Top-200 Hitters 2024 Fantasy Rankings

by
March 20, 2024
Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

Several projections became publicly available this week (THE BAT X and ZiPS) so my overall valuations changed. I only noted the early players who have moved by 10 or more spots and 20 spots for the tiered or worse hitters.

Changelog

  • 3/20/2024 – Possibly my last update.
  • 3/11/2024 – Again, just trying to focus on playing time.
  • 2/23/2024 – Moved some guys based on playing time.
  • 2/9/2024 – Just reranked a few players
  • 1/30/2024 – Incorporated some more projections into my base rankings.
  • 1/19/2024 – Tiered the next 50 hitters (250 total) and messed a bit on the catcher value in the overall ranks.
  • 1/12/2024 – First release.

Ranking Methodology

  • ADP is based on 30-day rolling NFBC Draft Champions Leagues.
  • $ Values are based on standard 5×5 12-team league using the FanGraphs Depth Charts and these Auction Calculator settings. They default to a player’s most valuable position, so if the first base list includes a catcher, it will show that player’s value at catcher.
  • ADP and $ Values are updated as of the last update date on this post.
  • 5-game eligibility was used for these lists to cast the widest net.

Five-Category Studs

These hitters provide value in every aspect of the game with speed, power, and batting average. There are no flaws in their game.
Five-Category Studs
Rank Name Team Pos Change ADP $
1 Ronald Acuna Jr. ATL OF – 1 $56
2 Kyle Tucker HOU OF – 7 $33
3 Julio Rodriguez SEA OF – 3 $33
4 Fernando Tatis Jr. SDP OF – 8 $34
5 Shohei Ohtani LAD P – 12 $31
6 Bobby Witt Jr. KCR SS – 2 $31
8 Mookie Betts LAD 2B/SS/OF – 5 $29
9 Corbin Carroll ARI OF – 6 $29
10 Freddie Freeman LAD 1B – 9 $30
13 Jose Ramirez CLE 3B – 16 $25
14 Trea Turner PHI SS – 12 $25
18 Bryce Harper PHI 1B – 17 $24

Four-Category Studs

Some of these hitters may be better real-life players than those in the above tier but are lacking in one roto category, usually steals.
Four-Category Studs
Rank Name Team Pos Change ADP $
7 Aaron Judge NYY OF – 12 $33
11 Juan Soto NYY OF – 10 $31
12 Matt Olson ATL 1B – 17 $28
15 Yordan Alvarez HOU OF – 16 $31
16 Rafael Devers BOS 3B – 24 $27
17 Austin Riley ATL 3B – 19 $27
19 Pete Alonso NYM 1B – 27 $23
20 Vladimir Guerrero Jr. TOR 1B – 29 $25
27 Manny Machado SDP 3B – 64 $21
31 Corey Seager TEX SS – 32 $17
49 Nolan Arenado STL 3B – 105 $16

Five-Category Pillars

These hitters are good across the board but don’t match up to those in the first tier.
Five-Category Pillars
Rank Name Team Pos Change ADP $
21 Luis Robert CHW OF – 33 $24
22 Ozzie Albies ATL 2B – 23 $21
23 Francisco Lindor NYM SS – 23 $18
24 Marcus Semien TEX 2B – 31 $18
25 Elly De La Cruz CIN 3B/SS – 26 $15
26 Michael Harris II ATL OF – 29 $22
28 Bo Bichette TOR SS – 37 $21
29 Jose Altuve HOU 2B – 42 $18
30 Randy Arozarena TBR OF – 44 $17
32 Paul Goldschmidt STL 1B – 85 $17
34 Gunnar Henderson BAL 3B/SS – 33 $16
35 Adolis Garcia TEX OF – 46 $16
36 Cody Bellinger CHC 1B/OF – 60 $16
39 Nolan Jones COL 1B/OF – 56 $16
40 Nico Hoerner CHC 2B/SS – 64 $13
41 Matt McLain CIN 2B/SS – 74 $12
42 George Springer TOR OF – 122 $12
43 CJ Abrams WSN SS – 39 $12
44 Andres Gimenez CLE 2B – 101 $14
45 Christian Yelich MIL OF – 78 $13
47 Christian Walker ARI 1B – 98 $14
48 Gleyber Torres NYY 2B – 82 $15
50 Bryan Reynolds PIT OF – 91 $13
53 Alex Bregman HOU 3B – 96 $16

Elite Power Bat, Nothing Else

These bats have 40+ home run power with a ton of counting stats. They provide very little in speed and batting average.
Elite Power Bat, Nothing Else
Rank Name Team Pos Change ADP $
33 Kyle Schwarber PHI OF – 92 $15
55 Anthony Santander BAL 1B/OF – 144 $13
58 Marcell Ozuna ATL DH – 160 $11

Elite Catchers

These catchers are the best available and drafting one will provide a team with a nice anchor at the position.
Elite Catchers
Rank Name Team Pos Change ADP $
51 William Contreras MIL C – 78 $23
64 Will Smith LAD C – 86 $17
69 Adley Rutschman BAL C – 55 $19
72 J.T. Realmuto PHI C – 74 $16
78 Cal Raleigh SEA C – 140 $17
81 Salvador Perez KCR C/1B – 132 $20
88 Yainer Diaz HOU C/1B – 110 $14
103 Francisco Alvarez NYM C – 148 $16
113 Logan O'Hoppe LAA C – 153 $16
120 Willson Contreras STL C – 136 $13
121 Gabriel Moreno ARI C – 154 $12
141 Sean Murphy ATL C – 143 $9
149 Jonah Heim TEX C – 175 $11
151 Mitch Garver SEA C – 178 $12
158 Keibert Ruiz WSN C – 173 $10
200 Danny Jansen TOR C ▼22 270 $0

