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Eric Cross’ 2020 Fantasy Baseball Mixed League Rankings (Updated 1/8!)

In the blink of an eye, the calendar has flipped to 2020. The offseason is thankfully hauling right along and this is the last month without baseball games being played as Spring Training games begin next month. Are you excited? I know I am! Here at Fantrax, the fantasy baseball season never ends and we’re already churning out a ton of content to get you ready for your fantasy drafts. And what better way to get your prep started than with some early 2020 Baseball mixed league rankings? Rankings are the backbone of any prep work, or so they say.

These will be updated periodically throughout the offseason as players change teams, roles, or as that mushy thing between my ears changes…. hopefully for the better.


Fantasy Baseball is year-round here at Fantrax with 2020 leagues already forming. So what are you waiting for? Join a league today!


2020 Fantasy Baseball Mixed League Rankings

Qualifications for below positional eligibility: 20 Games Played or 10 Games Started

Catcher

RankPlayerTeamLeague
1J.T. RealmutoPHINL
2Gary SanchezNYYAL
3Yasmani GrandalCHWAL
4Willson ContrerasCHCNL
5Mitch GarverMINAL
6Will SmithLADNL
7Carson KellyARINL
8Salvador PerezKCAL
9Jorge AlfaroMIANL
10Wilson RamosNYMNL
11Omar NarvaezMILNL
12Christian VazquezBOSAL
13Sean MurphyOAKAL
14Travis d'ArnaudATLNL
15Yadier MolinaSTLNL
16Francisco MejiaSDNL
17Buster PoseySFNL
18Tom MurphySEAAL
19Danny JansenTORAL
20Roberto PerezCLEAL
21Robinson ChirinosTEXAL
22Tucker BarnhartCINNL
23Kurt SuzukiWASNL
24James McCannCHWAL
25Yan GomesWASNL

Trending Up: None

Trending Down: James McCann

Ugh, catchers. There’s nothing pretty about this position right now. Even the guy ranked 2nd above hit just .232 in 2019 and is a career .246 hitter. The man ranked 5th wasn’t anywhere close to mixed league relevant coming into 2019 and there are two youngsters in the top-15 that began the season in the minors. Yeah, yuck is right. Once you get outside the top 10-12 options or so, it gets even more unsightly in a hurry.

A few to keep an eye on are Salvador Perez along with the two aforementioned youngsters, Will Smith and Sean Murphy. Perez missed the entire 2019 season due to injury but was widely considered a top-5 fantasy backstop before missing time. He’s currently working on a streak of four straight 20-homer seasons and six straight 60-plus RBI campaigns. Since becoming a full-time catcher in 2013, Perez has averaged 21 home runs, 74 RBI, and 54 runs scored while hitting anywhere from .235 to .292. If he appears healthy in Spring Training, Perez should be drafted as a top-10 catching option next season.

Both Smith and Murphy performed about as well as we can realistically expect from rookie catchers. Smith went full beast mode in August before cooling dramatically in September, only to finish hot in the last week of the regular season. The tools are there for Smith to be a .250-.260 hitter with 20 to 25-plus home runs annually, perhaps as soon as 2020. While the offensive upside isn’t quite as high with Murphy, his defensive prowess should keep him in the lineup 120+ games a season and he has the contact skills and raw power to hit in the .270-.280 range with home run totals in the teens.

1st Base

2020 Fantasy Baseball Mixed League Rankings
LOS ANGELES, CA – SEPTEMBER 18: Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Cody Bellinger (35) celebrates with Los Angeles Dodgers infielder Max Muncy (13) after Bellinger hit a solo home run during the game against the Tampa Bay Rays on September 18, 2019, at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Adam Davis/Icon Sportswire)
RankPlayerTeamLeague
1Cody BellingerLADNL
2Freddie FreemanATLNL
3Pete AlonsoNYMNL
4Paul GoldschmidtSTLNL
5Matt OlsonOAKAL
6Anthony RizzoCHCNL
7Jose AbreuCHWAL
8Max MuncyLADNL
9Josh BellPITNL
10Rhys HoskinsPHINL
11D.J. LeMahieuNYYAL
12Carlos SantanaCLEAL
13Edwin EncarnacionNYYAL
14Trey ManciniBALAL
15Yuli GurrielHOUAL
16Luke VoitNYYAL
17Danny SantanaTEXAL
18Michael ChavisBOSAL
19Ryan McMahonCOLNL
20Yasmani GrandalCHWAL
21Christian WalkerARINL
22Evan WhiteSEAAL
23Eric HosmerSDNL
24Hunter DozierKCAL
25Mark CanhaOAKAL
26Nate LoweTBAL
27Joc PedersonLADNL
28C.J. CronDETAL
29Daniel MurphyCOLNL
30Joey VottoCINNL
31Dan VogelbachSEAAL
32Travid d'ArnaudATLNL
33Yandy DiazTBAL
34Howie KendrickWASNL
35Renato NunezBALAL
36Garrett CooperMIANL
37Miguel CabreraDETAL
38Ji-Man ChoiTBAL
39Albert PujolsLAAAL
40Justin SmoakMILNL

Trending Up: Evan White

Trending Down: Nate Lowe

Honestly, I could ramble on for thousands of words about the great Pete Alonso here. You know I could. But this position is much more than just the slugging rookie. But since I mentioned him, let’s start with Alonso who just broke Aaron Judge’s rookie home run record. That’s right, 53 baseballs cleared the outfield fence for the Polar Bear this season to go along with 120 RBI, 103 runs, and a .260 average. This is what we should come to expect from Alonso annually. He’ll likely be in the .255-.275 range more often than not while being at or near the top of the home run leaderboard and driving in well over 100 runs. He’s one of the best sluggers in the game right now and needs to be drafted as such.

