Fantasy Baseball Draft Outlook: Max Kepler, J.P. Crawford, Seiya Suzuki (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

Max Kepler (OF – MIN)

Kepler has been a favorite of mine for a long time, and I have been waiting for the breakout for years. We got it in the second half last year when he hit .306/.377/.549 with 12 home runs. The problem is it came with an unsustainable BABIP of .351. I do think there are 20-25 home runs in the bat, but the average likely isn’t close to .300 and probably much closer to .250. Still, his price is worth the gamble in case he can run hot again.

J.P. Crawford (SS – SEA)

Crawford had a breakout second half in which he hit .282/.401/.492 with 11 home runs. That is pretty crazy considering that Crawford had never hit 10 home runs in an entire season. Unfortunately, there is not much support for this power surge outside of a change in launch angle. Even if Crawford keeps some of the homers, I do not think we will see anything close to his 2023 output.

Seiya Suzuki (OF – CHC)

Last year, I was touting Suzuki due to a solid second half. I thought he could carry it over. Sorry if I sound like Charlie Brown trying to kick a football, but I am still a believer. Suzuki hit .313/.372/.566 with 13 home runs and five stolen bases in the second half of 2023. He makes good contact and hits the ball hard. All he needs to do is remain healthy.

Fantasy Baseball Draft Strategy