2024 Fantasy Baseball FYPD Mock Draft

1. Yoshinobu Yamamoto, RHP, Dodgers

Team: J.J. Cooper

Getting a chance to land a ready-made ace isn’t something that happens very often in a FYPD. Yamamoto is plug-and-play, and he should be one of the better pitchers in baseball this year and for years to come.

2. Wyatt Langford, OF, Rangers

Team: Ben Badler

I would have taken Yoshinobu Yamamoto here if J.J. had passed, but there is no shortage of excellent options here. The two strongest candidates here are Wyatt Langford and Dylan Crews, two polished college outfielders who should be in the big leagues this year. It’s close, but what Langford did in his pro debut was extremely impressive, with a combination of hitting ability and power that has him looking like a hitter who should be a force in the middle of the lineup and ready to contribute quickly.

3. Dylan Crews, OF, Nationals

Team: Geoff Pontes

It was really a matter of who fell to this pick among the top trio of Langford, Yamamoto and Crews. If you’re a huge Walker Jenkins fan, it’s reasonable to take him here at No. 3. Same for Paul Skenes, particularly in a pitching-slanted points format. For me, it’s Crews in a standard 5×5 or OBP format. Crews has a strong combination of power, on-base skills and enough speed to produce 10-15 stolen bases.

4. Walker Jenkins, OF, Twins

Team: Matt Eddy

No 2023 high school pick had a better pro debut than Jenkins, who hit .362 with power in large, pitcher-friendly Florida ballparks. He has plus hitting and power potential to hold down a big league corner, with the type of bat-to-ball skills and discipline to be a special hitter. Case in point: Jenkins swung and missed at only one fastball last summer, and that fastball was thrown by No. 1 overall pick Paul Skenes.

5. Matt Shaw, SS, Cubs

Team: Dylan White

Shaw’s 20-home run and 20-stolen base potential is fantasy-friendly. Add in proximity, and I prefer him over Skenes (pitcher) and Clark and Emerson (further away).

6. Paul Skenes, RHP, Pirates

Team: J.J. Cooper

Ideally, I’d be lowering my risk by not taking pitchers with my top two picks, but the reward could be massive. Skenes should move quickly to the big leagues. If it all clicks, he could team with Yamamoto to front my rotation for years to come in a dynasty league.

7. Max Clark, OF, Tigers

Team: Ben Badler

Clark brings a well-rounded blend of tools and skills at a premium position. I’m betting on him hitting toward the top of a lineup with a lot of contact and plus-plus speed that will keep him in center field and help him make an impact player in stolen bases. Over time, he will surprise people with his power once he learns which pitches to try to turn on for damage.

8. Colt Emerson, SS, Mariners

Team: Geoff Pontes

No player from the 2023 draft class has seen his stock climb as high as Emerson’s has post-draft. The Mariners shortstop ranks No. 52 on the Top 100 Prospects. Emerson showcased an advanced understanding of the strike zone in his pro debut with above-average bat-to-ball ability and exit velocity data that was on par with major league averages. He is blossoming into one of the top prospects in the game for both real life and in fantasy.

9. Bryce Eldridge, 1B, Giants

Team: Matt Eddy

The Giants drafted Eldridge as a two-way player but will commit to giving him reps at first base exclusively this season. His position is now clear, and so is his impact potential. Eldridge slugged .647 in the Arizona Complex League last summer, with the corresponding batted-ball data to back up a first-division first base profile.

10. Shota Imanaga, LHP, Cubs

Team: Dylan White

We saw Imanaga’s stuff in the World Baseball Classic, and that should translate to immediate contributions as a midrotation starter. Proximity, again, is a factor for me.

11. Kyle Teel, C, Red Sox

Team: J.J. Cooper

The names I was sorting through at 11 were vastly different than they were at pick six. Teel has already reached Double-A and could be an athletic catcher who hits better than most catchers. It’s something I’m happy to land at No. 11.

12. Jung Hoo Lee, OF, Giants

Team: Ben Badler

With the Tier 1 players from the 2023 draft off the board, I’m happy to be able to scoop up Lee with this pick. The bat-to-ball skills and zone control are appealing, though the power is a risk that scouts have questions about. But there are plenty of risk factors on everyone else available here too, and at least with Lee, you’re getting a player at 25 who is ready now with prime years still ahead.