The only reason Alonso is not #1 here is the fact that both Cody Bellinger and Freddie Freeman can also add a .300-plus average to go along with their power contributions. These three are the current gold standard at the position.

Another young slugger that looks poised to join the elite at this position is Matt Olson. In the year of the home run, Olson quietly slugged “just 36” in 127 games while driving in 91 and hitting .267.  Add in another 25-30 games and he’d likely be in the 45/110 area. Olson’s profile is similar to Alonso’s, and while I don’t think he’ll be quite as good as Pete, Olson has the potential to be the top fantasy first baseman in the AL along with Mr. Consistent, Jose Abreu. Seriously, go check out his career numbers. It’s astonishing how consistently solid Abreu has been since debuting in 2014. He’s truly one of the most underrated sluggers in the game.

If you miss out on a big name here, don’t be afraid to go with some of the boring veterans that nobody ever seems excited to draft. The trio of Edwin Encarnacion, Carlos Santana, and Yuli Gurriel are all still plugging along and put up top-10 numbers for this position in 2019. And in the later rounds, consider a youngster with upside like Nate Lowe, Michael Chavis, or Ryan McMahon. Although, the Rays are being a pain in the butt and signing players to cut into Lowe’s playing time. It might be wise to hold off on Lowe for now and wait to see how things shake out in Spring Training.

One recent addition to these rankings is Seattle Mariners’ top prospect, Evan White. After signing an extension a few weeks back, White is penciled in as the opening day first baseman and carries sneaky-good fantasy upside in 2020. Using a late-round pick on him in drafts could pay solid dividends this season as White has a poor man’s Paul Goldschmidt offensive profile and the defensive prowess to keep him in the lineup even when he’s struggling at the plate.

2nd Base

RankPlayerTeamLeague
1Jose AltuveHOUAL
2Gleyber TorresNYYAL
3Ozzie AlbiesATLNL
4Keston HiuraMILNL
5Ketel MarteARINL
6Jonathan VillarMIANL
7Whit MerrifieldKCAL
8Max MuncyLADNL
9D.J. LeMahieuNYYAL
10Eduardo EscobarARINL
11Cavan BiggioTORAL
12Jeff McNeilNYMNL
13Gavin LuxLADNL
14Mike MoustakasCINNL
15Garrett HampsonCOLNL
16Kevin NewmanPITNL
17Tommy EdmanSTLNL
18Danny SantanaTEXAL
19Michael ChavisBOSAL
20Dee GordonSEAAL
21Cesar HernandezCLEAL
22Ryan McMahonCOLNL
23Brandon LoweTBAL
24Nick SolakTEXAL
25Kolten WongSTLNL
26Rougned OdorTEXAL
27Tommy La StellaLAAAL
28Luis ArraezMINAL
29Luis UriasMILNL
30Nick MadrigalCHWAL
31Carter KieboomWASNL
32Robinson CanoNYMNL
33Hanser AlbertoBALAL
34Starlin CastroWASNL
35Howie KendrickWASNL
36Adam FrazierPITNL
37Jonathan SchoopDETNL
38Shed LongSEAAL
39Jose PerazaBOSAL
40Isan DiazMIANL

Trending Up: Luis Urias

Trending Down: Carter Kieboom

This position is slowly but surely getting deeper and deeper. Ketel Marte broke out, and both D.J. LeMahieu and Jonathan Villar broke out again. All three rank in my top-10 for 2020. Joining them are your usual stars, a new star in Gleyber Torres, and one of the most underrated hitters in baseball, Jeff McNeil.

The 2019 season also gave us the Major League debuts of Keston Hiura, Cavan Biggio, and most recently, Gavin Lux, along with the lesser-heralded Nick Solak, Tommy Edman, and Luis Arraez. Obviously, Hiura and Lux are the two stalwarts here with how they performed this season, both in the minors and Majors.

Along with Yordan Alvarez and Luis Robert, Lux was the hottest prospect of 2019, especially after he got to Triple-A. He has a chance to take over at second base full time for the Dodgers in 2020 and possesses the across the board upside that can make him a fantasy star in short order. The type of fantasy star that Hiura has already blossomed into after hitting .303 with a near 40/20 pace. I wouldn’t expect that much power in 2020, but the .300 average is legit and Hiura could easily put up a 30/20 type of season. Basically, he’s fantasy gold.

If Hiura/Lux are gold, guys like Biggio, Edman, Solak, and Arraez are bronze. Arraez has one of the best hit tools and plate approaches you’ll see in the Majors today, but doesn’t possess much power or speed. Still, the average is an asset and makes him a safe late-round flier. Outside of batting average, Biggio put up decent across the board numbers and gives an added boost in OBP leagues. Don’t overlook him due to the lower average. Edman also finished 2019 helping fantasy owners out in many categories and was sneakily one of the best fantasy infielders down the stretch.

Lastly, we have one of my 2019 pre-season darlings, Garrett Hampson. You knew I couldn’t get away without talking about my boy Hampson, right! While the entire picture might not be a masterpiece, he was able to go all Bob Ross on us and put a damn good little September bush over in the corner. That will be our little secret. That little bush equated to a .318 average, five home runs, nine steals, and 16 runs in September. Will the Rockies give him a starting gig in 2020? They better! With them, who knows. But it’s certainly worth a late-round selection to find out. I’ll ride this Hampson hype train off the rails if I have to. Trust me.

