- As a reminder, these rankings are geared toward a standard, daily, 12-team H2H redraft league, as that is typically the most popular fantasy baseball format. They will only factor in the five standard categories: Runs, RBI, Home Runs, Batting Average, and Stolen Bases.
- I would recommend not paying super close attention to the specific ranks of each player, and honing in more on the respective tiers that they’re in. Each tier represents a grouping of players that I think could arguably perform at a similar level, and/or carry similar levels of risk in terms of injury concerns or playing time obstacles. If Player X is ranked at #55 and Player Y is ranked at #65, but they’re in the same tier, it means that I personally like Player X a lot better, but think there’s a valid argument to be made for Player Y performing just as well.
- I take rankings like this as more of an art than a science. Every person’s rankings are influenced by their own biases, strategic philosophies, determinations of risk, and projections. It’s why no two rankings are ever exactly alike. Jon’s way of evaluating and ranking players has worked out well for Jon (and me) over the years, but it might not be a great fit for you. I can’t possibly predict your team’s specific needs, your league mate’s player evaluations, or your current waiver wire, and if I could it’d be weird. In a bad way.
- Yes, these ranks vary from the official PL positional rankings that I also developed in the offseason. That’s because these are only mine – no input from others. This is a safe space for me where I answer to no one but myself…and you if you leave a comment.
- I’m using 20 games as the threshold for positional eligibility in the List. I have not included presumed eligibilities based on likely new positions. This is just a maintenance thing and we will update eligibility throughout the season. Feel free to let me know if I’m missing any!
And now a couple of notes on how I generally evaluate hitters before we dive in:
- I’ve gotten more level-headed over the years regarding weighing stolen bases, but I still think they’re precious given how rare they’re becoming. Every steal is important, so don’t take those “chip-in” steals for granted. Finding steals at the end of the season can be a dogfight.
- If I did want to get some insight on whether what I’m seeing is new or if it’s just normal fluctuation, I’d use my favorite tool—the rolling chart. While we don’t have much for rolling data in 2022, you can see where they currently are on a rolling chart and see how it compares to their career trajectory.
- No stat is an island and they should all be taken in proper context. For ranking purposes, the primary starting points I use are plate discipline, wRC+, quality of contact metrics (also known as Statcast batted ball data), and lineup context. I also use various projections (some free, some I buy) and dollar value generators. Unlike Nick, I’ll also look at other rankings as I prepare my own to feel how my colleagues value certain players, positions, or stats. I recommend trying as many of these things as you can until you find what you like.
- Positional eligibility, and specifically multi-eligibility, is really neat but also isn’t a huge factor in many 10- and 12-team leagues anymore due to the prevalence of multi-eligible players. It’s of more value in deeper contests like the NFBC, or in leagues with limited roster moves (draft and hold leagues, transaction limits/costs, extremely short benches, etc.), but even then the value is fairly situational and context-dependent.
- On a similar note, I don’t penalize players for only qualifying in the utility slot. At most, it is a mild inconvenience if a DH-only player is available at a great value and you already have filled your utility spots.
- Anyone talented enough to make it to the big leagues can be brilliant or putrid for 50 at-bats regardless of true talent. Heck, it could even last a month with no change in potential or skill. It also could be wildly meaningful. We can’t and don’t know which of these will be true until it’s over, though track record, scouting, and trends give us hints.
- If you’d like input on a player or have any feedback, your best bet is to reach out to me on Twitter (@ifthechufits) or in the comments!
Ranking Notes
Check out the Hacks & Jacks podcast featuring myself and Joe Gallina, which also happened to be a finalist for Best Baseball Podcast of 2021 by the Fantasy Sports Writers Association (FSWA)!
Just so you all are aware, instead of “The Next 30”, I decided to convert it to a “Taxi Squad” and left little blurbs for each player. Enjoy!
TIER 1
- The resurgence of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the second half has been fantastic to see and gets him firmly back in the first tier.
- Ronald Acuña Jr. is also looking more like his old self again, which is good for you and for baseball.
TIER 2
- I was perhaps too hard on Mookie Betts, as he’s been fantastic for a solid month or two now (and for many other weeks this season).
