’t sweat his ugly 12 innings with Atlanta, as his 135 innings at Triple-A tell more of the story – and not just because they were good! He now has a 28% K rate in 214 Triple-A innings and while we’ve only seen a 23% mark in his 49 big league innings, it has come with a nice 13% SwStr rate. He has the same support issues as Waldichuk, but if he locks in a spot out of spring, there’s 30+ start upside.

Chase Silseth | RHP, LAA | 639 ADP – Silseth showed flashes in a seven-start debut. He’ll get his first taste of Triple-A after skipping it last year and there he will work to refine his stuff with a chance at returning to the majors in the summer. The Angels have a bit more depth this year, so they won’t need to rush Silseth.

Hitters

Corbin Carroll | OF, ARI | 69 ADP

Absurd minor league production makes Carroll a tough projection because even with proper regression, it seems like he could go 20 HR/40 SB in 600 PA at the high end. I obviously don’t expect that from him, but he’s a firm double-double candidate. His AVG will go as far as his production against lefties takes it assuming he isn’t in an outright platoon. If he’s pushing into the 20s with his HR and SB, no one will care if it comes with a .250s AVG. As a pure 80-grade runner, he could be a complete game changer on the basepaths even if the .240 ISO we saw in his debut doesn’t maintain throughout a full season. There are multiple avenues to top line fantasy output here, which is why Carroll has found himself in the Top 70 of winter ADP.

Gunnar Henderson | 3B, BAL | 92 ADP

I was surprised to see Henderson going in to the Top 100 at the beginning of draft season. Upon further review, I might have been underrating his season, as he was a home run shy of a 20/20 campaign and is above that threshold per 600 PA across his whole minor league career with 20 HR and 22 SB. Don’t get too hung up on the 1-for-2 SB success in his 132 big league plate appearances as he had a fantastic home-to-first time (4.19, 14th-highest total) and the new rule changes could help push him to 15+ SBs.

Josh Jung | 3B, TEX | 218 ADP

Jung returned from his shoulder injury with a free-swinging approach that saw him turn up the power — with a .274 ISO and 9 HR in 135 MiLB plate appearances plus another 5 HR and .214 in his 102 plate appearance debut — at the cost of his plate approach. He had a 0.12 BB/K across his entire 2022 after a 0.45 mark in 2019-21 and he’s confident he can get back on track in his first full big league season. If he combines an above-average hit tool with plus power and a return to his previously strong plate skills, there is big upside here, especially at a light fantasy position.

Jordan Walker | 3B, STL | 231 ADP

It’s always hard to read the spring training tea leaves, but knowing that the Cardinals will give Walker every opportunity to win a job out of camp pushed him up this board. He certainly looked the part when I saw him tattooing baseballs in the Arizona Fall League, cutting a Derrek Lee-like figure in the box and even displaying the sneaky SB potential of the former superstar first baseman, with 22 during the regular season and another three in 21 AFL games. There is still some risk that he starts the year in Triple-A, though that is covered by a fair draft price. It will surge into the low-100s and possibly even the Top 100 if he tears up the Grapefruit League and wins a roster spot before draft season is over. I’m taking the gamble before the price jumps.

Triston Casas | 1B, BOS | 237 ADP

Casas showed off his power (.211 ISO, 5 HR) and sharp eye (20% BB) in a month-long debut, but a .208 BABIP saddled him with a .197 AVG in 95 plate appearances. The low AVG dropped the hype a bit on Casas despite the fact that it was clearly BABIP-fueled (or suppressed, as it were) given his palatable 24% K rate and even better 10% SwStr rate. With an average or better hit tool, he should avoid the all-or-nothing power profile of teammate Bobby Dalbec. Speaking of Dalbec, he could be a platoon partner for Casas, costing him time against lefties. That said, there’s no reason he can’t pop 20+ HRs with a .250+ AVG as a strong side platoon first baseman.

Miguel Vargas | 1B, LAD | 242 ADP

Vargas tore up Triple-A (129 wRC+, 17 HR, 16 SB) but struggled to find his footing in a scant 50 plate appearance debut with just a 26 wRC+. He is in line for the starting second base job and while his late-February finger fracture isn’t expected to disrupt that, it is worth monitoring. He is hit tool over power, which puts a full season projection somewhere in the .260s/14-17 HR range, and he could push a double-digit SB total as an opportunistic thief who could take full advantage of the new rule changes despite unremarkable raw speed.

Spencer Steer | 3B, CIN | 401 ADP

Steer is the standard utilityman who plays everywhere because he can’t truly play anywhere but has a bat they want to get in the lineup. Perhaps a righty Daniel Murphy type. He didn’t do a ton in his major league debut (76 wRC+) after clubbing 23 homers in Double- and Triple-A for Minnesota and Cincinnati. He has a bead on a full-time role out of camp and playing half his games in Cincinnati (aka Coors Jr.) instantly makes him fantasy relevant. He has an upside of .270s/20+ HRs and should at least deliver .250s with teens pop if he gets 400+ plate appearances.

Brett Baty | 3B, NYM | 424 ADP

After an explosive run through Double-A (160 wRC+, 19 HR in 394 PA), Baty needed just a week in Triple-A before getting promoted to the majors. Around two weeks in, a torn UCL in his thumb required surgery and ended his season. Baty has the hitting profile to find immediate success in the majors and he taps more into that 70 raw power; the upside is top shelf. Eduardo Escobar remains penciled in as the starting third baseman, but a $9.5 million contract isn’t a “must-play everyday” salary and if Baty cooks in Triple-A, he should be an early call-up with high impact potential.

