As we move past the All-Star break and into the heart of the 2024 MLB season, it’s time to look ahead and make some bold predictions for the second half. Our FeaturedPros analysts have put their heads together to forecast some of the most surprising and impactful developments we expect to see. We dove into our bold predictions for both hitters and pitchers to give you the edge you need to stay ahead in your fantasy baseball leagues.

Whether you’re looking for the next big waiver wire pickup or trying to avoid potential pitfalls, these insights will help guide your strategy for the remainder of the season.

Second-Half Bold Fantasy Baseball Predictions: Hitters

What is one BOLD prediction you have for a hitter in the second half, and why?

Julio Rodriguez (OF – SEA)

“Julio Rodriguez will FINALLY get some lineup protection and hit 15 homers and drive in 40 runs over the rest of the season. The Mariners have seen their lead on the AL West shrink over the last month, as Texas and Houston have closed the gap. Now, the Mariners must finally find a long-term solution to the middle of the order, whether it’s Brent Rooker, Luis Robert, or some other slugger. When they do, Julio will bounce back in a big way.”
– Joe Pisapia (FantasyPros)

Jackson Chourio (OF – MIL)

“Jackson Chourio took a step forward in June after a very poor start to the season, and I think another leap is incoming in the second half. Chourio’s slash line through 300 plate appearances is .243/.294/.384, with nine home runs and 10 stolen bases. The prospect pedigree is too good, and the raw talent is too special for him to struggle for long. We know top prospects take longer to adjust to the Majors now, but I think we’re in the middle of said adjustment, and in the second half, Chourio will elevate to a must-start outfielder in every league who finishes close to a 25-25 season with an average north of .275.”
– Ryan Wormeli (FantasyPros)

James Wood (OF – WAS)

“James Wood will hit 15 second-half homers and steal 10-plus bases. The Washington rookie has not looked overmatched in his early plate appearances at the MLB level. He had a hard-hit percentage of 54.5 heading into the All-Star break, and the ISO of .075 will surely rise. Many MLB newcomers either struggle or bust out immediately when they arrive, but Woods has held his own instead and can get better when play resumes.”
– Scott Engel (RotoBaller)

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (1B – TOR)

“Vladimir Guerrero Jr.has a monster second half. Vladdy hit eight of his 14 home runs in June. His season total has been solid, but since June 15th, he has been putting up elite barrel and hard-hit percentages while hitting .315 during that span. He may do it for another team, but Vlad will put up first-round numbers in the second half.”
– Christopher Welsh (FantasyPros)

Marcus Semien (2B – TEX)

“Marcus Semien will lead the league in runs scored. He has struggled this year by his standards and is currently 16th in the league in runs scored with 61. The leadoff man has posted a better on-base percentage (OBP) each of the past two seasons after the All-Star break, and that trend should continue. His OBP of .311 this year is 37 points below his mark last season. He has led the entire league in plate appearances in three straight seasons and four of the past five seasons. He is today’s “Ironman” at the position and should be a league leader even in a down season.”
– Chase Davis (FantasyPros)

Elly De La Cruz (3B, SS – CIN)

“Elly De La Cruz finishes with 100 stolen bases. He’s off the pace with 46 SB through 97 games, but stealing 54 the rest of the way seems like a goal he can achieve. According to StatMuse, only 12 players have ever crossed the century mark (and surprisingly, Willie Mays Hayes isn’t listed). Additionally, zero players have done it since Vince Coleman in 1987. Cincinnati is currently eight games out of first but only three games out of the everyone-gets-a-participation-trophy Wild Card race. If the team fades during August, I think the attention will turn to individual achievements. EDLC can do whatever he wants on the basepaths, and I think as the season gets into September, he’ll go for 100.”
– Kelly Kirby (FantasyPros)

Jarren Duran (OF – BOS)

“Jarren Duran is a Top 5 player in fantasy, becomes a consensus first-round pick heading into 2025, AND gets at least one AL MVP vote. When I first considered this pick, I wondered if it was too bold. But as I dug into the research a bit, I started thinking it might not actually be bold enough. Duran was somewhat quietly a Top 12 player according to FantasyPros VBR in the first half, and his 10 HR are actually the fewest of anyone in the Top 35 in VBR except for Brice Turang (6 HR, 24th overall). Playing his home games at Fenway zaps a bit of Duran’s power, but those 10 HR are already a career-high for him (he hit 8 in 102 games in 2023). There is a scenario where he hits another 10 HR, steals another 25+ bases, and finishes the season 20/50 with a batting average north of .280, 100+ runs scored, and 75 RBI. At that point, we’re talking about a first-round pick in 2025.”
– Mike Maher (FantasyPros)

Francisco Lindor (SS – NYM)

“Francisco Lindor finishes the year as a top-seven overall fantasy player. Lindor has enjoyed a quality fantasy season, turning in strong counting stat production so far with 17 home runs, 18 stolen bases, 63 runs scored, and 52 RBI in 431 plate appearances. However, he’s batting just .253 with a .329 on-base percentage – good, but not great. What has been great, though, has been Lindor’s quality of contact and underlying metrics, what with a .374 xwOBA, a 13.7% barrel rate, a .518 xSLG, and a .280 xBA – all numbers in the 83rd percentile or better league-wide. Even better production is coming.”
– Ben Rosener (Tigers Rebuild)

Second-Half Bold Fantasy Baseball Predictions: Pitchers

What is one BOLD prediction you have for a pitcher in the second half and why?

