Introduction: Welcome back, as I hope you all are doing well! For my next post, I wrote on a few of my favorite underrated or must-watch players going into 2023. Below are guys who I think can make a big impact for their respective teams, even if they are not that well known by the casual baseball fan. With that being said, I hope you all enjoy the article!!!
Starting Pitchers:
Luis Garcia: Houston Astros:
The Astros are known for producing exceptional pitching talent and Garcia is no exception. The right-hander is one of my favorites when it comes to filling out the backend of my pitching staff for fantasy baseball purposes.
Fantasy baseball aside, this could be an awesome year for Luis, as I think he has the chance to really ascend this year. Garcia's windup is what makes him stand out, as he has had to change it up prior to this season due to rule changes.
Coming off the 2022 campaign with an ERA of 3.72 and averaging right around a strikeout per inning I would expect the ERA to be around 3.50-3.60. Although that said, it would not surprise me if his ERA ends up a bit lower, even though this may be a bit generous. The WHIP is solid, but not great, as we can expect it to land anywhere from 1.10-1.15.
When it comes to his pitches, Garcia is not going to blow you away with his velocity, topping out at around 94 MPH. His fastball spin rate ranks in the 84th percentile, while he features five main pitches. His cutter and curveball proved most effective last season as opposing hitters hit under .200 against them.
Manager Dusty Baker will have Garcia in the middle of his rotation, as he has a firm spot in Houston's starting five. Expect double-digit wins, as the Astros high-powered offense will provide spectacular run support.
Nick Lodolo: Cincinnati Reds:
Pretty much everyone who is a Cincinnati Reds fan will tell you Hunter Greene is the Reds future ace for years to come. Although Greene is a head-turner with his triple digit velocity, I would say Nick Lodolo is the future ace of the staff. As a baseball fan this is a topic that I like talking about, because both pitchers are so talented and are only scratching the surface of their potential.
Lodolo, the TCU product, checks out well when it comes to pitching percentiles. His only flaws that stand out to me are his walk (36 percent) and hard hit (26 percent) rates. Nick's whiff and strikeout rates are both above the 80th percentile as he seems to miss bats quite often. Racking up 131 strikeouts in only 103.1 IP last season would seem to back up my previous statement, as that is a pretty impressive stat for a guy in his first full season.
Featuring a 4-seam fastball, curveball, sinker, and changeup, Lodolo's curveball is the most dominant, as a whopping 46 percent whiff rate on the pitch is pretty good. While his teammate Greene relies on velocity, Lodolo depends more on his control, as he tops out at 94-95 MPH.
Going into his second season I expect Lodolo to further improve and climb the starting pitcher ranks. An ERA around 3.5 is expected while I am also eager to see if the 1.24 WHIP can improve a bit from '22. All in all, the future is bright for this left-hander as he is only getting started.
Jeffrey Springs: Tampa Bay Rays: SP/RP
Springs has been rocketing up the fantasy baseball ADP boards in recent weeks and rightly so. After a stellar "Springs" Training in which he gave up no runs and fired 24 strikeouts across 14 innings of work, Springs has momentum going into 2023.
After a great 22' season, the Rays left-hander will look to continue his run of success, as I predict he will become a fixture in the Tampa Bay rotation full time. A high strikeout guy, Jeffrey averages near to 10 K's per outing and keeps hits and walks to a minimum, resulting in a WHIP just over 1.00 and an ERA anywhere below 3.00.
For my fellow fantasy baseball players who may be reading this, Springs SP and RP eligibility makes him very valuable in any type of format this year. That said if you have Springs in your leagues, buckle up because it should be a fun ride!
Freddy Peralta: Milwaukee Brewers: Freddy Peralta is looking to bounce-back after a shoulder injury cost him almost all of the 2022 season. When healthy the Brewers right-hander puts up a high strikeout rate combined with an ERA in the mid 3.00's.
We all know Freddy has the stuff, he simply just has to stay healthy. With that being said, he has no injury concerns going into '23 which excites me. The only real flaw against him is number of innings pitched, as his career high is 144.1 during his dominant 2021 season. Assuming his health holds up, Peralta could have a spectacular year and make his fantasy ADP look foolish.
Pablo Lopez and Joe Ryan: Minnesota Twins: For those of you who have played in fantasy baseball leagues with me before, you probably know that Lopez is one of my favorite pitchers to target in later rounds. Although I am a bit bummed that I did not have the opportunity to draft him in any of my leagues this year, I wish Lopez all the best this season!
Starting off great in 2022, Pablo ended the campaign with a 3.75 ERA across 180 innings. The 10-10 record is something not to get frustrated about given the lack of runs Miami puts on the board. Simply put, Miami have no real consistent offense, with Jazz Chisholm Jr. being the one consistent bat in the lineup.
Now that Pablo Lopez is in a Twins uniform I would hope the number of wins would be a little better than 10. Pablo will get the Opening Day nod for Minnesota in what should be a similar stat line to last year.
Joe Ryan really burst onto the scene last season in his first full Major League workload, in which he made 27 starts. His ERA and xERA were nearly identical (3.55 ERA, 3.57 xERA) as he also put up a good strikeout rate of 9.24. His walk rate is average, walking around three batters per outing, resulting in a solid 1.10 WHIP.
Ryan is just now coming into his own, as I am always interested to see how young pitchers perform, as consistency is always key. Joe fits in nicely alongside Lopez at the frontend of the Minnesota rotation for Rocco Baldelli's club as Ryan has all the potential to become a solid Major League starter for years to come.
Adam's Honorable Mentions: Starting Pitchers:
Reid Detmers: Los Angeles Angels: Entering his second season, the leftie is primed for a breakout year.