Good Hitters, Major Injury Risks

These hitters have the chance to join the top two tiers, but just can’t find a way to stay on the field. If a fantasy manager is looking for a breakout, attack this grouping. From now on, the talent flattens out with the next six tiers filled with flawed regulars.
Good Hitters, Major Injury Risks
Rank Name Team Pos Change ADP $
37 Jazz Chisholm Jr. MIA OF – 71 $16
38 Royce Lewis MIN 3B – 54 $17
46 Mike Trout LAA OF – 69 $19
92 Starling Marte NYM OF – 218 $10

Balanced 2nd Division Bat (Pick Your Poison Tiers)

This tier and the next four tiers comprise the point in the draft where the talent starts to level off and fantasy managers can focus on category specialists. Some of the unbalanced bats may provide some other category juice but most of their value is wrapped up in a single category. I’m still working on how to exactly rank these six tiers. This is another balanced tier but, in these instances, their trait is not being a drag in any category. They won’t allow a manager to catch up in any category.
Balanced 2nd Division Bat (Pick Your Poison Tiers)
Rank Name Team Pos Change ADP $
56 Ketel Marte ARI 2B – 116 $13
59 Lane Thomas WSN OF – 122 $10
67 Teoscar Hernandez LAD OF – 120 $15
73 Chas McCormick HOU OF – 168 $6
74 Josh Lowe TBR OF – 90 $4
76 Ian Happ CHC OF – 167 $9
79 Ha-seong Kim SDP 2B/3B/SS – 90 $5
82 Seiya Suzuki CHC OF – 110 $10
84 Bryson Stott PHI 2B – 107 $4
90 Brandon Nimmo NYM OF – 199 $6
91 Jeremy Pena HOU SS – 217 $7
94 Thairo Estrada SFG 2B/SS – 135 $6
95 Ezequiel Tovar COL SS – 188 $7
97 Spencer Steer CIN 1B/2B/3B/OF – 115 $6
109 Zach Neto LAA SS – 278 $7
111 Jordan Walker STL OF – 126 $7
114 Ke'Bryan Hayes PIT 3B – 157 $6
115 MJ Melendez KCR C/OF – 295 $16
118 Vaughn Grissom BOS SS – 268 -$1
123 Taylor Ward LAA OF – 227 $7
124 Riley Greene DET OF – 167 $7
135 Wyatt Langford TEX OF – 136 $15
143 Jonathan India CIN 2B – 274 $2
145 Jorge Polanco SEA 2B/3B – 247 $4
159 Jake Cronenworth SDP 1B/2B – 344 $0
162 Sean Bouchard COL OF – 451 -$8
165 Luis Rengifo LAA 2B/3B/SS/OF – 239 $1
170 Mark Canha DET 1B/OF – 420 -$2
173 Lars Nootbaar STL OF – 230 $0
178 Tommy Pham OF – 359 -$5
197 Gavin Lux LAD 2B – 270 -$5
201 DJ LeMahieu NYY 1B/2B/3B – 338 -$3
219 Amed Rosario TBR 2B/SS – 339 -$13
220 Andrew McCutchen PIT OF – 582 -$7
226 Eddie Rosario WSN OF – 473 -$10
235 Wilyer Abreu BOS OF – 388 -$18
236 Kevin Kiermaier TOR OF – 537 -$10
240 Jake Meyers HOU OF – 567 -$11
242 Jackson Holliday BAL SS – 186 -$7
245 Michael Massey KCR 2B – 405 -$7
249 Liover Peguero PIT 2B/SS – 403 -$12

Power and Average but zero Speed (Pick Your Poison Tiers)

The major contribution from these hitters is home runs and batting average but no stolen bases.
Power and Average but zero Speed (Pick Your Poison Tiers)
Rank Name Team Pos Change ADP $
57 Triston Casas BOS 1B – 109 $13
65 Spencer Torkelson DET 1B – 121 $13
68 Christian Encarnacion-Strand CIN 1B/3B – 156 $12
75 Yandy Diaz TBR 1B/3B – 135 $12
93 Josh Jung TEX 3B – 135 $10
101 Alec Bohm PHI 1B/3B – 167 $7
104 Eloy Jimenez CHW OF – 229 $14
108 Andrew Vaughn CHW 1B – 241 $9
110 Jeimer Candelario CIN 1B/3B – 213 $8
117 Nathaniel Lowe TEX 1B – 226 $9
122 Vinnie Pasquantino KCR 1B – 181 $10
125 Carlos Correa MIN SS – 243 $5
127 Josh Bell MIA 1B – 287 $4
128 Lourdes Gurriel Jr. ARI OF – 234 $4
132 Jose Abreu HOU 1B – 293 $5
139 Ryan Mountcastle BAL 1B – 245 $8
140 Austin Hays BAL OF – 316 $5
144 Justin Turner TOR 1B/2B/3B – 252 -$1
148 Ty France SEA 1B – 310 $4
161 Joey Meneses WSN 1B – 375 $0
164 J.P. Crawford SEA SS – 274 $0
166 Brendan Rodgers COL 2B – 338 $3
186 Colten Keith DET 2B/3B – 287 -$3
190 Yoan Moncada CHW 3B – 364 $1
223 Junior Caminero 2B/3B/SS – 259 -$19
233 Anthony Rendon LAA 3B – 428 $1
246 Wilmer Flores SFG 1B/2B/3B – 377 -$8

