Fantasy Baseball Draft Outlook: Freddy Peralta, Yusei Kikuchi, Grayson Rodriguez (2024)

Every year we look at big second-half performances to determine if a player might be one to target for the following season. This year is no different. However, sometimes we should buy in, and other times we should pass on last year’s production. Below are some of the players who excelled in the second half of the 2023 campaign.

Notable 2023 Second-Half Fantasy Baseball Performances

Freddy Peralta (SP – MIL)

Peralta threw 73.2 innings in the second half last year, posting a 2.81 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, and league-best 36% strikeout rate. Like both Ragans and Skubal, Peralta has issues with health, but he also struggles with repeating his mechanics. That’s why he wasn’t nearly as good in the first half. Peralta also struggles with command at times which can lead to home runs. I think there is really interesting upside here, but I have Peralta a bit lower than Skubal and Ragans due to these added issues.

Yusei Kikuchi (SP – TOR)

Kikuchi was great in the second half, throwing 74.1 innings with a 3.39 ERA, a 1.25 WHIP, and a 27.6% strikeout rate. This is what many of us in the industry have been waiting for from Kikuchi, but I am skeptical that he can keep it up this year. His SIERA was 3.61 in the second half, and he can also struggle with repeating his mechanics. While he had better control, Kikuchi’s command can elude him, which leads to bad home-run problems. I worry that these will return and result in a truly bad season. I am lower on him than most.

Grayson Rodriguez (SP – BAL)

Rodriguez struggled in the first half before being demoted. After returning to the bigs, he was excellent, logging 76.2 innings with a 2.58 ERA, a 1.10 WHIP, and a 24% strikeout rate. Rodriguez has a ton of potential, and there should be more strikeouts coming. He pitches in one of the best pitching environments and for a team that should win a ton of games. Rodriguez is a top-20 starter for me as well.

Fantasy Baseball Draft Strategy