Hunter Brown: Houston Astros: SP/RP: A carbon copy of Justin Verlander, the Detroit native will likely get the fifth rotation spot in Houston to begin the year. Simply put, Brown is a pitcher to get really excited about!!!
Hayden Wesneski: Chicago Cubs: Wesneski's stuff is nasty. After a strong Spring Training he will fill the fifth spot in the Cubs rotation to begin the year with Chicago ace Kyle Hendricks on the IL. He could even stick around on the starting staff when Hendricks returns in May, assuming he pitches well.
Relief Pitchers:
Andres Munoz: Seattle Mariners: Munoz seems to be the reliever on the rise in the Mariners bullpen. Munoz and Paul Sewald seem to be battling for the closer's role, as I could see both of them getting an opportunity at closing games during the season.
Munoz had foot surgery in the offseason as the Mariners seemingly have allowed more time for Andre to come back slowly in Spring games. Nonetheless, Munoz is a great candidate for holds, as I could see Seattle's closer's role change hands based off of how the two perform in high-leverage situations.
Jason Adam: Tampa Bay Rays: Adam is one of the best relievers in the league when it comes to holds. An ERA of 1.56 in '22 will do, as his strikeout total of 75 is intriguing in only 63.1 innings of work. Adam will most likely be the set-up man for closer Pete Fairbanks as 20-30 holds in '23 would be a good bet for the Tampa Bay reliever.
Evan Phillips: Los Angeles Dodgers: Phillips was said to be used in high-leverage situations for Dave Roberts club this season. Taking this into consideration I did a little more digging and eventually came to the conclusion that Phillips will most likely receive more hold opportunities, given that the Dodgers do not have one set closer to begin the season.
When looking at Phillips Baseball Savant page I quickly noticed that nearly all of his percentiles are in red, which is a great sign. Coming off an awesome 2022 season with an ERA just over 1.00, the right-hander looks to continue his run of success in the Los Angeles bullpen.
Adam's Honorable Mentions: Relief Pitchers
A.J. Minter: Atlanta Braves: Minter will begin the 2023 season as Atlanta's closer with Raisel Iglesias on the shelf for a few weeks. Even when Iglesias returns Minter is a great reliever for holds.
Dylan Floro: Miami Marlins: Floro projects to be the top option for saves in Miami. Although I could see this becoming a closer's committee, Dylan is the most reliable among Marlins relievers.
Hitters:
Andrew Vaughn: Chicago White Sox: 1B/OF: The one hitter that I regret not drafting in any of my fantasy leagues this season is Andrew Vaughn. This is the year I think the former University of California Bear really becomes a force in the White Sox lineup. With Jose Abreu now in Houston ultimately means that Vaughn and others will have to step up. A season where Andrew hits 30 home runs is in the cards to go along with a .270 average. Simply put, I am hopping on the imaginary Andrew Vaughn hype train as I am looking forward to see how he performs in 2023.
Amed Rosario: Cleveland Guardians: 2B/SS: Rosario has really begun to show his true potential after being traded to the Guardians in the Francisco Lindor deal a few seasons ago. A .280 hitter in back-to-back seasons, Rosario can hit for average and can hit around 12 round-trippers while driving in 70-75 runs. On the base paths, Amed is a good bet to steal 20-25 bags this year with bigger bases being implied. An all-around solid player, there is nothing to complain about when it comes to this guy. Although not great in any one area, he will provide in all of the main offensive categories.
Alex Verdugo: Boston Red Sox: OF: Alex Verdugo seems to be consistent year in and year out. With a little pop in his left-handed swing, I could see another 15 home run season coming. Considering he plays his home games at Fenway Park that should help his power numbers because of the short wall in right field, making it a little easier to hit balls over the fence for left-handed hitters.
Verdugo's contact skills are his strong suit, as he is a good bet to hit at least 30 doubles annually. A .280-.290 hitter, Alex will have to help out the Sox in a big way this year as their lineup is somewhat depleted compared to what it has been in years past.
Brandon Drury: Los Angeles Angels: 3B/2B/OF: Drury produces power and a little bit of average mixed in. A true utility man, he can play all over the infield and outfield if need be, which can be very valuable to those of us in the fantasy world.
Drury had a solid '22 season in a San Diego uniform, which I think gets overlooked, as a line of 87/28/87/.263 will always play somewhere on the diamond. Brandon should fit well in your CI, MI, or utility slots this year if you are in leagues with deeper lineups.
Expecting Drury to replicate his '22 numbers is something I would bet on, as I think 30 home runs could be in reach.
William Contreras: Milwaukee Brewers: C: Do not worry, I did not forget about the catcher position. The younger Contreras brother is bound for a solid season in Milwaukee after coming over from Atlanta in the offseason. Although the batting average may dip to around .260, the power numbers are still there. A 20 plus home run season is the expectation here, as he projects to drive in his fair share of runs as well.
Adam's Honorable Mentions: Hitters
Rowdy Tellez: Milwaukee Brewers: 1B: Power is Rowdy's calling card, as he could end up with 30 home runs by season's end.
Joey Meneses: Washington Nationals: 1B/OF: Meneses is a good bet to hit .260 with 25 home runs. There is simply no reason to complain about that potential stat line.
Brendan Donovan: St. Louis Cardinals: 1B/2B/3B/SS/OF: The guy literally plays everywhere and hits for a good average with some stolen bases and a little bit of power mixed in. Sign me up please!
Final Thoughts: I hope you all have enjoyed reading my article on some of my favorite "must-watch" players for the 2023 MLB season. As we approach Opening Day I am really excited for a brand new season of baseball! Let's play ball!
See you at the Ballpark!!!
Adam
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