Power Focused (Pick Your Poison Tiers)

The major contribution from these hitters is home runs.
Power Focused (Pick Your Poison Tiers)
Rank Name Team Pos Change ADP $
52 Dansby Swanson CHC SS – 119 $10
54 Nick Castellanos PHI OF – 110 $10
60 Josh Naylor CLE 1B – 125 $13
63 Xander Bogaerts SDP SS – 105 $11
89 Nolan Gorman STL 2B/3B – 189 $8
96 Rhys Hoskins MIL 1B – 187 $9
99 Jake Burger MIA 1B/2B/3B – 148 $8
102 Max Muncy LAD 3B – 184 $3
105 Jorge Soler SFG OF – 170 $8
116 Isaac Paredes TBR 1B/2B/3B – 188 $6
126 J.D. Martinez DH – 267 $0
131 Brandon Drury LAA 1B/2B – 221 $4
133 Max Kepler MIN OF – 280 $4
134 Brent Rooker OAK OF – 299 $1
137 Kerry Carpenter DET OF – 233 $1
147 Eugenio Suarez ARI 3B – 279 -$1
154 Nelson Velazquez KCR OF – 291 -$10
155 Matt Chapman SFG 3B – 267 $2
157 Bryan De La Cruz MIA OF – 277 $3
167 Seth Brown OAK 1B/OF – 480 -$2
168 Anthony Rizzo NYY 1B – 262 $1
169 Mitch Haniger SEA OF – 390 -$1
181 Hunter Renfroe KCR 1B/OF – 380 -$8
182 Orlando Arcia ATL SS – 336 $0
199 Michael Conforto SFG OF – 421 -$4
214 Ryan Noda OAK 1B/OF – 423 -$8
217 Carlos Santana MIN 1B – 417 -$9
229 Brett Baty NYM 3B – 366 -$6
231 J.D. Davis OAK 1B/3B – 485 -$4
243 Michael Busch CHC 3B – 366 -$6
244 Joey Gallo WSN 1B/OF – 512 -$12

Speed Focused (Pick Your Poison Tiers)

The major contribution from these hitters is stolen bases.
Speed Focused (Pick Your Poison Tiers)
Rank Name Team Pos Change ADP $
61 T.J. Friedl CIN OF – 171 -$4
66 Cedric Mullins II BAL OF – 152 $9
83 Maikel Garcia KCR 3B/SS – 200 -$2
106 Tommy Edman STL 2B/SS/OF – 204 -$1
107 Jarren Duran BOS OF – 150 $3
119 Jackson Chourio MIL OF – 131 $7
130 Esteury Ruiz OAK OF – 127 $6
142 Leody Taveras TEX OF – 273 $2
150 Willi Castro MIN 2B/3B/SS/OF – 296 -$8
184 Tim Anderson MIA SS – 310 $1
208 Harrison Bader NYM OF – 359 -$4
222 Brice Turang MIL 2B/SS – 329 -$7
239 Michael A. Taylor PIT OF – 601 -$12

Average Focused (Pick Your Poison Tiers)

The major contribution of these hitters is batting average.
Average Focused (Pick Your Poison Tiers)
Rank Name Team Pos Change ADP $
98 Steven Kwan CLE OF – 211 $5
100 Luis Arraez MIA 1B/2B – 164 $8
112 Masataka Yoshida BOS OF – 192 $9
153 Jeff McNeil NYM 2B/OF – 315 $3
160 Andrew Benintendi CHW OF – 362 $2
179 Jung Hoo Lee SFG OF – 243 $3
192 Alex Verdugo NYY OF – 313 -$3
194 Luis Garcia WSN 2B – 406 -$4
203 Charlie Blackmon COL OF – 430 $0
207 Nolan Schanuel LAA 1B – 385 $1
234 Brendan Donovan STL 1B/2B/3B/OF – 291 -$1

Speed and Power but Average Sink (Pick Your Poison Tiers)

These hitters provide a combination of home runs and stolen bases but a major drag in batting average.
Speed and Power but Average Sink (Pick Your Poison Tiers)
Rank Name Team Pos Change ADP $
62 Oneil Cruz PIT SS – 73 $12
70 Willy Adames MIL SS – 181 $10
71 Trevor Story BOS SS – 177 $10
77 Daulton Varsho TOR OF – 214 $9
80 Anthony Volpe NYY SS – 126 $5
85 Zack Gelof OAK 2B – 133 $3
86 Tyler O'Neill BOS OF – 215 $10
87 James Outman LAD OF – 192 $2
136 Jose Siri TBR OF – 280 $2
146 Ryan McMahon COL 2B/3B – 226 $4
152 Jack Suwinski PIT OF – 240 $0
156 Christopher Morel CHC 2B/3B/OF – 187 $6
163 Brandon Lowe TBR 2B – 267 $1
176 Javier Baez DET SS – 394 -$4
196 Henry Davis PIT OF – 236 -$4
202 Estevan Florial CLE OF – 584 -$17
211 Parker Meadows DET OF – 275 -$5
213 Ramon Laureano CLE OF – 447 -$3
224 Luke Raley SEA 1B/OF – 342 -$9
228 Chris Taylor LAD 3B/SS/OF – 387 -$12
237 Whit Merrifield PHI 2B/OF – 276 -$11
241 Mickey Moniak LAA OF – 413 -$6
250 Jon Berti MIA 2B/3B/SS/OF – 447 -$10

