Part-Time Players Who Could Earn Starting Roles In 2023 Fantasy Baseball

Platoons are a big part of today’s game, allowing the offense to maximize its split advantages as much as possible. But in fantasy baseball, platoons are one of our worst enemies. Fantasy managers need players who are going to provide volume.

But just because a player begins the year in a platoon doesn’t mean that’s set in stone. Whether they outplay their expectations, their platoon mates disappoint, or they never should’ve been in one to begin with, some guys end up sharing no time at all by mid-season.

Below, I’m going to discuss five players who fit this description. They're projected to start the season as part of a platoon but can easily work their way into everyday playing time. Fantasy managers should have no problem rostering anyone from this group and can get solid value based on their ADPs.

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Travis d'Arnaud, Atlanta Braves

ADP: 204

With the Atlanta Braves, Travis d’Arnaud has done a lot of hitting. He owns a .266/.324/.462 slash line over three seasons with 34 home runs across 211 games. Last season, d'Arnaud put up a .268 batting average with 18 homers, 61 runs, and 60 RBI.

His only problem has been staying healthy, but he played 107 contests in 2022. With Sean Murphy taking over the bulk of catching duties, that'll allow the 34-year-old to stay off his feet at the designated hitter spot. But it looks like d'Arnaud will be sharing DH with Marcell Ozuna or Eddie Rosario.

So is the former 37th overall pick even worth rostering? I think so. d'Arnaud will probably head into the season starting against left-handers and as the backup catcher, so that alone should get him to over 90 games.

He doesn’t just hit lefties, though. d'Arnaud posted a .246 batting average and .746 OPS (107 wRC+) off of right-handers last season and owns average production against them for his career (98 wRC+). He’ll be fighting for playing time with the two players named earlier, but that might not be a hard battle.

Rosario and Ozuna produced a .587 and .687 OPS, respectively, in 2022. d’Arnaud has a higher ceiling than his underlying metrics from last season. Even if he can repeat his 57th-percentile barrel rate with numbers close to his .247 xBA and .412 xSLG while pulling a ton of fly balls again (35.1% fly ball pull rate), then that should be enough to earn 120 games.

In terms of catchers, that's pretty good volume, and fantasy managers have to love what he brings to the table. ATC projects d'Arnaud for a .257 average and have him on pace for almost 24 home runs over a full season. With his ADP of 204, he's going behind Keibert Ruiz (183 ADP) and Tyler Stephenson (123 ADP), both of which he can match in value with enough at-bats.

Luis Arraez, Miami Marlins

ADP: 205

I find it hard to believe that the Marlins would trade Pablo Lopez AND two prospects to the Minnesota Twins for Luis Arraez just to sit him when they're facing left-handers. He’s projected as the strong side of a platoon, though, which would hurt his value. But even if this is Arraez's role to begin the season, I don’t think it’ll last long.

The 25-year-old had a great 2022 with the Twins. Arraez hit .316 (fourth in all of baseball) while scoring 88 runs and also went deep eight times, stole four bases, and drove in 49, all career-highs. Hitting isn’t something he just learned overnight, as he owns a lifetime .314 average and .292 xBA.

Arraez is an elite bat-to-ball guy, striking out just 7.1% of the time in 2022, and has been patient enough to run a career 8.7% walk rate. The fifth-year player doesn’t hit the ball exceptionally hard (career-high 50th-percentile average exit velocity in 2022) but hits line drives at an extreme rate of 30.5% over his four seasons, with a 29.8% mark last year.

Also, it’s not like Arraez was lousy against left-handers in 2022. He produced a .265/.331/.354 line, good for a 101 wRC+. He's a poor defender, but the Marlins are craving offense after the club combined for a .658 OPS last season. After giving up a rotation stalwart for him, the Marlins need to make the trade worth it.

For fantasy managers targeting batting averages, Arraez is the perfect option. And if, or when, he plays every day, he'll contribute solid counting stats, making him more than just a one-category player.

Chris Taylor, Los Angeles Dodgers

ADP: 315

Yes, Chris Taylor had a down season in 2022. He slashed .221/.304/.373 with 10 home runs, 45 runs, 43 RBI, and 10 steals in 118 games. Now it looks like he’s regulated to the weak side of a platoon with David Peralta in the outfield. But it won't take much for Taylor to get everyday playing time again.

For one, I think he'll bounce back in 2023. Injuries plagued his 2022 season, as Taylor had knee, foot, and neck issues. The nine-year veteran has produced a .258/.337/.447 slash line since 2017 while averaging 19 home runs and 13 stolen bases per 162 games, so we know the talent is there.

