With fantasy draft day approaching, now is the time to get familiar with some of the exciting young players that will be making impacts for their teams in 2023. Please note that every player on this list is currently Rookie Eligible for 2023.
The season is not here yet, but why not get a head start and jump in a Fantrax Classic Draft contest? Get a jump on the season with a Best Ball league or maybe a Draft and Hold. Or put some green on the line with a new season-long league to try and conquer. There’s no better time than now to get your baseball on!
Top 10 Obvious Impact Prospects for 2023 Fantasy Baseball
Ezequiel Tovar. COL, SS
In a market full of shortstops, the Rockies chose to give the keys to the 6 to their rookie without a contingency plan in place.
For fantasy owners, playing half your games at Coors is always helpful and for Tovar with middling power, this might be the perfect place for a line-drive-hitting machine. His glove should keep him in the lineup most days and if he is batting near the top it won’t take too much good fortune to see him rise into the top 10 fantasy shortstops by the summer break.
Triston Casas, BOS, 1B
There is very little to nitpick with for Tristan Casas. Above-average plate disciple will lead to high walk rates and OBP. He can contribute in 4 categories with his plus power and all fields hitting approach categories.
Casas is setting himself up as the slugger in Boston for years to come and a guy you will want to target on your fantasy team.
Yainer Diaz, HOU, C/DH
Yanier Diaz comes to Houston via Cleveland as part of the 2021 Myles Straw trade.
Diaz is a 24-year-old catcher with an advanced bat. He’s raked at every level he’s ever played at (121 wRC+ at AA/AAA in 2022) and the Astros have acknowledged this, allowing him to play at DH, 1B, and a handful of games in the outfield corners.
There’s a possibility he is the best-hitting catcher in the minors. There is also a possibility he is too good at hitting for catching and we will see him move away to a less demanding position.
Ken Waldichuk, OAK, LHP
Drafted in the 5th round of the 2019 amateur draft by the Yankees, Ken Waldichuk was traded to the Athletics as part of the Frankie Montas and Lou Trivino package.
A strike-throwing machine from the left side, Waldichuk pounds the zone with a 94 MPH fastball complimented by a devastating 81 MPH slider.
Through his minor league career, Waldichuk has posted minuscule walk rates with strikeout rates approaching 13 K/9. He threw 128 IP between AA/AAA/MLB last year and it can be safe to assume he will be asked to throw at least 150 IP this year for the team. The Athletics have every incentive to see Waldichuk throw 25 starts and develop into the ace they think he is.
Fransisco Alvarez, NYM, C
Signed as an international free agent in 2018, the New York Mets backstop of the future has hit at every level. He exploded on the scene with an impressive .282/.377/.443 in rookie ball at 17 years old.
Losing the 2020 year to COVID, Alvarez was a player raved about on backfields and most prospect hounds were excited to see him back in competitive games. He responded in 2021 by posting an insane .417/.567/.646 in his promotion to A ball as a teenager.
In 2022, Alvarez moved up from AA to the MLB posting above-average production at every stop. His 123 wRC+ in the majors in the very small sample of games he played is extremely impressive and yet is likely his true talent level.
There is a very real possibility that Fransisco Alarez is battling for the top fantasy catcher for the remainder of the decade.
Brett Baty, NYM, 3B
Drafted by the New York Mets in the 1st round of the 2019 amateur draft, Brett Baty made his MLB debut on August 17, 2022, and remained with the team for 11 games hitting .184/.244./.342 playing third base.
Prior to the call-up, Baty was crushing AAA to the tune of .364/.462/.364 showing impressive plate discipline and punishing mistakes. Unfortunately, the plate discipline didn’t translate to the major leagues and MLB pitchers make very few mistakes.
Baty is too good for AAA and if he didn’t suffer a thumb injury recently he would be expected to be in the lineup on opening day.
Eury Pérez, MIA, RHP
One of the top arms in the Marlins system, the 6-8 19-year-old right-handed flame thrower from the DR throws a 98 MPH fastball with a 4:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
Pitching prospects are pitching prospects, but he made AA look silly as a teenager. Sometimes there isn’t much to think about as he’s about as polished as a pitcher in the minors with a sky-high ceiling. Look for him to make an impact in the majors right away.
Anthony Volpe, NYY, SS
The Yankees prized jewel, Volpe was the first-round pick of the 2019 draft and is already battling for the 2023 Opening Day shortstop position. He burst onto the scene showing his lofty potential hitting .300/.400/.600 in 2021 in A ball. After a promotion in 2022, Volpe has hit for middling averages in AA/AAA but he has displayed excellent plate discipline at these levels with a walk rate of around 10% and a strikeout rate of only 20%.
He moved up another two levels in 2022, finishing his year with 22 games at AAA.
The Yankees did not sign any of the shortstops on the Free Agent market, which many fantasy analysts have assumed means Volpe will be up and ready sooner than later. While he may not be an impact bat on day one, he has the upside and potential to be worthy of a stash. Currently, the position is only blocked by Oswald Peraza his former AAA teammate. Expect Volpe to leapfrog his teammate by the middle of the summer.
Jordan Walker, STL, 3B/OF
Taken in the first round by St. Louis in 2020, Jordan Walker crushed A ball in his 2021 pro debut to the tune of about .300/.400/.500.
In the 2022 AFL, he was noted as having the loudest tools of all the prospects.
Combined with his plus walk rate and relatively low strikeout rate, the ceiling on Walker is as high as anyone in the minor leagues.
Drafted as a 3B, he has a Nolan Arenado-sized roadblock in his way to the big league club. To speed up his timeline, the Cardinals had him playing all over the outfield as well as the hot corner in 2022. He has middle-of-the-order lineup potential and is a guy to watch out for.
Grayson Rodriguez, BAL, RHP
Standing 6’5” with a frame hard to fit through a doorway, Grayson Rodriguez has a 95 MPH fastball that can reach close to triple digits and pairs it with the best changeup in the minor leagues. Complimenting the straight pitches is an average curveball and an above-average slider.
With the recent shoulder issues hopefully behind him, he is as dominating of a minor league pitcher as has been seen in recent memory. With the Orioles fighting for a playoff spot this year, they may turn to their prized pitching prospect to lead the rotation for the rest of the year. He is a top candidate for Rookie of the Year honors.
Got your eye on some other prospects for this year? Spread the love in the comments below. For more great analysis check out the 2023 FantraxHQ Fantasy Baseball Draft Kit!