The world of fantasy baseball moves at a rapid pace, and many veteran young players don’t get a fair chance if they don’t find immediate success in the majors. Luckily, the what-have-you-done-for-me-recently nature of this industry can benefit managers who are more patient by giving players a second chance when their careers have gotten off to a mediocre start.
Here’s a handful of players qualifying as post-hype sleepers for the 2023 season.
Keibert Ruiz (C, Washington Nationals)
Arguably the heart of trading returns for Max Scherzer And Trea Turner In 2021, Ruiz was respectable but underwhelming (0.685 OPS) in the 135 games he has played as a member of the Nats. Suffice it to say that much more was expected of someone who has since been forecast as an offensive differentiator. Ruiz is still only 24, and he wouldn’t be the first potential catcher to take a little time to find his groove in the majors. His lifetime .301 average with the minors is a reminder that Ruiz’s ceiling is similar to that of the Blue Jays catcher Alejandro Kirkwhich is quite valuable for fantasy managers.
Andrew Vaughn (1B/OF, Chicago White Sox)
A Vaughn breakout appeared to be happening last year when he posted .819 OPS in the first half, but he broke after the All-Star break (0.666 OPS), leaving 2023-drafters undecided as to which version of Vaughn is the right one to go for believe. Vaughn could take a step forward this year simply by repeating his .271 batting average from a year ago and increasing his homer total (17 in 2022) to a mid-20. At age 25, that kind of projected jump is certainly reasonable for a former top prospect.
Spencer Torkelson (1B, Detroit Tigers)
Though Torkelson has yet to play a major league game, he was a desirable option in the second half of the 2022 Fantasy drafts. He fell flat on his face (.604 OPS) and is now an afterthought this year (current Yahoo ADP: 241.6), but he’s also a former No. 1 overall, just 23 years old and hitting 35 home runs and Minor league at-bats has batted 562 careers. With his current ADP, Torkelson is worth the investment.
The story goes on
Wander Franco (SS, Tampa Bay Rays)
Of all the players in this article, Franco is the one I’m most likely to call up this season, even if I include his current Yahoo ADP (98.0 pick). Having recently turned 22, he has 652 record appearances and a solid .776 OPS under his belt. The youngster hasn’t shown much pop yet (13 career homers), but that ability often improves in young players as they build muscle in their early 20s. And after stealing eight bases in 83 games last year, Franco is someone who could steal 15-20 bags this time. I expect Franco’s ADP to take a big leap next year and not return to its current levels for another decade or so.
Ke’Bryan Hayes (3B, Pittsburgh Pirates)
I’ll be honest – I’m not sure Hayes will be a great hitter. He has posted an OPS of .671 for the past two years and while some minor injuries may have added to his struggles, he still has a long way to go before he will live up to the expectations placed on him when he earned an OPS of 1,124 pitched 24 games in 2020. And unfortunately, the Bucs’ pitcher-friendly home park and low-key lineup will create an uphill battle for Hayes to achieve fantasy relevance. But there is one bright spot in this cloud that interests me about the 26-year-old: his plus speed. Hayes nicked 20 bases last year and could become an intriguing power-speed asset by getting his homer total in the 15-20 range.
Riley Greene (OF, Detroit Tigers)
Greene was poised to join the Tigers’ 2022 opening day roster before fracturing a bone in his foot on April 2, delaying his major league debut until June 18 and potentially limiting his ability to be his best give (no pun intended). every point last season. Though his .682 OPS as a rookie wasn’t entirely abysmal, he stole just one base in 93 games, which was a shockingly low total for someone who could one day be an extras leadoff man. I’m giving Greene a mulligan for his rookie year due to injury, and I expect to soon see a better version of the player who hit .291 in 774 minor league career at-bats with 30 homers and 25 steals.
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Josiah Gray (SP, Washington Nationals)
Gray and the aforementioned Ruiz were key figures in the Nats’ memorable trade of 2021, and their inclusion on this list together is a big reason the organization is in the midst of a deep rebuild. The 25-year-old has the batting zone under control (career 13.6 percent K-BB ratio) but has had major problems with the long ball, including five more homers than any other pitcher last season. Still, the next two names in the roundtripper rankings were Gerrit Cole and Robbie Ray, which is a good reminder that with small improvements in home run capping, Gray could have a big leap forward.
Mackenzie Gore (SP, Washington Nationals)
The third Washington player in this article, Gore, was once under discussion as baseball’s best pitcher, but he displayed poor plate dominance (72:37 K:BB ratio) over 70 innings with the Padres last year before falling Washington was shipped in trade with Juan Soto and missed the final two months of the season due to an elbow injury. Gore has looked good in spring practice so far, was the No. 3 pick in the 2017 MLB draft and recorded 320 punchouts in 250.1 minor league innings. It appears in most Yahoo! leagues and is someone to target with a late-round pick in deeper formats.