Acceptable Catchers

The catcher posiition talent drops off after this tier. Expect to be streaming catchers if waiting aftert this point.
Acceptable Catchers
Rank Name Team Pos Change ADP $
174 Bo Naylor CLE C – 165 $3
187 Tyler Stephenson CIN C/1B – 226 $2
191 Luis Campusano SDP C – 192 $10
204 Shea Langeliers OAK C – 244 $3
210 Ryan Jeffers MIN C – 251 $1
218 Alejandro Kirk TOR C – 260 $2

Platoon Bats

These guys are strong-side platoon bats who will max out around 400 to 500 plate appearances.
Platoon Bats
Rank Name Team Pos Change ADP $
172 Sal Frelick MIL OF – 272 $0
177 Jake Fraley CIN OF – 333 $3
180 Will Benson CIN OF ▲26 293 -$2
183 Evan Carter TEX OF – 128 $5
189 Joc Pederson ARI OF – 422 -$3
193 Alek Thomas ARI OF – 354 $0
198 Jarred Kelenic ATL OF ▼36 222 -$5
206 Mike Yastrzemski SFG OF – 514 -$4
209 Jesus Sanchez MIA OF – 410 -$4
212 Ryan O'Hearn BAL 1B/OF – 409 -$4
215 LaMonte Wade Jr. SFG 1B/OF – 397 -$5
225 Matt Wallner MIN OF – 328 -$8
227 Edouard Julien MIN 2B – 217 -$5

Defensive Specialist

The only reason these guys are playing is because of their defense. They should only contribute in Runs and RBI … maybe.
Defensive Specialist
Rank Name Team Pos Change ADP $
171 Brenton Doyle COL OF – 375 -$2
175 Brandon Marsh PHI OF – 379 -$2
188 Masyn Winn STL SS – 358 -$4
205 Johan Rojas PHI OF – 366 -$11

Previous All-Star Talent with Major Injury Risk

These bats just can’t stay on the field and their injuries have severely degraded their talent. There is a small chance one catches fire and wins the “Comeback Player of the Year” award.
Previous All-Star Talent with Major Injury Risk
Rank Name Team Pos Change ADP $
129 Byron Buxton MIN DH – 238 $8
138 Kris Bryant COL 1B/OF – 273 $5
185 Giancarlo Stanton NYY OF – 293 -$3

Rest of the Catchers

A few more catchers for those in deep leagues.
Rest of the Catchers
Rank Name Team Pos Change ADP $
195 Jordan Westburg BAL 2B/3B ▲38 313 -$5
216 Jake Rogers DET C – 323 -$1
221 Elias Diaz COL C – 254 $1
230 Rene Pinto TBR C – 352 $2
232 Yan Gomes CHC C – 358 $0
238 Connor Wong BOS C – 340 -$2
247 Gary Sanchez MIL C – 376 $1
248 Austin Wells NYY C – 290 -$3
256 Travis d'Arnaud ATL C – 393 $1
261 Patrick Bailey SFG C – 361 -$2
264 Nick Fortes MIA C – 490 -$5
296 Jorge Mateo BAL SS – 501 -$21