13. Leodalis De Vries, SS, Padres

Team: Geoff Pontes

While De Vries didn’t earn the top bonus in the 2024 international signing class, he is considered the top talent heading into the season. The top hitters in the class over the last few seasons have provided immediate value to dynasty managers, whether as a shiny trade chip or a hold-worthy ascending asset. The switch-hitting De Vries is noted for his hitting ability and advanced feel for the barrel.

14. Aidan Miller, 3B, Phillies

Team: Matt Eddy

Miller is 19 years old and already 6-foot-2, 210 pounds, so this pick is more about production than projection. He had some of the best power among preps in the 2023 class and showed encouraging feel to hit in a brief pro debut. He has a chance to progress quickly, similar to fellow 19-year-old high school first-rounders Brett Baty and Colson Montgomery.

15. Tommy Troy, SS, D-backs

Team: Dylan White

Prior to their professional debuts, Matt Shaw and Troy were viewed as closer in value. But in a small sample, Shaw reached Double-A and seems to have emerged on top. I think they are closer than they appear and am happy to draft Troy here.

16. Brayden Taylor, 2B, Rays

Team: J.J. Cooper

I really believe in Taylor’s bat, and the Rays’ proclivity for developing multi-positional players means he’ll likely see time at second and third base. I debated going with him or Rhett Lowder here.

17. Rhett Lowder, RHP, Reds

Team: Ben Badler

Lowder is a polished college pitcher with the mix of stuff and pitchability that should help put him on a faster track to the big leagues. His upside seems to get overlooked as well. He has a chance to have an Aaron Nola type of career if things break right.

18. Hurston Waldrep, RHP, Braves

Team: Geoff Pontes

Based on our FYPD rankings, Waldrep fell the most in our internal mock, dropping from No. 9 to 18. With a mid-90s cut-fastball, slider and signature splitter, Waldrep has a starter’s arsenal and build. The lingering question is whether or not he’ll consistently command the ball. In his pro debut, Waldrep made a start at all four full-season levels and struck out 33.3% of batters while walking 13% in 29.1 innings. With a short path to the majors and an opportunity to contribute for a contender, I’ll take the price check on Waldrep to the bank.

19. Walker Martin, SS, Giants

Team: Matt Eddy

Martin fell to the second round but signed for late–first round money. His exciting blend of power, instincts and athleticism flies a bit under the radar because he sat out his first pro summer with lower back tightness. But Martin has a chance to impact games on both sides of the ball as a shortstop or third baseman. Worth noting: Martin was old for his high school class and will play this season at age 20.

20. Brock Wilken, 3B, Brewers

Team: Dylan White

Wilken has raw power that his pro debut suggests will eventually manifest in games. In a 34-game stint at High-A Wisconsin, he had a plus 90th percentile exit velocity and plus barrel rate, all while chasing less than 20% of the time. That last rate was one standard deviation less frequently than the average for the level. Wilken gets a bump in OBP leagues.

21. Enrique Bradfield Jr., OF, Orioles

Team: J.J. Cooper

Bradfield has exceptional speed and plus-plus defense in center field. I’m a little more hesitant about how his bat will develop, but at pick 21 this feels like solid value.

22. Kevin McGonigle, SS, Tigers

Team: Ben Badler

McGonigle is one of the elite pure hitters in the 2023 high school class. He doesn’t have the other tools that players like Walker Jenkins or his now-teammate Max Clark offer, but he barrels the ball as consistently as just about any high school player in last year’s draft.

23. Nolan Schanuel, 1B, Angels

Team: Geoff Pontes

While I’ve been a skeptic of Schanuel’s profile, at this point in the draft, the Angels first baseman is as close to a sure thing as there is. After Brock Wilken was off the board, Schanuel was my next logical choice. I cannot tell you if he will find the power he flashed in his draft season at FAU, but I do believe in his ability to hit for average and get on base. That ensures playing time at the top of the Angels’ lineup.

24. Dillon Head, OF, Padres

Team: Matt Eddy

For a 2023 draft class touted for its elite college prospects, the wealth of high school hitting talent impressed me. I have leaned into the demographic in various FYPDs, including this mock draft. Head is an athletic center fielder with outstanding speed and a good plan at the plate. His power production is TBD, but if Head develops into an above-average hitter in pro ball, then his speed and up-the-middle profile make him fantasy-friendly.

25. Arjun Nimmala, SS, Blue Jays

Team: Dylan White

Being young for his class buoyed Nimmala in draft models, and the Blue Jays were happy to draft him 20th overall. He offers power projection and a patient approach.

