In many fantasy baseball leagues this year, the winners and losers could come down to who can identify the best MLB fantasy sleepers in 2023.
Can you find the players who are being overlooked or undervalued coming into the season but will have a big season? If you need an MLB fantasy draft guide, picking out the best fantasy baseball sleepers is essential.
MLB fantasy sleepers 2023
Naturally, we wanted to share our MLB fantasy sleepers for 2023. Some are young players who are poised to break out while others are veteran players who may be overlooked heading into 2023 for one reason or another.
Of course, there are no guarantees when it comes to baseball or fantasy sports, but here are our 10 favorite fantasy baseball sleepers for the upcoming season.
Jorge Polanco
Year after year, the baseball world seems to forget about or overlook Jorge Polanco. It’s probably a consequence of spending his entire career in Minnesota. However, he’s typically one of the most reliable second basemen in baseball.
With a .235 average last season, most fantasy players are probably a little down on him. But keep in mind that he had 22 homers in 2019 when he was an all-star and 33 home runs in 2021 when he posted an OPS of .826. He was also hindered by a couple of stints on the IL last season that ended up hurting his numbers. But the 29-year-old is still in the prime of his career and should be due for a bounce-back season as a key figure in Minnesota’s lineup, making him a safe and dependable choice at second base for any fantasy owner.
Trevor Rogers
In 2021, Trevor Rogers looked the part of a future ace for Miami’s rotation, only to fall back to earth in 2022 with a 5.47 ERA. Those numbers will surely have a lot of fantasy owners, although that is what will make Rogers a great sleeper pick to grab late in any fantasy draft.
He’s only 25 and was once the 13th overall pick in the draft, so the upside is still there. It’s not unusual to see a young pitcher suffer a setback and then bounce back. After all, Rogers had more strikeouts than innings pitched in 2021 and still struck out a lot of batters last season, indicating he has the stuff to return to the form he had two years ago.
Tommy Edman
Over the last couple of seasons, Tommy Edman has made a name for himself as a talented and versatile defensive player. But 2023 could be the year that he breaks out as an offensive force.
Edman produced 13 homers and 31 doubles last season, not to mention stealing 30-plus bases for the second straight season. He really started to come on strong during the second half of the season, which is a good sign for his fantasy prospects in 2023. Plus, between his speed and defensive versatility, Edman figures to be a useful fantasy player, even if he’s not a bonafide star.
Brendan Rodgers
When looking for fantasy sleepers, there’s nothing wrong with looking at players on the Rockies, which is why Brendan Rodgers fits the bill. He was once the third overall pick in the MLB Draft, and now at age 26, he could be ready to start meeting his full potential.
There have been glimpses of it over the past two seasons, and now is the time when players like Rodgers tend to start putting everything together. He’s put up big numbers at home and just needs to start doing the same on the road. But even if he doesn’t, Rodgers is still a fantasy player you can platoon with someone else by putting him in your lineup whenever the Rockies play at Coors Field.
Jack Flaherty
Injuries have limited Jack Flaherty to just 23 starts over the last two seasons, so there is some risk in drafting him too early. Naturally, his fantasy value is down a little given the injuries. But there’s no denying that Flaherty is capable of performing like a frontline starter when he’s healthy.
In 2019, he posted a 2.75 ERA in 33 starts. Flaherty also won nine games in just 17 appearances two years ago. At age 27, he just needs to stay healthy to return to the form he’s had in past seasons, making Flaherty an ideal fantasy sleeper in 2023.
Joey Bart
The Giants have waited patiently for Joey Bart to come around and live up to his potential, and this could be the year.
He had big shoes to fill after taking over for the great Buster Posey behind the plate. Bart probably needed last year to settle into being San Francisco’s top catcher. But he had a hot streak in August that should give him the confidence he needs to start coming into his own in 2023. That makes him a young catcher worth taking a chance on in fantasy leagues.
Carlos Santana
Most people have probably forgotten about Carlos Santana, but we count him as one of our MLB fantasy sleepers in 2023.
He’s going to play both first base and see time at DH for the Pirates, likely resulting in more at-bats than he had last season. While his numbers have come down in recent years, the power is still there for Santana, who has hit 19 home runs in back-to-back seasons. If you’re looking for players with power in the late rounds, Santana is still a player who can deliver.
Charlie Morton
At age 39, Charlie Morton probably isn’t high on too many draft boards, especially after one of his worst seasons in 2022. However, he’s proven himself time and time again to be a durable and effective pitcher.
Remember that he had a subpar 2020 campaign but came back strong in 2021, winning 14 games. In fact, he’s won at least 14 games in four of the last six seasons. Since he pitches for the Braves, Morton figures to have a lot of opportunities to win games in 2023, making him an ideal back-end starter on any fantasy team.
Jake Fraley
While the Reds have had a crowded outfield in recent years, Jake Fraley is in line to be the primary left fielder in Cincinnati. He’s also versatile enough to play the other two outfield spots, so getting at-bats shouldn’t be an issue, especially on a rebuilding team.
The 27-year-old hit 12 home runs and posted an OPS of .812 during his first year in Cincinnati in 2022. Keep in mind that was in just 68 games.
Fraley went to the IL in early May and didn’t return until late July, taking up a huge chunk of his season. But if he’s able to stay healthy, he could have a breakout season and post some impressive power numbers.
Oswald Peraza
If he ends up becoming the everyday shortstop for the Yankees, Oswald Peraza could end up being a late-round steal in fantasy drafts. In keeper leagues, this might be the time to jump on the 22-year-old.
Of course, we have just 49 MLB at-bats to work with when it comes to Peraza. But in that brief stint in the majors last year, he hit .306 with four extra-base hits. He hit 19 homers and stole 33 bases at triple-A last season, so Peraza has a chance to help fantasy teams in a variety of categories. The only catch is whether or not he can win the starting job at shortstop and become a full-time player.
