Now a couple of weeks into a new year, fantasy baseball enthusiasts are beginning to prepare for – even participate in – various types of drafts. An important part of that preparation process is digging through the farm systems of all 30 MLB organizations to uncover the next crop of potent producers. Here are the top-five 1B prospects that could emerge for fantasy managers in 2023. And below we take a closer look at Matt Mervis.
(Each player included still holds MLB Rookie eligibility)
Top Fantasy Baseball Prospects: Matt Mervis
Speaking of power, Mervis belted 36 home runs and 40 doubles over 137 combined games at various levels of the Cubs’ system in 2022. He followed that up by blasting six more homers (T-1st) in the Arizona Fall League.
Mervis will turn 25 in April and has so far played just 57 games at the Triple-A level in his career. His seemingly delayed development is due to the path he took at the collegiate level (Duke), which saw him spend two years as a pitcher before transitioning to corner infield. Then, he went unselected in the condensed 2020 MLB Draft and later landed with the Cubs as a free agent.
Mervis largely struggled during his first year of pro ball, which was mostly spent in Single-A. As already illustrated above, everything changed in his second year. In those 57 games at Triple-A, he posted a .297/.383/.593 slash line with 15 HR. Mervis has gone through a meteoric rise, but he looks about ready to contribute to the retooling Cubs. If he keeps on crushing the ball during the spring, the left-handed slugger could at least force his way into the strong side of a platoon at DH out of the gate.
Beyond our fantasy baseball content, be sure to check out our award-winning slate of Fantasy Baseball Tools as you prepare for your draft this season. From our free mock Draft Simulator – which allows you to mock draft against realistic opponents – to our Draft Assistant – which optimizes your picks with expert advice – we’ve got you covered this fantasy baseball draft season.
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