RADIO
As we head into a new year, it feels appropriate to look back at some hitters who were fantasy baseball busts in 2023. Hitters who we drafted with high hopes, expecting them to carry our teams to fantasy glory. Unfortunately, these players slumped all season long and did not come close to returning value on their ADP.
We will take a peek at three hitters who were among the biggest busts of the year. We'll look at what went wrong and what their 2024 outlook is like. While there are no hard and fast rules, these are all hitters who you would have used a top-120 pick on. Despite the lofty expectations, they didn't come close to providing value to your teams.
We're not looking at players who spent a large portion of the year on the IL. So they had to have reached 500 plate appearances to be considered. Don't forget to keep up to date with all your preseason fantasy baseball needs and follow RotoBaller on X . Without further ado, here are three of 2023's biggest hitter busts.
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Daulton Varsho - C/OF, Toronto Blue Jays
After a breakout 2022 season in which Varsho hit .235/.302/.443 with 27 homers, 74 RBI, 79 runs, and 16 steals (151 games), the Diamondbacks traded him to the Blue Jays. Fantasy managers salivated at the prospect of a catcher-eligible hitter who would play every day as an outfielder for one of the most exciting offenses in the MLB. Things didn't work out as hoped.
Varsho had an ADP ranging between 35-60 depending on whether it was a one-catcher or two-catcher league. He was widely regarded as a top-three catcher option. By the end of the year, Varsho was borderline rosterable in one-catcher leagues. While the volume was there, he simply didn't hit as well as hoped. In 158 games, Varsho had a .220/.285/.389 slash line with 20 homers, 61 RBI, 65 runs, and 16 steals.
Varsho was not helped by the disappointing Blue Jays offense that ranked tied-14th in runs scored (746). There is of course the unquantifiable element of Varsho moving to a new team. A new city. A new country. If we just look at some of Varsho's expected numbers and hit metrics over the last two years, they're quite telling. Other than his Barrel%, a lot of his underlying numbers were similar.
| Year | xBA | xSLG | xwOBA | Hard-Hit% | Barrel% | K% | BB% |
| 2022 | .213 | .389 | .298 | 35.6% | 10.2% | 24.5% | 7.8% |
| 2023 | .232 | .394 | .302 | 36.1% | 7.3% | 23.2% | 7.7% |
For 2024, Varsho will only be eligible as an outfielder. According to the ESPN player rater, Varsho ranked 73rd among outfielders last season. Most of his value last year was tied to volume at the catcher position. Without that, even with a bounce-back year, Varsho is someone I'd be looking at as a fourth/fifth outfielder around the 200th pick in drafts.
Carlos Correa - SS, Minnesota Twins
After an offseason of turmoil for the shortstop, the Twins reunited with Correa, agreeing to a six-year contract worth $200 million. It's fair to say the Twins might be regretting that decision after a disappointing 2023 season. Correa finished the year with a .230/.312/.399 slash line and 18 homers, 65 RBI, 60 runs, and no stolen bases (135 games). After having an ADP of ~120, Correa ended up ranking 38th among shortstops on the ESPN Player Rater.
Correa set career lows in batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage. You'd be hard-pressed to find something Correa didn't set a new low in. After a winter full of concern and stories about the condition of Correa's ankle, it was a major worry when he began dealing with foot issues in May. Thankfully, it was his left foot causing him issues and not the previously surgically repaired right ankle.
It wasn't until September when Correa landed on the IL and disclosed that he had been dealing with plantar fasciitis throughout the year. Most of you will be aware it's an issue that has had a detrimental effect on many hitters as they play through the injury. And it's an issue that probably did have an impact on Correa's numbers throughout much of the season.
The fact Correa returned from the IL to hit .409/.458/.545 in the playoffs (six games) does suggest the issue isn't going to hold him back in 2024. But there's always the lingering concern that his ankle or the plantar fasciitis could flare up at any moment. The fact Correa is being drafted outside the top 220 in early drafts means that concern is factored in. At his current ADP, there is room for value in 2024. As long as his body holds up of course.
Tim Anderson - SS, Chicago White Sox
Among the biggest busts of 2023, Anderson had a season to forget. You wouldn't find many people arguing against Anderson being the biggest bust of the entire season. In 123 games, Anderson had one homer, 25 RBI, 52 runs, and 13 steals while hitting .245/.286/.296. After being drafted inside the top 100 overall, Anderson ended the year ranked 258th among all hitters on the ESPN Player Rater.
On April 10, Anderson went on the IL with a knee sprain. At that point, he was hitting .298/.327/.404 with five stolen bases. Anderson returned on May 2 but failed to come close to performing like he's capable of. By the All-Star break, Anderson was hitting a paltry .223/.259/.263 with a 41 wRC+.
His most notable moment of the season came on August 5, when his fight with Jose Ramirez saw Anderson suspended for six games. Things were not helped by off-field distractions. Everything culminated in him becoming a free agent this offseason after the White Sox declined his option for 2024. There aren't many teams queueing up for his signature after the numbers Anderson put up in 2023.
The distractions in his personal life and the knee sprain might have been significant factors in his struggles. Anderson is still only 30 years old and a change of scenery might help him rediscover some form. But we can't ignore the health issues as Anderson has failed to play more than 123 games in a season since 2018. He's fallen outside the top 300 in early drafts and without some certainty about where he'll play in 2024, Anderson is almost undraftable.
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