With the MLB season entering its home stretch, that means the fantasy baseball postseason is near. There’s now nearly a full season of sample size to work with and players are beginning to settle into how they’ll be viewed heading into the 2024 campaign. The latest update to the Top-500 Dynasty Rankings has plenty of movement across the board. As always, we’ll start by looking at the biggest risers and fallers in this update:
| Player | Prev Rnk | New Rank | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chas McCormick | 398 | 217 | 181 |
| Ethan Salas | 329 | 149 | 180 |
| Kyle Bradish | 388 | 210 | 178 |
| Chase DeLauter | 458 | 289 | 169 |
| Ivan Melendez | 491 | 326 | 165 |
Chas McCormick has become one of the more underrated players in baseball. Since the All-Star break, he’s slashing .314/.401/.593 with 16 extra-base hits through 38 games. Ethan Salas turned 17 in June and has already been promoted to Double-A; he’s quickly entering “Dynasty Baseball Darling” territory. Kyle Bradish has registered a 2.23 ERA over his last 13 starts. Chase DeLauter is living up to his draft hype with a .958 OPS through 32 High-A games. Ivan Melendez has displayed some of the best power in the minors, crushing 30 homers in 91 games this season.
| Player | Prev Rnk | New Rank | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Kopech | 298 | 490 | -192 |
| Luis Garcia | 300 | 486 | -186 |
| Tyler Wells | 192 | 371 | -179 |
| Jake McCarthy | 309 | 484 | -175 |
| Ryan Helsley | 237 | 408 | -171 |
Michael Kopech has posted a brutal 7.15 ERA and 25:31 K:BB since the All-Star break and now owns a 6.0 BB/9 this season. After registering a .656 OPS through 100 games, Luis Garcia was demoted to Triple-A, where he owns a .692 OPS through 19 games. Tyler Wells was also sent back to the minors after a few shaky MLB outings in July and has since moved to the bullpen, at least for the time being. Jake McCarthy was pushed down to Triple-A for the second time this year and owns a .656 OPS through 86 MLB appearances. Ryan Helsley has been on the injured list since June and converted just seven of his 11 save chances before that.
More great fantasy baseball advice and analysis: Waiver Wire & FAAB Recommendations | Daily MLB Injury Report | MLB DFS Picks | Line-up Analysis | Dynasty Rankings and Strategy | MLB Bullpen Updates | MLB Player Props | Prospect Rankings & Analysis | Fantasy Baseball Risers and Fallers
August 2023 Dynasty Baseball Rankings Update
Shake-up in the Top 100
Several players within the top 100 made big moves and one of the most important ones was Eury Perez. By Opening Day 2024, there’s a real chance that Perez will be the top dynasty pitcher. He recently rejoined the Marlins after a demotion to manage his workload. As a 20-year-old, he’s registered a 2.68 ERA and a 90:22 K:BB through 15 MLB appearances. In his last two starts, he’s posted a 17:1 K:BB while allowing one unearned run over 12 frames. Perez has elite velocity and whiff rate, making him a fantasy stud already.
| Pitch type | Usage | Whiff % | BAA | Velocity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fastball | 43.6% | 17.3% | .292 | 97.7 |
| Slider | 32.6% | 47.3% | .184 | 86.7 |
| Curveball | 13.2% | 58.9% | .061 | 81.3 |
| Changeup | 10.6% | 43.8% | .000 | 90 |
A pair of outfielders, Cody Bellinger and Riley Greene, also made noticeable jumps. Bellinger is now officially a top-50 dynasty asset once again after his miraculous rebound this season. After winning the NL MVP in 2019, he slashed .203/.272/.37 from 2020-22. Now, still at age 28, he owns a .914 OPS with 18 stolen bases and 20 homers through 99 games. As for Greene, he’s cooled off recently but is still slashing .292/.354/.460 with 34 extra-base knocks. The 22-year-old has barrel and hard-hit rates in the 80th percentile or better. Greene could have a serious breakout in 2024 if he can stay healthy for a full season.
Bobby Witt Jr. has been a menace to opposing pitchers recently. By the end of June, he owned a lackluster .702 OPS with 28 extra-base hits in 81 games. In just 41 games since then, he’s knocked 30 extra-base hits with 15 steals while slashing .333/.368/.647. Aside from having one of the worst walk rates in the league, the 23-year-old’s underlying numbers are impressive. Witt Jr. is knocking on the door of a 30-30 season and looks like the next great 40-40 fantasy threat.
Major Prospect Updates
This edition of the Top-500 Rankings is the first to feature players from the 2023 MLB Draft. Leading the way, of course, is Dylan Crews, who’s immediately become a top-five prospect in the league. Not far behind him is Wyatt Langford, another polished outfield bat that should zoom through the minors. Paul Skenes slides right in as the game’s top pitching prospect and one of the best college arms we’ve seen in over a decade. More info on these FYPD prospects will be available as their sample size increases but the 2023 Draft already looks like a great one.
A pair of Red Sox prospects made big moves in this update but in opposite directions. Ceddanne Rafaela has been terrific since his promotion to Triple-A. He’s slashing .312/.370/.618 with 14 homers through 48 games there and has an .870 OPS with 54 extra-base hits and 36 stolen bases in 108 overall games, earning him a call to the bigs for his MLB debut. On the flip side, after a strong start in High-A, Marcelo Mayer has posted a .609 OPS in 43 games since his bump to Double-A. The 20-year-old infielder is still one of Boston’s top prospects but his development has already hit a few speed bumps.
Jasson Dominguez is finally settling in and proving that his early hype wasn’t completely hyperbolic. Through 67 games this year, he registered an ugly .197/.345/.357 slash line. In _ games since, he’s posted a .932 OPS with 21 extra-base hits and 20 steals while earning a promotion to Triple-A. He’ll enter the 2024 campaign shortly after his 21st birthday and should debut with the Yankees next year.
More Injuries Wreaking Havoc
As always, some major injuries have caused damage to top players across the league. This time, Shane McClanahan headlines this unlucky group. One of the top dynasty pitchers in the league, he’d struggled with light injuries and shaky performances over the last couple of months. Now, he’s set for Tommy John surgery and may not be back in an MLB game until the 2025 season. It’s tough to gauge just how much value someone like McClanahan loses in this situation. Stashing a player for over a year certainly isn’t ideal but he’ll be back in action just before his 28th birthday. Upon his return, McClanahan will still be one of the game’s most electric starting pitchers.
Similarly, lights-out closer Felix Bautista is dealing with a UCL injury, though it’s unclear if he needs surgery. Assuming his 2023 season is over, he went 8-2 with a stellar 1.48 ERA and 110:26 K:BB through 61 innings. The 28-year-old was the best reliever in baseball this year and will leave a massive hole in Baltimore’s bullpen, as well as fantasy RP slots.
Finally, the most dominant player in the world, Shohei Ohtani, is expected to undergo Tommy John surgery at the end of the season. Of course, he doesn’t lose as much value because he’s also one of the top hitters in the league. We saw Bryce Harper return fairly quickly from his offseason elbow surgery and Ohtani should do the same, DHing with his new team in 2024. Ohtani should return to the mound in 2025, though it’s unclear in what capacity. The 29-year-old is still a top-five dynasty asset and would still be in that range if he never threw another pitch.