The ability to hit the ball out of the ballpark is obviously a skill to search for when trying to set a foundation for RBI during a fantasy baseball draft. There are other factors that should be considered though: the potency of the lineup, spot in the batting order, home hitting environment, and more. A track record of driving in runs should not even need to be said.
The following 10 players, who are grouped by where they are likely to be found in drafts, should be in prime position to produce in the RBI department. The list is geared toward standard-mixed settings, skipping the first couple rounds in 12-team formats. ADP is reflective of current trends at time of writing.
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ADP 25-100
Yordan Alvarez (HOU – OF): ADP 27
Following his Rookie of the Year effort in 2019 that saw him put up an incredibly impressive .313/.412/.655 slash line with 27 home runs and 78 RBI in only 87 games, Alvarez got in a mere nine plate appearances during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. Last year, the 24-year-old slugger rebounded in a serious way.
In his first full big-league campaign, Alvarez anchored the Astros’ pennant-winning lineup with an .877 OPS, 33 long balls, and 104 RBI. Despite the very likely departure of shortstop Carlos Correa via free agency, the Astros still feature plenty of high-OBP guys to set the table for Alvarez.
Teoscar Hernandez (TOR – OF): ADP 35
It is a shame that the Blue Jays came up just short of riding their ridiculously powerful offense into the postseason last year. Hernandez was the fourth-best fantasy performer on the club despite earning his second-straight Silver Slugger and leading the team with 116 RBI – good for third in the American League.
Marcus Semien has moved on to the Rangers, but the rest of the batting order is expected to be intact in Toronto this summer. Hernandez will be right in the middle of it and the RBI ceiling could certainly be even higher considering he capped at 143 games last season.
Nolan Arenado (STL – 3B): ADP 52
It really should not be surprising that Arenado fell short of career norms in batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging after moving from Colorado to St. Louis last February. What is more important for the purposes of this article is that he still came up with 34 homers and 105 RBI across 157 games. The six-time All-Star is entrenched in the heart of a solid lineup and a seventh-career 100-RBI season would not be surprising.
Jose Abreu (CWS – 1B): ADP 68
For just the second time over his eight Major League seasons, Abreu failed to hit better than .280 in 2021. Nevertheless, the 2020 A.L. MVP reached the 100-RBI threshold for the sixth time with 117 in 152 games. That total came along with 30 home runs, 30 doubles, and 86 runs scored. Abreu is 35 years of age now, but plenty of production remains in his bat.
ADP 101-200
Jared Walsh (LAA – 1B, OF): ADP 114
From a couple of seasoned vets to a breakout star from last year, Walsh fell just two RBI short of 100 and a tie with MVP Shohei Ohtani for the team lead. Walsh received a well-earned invitation to the All-Star game and wrapped up his first full big-league campaign with 29 homers and an .850 OPS. He managed all that even though the Angels played most of the season without the likes of Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon in the lineup. The return of those two will only create more opportunities for Walsh to drive in runs.
C.J. Cron (COL – 1B): ADP 134
Cron was one of the bounce-back players of the 2021 season. After his season was limited to only 52 plate appearances (knee) with the Tigers in 2020, he landed with the Rockies on a minor-league deal last winter. Coors Field is the ideal place for an offensive rebound, and Cron took full advantage with 28 long balls and a career-high 92 RBI. The Rockies quickly reupped with Cron for two more years back in October.
Nelson Cruz (FA – DH): ADP 152
The recent confirmation of the institution of the “universal DH” upon eventual completion of labor negotiations is great news for Cruz. It basically doubles the number of potential landing spots for the 41-year-old free agent, increasing the likelihood that he will be offered both the amount of money and everyday role he desires.
Wherever Cruz eventually ends up, it is a virtual certainty that he will be in the middle of a lineup with the expectation to drive in runs. He brought home 86 runs over 140 games split between the Twins and Rays in 2021. When MLB does open back up and Cruz finds a new employer, it is quite likely that his ADP climbs significantly.
Hunter Renfroe (MIL – OF): ADP 170
Shortly after losing their 2021 RBI-leader Avisail Garcia to free agency in late November, the Brewers pulled off a trade to acquire Renfroe from the Red Sox. Coming off a career-best season on Boston that saw him post an .816 OPS with 31 homers and 96 RBI, Renfroe is set for a healthy pay raise during his second year of arbitration eligibility. That investment means the Brewers will be depending upon him as a run producer behind guys like Christian Yelich, Willy Adames, and Kolten Wong who all eclipsed a .330 OBP last season.
ADP 201-250
Adam Duvall (ATL – OF): ADP 210
If there is an argument to make for the reality of a “clutch gene”, Duvall is it. The 33-year-old’s 113 RBI led the N.L. in 2021 even though he managed just a .228 batting average. The explanation for that is a .326 average with runners in scoring position and, better still, an incredible .368 mark with two outs and runners in scoring position.
Duval picked up 45 of those RBI across 55 games after being dealt from Miami to the Braves in late July. The team did not make the same mistake in non-tendering him this offseason as they did the year prior. Duvall will return to a potent offense that should supply a plethora of baserunners for him.
Bobby Dalbec (BOS – 1B, 3B): ADP 237
After mostly disappointing fantasy owners for the first three-quarters of last season, Dalbec rewarded those that were patient with him. Beginning with a 5-RBI performance on August 11, the young masher absolutely killed it over his final 40 games of the regular season.
From that point forward, Dalbec slugged an insane .740 with 14 deep drives and 37 RBI. That late-season emergence resulted in him being lifted from the very bottom of the Boston batting order into the sixth and seventh spots regularly. That should carry forward into 2022.
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