Full Rankings Without Tiers

No tiers. Just the rankings.
Full Rankings Without Tiers
Rank Name Team Pos Change ADP $
1 Ronald Acuna Jr. ATL OF – 1 $56
2 Kyle Tucker HOU OF – 7 $33
3 Julio Rodriguez SEA OF – 3 $33
4 Fernando Tatis Jr. SDP OF – 8 $34
5 Shohei Ohtani LAD P – 12 $31
6 Bobby Witt Jr. KCR SS – 2 $31
7 Aaron Judge NYY OF – 12 $33
8 Mookie Betts LAD 2B/SS/OF – 5 $29
9 Corbin Carroll ARI OF – 6 $29
10 Freddie Freeman LAD 1B – 9 $30
11 Juan Soto NYY OF – 10 $31
12 Matt Olson ATL 1B – 17 $28
13 Jose Ramirez CLE 3B – 16 $25
14 Trea Turner PHI SS – 12 $25
15 Yordan Alvarez HOU OF – 16 $31
16 Rafael Devers BOS 3B – 24 $27
17 Austin Riley ATL 3B – 19 $27
18 Bryce Harper PHI 1B – 17 $24
19 Pete Alonso NYM 1B – 27 $23
20 Vladimir Guerrero Jr. TOR 1B – 29 $25
21 Luis Robert CHW OF – 33 $24
22 Ozzie Albies ATL 2B – 23 $21
23 Francisco Lindor NYM SS – 23 $18
24 Marcus Semien TEX 2B – 31 $18
25 Elly De La Cruz CIN 3B/SS – 26 $15
26 Michael Harris II ATL OF – 29 $22
27 Manny Machado SDP 3B – 64 $21
28 Bo Bichette TOR SS – 37 $21
29 Jose Altuve HOU 2B – 42 $18
30 Randy Arozarena TBR OF – 44 $17
31 Corey Seager TEX SS – 32 $17
32 Paul Goldschmidt STL 1B – 85 $17
33 Kyle Schwarber PHI OF – 92 $15
34 Gunnar Henderson BAL 3B/SS – 33 $16
35 Adolis Garcia TEX OF – 46 $16
36 Cody Bellinger CHC 1B/OF – 60 $16
37 Jazz Chisholm Jr. MIA OF – 71 $16
38 Royce Lewis MIN 3B – 54 $17
39 Nolan Jones COL 1B/OF – 56 $16
40 Nico Hoerner CHC 2B/SS – 64 $13
41 Matt McLain CIN 2B/SS – 74 $12
42 George Springer TOR OF – 122 $12
43 CJ Abrams WSN SS – 39 $12
44 Andres Gimenez CLE 2B – 101 $14
45 Christian Yelich MIL OF – 78 $13
46 Mike Trout LAA OF – 69 $19
47 Christian Walker ARI 1B – 98 $14
48 Gleyber Torres NYY 2B – 82 $15
49 Nolan Arenado STL 3B – 105 $16
50 Bryan Reynolds PIT OF – 91 $13
51 William Contreras MIL C – 78 $23
52 Dansby Swanson CHC SS – 119 $10
53 Alex Bregman HOU 3B – 96 $16
54 Nick Castellanos PHI OF – 110 $10
55 Anthony Santander BAL 1B/OF – 144 $13
56 Ketel Marte ARI 2B – 116 $13
57 Triston Casas BOS 1B – 109 $13
58 Marcell Ozuna ATL DH – 160 $11
59 Lane Thomas WSN OF – 122 $10
60 Josh Naylor CLE 1B – 125 $13
61 T.J. Friedl CIN OF – 171 -$4
62 Oneil Cruz PIT SS – 73 $12
63 Xander Bogaerts SDP SS – 105 $11
64 Will Smith LAD C – 86 $17
65 Spencer Torkelson DET 1B – 121 $13
66 Cedric Mullins II BAL OF – 152 $9
67 Teoscar Hernandez LAD OF – 120 $15
68 Christian Encarnacion-Strand CIN 1B/3B – 156 $12
69 Adley Rutschman BAL C – 55 $19
70 Willy Adames MIL SS – 181 $10
71 Trevor Story BOS SS – 177 $10
72 J.T. Realmuto PHI C – 74 $16
73 Chas McCormick HOU OF – 168 $6
74 Josh Lowe TBR OF – 90 $4
75 Yandy Diaz TBR 1B/3B – 135 $12
76 Ian Happ CHC OF – 167 $9
77 Daulton Varsho TOR OF – 214 $9
78 Cal Raleigh SEA C – 140 $17
79 Ha-seong Kim SDP 2B/3B/SS – 90 $5
80 Anthony Volpe NYY SS – 126 $5
81 Salvador Perez KCR C/1B – 132 $20
82 Seiya Suzuki CHC OF – 110 $10
83 Maikel Garcia KCR 3B/SS – 200 -$2
84 Bryson Stott PHI 2B – 107 $4
85 Zack Gelof OAK 2B – 133 $3
86 Tyler O'Neill BOS OF – 215 $10
87 James Outman LAD OF – 192 $2
88 Yainer Diaz HOU C/1B – 110 $14
89 Nolan Gorman STL 2B/3B – 189 $8
90 Brandon Nimmo NYM OF – 199 $6
91 Jeremy Pena HOU SS – 217 $7
92 Starling Marte NYM OF – 218 $10
93 Josh Jung TEX 3B – 135 $10
94 Thairo Estrada SFG 2B/SS – 135 $6
95 Ezequiel Tovar COL SS – 188 $7
96 Rhys Hoskins MIL 1B – 187 $9
97 Spencer Steer CIN 1B/2B/3B/OF – 115 $6
98 Steven Kwan CLE OF – 211 $5
99 Jake Burger MIA 1B/2B/3B – 148 $8
100 Luis Arraez MIA 1B/2B – 164 $8
101 Alec Bohm PHI 1B/3B – 167 $7
102 Max Muncy LAD 3B – 184 $3
103 Francisco Alvarez NYM C – 148 $16
104 Eloy Jimenez CHW OF – 229 $14
105 Jorge Soler SFG OF – 170 $8
106 Tommy Edman STL 2B/SS/OF – 204 -$1
107 Jarren Duran BOS OF – 150 $3
108 Andrew Vaughn CHW 1B – 241 $9
109 Zach Neto LAA SS – 278 $7
110 Jeimer Candelario CIN 1B/3B – 213 $8
111 Jordan Walker STL OF – 126 $7
112 Masataka Yoshida BOS OF – 192 $9
113 Logan O'Hoppe LAA C – 153 $16
114 Ke'Bryan Hayes PIT 3B – 157 $6
115 MJ Melendez KCR C/OF – 295 $16
116 Isaac Paredes TBR 1B/2B/3B – 188 $6
117 Nathaniel Lowe TEX 1B – 226 $9
118 Vaughn Grissom BOS SS – 268 -$1
119 Jackson Chourio MIL OF – 131 $7
120 Willson Contreras STL C – 136 $13
121 Gabriel Moreno ARI C – 154 $12
122 Vinnie Pasquantino KCR 1B – 181 $10
123 Taylor Ward LAA OF – 227 $7
124 Riley Greene DET OF – 167 $7
125 Carlos Correa MIN SS – 243 $5
126 J.D. Martinez DH – 267 $0
127 Josh Bell MIA 1B – 287 $4
128 Lourdes Gurriel Jr. ARI OF – 234 $4