Besides health, Taylor will have to improve a strikeout rate that sat at 35.2% last year. But he was still patient, as he ran an 83rd-percentile chase rate, and it'll be hard for the 32-year-old to strike out that much again just because of how outlandish of a number that is. Also, Taylor's always dealt with high strikeout rates, made clear by his career 28.6% strikeout rate.

He's still a power and baserunning threat. Taylor posted a barrel rate above 10% for the third consecutive season and hit 20 bombs just two seasons ago. His 10 steals across 118 games is almost a 14-stolen-base pace, and he's never managed a sprint speed worse than the 83rd percentile.

Taylor's ADP of 315 tells me fantasy managers are worried about his playing time, but he can play all over the diamond and has been a plus fielder throughout his career. The Dodgers lineup has taken a few hits during the offseason, so when Taylor bounces back, the club should give him plenty of at-bats. Enough to offer fantasy owners real value in four categories.

Trent Grisham, San Diego Padres

ADP: 338

Trent Grisham owned the league's lowest batting average last season, a feat well-known within the baseball community. A .184 mark is hard to ignore, especially when combined with a paltry .284 OBP and .341 SLG, good for a .626 OPS, the fifth-last among qualified hitters.

Grisham has been the starting center fielder in San Diego for the past three seasons, where he was an above-average hitter for the first, but it seems the Padres are looking to platoon him in 2023. The club added Adam Engel over the offseason, and he's the most qualified to share time with the 26-year-old. Although, I still think Grisham will eventually play his way into everyday at-bats.

He's probably not the player we saw in 2020, but he can still be a productive hitter. The former Brewers draft pick still hit 17 homers and compiled 19.9 xHR in 2022. And Grisham’s barrel rate climbed back up to 8.1% after posting a 5.2% rate two years ago. His 88.3 average exit velocity was identical to his mark in the shortened season, and he still walked a ton, managing a 10.9% walk rate.

The issues for Grisham were an inflated strikeout and fly ball rate. He struck out 28.6% of the time last season after a 22.6% rate the year prior. Grisham was still extremely patient and only chased pitches at a 20.7% clip but whiffed at a below-average rate. And after back-to-back seasons posting a fly ball rate below 23.4%, it skyrocketed to 30% in 2022. Even small improvements in these areas can bring Grisham's average back up to .230, around his .231 career xBA.

He’s also a solid baserunner. Grisham had an 87th-percentile sprint speed in 2022, but his stolen base total maxed out at just seven. The Texas native stole a combined 23 bases in his previous 191 games, so that should be on the rise this year, especially with bigger bases.

Grisham has been better against lefties in his career, posting a .237 average and .732 OPS compared to a .217 average and .704 OPS off of right-handers. Engel is known for his defense, but the former has been right there with him, even winning a Gold Glove last year. I think it's an easy assumption that Grisham will out-hit someone with a career 72 wRC+ and 74 wRC+ against lefties. If that's the case, there’s no reason he should be on the bench. Everyday playing time doesn't mean he's a fantasy stud, but he'll supply decent power and speed to any team.

Ramon Urias, Baltimore Orioles

ADP: 489

Ramon Urias has done enough over parts of three seasons to be a starting infielder in the major leagues. Last year, he hit .248 with .720 OPS, 16 home runs, 50 runs, 51 RBI, and one stolen base over 118 games. It’s nothing that stands out, but it's usable as a bench option in deep formats.

However, the Orioles signed Adam Frazier this winter and will probably play him against righties in favor of Urias, with the latter starting with left-handers on the mound. Frazier has fared much better against right-handers over his career with a .749 OPS compared to a .660 OPS otherwise. But Urias is arguably the better righty-killer, as he owns a career .776 OPS in those situations, including a .742 OPS in 2022.

The 28-year-old also has a real chance to improve his numbers this season. In 2021, Urias hit .279 with a .270 xBA, then cut his strikeout rate down to 22% with an almost identical 89.4 mph average exit velocity last year. He hit way more fly balls in 2022, which is why we saw the batting average fall. Some regression in his 24.4% fly ball rate could do wonders and make Urias a solid contributor in that area again.

His park isn’t home run-friendly, but he’s produced a 9.6% barrel rate over the last two seasons, and he started pulling fly balls last year (29% fly ball pull rate). If given the chance, Urias has the talent to get to the 20 home run mark and provide a slugging percentage around his lifetime .419 clip with a full season.

That’s plenty more than what Frazier will give the Orioles. Though he’s a plus fielder, Urias was superior in 2022, winning a Gold Glove at third base. The Orioles' best chance of winning is using him as an everyday player, and I’m sure they’ll figure that out soon. Fantasy managers shouldn't target Urias to use in their starting lineup, but with a decent mix of power and average, he's a good option at his 489 ADP.

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