Various transactions over the last month or two have caused a little stir here. After being dealt from San Diego to Milwaukee, Luis Urias is now in line to start at shortstop for the Brewers and still possesses .290/15/5 upside. On the other hand, the Nationals are signing every infielder they can find which clouds the playing time and 2020 outlook for top prospect, Carter Kieboom.

3rd Base

RankPlayerTeamLeague
1Nolan ArenadoCOLNL
2Alex BregmanHOUAL
3Rafael DeversBOSAL
4Anthony RendonLAAAL
5Jose RamirezCLEAL
6Kris BryantCHCNL
7Vladimir Guerrero Jr.TORAL
8Yoan MoncadaCHWAL
9Eugenio SuarezCINNL
10Matt ChapmanOAKAL
11Manny MachadoSDNL
12Max MuncyLADNL
13Josh DonaldsonFA-
14D.J. LeMahieuNYYAL
15Jeff McNeilNYMNL
16Mike MoustakasCINNL
17J.D. DavisNYMNL
18Miguel SanoMINAL
19Yuli GurrielHOUAL
20Eduardo EscobarARINL
21Tommy EdmanSTLNL
22Scott KingeryPHINL
23Justin TurnerLADNL
24Hunter DozierKCAL
25Ryan McMahonCOLNL
26Miguel AndujarNYYAL
27Yandy DiazTBAL
28Luis ArraezMINAL
29Tommy La StellaLAAAL
30Gio UrshelaNYYAL
31Nick SolakTEXAL
32Brian AndersonMIANL
33Hanser AlbertoBALAL
34Starlin CastroWASNL
35Kyle SeagerSEAAL
36Jon BertiMIANL
37Matt CarpenterSTLNL
38Howie KendrickWASNL
39David FletcherLAAAL
40Asdrubal CabreraWASNL

Trending Up: J.D. Davis

Trending Down: Jon Berti

I’m sure many of us expected Vladimir Guerrero Jr to be topping these rankings by now. Or at least in the top three. Nope, not quite yet, but with the gains he made in the second half along with his MVP upside, he still wiggles his way into my top-10 here ahead of some pretty talented names. One of those names being Eugenio Suarez and his 48 home runs. Suarez was one of the biggest benefactors of the power jump in baseball and it will be interesting to see what he does for an encore. Even if (when) homers regress, Suarez is a 30-homer threat every season.

At the top, you really can’t go wrong. Nolan Arenado has been the gold standard for the last few years and now has Alex Bregman and Rafael Devers right there with him. After a monster 2018 season, Jose Ramirez stunk up the joint in the 1st half of the season, outside of steals, then went all 2018 J-Ram on the league in the 2nd half, with the exception of only having six steals. The end result was another 20/20 effort and three straight months hitting above .300 to end the season. Will the real Jose Ramirez please stand up in 2020? Seriously, we’d all love to know. My money would be on something closer to the 2nd half J-Ram, but not fully.

When looking at the older crowd at this position (Grumble grumble, respect your elders and get off my lawn), Josh Donaldson had a resurgent 2019. While on the other hand, Justin Turner and Matt Carpenter went in the opposite direction. The hot corner is also home to some of the top waiver wire adds of the 2019 season. Jeff McNeil, Tommy Edman (again), Gio Urshela, J.D. Davis, Scott Kingery, and Tommy La Stella all saved us or plugged in a hole at some point this season. All should be on your radar in the mid to late rounds.

Shortstop

RankPlayerTeamLeague
1Francisco LindorCLEAL
2Alex BregmanHOUAL
3Trevor StoryCOLNL
4Fernando Tatis JrSDNL
5Trea TurnerWASNL
6Xander BogaertsBOSAL
7Javier BaezCHCNL
8Bo BichetteTORAL
9Gleyber TorresNYYAL
10Carlos CorreaHOUAL
11Jonathan VillarMIANL
12Adalberto MondesiKCAL
13Manny MachadoSDNL
14Marcus SemienOAKAL
15Tim AndersonCHWAL
16Jorge PolancoMINAL
17Corey SeagerLADNL
18Amed RosarioNYMNL
19Didi GregoriusPHIAL
20Nico HoernerCHCNL
21Elvis AndrusTEXAL
22Paul DeJongSTLNL
23Kevin NewmanPITNL
24Jean SeguraPHINL
25Scott KingeryPHINL
26Dansby SwansonATLNL
27Willy AdamesTBAL
28Luis UriasMILNL
29Mauricio DubonSFNL
30Carter KieboomWASNL
31Jon BertiMIANL
32Nick AhmedARINL
33Freddy GalvisCINNL
34David FletcherLAAAL
35Chris TaylorLADNL
36Andrelton SimmonsLAAAL
37Jurickson ProfarOAKAL
38Jose PerazaBOSAL
39J.P CrawfordSEAAL
40Brandon CrawfordSFNL

Trending Up: Bo Bichette

Trending Down: Adalberto Mondesi

This position is downright sexy right now. I mean, it always has been in fantasy, but shortstop is especially deep and talented right now. You all should know how much of a Carlos Correa backer I’ve been over the years. Well, he barely even cracks my top-10 shortstops for 2020. That’s ridiculous to think about. Hold on, let me gather myself for a second here. At the top, I can realistically make a case for seven shortstops to be drafted within the first two rounds on draft day, and 4-6 more in the next couple of rounds after that.