26. Yariel Rodriguez, RHP, Blue Jays

Team: J.J. Cooper

I think there is a value to proximity, even in dynasty leagues. If you take a 16- or 17-year-old, you have to carry him on a roster for years before you get a payoff. With the sure-fire bets off the board, I’m happy to take a Japanese league and World Baseball Classic veteran who should be ready to help now.

27. Noble Meyer, RHP, Marlins

Team: Ben Badler

If you’re looking for a potential frontline starter, there’s no better bet in the 2023 high school class—and few better bets in the draft overall outside Paul Skenes—than Meyer. He has a starter look with a high-octane fastball and a wipeout slider from a strike-thrower who should miss a lot of bats. We could be talking about him in a couple years the way we’re talking about Tigers righthander Jackson Jobe right now.

28. George Lombard Jr., SS, Yankees

Team: Geoff Pontes

Lombard is one of the better values in FYPDs this offseason. The Yankees’ first-round pick has MLB bloodlines—his father George Sr. spent parts of six seasons in the big leagues—and plenty of projection remaining in his 6-foot-4 frame. Lombard showed a keen eye at the plate to go along with average contact skills and above-average exit velocity for his age and level. Lombard earned above-average grades or higher on all five tools.

29. Jacob Wilson, SS, Athletics

Team: Matt Eddy

Wilson struck out just five times as a Grand Canyon junior, while hitting .412 in the Western Athletic Conference. Power is a huge question for Wilson, whose focus in pro ball will be adding muscle, improving his baserunning and turning a few doubles into home runs. Wilson will always be hit-over-power, but his strong shortstop glove will keep him in the MLB lineup as his fantasy managers hope for at least 15 homers and 15 steals.

30. Tai Peete, SS, Mariners

Team: Dylan White

An elite athlete in the Mariners’ hitting-development program, Peete was a bit overwhelmed in Low-A as a 17-year-old. But before that he made short work of the Arizona Complex League. I’m betting on his athleticism and organization.

Addendum

Erick Fedde, RHP, White Sox

When last we saw Fedde in an MLB setting, he was throwing a sinker, curveball and cutter with limited success. He ran up a 5.81 ERA in 27 starts for the 107-loss Nationals in 2022. While the 31-year-old Fedde’s supporting cast may not be much better in 2024—he signed with the White Sox for two years and $15 million—his repertoire has been enhanced with a splitter and sweeper. He is coming off an MVP season in Korea in which he went 20-6 with a 2.00 ERA and 209 strikeouts in 180.1 innings. For every Merrill Kelly who comes back from Korea a new pitcher, there may be two Chris Flexens or Josh Lindbloms. Still, at the right price point, it’s worth finding out which version Fedde more closely resembles.

Final FYPD Mock Results

J.J. Cooper

1. Yoshinobu Yamamoto, RHP, Dodgers
6. Paul Skenes, RHP, Pirates
11. Kyle Teel, C, Red Sox
16. Brayden Taylor, 2B, Rays
21. Enrique Bradfield Jr., OF, Orioles
26. Yariel Rodriguez, RHP, Blue Jays

Ben Badler

2. Wyatt Langford, OF, Rangers
7. Max Clark, OF, Tigers
12. Jung Hoo Lee, OF, Giants
17. Rhett Lowder, RHP, Reds
22. Kevin McGonigle, SS, Tigers
27. Noble Meyer, RHP, Marlins

Geoff Pontes

3. Dylan Crews, OF, Nationals
8. Colt Emerson, SS, Mariners
13. Leodalis De Vries, SS, Padres
18. Hurston Waldrep, SS, Braves
23. Nolan Schanuel, 1B, Angels
28. George Lombard Jr., SS, Yankees

Matt Eddy

4. Walker Jenkins, OF, Twins
9. Bryce Eldridge, 1B, Giants
14. Aidan Miller, 3B, Phillies
19. Walker Martin, SS, Giants
24. Dillon Head, OF, Padres
29. Jacob Wilson, SS, Athletics

Dylan White

5. Matt Shaw, SS, Cubs
10. Shota Imanaga, LHP, Cubs
15. Tommy Troy, SS, Cubs
20. Brock Wilken, 3B, Brewers
25. Arjun Nimmala, SS, Blue Jays
30. Tai Peete, SS, Mariners