It may be the dead of winter, but fantasy managers are slowly emerging out of their shells as the spring season approaches. We can smell it, and before you know it, cherry blossoms will bloom, ballpark hotdogs will be served and dingers will be ringing from coast to coast. Now is the time to dust off the rust and start brainstorming your draft strategy for the 2024 fantasy baseball season.
We are committed to providing the necessary tools needed to knock your drafts out of the park, and our 2024 Fantasy Baseball Draft Guide will help you chase that illustrious fantasy championship. From positional tiers and player profiles to sleepers and busts, managers should feel empowered when putting the pen to paper with our draft guide. Our writers have been hard at work to ensure managers are covered in every way possible.
The Rotoworld baseball crew and a handful of additional industry experts have come together for a 12-team standard 5x5 mock draft, and we will be honing in on rounds one and three. It’s all about youth in 2024, with Ronald Acuña Jr. leading a star-studded group of ascending studs looking to continue their rise to fantasy glory. Plus, where does last year’s consensus top-overall selection, Trea Turner, rank? How early is too early to draft the first hurler off the board?
Have a look at how rounds one and three take shape.
Note: This draft took place in late-December, look for more mock drafts over the course of the spring!
Round 1
1.1 Chris Clegg - The Dynasty Dugout
Ronald Acuña Jr., OF, Braves
1.2 Scott Pianowski - Yahoo
Bobby Witt Jr., SS, Royals
1.3 Dave Shovein - Rotoworld
Julio Rodríguez, OF, Mariners
1.4 Eric Cross - Toolshed Fantasy
Mookie Betts, OF, Dodgers
1.5 Shelly Verougstraete - Rotoworld
Kyle Tucker, OF, Astros
1.6 Eric Samulski - Rotoworld
Corbin Carroll, OF, Diamondbacks
1.7 Matthew Pouliot - Rotoworld
Aaron Judge, OF, Yankees
1.8 Rick Graham - Pitcher List
Freddie Freeman, 1B, Dodgers
1.9 George Bissell - Rotoworld
Juan Soto, OF, Yankees
1.10 Trevor Hooth - Baseball HQ
Spencer Strider, SP, Braves
1.11 D.J. Short - Rotoworld
Fernando Tatis Jr., OF, Padres
1.12 Carlos Marcano - Baseball Prospectus
Trea Turner, SS, Phillies
Ronald Acuña Jr. takes over the top overall spot in 2024 fantasy drafts following a historic 41-homer, 73-steal campaign. He’s followed by a trio of young five-category fantasy superstars in Bobby Witt Jr., Julio Rodríguez and Corbin Carroll, who figure to be perennial first-round picks for years to come. Elite strikeout artist Spencer Strider is the lone starting pitcher off the board in the opening round, which represents a noticeable change from just a few years ago when several aces would likely be selected in the first round. Trea Turner was the consensus top-overall selection in fantasy drafts at this point last year, but he dropped to the end of the opening round after a relatively disappointing Phillies debut where he still managed to slug 26 homers and also steal 30 bases. Fernando Tatis Jr. finds himself back in the first round after returning to form in 2023 following a lost season due to injury and suspension. Meanwhile, Mookie Betts, Aaron Judge, Freddie Freeman and Juan Soto represent some of the most reliable offensive building blocks to construct rosters around.
Round 3
3.25 Clegg - Luis Robert Jr., OF, White Sox
3.26 Pianowski - Elly De La Cruz, 3B/SS, Reds
3.27 Shovein - Zac Gallen, SP, Diamondbacks
3.28 Cross - Francisco Lindor, SS, Mets
3.29 Verougstraete - Gunnar Henderson, 3B/SS, Orioles
3.30 Samulski - Ozzie Albies, 2B, Braves
3.31 Pouliot - CJ Abrams, SS, Nationals
3.32 Graham - Zack Wheeler, SP, Phillies
3.33 Bissell - Yoshinobu Yamamoto, SP, Dodgers
3.34 Hooth - Pete Alonso, 1B, Mets
3.35 Short - Luis Castillo, SP, Mariners
3.36 Marcano - Kyle Schwarber, OF, Phillies
Here’s where the fun begins, folks. Elly De La Cruz is one of the more compelling and challenging hitters to forecast in the fantasy landscape. However, questionable plate skills amplify the risk of his reaching his stratospheric power/speed combo ceiling. He has a chance to be one of the most valuable contributors in fantasy, if everything comes together. Early-round staples like Francisco Lindor, Ozzie Albies, Pete Alonso and Kyle Schwarber are joined by some exciting newcomers like Gunnar Henderson and CJ Abrams. The ultimate X-factor is Japanese right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who signed a record 12-year, $325 million pact with the Dodgers in late December. One of the most talented Japanese pitchers to arrive stateside in a generation, he’ll be an early-round selection in all fantasy drafts right away. There’s some risk in selecting him this early, since he’s never thrown a pitch in the majors, but he projects as an immediate high-level fantasy contributor.
If you want to see the full mock draft with analysis, click here and use promo code BASEBALL24 for 10% off your purchase.