One of those elite options I can see having a wide draft range in 2020 is Fernando Tatis Jr. To say the 2nd generation shortstop dominated as a rookie is a major understatement. In 84 games, Tatis racked up 22 home runs, 17 steals, 53 RBI, 61 runs, and a .317/.379/.590/.969 slash line. A lot of people will point to a .410 BABIP, which was the highest mark in the Majors for batters with 300-plus plate appearances, and scream regression until they’re blue in the face. Yes, that is an unsustainable mark and sure to come down, but even if we cut 30-40 points off Tatis’ average and make him a .280 hitter, his 35/25 potential makes him a bonafide fantasy stud and worth of an early selection in 2020 drafts.

With their elite speed and modest pop, both Jonathan Villar and Adalberto Mondesi will be hot names come draft season this spring. Villar gets ranked a couple spots higher for me due to the fact that he’s more established and a safer option in my eyes. Basically, I feel more confident that he won’t implode and potentially be a .220 hitter. Also, there’s some concern about how Mondesi’s power will look after a major shoulder injury/surgery. I spoke more in-depth about him and the injury here.

After his promotion, Bo Bichette was an extra-base hit machine accumulating 18 doubles and 11 home runs in only 46 games. Only Nicholas Castellanos, Alex Bregman, and Corey Seager had more doubles from 7/29 on and his 142 wRC+ was tied for 41st in baseball over that span. Draft with confidence in rounds 4-5 or so.

This position is so damn deep, guys like Tim Anderson and Marcus Semien can’t crack my top-10. Semien finished as a top-25 overall player and Anderson won the AL batting title for crying out loud. But as Tom Hanks once told us, “There’s no crying in baseball.” So we rank them still in the top-15 and move on with our lives. While their 2019 seasons were phenomenal, Anderson doesn’t have the approach to hit for an average like this again and Semien literally came out of nowhere with this dominance. Even with some likely regressions, both are back-end starting options or high-end targets for your middle infield or utility slots.

Outfield

2020 Fantasy Baseball Mixed League Rankings
ATLANTA, GA – SEPTEMBER 19: Atlanta Braves center fielder Ronald Acuna Jr. (13) scores on an Atlanta Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman (5) single in the fifth inning during the MLB game between the Atlanta Braves and the Philadelphia Phillies on September 19, 2019 at SunTrust Park in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by John Adams/Icon Sportswire)
RankPlayerTeamLeague
1Ronald Acuña Jr.ATLNL
2Mike TroutLAAAL
3Christian YelichMILNL
4Juan SotoWASNL
5Mookie BettsBOSAL
6Cody BellingerLADNL
7Yordan AlvarezHOUAL
8J.D. MartinezBOSAL
9Bryce HarperPHINL
10Aaron JudgeNYYAL
11George SpringerHOUAL
12Austin MeadowsTBAL
13Starling MartePITNL
14Charlie BlackmonCOLNL
15Ketel MarteARINL
16Kris BryantCHCNL
17Eloy JimenezCHWAL
18Ramon LaureanoOAKAL
19Jorge SolerKCAL
20Whit MerrifieldKCAL
21Tommy PhamSDNL
22Giancarlo StantonNYYAL
23Michael ConfortoNYMNL
24Victor RoblesWASNL
25Max KeplerMINAL
26Yasiel PuigFA-
27Marcell OzunaFA-
28Luis RobertCHWAL
29Joey GalloTEXAL
30Lourdes Gurriel Jr.TORAL
31Eddie RosarioMINAL
32Michael BrantleyHOUAL
33Oscar MercadoCLEAL
34Jeff McNeilNYMNL
35Jo AdellLAAAL
36Trey ManciniBALAL
37Andrew BenintendiBOSAL
38Nicholas CastellanosFA-
39J.D. DavisNYMNL
40Franmil ReyesCLEAL
41David DahlCOLNL
42Andrew McCutchenPHINL
43Kyle SchwarberCHCNL
44Nick SenzelCINNL
45Bryan ReynoldsPITNL
46Adam EatonWASNL
47Shin-Soo ChooTEXAL
48Nomar MazaraCHWAL
49Garrett HampsonCOLNL
50Mitch HanigerSEAAL
51Willie CalhounTEXAL
52Scott KingeryPHINL
53Kyle TuckerHOUAL
54Joc PedersonLADNL
55Lorenzo CainKCAL
56Danny SantanaTEXAL
57Byron BuxtonMINAL
58Justin UptonLAANL
59Aristides AquinoCINNL
60Austin RileyATLNL
61Mike YastrzemskiSFNL
62Trent GrishamSDNL
63Hunter DozierKCAL
64Mark CanhaOAKAL
65Brett GardnerNYYAL
66Avisail GarciaMILNL
67Wil MyersSDNL
68A.J. PollockLADNL
69Shogo AkiyamaCINNL
70Dylan CarlsonSTLNL
71Ian HappCHCNL
72Kole CalhounARINL
73Corey DickersonMIANL
74Ryan BraunMILNL
75Kyle LewisSEAAL
76Jesse WinkerCINNL
77Gregory PolancoPITNL
78Victor ReyesDETAL
79Brandon NimmoNYMNL
80Yoshitomo TsutsugoTBAL
81David PeraltaARINL
82Alex VerdugoLADNL
83Hunter RenfroeTBAL
84Sam HilliardCOLNL
85Josh RojasARINL
86Mallex SmithSEAAL
87Anthony SantanderBALAL
88Drew WatersATLNL
89Aaron HicksNYYAL
90Kevin PillarFA-
91Domingo SantanaSEAAL
92Brian GoodwinLAAAL
93Josh ReddickHOUAL
94Tyler O'NeillSTLNL
95Brian AndersonMIANL
96Nick MarkakisATLNL
97Jason HeywardCHCNL
98Austin HaysBALAL
99Jackie Bradley Jr.BOSAL
100Ian DesmondCOLNL

Trending Up: Luis Robert

Trending Down: Aristides Aquino

If you thought shortstop was deep, wait until you dig into those outfield rankings above. A case can be made for the top six picks on draft day all being outfielders. A strong case at that.