- Drops for Ohtani and Tucker look like a big deal, but they stayed in this tier so don’t think too much of it.
TIER 3
- Very few changes to Tier 3, as I’m feeling pretty good about how to assess these players when healthy.
TIER 4
- Bo Bichette’s contact problems are a bit frustrating, but at least he’s hitting for some power.
- Eloy Jiménez keeps hitting in the second half, and what I’m looking for now in his rolling chart is how quickly he rebounds from the downturn. Injuries crushed him throughout 2021 and early 2022, but a healthy Eloy, like the 2019 and 2020 versions, bounced back fast and furious from those dips.
- Josh Bell just cannot seem to find his groove in San Diego, despite that town being such a groovy place. To be fair, though, his problems predate the trade, as he’s struggled for the entire second half (.159/.290/.244 in exactly 100 plate appearances). The plate discipline is as strong as ever, which helped me identify the main issue here: ground balls. It’s really difficult for a player to put up any kind of power numbers with a 54.7% ground ball rate, especially when you’re pulling the ball 42.2% of the time. He’s corrected this issue before, though, so I’m thinking he can do it again.
TIER 5
- Will Smith’s power and the supporting cast around him make him my clear top catcher, so just to highlight that, I put him at the top of this tier instead of at the top of the little grouping I had before.
- George Springer is back, so he gets a bump. He’s still a big health risk, but he performs whenever he plays.
- Alex Bregman is on a huge power surge right now, with four doubles and three home runs in his last seven games (and no strikeouts!). Power has been the main thing missing from his profile, so if this is the precursor to a version of Bregman that can slug over .500 again, then it is very exciting.
TIER 6
- Brandon Lowe is slumping because, well, that’s just a thing he does. Don’t worry too much about it unless it lasts for more than just a week or two.
- Carlos Correa has shown awesome plate discipline (12 walks to nine strikeouts) this month, leading to a .304 batting average and .450 OBP. The problem? He’s slugging .391.
TIER 7
- Nick Castellanos has sneaky speed. He once led the AL in triples, and now Catsy has three stolen bases to go with his three home runs in August. I have no idea why that’s happening right now, But I’ll take those power and speed numbers along with his .300 batting average and .364 OBP this month.
- Oneil Cruz has a ton of swing and miss in his game, but I can’t ignore how much he does for fantasy when he actually makes contact and gets on base. He needs to figure out major league breakers, but he’s been excellent against fastballs and offspeed stuff, so I think he can make that adjustment and raise that floor considerably.
TIER 8
- Luis Arraez and Jeff McNeil are supreme points league players and have performed particularly well this month. They have insanely high floors as long as you don’t need home runs or stolen bases (which some folks at this point really don’t).
- I know J.D. Martinez can turn it around, as he’s reinvented himself dozens of times before, but it’s always scary during these dark periods.
- A big boost for Christian Walker because he’s locked in right now and has been using more than just the pull field, but it’s worth noting that the Diamondbacks have had a fairly soft schedule the last few series and will face a stiffer challenge for the rest of the season. If he keeps it up, specifically using more of the field and hitting fewer grounders as he has done lately, his ceiling is higher than this. If he goes back to what he’s been for most of the season, he’s still a fine player—just more of a one-trick pony.
TIER 9
From this point on, there’s roughly a +8 net change just from players who I had to drag to the bottom of the list (or off of it entirely) due to injury or lack of performance.
- If Boston’s offense hadn’t been so awful the last two weeks, I might have noticed sooner that Alex Verdugo has been a doubles machine. He has 10 so far in the second half and seven in the last two weeks while hitting very comfortably over .300. He’s been largely a disappointment for most of the season, but he appears to have finally rediscovered his mojo.
- Vinnie Pasquantino has been phenomenal for a few weeks now, and honestly, I’m being pretty reserved by only boosting him to 96. Another week of even modest success probably vaults him into Tier 7 or 8. Even when he struggled, his plate discipline stayed strong, which is always a really positive sign as guys develop at the major league level.