Garrett Crochet (SP – CWS)

“Garrett Crochet gets dealt to a contender and blossoms into a bonafide fantasy star, despite his innings concerns. Like Luis Gil, Garret Crochet has a career-high in innings looming over him for the second half. Usually, this spells doom for young pitchers. However, this 6’6″ 245 is built for this sort of workload, and it’s possible a better organization (sorry, White Sox) could even open up a whole new level of his abilities. That would be scary for the rest of MLB. Crochet could end up being a late 1st/early 2nd round pick next year if he finishes with a flourish on a big-time team.”
– Joe Pisapia (FantasyPros)

Paul Skenes (SP – PIT)

“This is starting to feel less bold by the week, and it might already be too tame, considering the guy is starting the All-Star Game as a rookie. But I think Paul Skenes is going to finish the second half as the consensus SP1 in fantasy. Not just a top 10 guy, not just an elite Tier 1 guy, but THE inarguable best pitcher in fantasy baseball who is a top 5 overall pick in 2025 drafts.”
– Ryan Wormeli (FantasyPros)

Kodai Senga (SP – NYM)

“Kodai Senga will be one of the top second-half pitchers in MLB and fantasy baseball down the stretch. The Mets have been careful not to rush him back, and Senga should be ready to retake his spot at the top of a respectable rotation. The Mets’ offense started waking up in June and will provide him with a lot of run support, too. If the Mets can add to their bullpen before the deadline, Senga will spearhead several wins that Edwin Diaz will sew up while cementing himself in terms of strikeouts and ratios.”
– Scott Engel (RotoBaller)

George Kirby (SP – SEA)

“George Kirby will make a run at the AL CY Young. Over the last month, he has had the best WAR among starting pitchers and the 10th-best ERA at 2.17, while his season xERA is at the lowest of his career. His left-on-base percentage of only 71.7%, which is four percent lower than his career average and should have some positive regression. The Mariners will be a tough team in the second half, and that will be due to Kirby putting up elite second-half numbers.”
– Christopher Welsh (FantasyPros)

Dylan Cease (SP – SD)

“Dylan Cease will be the National League Cy Young winner. He currently has the 18th-best odds to win the award. So far this season, he has tied his career-high strikeout rate (31.9%) while allowing a career-low walk rate (7.7%). He is sixth in the league in K-BB% indicating his true dominance on the mound. His FIP (3.26) and xFIP (3.22) are significantly lower than his actual ERA at 3.99. Cease finished as the American League Cy Young runner-up in 2022 and looks even better this year.”
– Chase Davis (FantasyPros)

Chris Sale (SP – ATL)

“Chris Sale will be this year’s 20-game winner. In each of the last three years, MLB has had exactly one pitcher who won 20+ games (2023 Spencer Strider, 2022 Kyle Wright, 2021 Julio Urias). Since two of those were Braves, let’s just stick with them for this year. Sale has 13 wins in 18 starts, and FantasyPros ROS Projections has him starting 12 more games and winning five. However, if he continues to pick up a victory in 72 percent of his starts, that puts him at eight more wins. While it’s not a RULE that someone has to win 20 games, let’s pretend it’s a pattern and that Sale brings it home to Atlanta yet again.”
– Kelly Kirby (FantasyPros)

Pablo Lopez (SP – MIN)

“Pablo Lopez is an SP1 for fantasy in the second half and finishes in the Top 5 in AL Cy Young Award voting. According to FantasyPros VBR, he’s SP74 right now. His ERA is north of 5.00, and fantasy managers who roster him or follow him closely know how rocky his first half was. But he is and has been one of the biggest regression candidates among pitchers, and we’ve already seen him start to turn things around. His expected ERA numbers are all between 3.20 and 3.83, and he has 121 strikeouts across 104 innings. You can currently put in an AL Cy Young ticket for him at +20000 at some sportsbooks, but Caesars has him all the way down to +5500 because they’re looking at the same things I’m talking about here. Some books have him outside of the Top 25 for the Cy Young. Caesars has him at 11. He finished seventh last season, and I think we’re about to see a strong push in the second half from Lopez after a much-needed breather over the All-Star break.”
– Mike Maher (FantasyPros)

“Pablo Lopez is a top-25 fantasy starter in the second half. Lopez hasn’t enjoyed the most ideal first half from a numbers standpoint (at least in places), with a 5.11 ERA and a relatively elevated barrel rate at 8.4%. After Lopez’s barrel rate finished at 6.3% last year, the uptick in barrels certainly isn’t doing him any favors. However, the veteran also ranks in the 84th percentile or better in both strikeout rate and walk rate and is sporting a 3.83 FIP that’s miles away from his actual ERA. Despite all that, Lopez has nearly equaled his win total (11) from last year with eight pitcher victories so far. He’ll be fine.”
– Ben Rosener (Tigers Rebuild)

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