Trust me, I wanted to rank Yordan Alvarez higher, but couldn’t bring myself to put him ahead of the studs ranked 1-6. And yes, I know he doesn’t fully meet my ranking criteria (only had nine games started in the outfield), so if 20/10 is your threshold, plan accordingly. But at the same time, his offensive prowess makes him worth a 2nd round pick, even if you can only slot him at UTIL.

Surprised to see Eloy Jimenez this high? You shouldn’t be. While the Dominican slugger’s career got off to a slow start, there weren’t many hitters better from August 1st on.

When you add in the last week of the season after this tweet, Jimenez hit .308 with 11 doubles, 14 home runs, 40 RBI, and 33 runs scored combined in August and September. This is a formidable slugger and a great target after the top-50 picks in 2020. If it weren’t for that Pete Alonso fellow, Jimenez would’ve led all rookies in both home runs and RBI this season.

Sticking with this young gun theme, get ready for the Luis Robert and Jo Adell show. It’s Rated-S for Studly and coming to a fantasy roster near you. Both men should be up fairly quickly into the 2020 season and possess incredibly high across the board upside. It wouldn’t shock me in the slightest if both put up 20/20 seasons in 2020. It really wouldn’t. Draft accordingly. And with the White Sox signing Robert to an extension, it wouldn’t surprise me if Robert is the opening day starter in center field.

It would take me until opening day to get in all the thoughts I have about this outfield crop, so I’ll hit on some quick notes.

  • Juan Soto is the goat-o.
  • Bryce Harper is really good but not elite. Stop bashing him for something he’s not.
  • Jorge Soler led the Americal League in home runs and makes a case for a top-50 overall selection in 2020.
  • Austin Meadows ended the season on a tear and is right behind Soler in my rankings.
  • Ramon Laureano broke out and is legit. Check out this deep dive for more.
  • Aristedes Aquino also broke out (in a huge way). Not a star, but could have a Puig-like impact if he doesn’t implode due to his plate approach.
  • Oscar Mercado finished 2019 on a 20/20/100 R pace and is one of my favorite mid-round power/speed targets.
  • Same goes for Victor Robles, who didn’t have as bad of a season as most think. Just ignore the hard contact rate.
  • I’m expecting a bounceback 2020 campaign from Andrew Benintendi. As someone that has seen him for his entire professional career and even before that at Arkansas, he’s better than what he showed this season.
  • If you can stomach a .240 average, give Riley and his 40-homer upside a look in the later-middle rounds.
  • Don’t forget about veterans like Andrew McCutchen, Justin Upton, Ryan Braun, and Gregory Polanco in the later stages of your drafts.
  • Don’t forget about GARRETT HAMPSON either! See, still driving that crazy train.
  • Other prospects to keep an eye on are Dylan Carlson, Drew Waters, Cristian Pache, and Alex Kirilloff.

Starting Pitcher

RankPlayerTeamLeague
1Gerrit ColeNYYAL
2Jacob deGromNYMNL
3Max ScherzerWASNL
4Justin VerlanderHOUAL
5Walker BuehlerLADNL
6Shane BieberCLEAL
7Mike ClevingerCLEAL
8Jack FlahertySTLNL
9Stephen StrasburgWASNL
10Chris SaleBOSAL
11Blake SnellTBAL
12Luis CastilloCINNL
13Clayton KershawLADNL
14Chris PaddackSDNL
15Aaron NolaPHINL
16Patrick CorbinWASNL
17Luis SeverinoNYYAL
18Noah SyndergaardNYMNL
19Lucas GiolitoCHWAL
20Mike SorokaATLNL
21Jose BerriosMINAL
22Charlie MortonTBAL
23Eduardo RodriguezBOSAL
24Brandon WoodruffMILNL
25Zack GreinkeHOUAL
26Zac GallenARINL
27Corey KluberTEXAL
28James PaxtonNYYAL
29Jesus LuzardoOAKAL
30Tyler GlasnowTBAL
31Yu DarvishCHCNL
32Carlos CarrascoCLEAL
33Zack WheelerPHINL
34Trevor BauerCINNL
35Sonny GrayCINNL
36Hyun-Jin RyuTORAL
37Frankie MontasOAKAL
38Madison BumgarnerARINL
39Shohei OhtaniLAAAL
40Lance LynnTEXAL
41Max FriedATLNL
42David PriceBOSAL
43Kyle HendricksCHCNL
44Luke WeaverARINL
45Dustin MayLADNL
46Matthew BoydDETAL
47Dinelson LametSDNL
48Mike MinorTEXAL
49Sean ManaeaOAKAL
50Robbie RayARINL
51Caleb SmithMIANL
52German MarquezCOLNL
53Julio UriasLADNL
54Griffin CanningLAAAL
55Brendan McKayTBAL
56Joe MusgrovePITNL
57Lance McCullers Jr.HOUAL
58Michael KopechCHWAL
59Mike FoltynewiczATLNL
60Andrew HeaneyLAAAL
61Dylan CeaseCHWAL
62Jake OdorizziMINAL
63Kenta MaedaLADNL
64Carlos MartinezSTLNL
65Dallas KeuchelCHWAL
66Masahiro TanakaNYYAL
67Marcus StromanNYMNL
68Adrian HouserMILNL
69Mitch KellerPITNL
70Anthony DeSclafaniCINNL
71Joey LucchesiSDNL
72Ryan YarbroughTBNL
73Jon GrayCOLNL
74Aaron CivaleCLEAL
75MacKenzie GoreSDNL
76Garrett RichardsSDNL
77Cole HamelsATLNL
78Steven MatzNYMNL
79Chris ArcherPITNL
80Nate PearsonTORAL
81Ian AndersonATLNL
82Mike FiersOAKAL
83Jon LesterCHCNL
84Ross StriplingLADNL
85Sandy AlcantaraMIANL
86A.J. PukOAKAL
87Miles MikolasSTLNL
88John MeansBALAL
89Rich HillMINAL
90Kyle GibsonTEXAL
91Jose QuintanaCHCNL
92Reynaldo LopezCHWAL
93Rick PorcelloNYMNL
94Michael PinedaMINAL
95Pablo LopezMIANL
96Jose UrquidyHOUAL
97Adam WainwrightSTLNL
98Dylan BundyLAAAL
99Domingo GermanNYYAL
100Logan WebbSFNL

