Fantasy Baseball Rankings: First top-10 pitchers for the 2024 MLB season

The second half of September is always a great time to anticipate the 2024 drafts, regardless of whether your fantasy squad is set to finish first, last, or somewhere in the middle. While many major league players will see a change in their priorities throughout the offseason, true stars generally maintain their position no matter what transpires around them.

Since there are several options after Ronald Acua Jr. is taken off the board, the strategy for the upcoming draft will be to select the player first overall or late in the first round.

Ronald Acuña Jr. (OF, Atlanta Braves)

In 2024 draughts, there won’t be any disagreement over who goes off the board first like there has been in many recent seasons. Acua is second in hitting average, first in home runs, and first in runs scored in the majors. However, the key factor that allows the speedster to beat his competition is his 67 steals, which are already the most by any player since 2010.

Julio Rodríguez (OF, Seattle Mariners)

Together with Acua, Rodriguez will be the only players in 2023 to have 30-100-100-30 campaigns. Not bad for a 22-year-old, would say. The young player, who had a poor first half of the season, ended with a 1.014 OPS and enters 2024 as a legitimate 40–40 candidate.

Mookie Betts (OF, Los Angeles Dodgers)

Betts has consistently recorded yearly numbers that range from good to great for almost ten years, so he rarely disappoints fantasy managers. He is among the top 10 players in runs, RBI, home runs, and batting average this season, which speaks highly of his performance. Betts, who is already among the safest options, might perform even better if the Dodgers sign free agent Shohei Ohtani.

Fernando Tatís Jr. (SS, San Diego Padres)

Tatís is coming to the end of a disappointing season, but he still managed to pass the 25 mark in home runs and steals. The extraordinarily gifted 24-year-old resembles Acua from a year ago since she posted poor numbers following a protracted hiatus. Tats will probably perform far better in the upcoming campaign, similar to Acua.

Bobby Witt Jr. (3B/SS, Kansas City Royals)

Witt’s OPS has increased by nearly 100 points in a single season, and predictably, his fantasy output has followed suit. The 23-year-old talent would be higher on this list if the Royals could back him up with a lineup that at the very least ranks in the middle of the pack. He joins Acua and Rodriguez on the limited list of players who have a real chance at a 40-40 season.

Corbin Carroll (OF, Arizona Diamondbacks)

Carroll disappointed in the second half of the season, but it’s difficult to criticise a player who will hit at least 25 home runs and steal at least 50 bases in his first complete season. By showing greater power next year against southpaws, a lefty pitcher might advance even further.

Kyle Tucker (OF, Houston Astros)

Tucker isn’t improving, but his play over the three previous seasons was still more than good enough to get him into the first round. The 26-year-old makes significant contributions to each of the five traditional categories, but his lack of domination in any one of them prevents him from moving up the list.

Freddie Freeman (1B, Los Angeles Dodgers)

Freeman seems to constantly exceed the expectations of those who select him late in the first round. He again drops to the end of the first round the following year. It’s possible that he will regress in his age-34 season, but managers can probably count on at least one more season of elite production.

(UTIL, Los Angeles Angels) Shohei Ohtani

Right now, no one is able to rank Ohtani. If it turns out throughout draft season that the 29-year-old will be a full-time bat in April, he may be selected as high as No. 2 overall. However, it’s possible that management may have to factor in some IL time for his recovery from Tommy John surgery. Ohtani can now be positioned in the first round’s latter half.

Aaron Judge (OF, New York Yankees)

Judge is possibly still baseball’s strongest player on a per-game basis. This year, he has required just 97 games to reach the deep end 32 times, and if he had enough plate appearances to qualify, his.968 OPS would be ninth. If Judge stays healthy, he might hit 50 home runs next season and his remaining counting statistics will be slightly influenced by the Yankees’ capacity to rebuild a lineup that saw a significant decline this year.