129 Byron Buxton MIN DH – 238 $8
130 Esteury Ruiz OAK OF – 127 $6
131 Brandon Drury LAA 1B/2B – 221 $4
132 Jose Abreu HOU 1B – 293 $5
133 Max Kepler MIN OF – 280 $4
134 Brent Rooker OAK OF – 299 $1
135 Wyatt Langford TEX OF – 136 $15
136 Jose Siri TBR OF – 280 $2
137 Kerry Carpenter DET OF – 233 $1
138 Kris Bryant COL 1B/OF – 273 $5
139 Ryan Mountcastle BAL 1B – 245 $8
140 Austin Hays BAL OF – 316 $5
141 Sean Murphy ATL C – 143 $9
142 Leody Taveras TEX OF – 273 $2
143 Jonathan India CIN 2B – 274 $2
144 Justin Turner TOR 1B/2B/3B – 252 -$1
145 Jorge Polanco SEA 2B/3B – 247 $4
146 Ryan McMahon COL 2B/3B – 226 $4
147 Eugenio Suarez ARI 3B – 279 -$1
148 Ty France SEA 1B – 310 $4
149 Jonah Heim TEX C – 175 $11
150 Willi Castro MIN 2B/3B/SS/OF – 296 -$8
151 Mitch Garver SEA C – 178 $12
152 Jack Suwinski PIT OF – 240 $0
153 Jeff McNeil NYM 2B/OF – 315 $3
154 Nelson Velazquez KCR OF – 291 -$10
155 Matt Chapman SFG 3B – 267 $2
156 Christopher Morel CHC 2B/3B/OF – 187 $6
157 Bryan De La Cruz MIA OF – 277 $3
158 Keibert Ruiz WSN C – 173 $10
159 Jake Cronenworth SDP 1B/2B – 344 $0
160 Andrew Benintendi CHW OF – 362 $2
161 Joey Meneses WSN 1B – 375 $0
162 Sean Bouchard COL OF – 451 -$8
163 Brandon Lowe TBR 2B – 267 $1
164 J.P. Crawford SEA SS – 274 $0
165 Luis Rengifo LAA 2B/3B/SS/OF – 239 $1
166 Brendan Rodgers COL 2B – 338 $3
167 Seth Brown OAK 1B/OF – 480 -$2
168 Anthony Rizzo NYY 1B – 262 $1
169 Mitch Haniger SEA OF – 390 -$1
170 Mark Canha DET 1B/OF – 420 -$2
171 Brenton Doyle COL OF – 375 -$2
172 Sal Frelick MIL OF – 272 $0
173 Lars Nootbaar STL OF – 230 $0
174 Bo Naylor CLE C – 165 $3
175 Brandon Marsh PHI OF – 379 -$2
176 Javier Baez DET SS – 394 -$4
177 Jake Fraley CIN OF – 333 $3
178 Tommy Pham OF – 359 -$5
179 Jung Hoo Lee SFG OF – 243 $3
180 Will Benson CIN OF ▲26 293 -$2
181 Hunter Renfroe KCR 1B/OF – 380 -$8
182 Orlando Arcia ATL SS – 336 $0
183 Evan Carter TEX OF – 128 $5
184 Tim Anderson MIA SS – 310 $1
185 Giancarlo Stanton NYY OF – 293 -$3
186 Colten Keith DET 2B/3B – 287 -$3
187 Tyler Stephenson CIN C/1B – 226 $2
188 Masyn Winn STL SS – 358 -$4
189 Joc Pederson ARI OF – 422 -$3
190 Yoan Moncada CHW 3B – 364 $1
191 Luis Campusano SDP C – 192 $10
192 Alex Verdugo NYY OF – 313 -$3
193 Alek Thomas ARI OF – 354 $0
194 Luis Garcia WSN 2B – 406 -$4
195 Jordan Westburg BAL 2B/3B ▲38 313 -$5
196 Henry Davis PIT OF – 236 -$4
197 Gavin Lux LAD 2B – 270 -$5
198 Jarred Kelenic ATL OF ▼36 222 -$5
199 Michael Conforto SFG OF – 421 -$4
200 Danny Jansen TOR C ▼22 270 $0
201 DJ LeMahieu NYY 1B/2B/3B – 338 -$3
202 Estevan Florial CLE OF – 584 -$17
203 Charlie Blackmon COL OF – 430 $0
204 Shea Langeliers OAK C – 244 $3
205 Johan Rojas PHI OF – 366 -$11
206 Mike Yastrzemski SFG OF – 514 -$4
207 Nolan Schanuel LAA 1B – 385 $1
208 Harrison Bader NYM OF – 359 -$4
209 Jesus Sanchez MIA OF – 410 -$4
210 Ryan Jeffers MIN C – 251 $1
211 Parker Meadows DET OF – 275 -$5
212 Ryan O'Hearn BAL 1B/OF – 409 -$4
213 Ramon Laureano CLE OF – 447 -$3
214 Ryan Noda OAK 1B/OF – 423 -$8
215 LaMonte Wade Jr. SFG 1B/OF – 397 -$5
216 Jake Rogers DET C – 323 -$1
217 Carlos Santana MIN 1B – 417 -$9
218 Alejandro Kirk TOR C – 260 $2
219 Amed Rosario TBR 2B/SS – 339 -$13
220 Andrew McCutchen PIT OF – 582 -$7
221 Elias Diaz COL C – 254 $1
222 Brice Turang MIL 2B/SS – 329 -$7
223 Junior Caminero 2B/3B/SS – 259 -$19
224 Luke Raley SEA 1B/OF – 342 -$9
225 Matt Wallner MIN OF – 328 -$8
226 Eddie Rosario WSN OF – 473 -$10
227 Edouard Julien MIN 2B – 217 -$5
228 Chris Taylor LAD 3B/SS/OF – 387 -$12
229 Brett Baty NYM 3B – 366 -$6
230 Rene Pinto TBR C – 352 $2
231 J.D. Davis OAK 1B/3B – 485 -$4
232 Yan Gomes CHC C – 358 $0
233 Anthony Rendon LAA 3B – 428 $1
234 Brendan Donovan STL 1B/2B/3B/OF – 291 -$1
235 Wilyer Abreu BOS OF – 388 -$18
236 Kevin Kiermaier TOR OF – 537 -$10
237 Whit Merrifield PHI 2B/OF – 276 -$11
238 Connor Wong BOS C – 340 -$2
239 Michael A. Taylor PIT OF – 601 -$12
240 Jake Meyers HOU OF – 567 -$11
241 Mickey Moniak LAA OF – 413 -$6
242 Jackson Holliday BAL SS – 186 -$7
243 Michael Busch CHC 3B – 366 -$6
244 Joey Gallo WSN 1B/OF – 512 -$12
245 Michael Massey KCR 2B – 405 -$7
246 Wilmer Flores SFG 1B/2B/3B – 377 -$8
247 Gary Sanchez MIL C – 376 $1
248 Austin Wells NYY C – 290 -$3
249 Liover Peguero PIT 2B/SS – 403 -$12
250 Jon Berti MIA 2B/3B/SS/OF – 447 -$10
256 Travis d'Arnaud ATL C – 393 $1
261 Patrick Bailey SFG C – 361 -$2
264 Nick Fortes MIA C – 490 -$5
296 Jorge Mateo BAL SS – 501 -$21