- Jose Miranda wasn’t unranked before, I don’t think, so I’m not sure why it’s showing that but he’s one of the week’s biggest movers regardless. While the power has dipped just a bit of late, he’s slashing .354/.411/.500 in the second half and has locked himself into the fourth spot in the lineup for an offense that scores plenty of runs.
TIER 10
- Just as I got excited about Jonathan India, he started putting more balls on the ground again and killed his power. Hopefully, he can turn it back around quickly and salvage the month of August.
- Tyler O’Neill is the big dropper, mostly because of how bad he’s been. I don’t think he was a fraud in 2021—but I’m not sure if he’ll get anywhere close to that kind of player during the rest of this season. I’m fine with dropping him in 10-teamers based on what’s on the wire.
- Steven Kwan is Luis Arraez and Jeff McNeil but by a different name and with a shorter track record.
TIER 11
- Whit Merrifield is about one or two weeks from being removed entirely.
- I am worried about jinxing it but AJ Pollock is finally looking like the top-of-the-order bat I hoped he could be for the White Sox.
TIER 12
- MJ Melendez has made some key adjustments to his approach and looks like a legit fantasy starter for the rest of the way. The catching pool is just so much deeper than it was even a year or two ago.
- David Fletcher is another Jeff McNeil/Luis Arraez/Steven Kwan, but somehow hits fewer doubles and doesn’t seem interested in stealing bases anymore, likely due to a somewhat extensive injury history.
- Yes, you can cut Jake Cronenworth, Yandy Díaz, or Jeremy Peña if you really want to in 10- or 12-team redraft, as there probably is a higher-ranked player on your wire.
TIER 13
- Cody Bellinger is all power right now, but that has usefulness in some situations and at least he strikes out less than 25% of the time.
- I’m really worried about Wander Franco, as he was removed from his rehab start with soreness in his hand.
TIER 14
- Trey Mancini might never get the opportunity in Houston we hoped for and that’s a bummer.
- I can’t believe Dylan Carlson is still the leadoff man in St. Louis. It’s the only reason he stayed on the list.
- Riley Greene, who I really like, is striking out at a very alarming rate. He’s going to figure that out eventually, but redraft players don’t need to wait up.
- Paul DeJong has one hot month every year. Seriously, you can look it up. It’s a single month that carries his whole season. August looks to be that month in 2022.
TAXI SQUAD
- I removed a LOT of names here as we prep for the stretch run and updated ALL comments.
And now, once again, it’s time for the Hitter List:
Hitter | Position | Team | Comment |
---|---|---|---|
Tyler Naquin | OF | NYM | Rough few games, but mashes righties. |
Oscar Gonzalez | OF | CLE | Hitting for power, but the strikeouts are scary. |
C.J. Abrams | SS | WAS | Called up, so hopefully he can at least start running. |
Kiké Hernández | 2B/OF | BOS | He’s back, but was batting 7th in his debut. |
José Iglesias | SS | COL | Points league streamer, even hitting on the road. |
Harold Castro | INF/OF | DET | Versatile and playing well. |
Garrett Cooper | 1B/OF | MIA | Limited pop and speed, but consistent. |
Joey Meneses | 1B/OF | WAS | Incredibly hot lately, and seemingly out of nowhere. |
Garrett Hampson | 2B/SS | COL | Good to stream for speed and contact in Coors. |
Leody Taveras | OF | TEX | Ice cold, but still a speed streamer in the right matchups. |
Jared Walsh | 1B | LAA | Still hitting fifth or sixth, but just very lost at the plate. |
Nick Pratto | 1B | KCR | Strikeouts are just too high right now. |
Jo Adell | OF | LAA | Looking more and more like a 2023 play than anything else. |
Ozzie Albies | 2B | ATL | Should be back early or mid-September, if you can wait that long. |
Randal Grichuk | OF | COL | Finally looks good in Coors, not so much elsewhere. |
Aledmys Díaz | INF/OF | HOU | Still playing a lot, and still hitting pretty well. Versatile bench guy. |
Sean Murphy | C | OAK | Top-notch streaming catcher. |