Trending Up: Brandon Woodruff & Zac Gallen

Trending Down: Tyler Glasnow

As a Red Sox fan, I’d be lying if I didn’t admit concern around Chris Sale. The strikeouts were still exquisite, but he didn’t look the same for around 80% of his starts. He’s still an SP1 but proceed with caution. Speaking of SP1’s, we have a trio of newcomers to the exclusive club. The trifecta of Shane Bieber, Jack Flaherty, and Mike Clevinger more that earned their way into this territory with the seasons they had. Bieber was a rock all season and reached strikeout levels I didn’t think he had in him. Meanwhile, Flaherty and Clevinger were two of the best pitchers in baseball over the 2nd half of the season.

  • Flaherty: 15 GS, 99.1 IP, 0.91 ERA, 0.72 WHIP, 2.1 BB/9, 11.2 K/9
  • Clevinger: 16 GS, 101.2 IP, 2.30 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 2.4 BB/9, 11.4 K/9

While you’re at it, throw Chris Paddack, Luis Castillo, and Mike Soroka in this discussion as well. The first two are borderline fantasy aces while Soroka should settle into SP2 range due to his lower strikeout rate.

Both Lucas Giolito and Eduardo Rodriguez took big steps forward and are in the SP2/3 conversation for 2020. The same was happening in Tampa Bay with Tyler Glasnow before another injury knocked him out for most of the 2nd half. I’m still not 100% sold on Giolito and Glasnow, but they definitely have the upside to remain in the SP2 mix. I’d just love to see Glasnow develop some sort of a changeup. On the other end of the spectrum, Blake Snell couldn’t come anywhere close to his 2018 breakout, Luis Severino was hurt all season, and Noah Syndergaard is still trying to recapture his former elite status.

Of course, we had some rookie debuts (outside of Paddack) in 2019, some good, but mostly lackluster. Zac Gallen pitched well from the moment he debuted and is a great mid-round target. Guys like Dylan Cease, Mitch Keller, and Griffing Canning are better left until the later rounds.

Don’t forget about the returns of Michael Kopech or Lance McCullers Jr either. McCullers is very risky of course but makes for a good late-round flier due to his upside. Kopech is one I’d be willing to look at a few rounds earlier. He was really finding his footing before going under the knife.

Relief Pitcher

RankPlayerTeamLeague
1Josh HaderMILNL
2Roberto OsunaHOUAL
3Kirby YatesSDNL
4Aroldis ChapmanNYYAL
5Brad HandCLEAL
6Liam HendriksOAKAL
7Ken GilesTORAL
8Kenley JansenLADNL
9Raisel IglesiasCINNL
10Edwin DiazNYMNL
11Taylor RogersMINAL
12Craig KimbrelCHCNL
13Hector NerisPHINL
14Sean DoolittleWASNL
15Ian KennedyKCAL
16Alex ColomeCHWAL
17Hansel RoblesLAAAL
18Brandon WorkmanBOSAL
19Archie BradleyARINL
20Carlos MartinezMIANL
21Emilio PaganTBAL
22Mark MelanconATLNL
23Jose LeclercTEXAL
24Joe JimenezDETAL
25Seth LugoNYMNL
26Mychal GivensBALAL
27Giovanny GallegosSTLNL
28Matt MagillSEAAL
29Nick AndersonTBAL
30Keone KelaPITNL
31Kevin GinkelARINL
32Ryan PresslyHOUAL
33Emmanuel ClaseCLEAL
34Will SmithATLNL
35Shane GreeneATLNL
36Dellin BetancesNYMNL
37Shaun AndersonSFNL
38Scott ObergCOLNL
39Andres MunozSDNL
40Sergio RomoMINAL
41Adam OttavinoNYYAL
42Daniel HudsonWASNL
43James KarinchakCLEAL
44Ryne StanekMIANL
45Blake TreinenLADNL
46Andrew MillerSTLNL
47Jordan HicksSTLNL
48Drew PomeranzSDNL
49Jairo DiazCOLNL
50Michael LorenzenCINNL

Trending Up: Brandon Workman

Trending Down: Kenley Jansen

Two young arms to keep on your radar are Andres Munoz and James Karinchak. Both possess elite late-inning stuff with massive strikeout potential. Munoz is the closer of the future in San Diego and performed admirably this season with a 3.91 ERA and 11.7 K/9 across 23.0 innings. Look for him to take that next step in 2020 towards becoming a late-inning asset. If you love insane strikeout rates, you’re going to be quite enamored with the Indians young fireballer, Karinchak. The Bryant University product registered a 22.0 K/9 rate in the minors last season across three levels. Yes, you’re seeing that right. The control, as you can expect, needs some work, but there’s huge upside here. If you play in leagues where holds are counted in some way, Karinchak needs to be on your radar come draft day. Same for Nick Anderson, Giovanny Gallegos, and Emmanuel Clase.