Ezequiel Tovar | SS, COL | 228 ADP

What Tovar lacks in pure skill, he makes up for with baseball’s best home park and assumed job security. He made his big league debut in late September after just a week in Triple-A, but it’s hard to take much from just 35 plate appearances. Even if he had excelled – he posted a meager 51 wRC+ – the sample size would still be far too small to make any worthwhile judgments. His breakout campaign was slowed by a hip injury that cost him over two months, but he still managed 13 HR and 17 SB in 295 plate appearances at Double-A. He will look to use Coors’ spacious outfield dimensions to collect base hits and then leverage his base running smarts (80% MiLB SB rate) to turn those singles into makeshift doubles. The glove is unquestionably ready and should maintain his lineup spot even if the bat takes some time to come around, which does undercut his fantasy appeal in shallower formats, limiting him to a late or reserve round consideration.

Oscar Colas | OF, CWS | 333 ADP

Colas’ stateside debut saw him rip through High- and Double-A, capped with a nice week a Triple-A. The power is ready for primetime, though there could be some wicked swing-and-miss that yields a sub-.230 AVG. His swinging strike rate rose at each level, jumping four points when he was promoted to Double-A (17%). It jumped another five points at Triple-A and while it was only weeklong sample, I do think it is indicative of the main issue he will have in the majors. He isn’t a lock to break camp, but could be a quick call-up if he can mash through his whiff troubles in Triple-A.

Curtis Mead | 3B, TBR | 548 ADP

Mead is probably a better hitter and worse fielder than Steer, but he has a tougher path to immediate playing time and thus ranks a bit lower. Only a sore elbow could slow Mead down last year. He tore through Double-A (146 wRC+) and stayed strong in Triple-A (129) before the elbow flared up in late-July and cost him a month. After returning for four games (and getting hits in each of them), he was shut down for the season, which likely cost him a shot at a September call-up. It’s unclear where he would fit on the roster right now. If he keeps raking in Triple-A, he can force his way up and they will find a spot for him.

Esteury Ruiz | OF, OAK | 224 ADP

Ruiz’s speed gives him fantasy appeal, especially with a clear path to a starting role in Oakland. It’s hard to ignore the 85 SB that led the minors last year. He also hit .332/.447/.526 at Double- and Triple-A, so he’s ready to be a speed-power stud in the majors, right? Right?!? Not so fast, as I’m still a bit suspect on how his bat will play in the majors. There is some raw pop there, so the bat shouldn’t just get knocked out of his hand. The hit tool, however, leaves a lot to be desired and his 2022 explosion was the first time he had hit well since Rookie ball back in 2017. He isn’t exactly cheap in winter drafts, either, so he has to deliver to be worth going as a Top 60 outfielder. The upside is rich while the downside is an extended trip back to Triple-A. Be careful.

Honorable Mentions:

Oswald Peraza & Anthony Volpe | SS, NYY | 298, 366 ADP

Volpe is the better overall prospect (by quite a bit, in fact), but Peraza has a fantasy edge for this year because he is a year older, has already debuted, and is on the 40-man roster. Those are small edges that can be overcome, but I just don’t see how Volpe doesn’t get some more Triple-A time after struggling there in his 99 plate appearances last year (91 wRC+, 30% K rate). Peraza spent all of 2022 there, hitting 19 HR with 33 SB before getting an 18-game big league debut to cap off the season. His great plate skills (16% K, 11% BB) were no doubt small sample driven, as he has a 20% K rate and 8% BB rate in 1650 MiLB plate appearances. Peraza’s major league-ready glove at a premium position will give his bat some leeway and he shouldn’t face much pressure from Volpe until later in the year, if at all.

Francisco Álvarez | UT, NYM | 349 ADP – He will come in catcher-eligible at some outlets, but he only played two of his five MLB games there, so the NFBC is listing him UT-only for now. Álvarez was great in 112 games at Double- and Triple-A last year (27 HR, .885 OPS), but I have a general aversion to rookie catchers (non-Adley class) to begin with and I’m not sure where the playing time is right now. Omar Narváez is hardly a star, but he’s a proven big league catcher and I don’t know if a contender will turn the reins over to a rookie.

Royce Lewis | SS, MIN | 456 ADP – A re-torn ACL will delay the start to his 2023, but he is expected to fill a super-utility role with infield and outfield capability while being a power/speed asset. If not for the injuries, he would have no doubt graduated from this list and established himself with the Twins and in the fantasy market. For now, keep tabs on him and be prepared to pick him up as he nears his return sometime in the early summer.

Jordan Lawlar | SS, ARI | 670 ADP – The no. 6 pick from 2021 enjoyed the rare four-level season (five if you count Arizona Fall League as its own), excelling at Rookie, A-ball, and High-A before hitting a wall at Double-A. He ended his season on a high note with a .997 OPS, 2 HR, and 4 SB effort in the AFL and should report back to Double-A for the start of 2023. If he figures out the high minors, he could get the call this year, but it’d likely be after the Trade Deadline so there’s no reason to draft him at this point.

Elly De La Cruz | SS, CIN | 421 ADP – De La Cruz reminds me a bit of Oneil Cruz with his incredibly loud tools and a modest hit tool that could cause issues at the upper levels. He smashed 28 HR and stole 47 bases in 513 plate appearances across High- and Double-A but did so with a 31% K rate and just an 8% BB rate. Barring a major improvement there, he is likely to spend most of 2023 in the upper minors, which is fine because he’s just 21 years old.

Jackson Chourio | OF, MIL | 728 ADP – Chourio is essentially the Eury Pérez of hitters in that he probably won’t make a fantasy impact in 2023, but he is so good that I have to give him a mention just in case. The 19-year-old tore up A-ball and High-A (plus a week in Double-A), hitting 20 HR with 16 SB in 439 plate appearances, surging him up prospect and dynasty league boards. If he picks up where 2022 left off, he will be in Triple-A after a few months and just a call away!