 

Jeff, one of the authors of the fantasy baseball guide,The Process, writes for RotoGraphs, The Hardball Times, Rotowire, Baseball America, and BaseballHQ. He has been nominated for two SABR Analytics Research Award for Contemporary Analysis and won it in 2013 in tandem with Bill Petti. He has won four FSWA Awards including on for his Mining the News series. He's won Tout Wars three times, LABR twice, and got his first NFBC Main Event win in 2021. Follow him on Twitter @jeffwzimmerman.

39 Comments
Oldest
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Anon21Member since 2018
2 years ago

This doesn’t matter at all, but I don’t think this copy for “Four-Category Studs” is what you really mean: “These hitters are better real-life players than those in the above tier but are lacking in one roto category, usually steals.“ Like obviously Pete Alonso is not a “better real-life player” than Mookie Betts. Maybe there’s a missing “some of” at the beginning of the sentence?

3
wily moMember since 2020
2 years ago
Reply to  Anon21

that blew my hair back too. it feels like the four-category tier started out underneath the “Pillars” tier and then he swapped them but didn’t edit the copy

0
MikeD
2 years ago
Reply to  Anon21

Similar, I’m having difficulty reconciling Corey Seager being in a category with players that “provide very little in speed and batting average.” Seager hit .327 last season and .292 for his career. I’d say he’s providing a lot of batting average.

23
HappyFunBallMember since 2019
2 years ago

Lovely lovely stuff. TYVM!

Still not sure why Schwarber isn’t a “Elite Power Bat, Nothing Else” guy. What’s his fourth tool? The .224 projected AVG or the 6 steals?

10
Jasper FranciscoMember since 2017
2 years ago
Reply to  HappyFunBall

Schwarber and Seager should be swapped.

20
viceroyMember since 2020
2 years ago

Thanks for putting this together. Always appreciate the hard work. Am curious why you’re down on Seaver’s batting average (listed in the power but nothing else tier). He hit .327 and has a career average of .292, is projected > .280 and had an xAvg > .310

13
kswissreject
2 years ago
Reply to  viceroy

Yeah that def stood out to me – he’s known for a strong BA.

6
WerthlessMember since 2020
2 years ago

Seems like a mistake in combining the list: Corey Seager, lifetime .292 hitter, projected for .293, coming off a .327 season, is listed as a power-only bat lacking batting average. Should be in the 4 category group IMO.

18
LightenUpFGMember since 2018
2 years ago
Reply to  Werthless

Yep, absolutely wrong tier.

4
esenatorMember since 2020
2 years ago

I think Corey Seager and Kyle Schwarber ended up in the wrong tiers. Seager is in the no batting average tier and Schwarber is in the 4 category

15
FrodoBeck
2 years ago

How is Ohtani not in the top tier? I’m struggling to think of what category he’s lacking in. Is this assuming a steep power drop from TJ?

Last edited 2 years ago by FrodoBeck
9
jdr
2 years ago
Reply to  FrodoBeck

I wonder if the thinking is about positional eligibility. For example, I’m wondering in my head if I’d rather have Tatis who can play OF or Ohtani who is only eligible at Util. (The answer is I don’t know)

0
FrodoBeck
2 years ago
Reply to  jdr

Maybe? Seems weird if that’s why given the tiers are separated by categories and not positional flexiblity. But idk I’m plugging either one of those guys into the lineup for (hopefully) 150 games and not moving them, I don’t necessarily care what spot they’re in.

0
HappyFunBallMember since 2019
2 years ago
Reply to  FrodoBeck

Ohtani’s projections, on this site, are better than Bryce Harper’s in every one of HR/R/RBI/SB, and only a mere 0.010 behind on AVG. Now then, Zimmerman, et al are certainly free to believe that Harper will prove more valuable than Ohtani in terms of ordinal ranking, but in terms of tier-type it seems to be a pretty clear miscategorization.

Funnily enough, his inability to pitch this year should make him MORE valuable as a fantasy hitter. No more will owners have to lose hitter PAs on days/weeks they would have slotted him in as a pitcher.