One player that was especially hard to rank was the man that gave me so many headaches as a Red Sox fan, Mr. Craig Kimbrel. After getting a late start to the season, Kimbrel looked like a shell of himself for the Cubs. He ended the 2019 season with a disgusting 6.53 ERA and 1.60 WHIP and is nothing more than a late-round target right now.

Media Credit: John Cordes/Icon Sportswire, John Adams/Icon Sportswire, Adam Davis/Icon Sportswire, NBC Sports, MLB Stats, Rob Friedman/Pitching Ninja.


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48 Comments
  1. Glenn Leiper says

    Should I deal Andrew Heaney & Sean Murphy for Tommy Edman & Nick Solak in a dynasty league? I like the multiple positions I’m being offered but I’m trying to figure out Heaney’s value.

  2. Johnny S. says

    in a 20-team dynasty, I am being offered Trevor Bauer for Mancini. I have Rizzo at 1B, and my OF consists of Ozuna, Marte, Stanton, Margot and W. Calhoun. Starting pitching is somewhat shaky (Scherzer, Clevinger, Snell and then promising but question mark guys like Whitley and Dustin May).

    How confident are you in a bounce back for Trevor Bauer, and would you take this deal?

    1. Eric Cross says

      I’d take that deal. Mainly because I’m confident that Bauer can bounce back, at least to some degree. The guy has great stuff and is one of the smartest guys around.

  3. dude says

    Eric – Thanks for the rankings. Got me thinking about my potential keepers.

    I’m in a 12 team 5×5 roto keeper league.  Players are assigned salaries based on round drafted and then given $5 raises each year.  Only time salaries come into play is when deciding on our 15 keepers, the combined salaries has to be $320 or less.

    I have 10 players I’m fairly set on keeping based on salaries and needs.

    C –

    1B – 

    2B – Albies $17

    3B – Arenado $39

    SS – Lindor $33

    IF – Rosario $16

    OF (4) – JD Martinez $40, Laureano $19

    U – 

    SP (5) – Verlander $41, Berrios $20, E-Rod $18, Lynn $15

    RP (3) – 

    P – 

    These 10 have combined salaries of $258.  This leaves me $62 for my last 5 players.  So which 5 should I keep?

    1B – Hoskins $25, N. Lowe $15

    3B – India $6

    OF – Senzel $17, T. O’Neill $15

    U – Cruz $22

    SP – Nola $30, Bumgarner $22, German $9, Salazr $7

    RP – W. Smith $21, Leclerc $20, Melancon $15, Pressly $10

    1. Eric Cross says

      I’d go Lowe, O’Neill, India, Senzel, German. Hard with those restrictions.

      1. dude says

        All the recent TB signing have me worried about Lowe. His talent is there, I’m just worried he won’t get the AB’s. And German was looking like a steal at his price before the issues/suspension. You think O’Neill get’s a starting gig now that Jose Martinez is gone?

        My initial thought was Cruz and ;
        -Senzel, India, Salazar, Pressley
        or
        -India, German and Pressley, and $15 player.

        I’m trying to find some better low priced players through trades, in addition to the players listed above, I also have Machado $43, and Blackmon $40 to offer up.

        1. Eric Cross says

          Lowe – Same here. He’s arguably the most talented hitter on the roster outside of Meadows. Would love for him to get every day AB. Same foes for O’Neill. Guy is very strong and quicker than people think. I like the Senzel bunch better.

          1. dude says

            Your Mercado comments had me target him in a trade. Was also able to trade a more expensive and unkeepable player for Mancini. This is what my keeper group is looking like now.

            C –

            1B – Mancini $6

            2B – Albies $17

            3B – Arenado $39

            SS – Lindor $33

            IF – Rosario $16

            OF (4) – JD Martinez $40, Laureano $19, Mercado $10

            U – Cruz $22

            SP (5) – Verlander $41, Berrios $20, E-Rod $18, Lynn $15

            RP (3) –

            P –

            These 13 have combined salaries of $$296. This leaves me $24 for my last 2 players. So it basically comes down to Senzel and India or German and one of the $15 players. Who do you like to round out my keeper group?

            C – Perez $15

            1B – Hoskins $25, N. Lowe $15

            3B – India $6

            OF – Senzel $17, T. O’Neill $15

            SP – German $9, Salazr $7

            RP – Melancon $15, Kela $15, Pressly $10

            Or should I think about trying to move Cruz for some SP/RP depth? If I decide Cruz is not my best option around that price point, I also have Bumgarner $22, W. Smith $21, and LeClerc as options.

          2. Eric Cross says

            Yes to Cruz. And I’d go Lowe and India for the last two.

  4. Joe says

    How about Brendan Rodgers?

    1. Eric Cross says

      He was in there back when I released them in October, but extremely cloudy playing time bumped him out for now.

