MLB Opening Day 2023 is scheduled for March 30 and it’s going to be an unusual MLB spring training with the World Baseball Classic taking place from March 8 through March 21. With so many stars likely to be rested for those meaningful games and the start of the MLB season, Fantasy baseball owners will get an extended look at some of the top prospects in baseball. Diamondbacks outfielder Corbin Carroll got a taste of the majors last fall and the five-tool player is sure to be one of the top Fantasy baseball prospects for 2023.
But where exactly should you be targeting high-upside youngsters who could also struggle in their first extended stay in the bigs like Carroll, Triston Casas and Ezequiel Tovar? A reliable set of 2023 Fantasy baseball rankings can help inform every difficult draft decision you make while also identifying the 2023 Fantasy baseball sleepers, breakouts and busts that you need to be aware of. Before going on the clock in any 2023 Fantasy baseball drafts, be sure to see the Fantasy baseball rankings 2023 and cheat sheets from the proven computer model at SportsLine.
Last season, SportsLine’s Projection Model identified several top Fantasy baseball sleepers, breakouts and busts, including Reds first baseman Joey Votto. The team at SportsLine was all over Votto as a Fantasy bust from the start after a resurgent 2021 season that saw him going as one of the top 12 first basemen off the board in 2022 Fantasy baseball drafts. After slashing .266/.375/.563 with 36 homers and 99 RBI the year prior, Votto slashed .205/.319/.370 with 11 home runs and 41 RBIs in 2022. He finished outside the top 45 players at his position and anybody who following SportsLine’s advice avoided a major headache.
Their model is powered by the same people who powered projections for all three major Fantasy sites. And that same group is sharing its 2023 Fantasy baseball rankings and cheat sheets over at SportsLine, helping you find Fantasy baseball sleepers, breakouts and busts long before your competition. Their cheat sheets, available for leagues on many major sites, are updated multiple times every day.
Any time more MLB news comes out about the updated 2023 MLB schedule or Fantasy baseball injuries, the team at SportsLine updates its projections. Go to SportsLine now to see these proven Fantasy baseball cheat sheets.
Top 2023 Fantasy baseball sleepers
One of the 2023 Fantasy baseball sleepers the model is all over: Rockies second baseman Brendan Rodgers. Perhaps you prefer to have some speed in the middle infield, but Rodgers makes up for what he lacks as a base stealer with exceptional bat control and still-developing power. After batting .298 in 1,700 career minor-league plate appearances, Rodgers hit .284 as a rookie with 15 home runs and 51 RBI.
And while his average dropped off to .266 with 13 home runs and 63 RBI last season, he actually increased his average exit velocity (88.8 mph to 90.0 mph), walk rate (4.6% to 7.9%), hard-hit contact rate (40.6% to 46.3%) while decreasing his strikeout rate from 20.2% to 17.4%. With an improved flyball rate, Rodgers has plenty of power to evolve into a 25-30 homer threat in Coors Field, and that’s why the model ranks him as its No. 16 second basemen despite the fact that he’s been drafted 29th at his position overall.
Top 2023 Fantasy baseball breakouts
One of the 2023 Fantasy baseball breakouts the model is all over: Orioles third baseman Gunnar Henderson. A consensus top-100 prospect last season, Henderson is now the No. 2 prospect in the MLB entering 2023 and the expectation is that he’ll have an everyday role in an exciting young Baltimore lineup after impressing in a call-up last season.
In the minors, Henderson had a robust slash line (.297/.416/.531) and hit 19 home runs with 76 RBI and 22 stolen bases in 112 games. Then he proceeded to slash .258/.349/.440 in 34 games with the Orioles while starting games at three different infield positions. That versatility could be crucial for Fantasy baseball owners and the model is projecting him as its No. 16 Fantasy baseball third baseman for 2023.
Top 2023 Fantasy baseball busts
As for players to avoid, the model has pinpointed Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino as one of its biggest 2023 Fantasy baseball busts. The former 11th-round pick out of Old Dominion has proven himself to be an incredibly productive hitter at every stop in his climb through the Kansas City farm system, slashing .292/.382/.569 in 1,071 career minor-league plate appearances.
That earned him a midseason call-up where he slashed .295/.383/.450 with 10 home runs and 26 RBI. However, Kaufman Stadium certainly caps Pasquantino’s overall power potential as a line-drive hitter, and that’s a major deterrent at a position where home runs are essential. Pasquantino is currently the 10th first baseman off the board on average in standard Fantasy baseball drafts but the model ranks him as its No. 19 player at the position for 2023.
How to find proven 2023 Fantasy baseball rankings
SportsLine’s model is also high on a surprising starting pitcher who lands in the top 10 of its positional rankings. This player is barely going off the board in the top 125 picks, but is projected to outperform starters such as Aaron Nola, Shane McClanahan and Brandon Woodruff. This pick could be the difference in winning your league or going home with nothing. You can only see who it is here.
So which 2023 Fantasy baseball busts, breakouts, and sleepers should you target or fade in your drafts? Visit SportsLine now to get 2023 Fantasy baseball rankings for every single position, all from the model that called Joey Votto’s disappointing season, and find out.