Brett Baty | 3B | NYM | Strong plate discipline and power, but will he play? |
Harold Ramírez | OF | MIA | Hit well before his long IL stint. Contact is the main tool. |
Darick Hall | 1B | PHI | Stream against mediocre right-handed pitching. |
Jarred Kelenic | OF | SEA | Why can’t he hit in the majors the way he does in triple-A? Ugh. |
Franmil Reyes | OF | CHC | Power only. Be careful with matchups and the venue. |
Luis Garcia | 2B | WAS | Hit the IL. |
Nick Madrigal | 2B | CHC | Batting average and speed could be useful |
Keibert Ruiz | C | WAS | I still really like the hit tool, but only in two-catcher leagues. |
Mark Canha | OF | NYM | Provides .350+ OBP, but basically nothing else. |
Nicky Lopez | 2B/SS | KCR | Makes contact and will steal bases. Nothing else. |
Ha-Seong Kim | 2B/SS | SDP | Fine for deep points leagues, and will keep playing. |
Jon Berti | INF | MIA | Speed-only guy, even when he sits he’ll pinch-run and steal. |
Joey Wendle | INF | MIA | Cold and getting sat, but still leads off regularly. |
Donovan Solano | 2B | CIN | Points streamer. Limited power, but can make a lot of contact. |
Gio Urshela | 3B/SS | MIN | Points streamer. Should get volume for the Twins. |
Isiah Kiner-Falefa | SS | NYY | Absolutely no power, but OK batting average and some speed. |
Andrew McCutchen | OF | MIL | The wily old vet can still get hot, hits in heart of the order. |
Shea Langeliers | C | OAK | More for two-catcher leagues, but power is intriguing. Watch the Ks. |
Seth Brown | OF | OAK | Slowing down hard after a crazy two-week stretch. |
Tony Kemp | 2B/OF | OAK | Leading off most days, can provide ratios and a little speed. |
Jake McCarthy | OF | ARI | Good plate discipline helped him steal five bases so far in August. |
Isaac Paredes | 1B/2B/3B | TBR | Hits in heart of the order, but has inconsistent playing time/production. |
Nick Allen | 2B/SS | OAK | Hit tool prospect who is on fire right now (141 wRC+ in August). |
Vaughn Grissom | 2B | ATL | He will be on the next Hitter List – the question is how high will he go (probably the top of Tier 14 or in Tier 13). |
Photo by Keith Gillett/Icon Sportswire | Design by J.R. Caines (@JRCainesDesign on Twitter and @caines_design on Instagram)
Wilmer Flores has been both on the list itself and on the Taxi Squad for a few weeks now, but this week it’s gotten even weirder given that on the List he is up 26 spots to #117 and yet on the Taxi Squad there is a new comment saying he’d be a good streamer this week. Who is the real Wilmer Flores?
An oversight – the List is the real one, though both comments are true. He is indeed a great stream this week, as I pointed out in the Hitters to Start and Avoid article on Monday morning.
You are missing Vaughn Grissom and Joey Meneses! It’s not too late to edit them in.
Whoops! Both are on the Taxi Squad but not yet on the list. That said, they are both fine adds over guys in Tier 14 if you want to make that move.
Then there’s the sudden disappearance of Luis Rengifo following a week where he hit .333 with two HR and a .714 SLG (good for a 196 wRC+) to raise his season slash to .273/.309/.438.
He’s having a great August and was inadvertently missed on the Taxi Squad. I don’t believe in the power much.
Tim Anderson moved up nine spots despite the news that he might miss the rest of the regular season. Worth holding?
wait till they finally realize rengifo should hit right handed not switch hitting. cedric mullins 2.0?
Oscar Gonzales – “Hitting for power, but the strikeouts are scary.” His strikeout rate is just below league avg but he does swing at everything. The tools are there – 90th percentile in both max exit velo and speed. He makes a good amount of contact for how much he swings (75% contact despite a 61% swing rate). He was hitting too many ground balls to take advantage of the power but his laugh angle is trending up lately . He was hitting HR’s in the minors (40 HR in 162 games in AA/AAA during 2021-22) so this is not a guy with a permanent GB swing like Yandy Diaz. I’m cautiously optimistic only due to the swing at everything approach but he should be in the top 150.