  5. Percy says

    I like your top 10 rankings of Flaherty and Clevinger based on their 2nd half performances. However, I was surprised to see Yu Darvish at 43 considering his 2nd half numbers of 0.81 WHIP, 0.8 BB/9, 13.0 K/9 (that’s an insane 16.86 K/BB ratio). Thoughts on Darvish for 2020?

    1. Eric Cross says

      Admittedly, I was too low on Darvish, but owning him through the struggles has left a bad taste in my mouth. Likely bumping him up into the 30s on my next update.

  6. Scott Tuckman says

    Vacationed in Kennebunkport and Bar Harbor Maine in September- loved it.

    You have Judge and Meadows ranked 4 spots a part, which essentially is the same tier. In a 13 team standard $260 roto league allowing keepers For 2020 only, who do you prefer – judge $33 or meadows$24 or Freeman $36
    (Can only keep one of them)

    Thanks
    Scott

    1. Eric Cross says

      The coast of Maine is beautiful three months out of the year. Love living up here. I’d probably lean Freeman there as I’m the most confident in him actually remaining healthy for 2020.

  7. Steve says

    I’m in a dynasty points league. I have Mancini but am being offered Robles for him. I want to do it but 1B is weak (I also have Yuli, but…) and I’m trying to think if Robles can outscore Mancini. I also recognize Robles is only 22. Thoughts

    1. Eric Cross says

      In dynasty, I would take that. Solid value for Mancini there and I expect better things to come for Robles.

  8. Matt says

    With legal issues Vazquez is facing, do you think Kela jumps into the top 50 RPs?

    1. Eric Cross says

      I think he definitely can. Hard to say with this situation, but Kela does have that upside if he secures the role.

  9. Corey Davis says

    Low on Yandy Diaz, eh?

    1. Eric Cross says

      Not necessarily low, but not confident in his playing time.

      1. Corey Davis says

        Fair enough.

        Also, completely unrelated to Yandy, but what would Josh Hader’s worth be in terms of prospects/picks in a 16 team dynasty pts league? Is he worth multiple 1sts?

        1. Eric Cross says

          I wouldn’t go that far. He’s a top-100 asset though. Would want a couple top-100 prospects back.

  10. Jason Call says

    I took over a bad team in a 16 team h2h league dynasty with normal 5×5 settings plus Hits, doubles, OPS, Earned Runs, holds and quality starts……we get to keep 6 players and I am keeping Olsen, Robles, Dozier and Montas……..for my last 2 spots I’m choosing between Schwarber, Rosario , Biggio, Calhoun, Luzardo, Weaver, Maneaa, Mikolas and Urias. There is also a 45 innings pitched requirement, who would you choose and why? Thank you for your time!

    1. Eric Cross says

      That’s tough. I’m leaning Biggio due to his across the board production and Luzardo as he’s a future ace with the highest upside in that group.

      1. Jason Call says

        Thank you, also I get that 3B and OF are deep but I think Dozier will outperform expectations this year…….do you feel he is getting slightly underrated?

        1. Bird Law says

          Spotted a Halladay’s Cutters in the wild!

  11. Rich says

    Would you rather have Haniger, Hilliard and Toro OR G Marquez, Verdugo, George Kirby? I have the latter on my dynasty team and am being offered the former.

    1. Eric Cross says

      That’s pretty fair, but I prefer the Marquez side. Pretty high on Kirby and Hilliard/Toro are no guarantees to be solid starters.

  12. Andrew says

    I have a bit of an unfair team in an NL only Keeper league. We get to keep 10 and I’ve got 12 sure fire keepers.

    Think I could get Yelich or Acuna for three of Paddack, Soroka, Jansen, Goldschmidt, and Hiura? Which three should I offer?

    1. Eric Cross says

      Yelich I think you could. I’d offer Hiura, Paddack and Soroka. Goldy instead of Soroka if they need hitting more.

  13. Ken says

    Thoughts on SP – Zach Plesac and SP – Alex Young?

    1. Eric Cross says

      Both look like back-end SPs to me. Guys that can eat up innings and provide okay ratios, but not much more than that.

  14. chris says

    Nelson Cruz still has RF eligibility in my league (thanks FanTrax). Where would he rank in your OF ranks? Any other DH only types that could slot in to a position that were missed? (I see Davis and you mentioned Yordan).

    1. Eric Cross says

      To be honest, I believe I flat out missed Cruz. Adding him now. Likely in the 20s.

  15. Robert Davis says

    I feel that Jorge Polanco is vastly underrated

    1. Eric Cross says

      I wanted to rank him higher, but SS is so deep.

  16. howard hansen says

    Where’s Gallo ?

    1. Eric Cross says

      OF – 28th.

      1. Jose says

        He should be much higher

        1. Eric Cross says

          OF is loaded and I’m not sold on the AVG gains.

  17. MLJ says

    Where is Luke Weaver? Considering how he pitched while healthy, and dealing with the same injury as Glasnow, seems like a huge oversight for him to not be in the middle of this list.

    1. Eric Cross says

      He’s at #63.

      1. MLJ says

        Well . . . this is embarrassing.

        LoL, thanks for pointing that out! My apologies.

        1. Eric Cross says

          Haha no worries at all. It happens. Thanks for reading!

  18. Barry says

    Wow. $300 million dollars bought Philly and SD the number ten player at their position. Ouch!

  19. Zach says

    So DD Gregorius isn’t playing next year?

    1. Eric Cross says

      I have Didi at #22 for SS.

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