2023 MLB Spring Training is right around the corner with pitchers and catchers scheduled to report next week, and that is often the signal for Fantasy baseball owners to begin their Fantasy baseball draft prep. It will be a slightly unusual preseason with the World Baseball Classic scheduled to take place from March 8-21 while MLB Opening Day is scheduled for March 30. And after a busy MLB offseason, you’ll definitely want a reliable set of 2023 Fantasy baseball rankings to help you construct the best possible Fantasy baseball rosters.
After nine seasons with the White Sox, three-time all-star Jose Abreu signed with the Astros this winter and it will be interesting to see how his productivity might be impacted by the move. So, where should you be targeting Abreu in your upcoming 2023 Fantasy baseball drafts and who are 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 jumping on: Rockies shortstop Ezequiel Tovar. The 21-year-old Venezuelan signed with the Rockies for $800,000 back in 2017 and he’s developed rapidly while playing his way through the Colorado minor league system. Last season, Tovar slashed .319/.387/.540 with 14 home runs and 17 stolen bases across 71 games while playing for both the double-A and triple-A affiliates.
That also earned him a September callup where he got 35 plate appearances over nine games and even hit his first career MLB home run on the final day of the season. Now Tovar enters the 2023 season as MLB Pipeline’s No. 25 overall prospect, and his Gold Glove potential at shortstop has him looking like the presumed Opening Day starter for the Rockies. And the model ranks him as its No. 22 shortstop for 2023 despite the fact that he’s the 31st shortstop off the board on average.
Top 2023 Fantasy baseball busts
As for players to avoid, the model has pinpointed new Rangers first baseman Nate Lowe as one of its biggest 2023 Fantasy baseball busts. Lowe is coming off a season where he set new career highs in hits (179), home runs (27), RBI (76), batting average (.302) and slugging percentage (.492) and won the AL Silver Slugger award at his position.
However, there are some peripheral numbers that would indicate he’s due for regression in 2023. His .363 BABIP was 23 points higher than in any season he’d played thus far, and his average exit velocity (90.2 mph) and hard-hit contact rate (45.0%) were actually down from 2021. Lowe is certainly still a useful Fantasy asset but the model projects him as the 17th-best first baseman despite being the seventh player drafted at the position on average.
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.