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The bulk of the 2024 MLB season is set to get underway, but fantasy baseball drafts will take place up to the first pitch on Opening Day and beyond. There is still time to find and analyze which players are sleepers and which players have bust potential ahead of Thursday's action.
Cedric Mullins, Bryson Stott, and Bryce Miller are three players that baseball fans are buzzing about, and all three are worth diving into for last-minute draft preparation.
Should you draft Mullins, Stott, or Miller in fantasy baseball? Read the draft recommendations and 2024 fantasy outlooks for each player below.
Cedric Mullins Fantasy Baseball Value
BALLER MOVE: Target in drafts ~pick 129
Current ADP: ~pick 138
Analysis: One look at Cedric Mullins' numbers in 2023 will make it seem that his 2021 breakout is an outlier not to be repeated. In 116 games, Mullins hit .233/.305/.416 with 15 homers, 74 RBI, 51 runs, and 19 stolen bases. That output was still decent given the lack of a full season but a far cry from the 30/30 campaign in 2021.
If we dig into the numbers, 2023 was a season of two parts for Mullins. He started the year hitting .263/.356/.479 with a 133 wRC+. He then hit the IL for the first of two stints due to a groin issue. Following his second activation off of the IL, Mullins hit .190/.232/.353 with a 55 wRC+ (47 games). Two stints for a groin issue is concerning but reaggravating an injury isn't uncommon and better than two separate injuries.
It will also give a reason for his career-low 28.0 ft/sec average sprint speed. Given Mullins missed only nine games in the prior two years and reached 30 stolen bases both times, there's no reason to think he can't reach that mark again if he stays healthy. No one is expecting 30 homers, but a repeat of 2022 certainly seems feasible.
Bryson Stott Fantasy Baseball Value
BALLER MOVE: Target in drafts ~pick 99
Current ADP: ~pick 115
Analysis: Taking over full-time second base duties in 2023, Bryson Stott proved to be one of the best in the game during his sophomore campaign. The 26-year-old started the year with a bang as he surpassed Puddin' Head Jones for the longest hitting streak to begin a season (17) in Phillies franchise history.
Stott built upon that by displaying elite plate discipline and improving his offensive production in nearly every category from his rookie year. Overall, the UNLV product batted .280 with 15 home runs, 62 RBI, and 31 stolen bases across 151 games in 2023.
ATC projects Stott to take a small step back in 2024, slashing .266/.322/.400 with 13 homers, 62 RBI, and 22 stolen bags - a slight drop from last year's total. With an ADP of 115, Stott could surprise and post a better season than his projections, making him a sleeper to keep an eye on for fantasy owners.
Bryson Stott’s RBI Single from the second inning. pic.twitter.com/YcW1MdUQ4h
— Phillies Tailgate (@PhilsTailgate) March 23, 2024
Bryce Miller Fantasy Baseball Value
BALLER MOVE: Target in drafts ~pick 164
Current ADP: ~177
Analysis: Seattle Mariners pitcher Bryce Miller enjoyed a very nice rookie year in 2023. The 25-year-old worked to a 4.32 ERA while taking the ball for 25 starts, but a look under the hood reveals he was superior to what his surface ERA suggests.
Miller also posted a 3.98 FIP and 4.17 SIERA while walking just 4.8% of the batters he faced, good for ninth among the 87 pitchers who threw at least 130 innings last season. He posted a middling 22.2% K% but his pinpoint control led him to a quality 17.3% K-BB%.
Additionally, Miller put forth a hefty 29.2% K% in 10 starts at Double-A in 2022, so there is certainly some runway for him to increase his strikeout rate in his sophomore season in 2024. Miller is a reasonable grab at his ADP considering the low-risk nature of his game with room to grow in the strikeout department -- especially if his new split-finger pitch helps him against left-handed hitters this year.
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