Gamers shouldn’t have absolutes when drafting fantasy baseball teams. Reaching too far for a player will sap any upside they can provide. Still, identifying players to target at or slightly ahead of their average draft position (ADP) because they’re fairly valued or undervalued is prudent. The following 10 hitters are excellent targets, making them must-have selections near their ADPs. Below we’ll dive into a few notable names from the top-10 list.
Must-Have Hitters
Teoscar Hernandez (LAD – OF) – 112.5 ADP
Hernandez didn’t have an ideal one-year stop in Seattle last season. Instead, he had his highest strikeout rate (31.1 K%) and lowest batting average (.258) since 2019. The veteran slugger hit 26 homers but needed 678 plate appearances after mashing 25 taters in only 535 plate appearances for the Blue Jays in 2022.
The Dodgers were unconcerned and inked Hernandez to a sizable one-year deal. Hernandez’s .435 slugging was notably lower than his .471 xSLG. Hernandez still has top-shelf power. He should benefit from a change of scenery for two reasons.
First, LA’s loaded lineup will provide him opportunities for runs and RBIs no matter where he slots. Second, Hernandez had just 12 homers and a .217 batting average in 323 plate appearances at pitcher-friendly T-Mobile Park in 2023. Hernandez bashed 14 homers with a .295 batting average in 355 plate appearances on the road last season and will have more favorable park factors at Dodger Stadium this season.
Bryson Stott (PHI – 2B) – 134.3 ADP
Stott is an ideal glue guy and can be paired with the following player at the keystone position as a cheap duo. After an underwhelming rookie season in 2022, Stott’s 31 stolen bases were the eye-catching stat in his profile. However, his 15 homers, 78 runs, 62 RBIs and .280 batting average were also useful. Nothing was outrageously flukey in his profile, and gamers should confidently draft him this year.
Luis Arraez (MIA – 2B) – 158.3 ADP
Batting average isn’t a sexy category, partly because it’s volatile. Arraez is about as sure of a thing as it comes to producing batting average, though. He won the batting title last year with a .354 batting average. Yet, Arraez has a .326 batting average in his career and reached at least .316 in four of five seasons in The Show.
Batting average is Arraez’s calling card. He can chip in runs, and his power has emerged as more than non-existent, too. After hitting only six homers in his first 966 plate appearances in the majors, Arraez has hit eight and 10 in his past two seasons, tallying 603 and 617 plate appearances in those campaigns.
So, he’s slightly better than a one-trick pony. Furthermore, that one trick was the primary reason why Arraez was the 36th most valuable hitter by our value-based ranking (VBR) metric in 2023. Arraez can’t be expected to repeat his .354 batting average in 2024. Still, he’s a perfect target for gamers attempting to elevate their squad’s batting average.
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Josh Shepardson is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Josh, check out his archive and follow him @BChad50.