Last edited 2 years ago by HappyFunBall
1
FrodoBeck
2 years ago
Reply to  HappyFunBall

All true, plus I’m curious if the reduced workload (i.e. less wear and tear from having to pitch and do pitching-specific routines) leads to better results. Almost scary to think about, lots of variables.

1
IV ThoughtsMember since 2018
2 years ago

Thanks for sharing Jeff. I like the way you broke out the players into categories based on skillsets.

2
Willie StargellMember since 2022
2 years ago
Reply to  IV Thoughts

Agreed 100%. Trying to put every unique hitter into a grouping with other unique hitters must be an incredibly challenging task. Your work provides a great foundation, allowing people to adjust their own personal rankings.Thanks for everything

3
SaltyMember since 2017
2 years ago

Wow – 16 players listed in the elite Catcher category! And while I’m high on Naylor, I agree he doesn’t fit there quite yet. It’s great to see some strong depth at the position, with a few more elite prospects to come.

1
idliaminMember since 2024
2 years ago
Reply to  Salty

I wouldn’t have included Álvarez in that group. I’m a Met fan (because I loathe myself), and I think he’s Gary Sánchez with better defense, but more swing-and-miss. The Mets are my sleeper pick to finish dead last and approach 100 losses, and I expect they’ll be bad for the next several years. Their pitching is atrocious, and their young players (e.g. Baty, Vientos) aren’t that good. This team is a dumpster fire (much like myself).

1
Travis LMember since 2016
2 years ago

Judge and maybe Harper are unlikely to be 5 category studs, with 3 and 11 SB respectively last year + being on the wrong side of 27

1
click1283Member since 2017
2 years ago

Can you discuss putting Vlad above Alonso? I dont see much that would lead me in that direction. I’ll likely be deciding between the 2 in my keeper league draft in round 1.

0
LightenUpFGMember since 2018
2 years ago
Reply to  click1283

I imagine Alonso’s average last year has something to do with it. It all depends if one thinks that’s a fluke or part of the deal going forward with Alonso.

0
TheUncool
2 years ago

As others noted, some of the placements in tiers don’t make much sense.

Besides the few already mentioned, seems like Castellanos, probably (Josh) Naylor (after his 2023 performance), JD Martinez and maybe even Kerry Carpenter belong in the Power+AVG tier instead of Power-only/focused given how various others are placed between those tiers.

I would also put Friedl and probably Bogaerts near the top of the Balanced 2nd Division tier given who else top that tier… even though Friedl doesn’t seem like he should hit for enough power, but did nonetheless in 2023 at least in part because of his homepark, which presumably won’t change this year. Surely, Friedl isn’t ranked (overall) where he is only for his speed and not much else, right? He’s no stud in the other categories, but he’ll probably contribute enough across the board if his 2023 wasn’t just a fluke or the like — if we believe it was just a fluke, he probably shouldn’t be ranked 69 overall ahead of at least some of the other guys behind him.

Last edited 2 years ago by TheUncool
0
Corey2Member since 2021
2 years ago

Corey Seager=elite power bat and nothing else? The guy hit .327 last year!

2
Greg SimonsMember since 2016
2 years ago

Jeff really could use a copy editor.

6
AndrewFSummersMember since 2018
2 years ago

I get there might be some regression this season..but Corey Seager hit .327 last year and is in the “Elite Power Bat, Nothing Else” category.

1
BrianMember since 2017
2 years ago

Seems like Michael Busch may have been overlooked? He’s more likely to play 1B for the Cubs than Mervis.

0
Glevin
2 years ago

A couple of comments. Really don’t understand the Vlad ranking. He was flat out mediocre last year and really only has had one amazing year. You’re really paying a lot for the hope he’s the same player he was in 2021 which seems like not a great bet. Christian Walker was better than Vlad last year and costs half the price. Just so many options at way more value. Also, Corey Seager has a .292 career average including .327 last year. Why is he “power only?”

0
weekendatbidens
2 years ago

Not sure what or if I missed it but shouldn’t J.Holliday be on this list if other top prospects are listed?

1
Darren McLeod
2 years ago

Just a note — you appear to have accidentally deleted the first table (5 category studs).

0
LightenUpFGMember since 2018
2 years ago

It’s a bit of a tragedy that Trout is now ranked below Trevor Story. That star has truly faded…

0
The Ghost of Johnny Dickshot
2 years ago

Glad people are coming around to the fact that Trout is cooked. Love him, we’ve been blessed with seeing an all time great for 14 years but he’s done.

0
Rick LipinskiMember since 2020
2 years ago

I’m confused, Andres Jimenez has a career .264 BA, how is he a 5 category guy?
Y’all can have him.

0
advisor1
2 years ago

Noticed Jordan Westburg listed under “Rest of the catchers” tier… got excited for a moment…

0
LightenUpFGMember since 2018
2 years ago

Well… it would be interesting to know why some players jumped/dumped a lot or a little based on playing time, but I know this is more of a grouping/rank article. Maybe player analysis will come out in a different article in March.

0
dcnatsfan37
2 years ago

Ah yes. Wilson Contreras 115 overall but not included on any of the C ranking lists.

0
Paul SporerFanGraphs Staff
2 years ago
Reply to  dcnatsfan37

He’s 4th on my C list: https://fantasy.fangraphs.com/catcher-2024-fantasy-rankings/

0
therealryan1Member since 2017
2 years ago

Just a heads up that Westburg is listed in the C spot at the end.

0
LightenUpFGMember since 2018
2 years ago

As of now, you have got a consecutive 257 batters listed, plus some beyond. Aiming for a top 300?

Last edited 2 years ago by JuuuustAnotherBaseballFan
0