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Buying in a dynasty baseball league is a tricky needle to thread. If done right, it can help build a consistent winner with players churned and burned. Buying "low" is often perceived as buying currently injured or struggling players but that is oftentimes foolish as it can burst in your face.
Taking an offseason to evaluate why some players performed poorly and then buying is the best move as we have clearer situations regarding health or other personal struggles. The players that are primarily targeted in this article are in their mid-20s and either coming off an injury-riddled season or were recently demoted despite their recent performance meriting a job in the majors.
For those fantasy managers looking to get an edge on their 2023 dynasty leagues, Kev Mahserejian has the insights needed to help win now and for the long haul.
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2023 Dynasty Baseball - Buys
Seiya Suzuki - OF, Chicago Cubs
With Suzuki out for the time being due to an oblique strain, his cost of acquisition after a disappointing rookie year depresses even further. Suzuki was a prime buy in dynasty and redraft over the offseason due to him getting that first year in a new continent/culture out of the way.
This is typically the issue for many players who come from Asia to the US. They, unlike Latin American players, have not been in a team's system essentially prepping for the MLB their entire adult lives. Suzuki is an extremely talented player who can deliver in all five major fantasy categories and was not categorically "bad" as a rookie, just disappointing given the hype since signing.
With 14 HRs and nine SB in 111 games, Suzuki provides a juicy 20/20 outcome this season with room for more if his oblique fully heals. Regardless if the injury lingers, he is just 28 with plenty of career in the MLB left. Grabbing him now in dynasty is the move even if a breakout occurs next season.
Ryan Mountcastle - 1B, Baltimore Orioles
Mountcastle was one of the MLB's biggest underperformers in 2022. The difference between his expected wOBA and actual wOBA was the highest among all qualified big leaguers and he just turned 26.
A likely culprit for this massive gap in performance is the change in park factor for Baltimore as their outfield walls were moved back last offseason to ease up on their pitchers. Now, Camden Yards plays as a neutral home park (15th) rather than one of the most hitter-friendly confines in baseball.
While the walls are still up, it is reasonable to believe the Baltimore hitters may have a better feel for their home park in Year Two of the renovations. Hitters like Mountcastle can adjust with a full offseason and utilize their naturally gifted power to lift the ball more while mitigating the effects of the aforementioned wall.
Dustin May - SP, Los Angeles Dodgers
With Dustin May now two full seasons removed from his untimely Tommy John surgery, we can hope for not just a return to some semblance of his 2021 performance, but his first 100+ IP season in the majors. May threw 51 total between the MLB and MiLB last season as he had a solid return from injury in his first year.
A 4.21 SIERA and xFIP are not close to excellent but for the sake of looking healthy, May displayed just that as he pitched at least five IP in 5/6 starts and his velocity was just a tick below his usual 99 mph fastball. Durability concerns are valid given his recent track record, but May started his career as somewhat of a workhorse.
- 2017: 134 IP
- 2018: 132.2 IP
- 2019: 141.1 IP
He pitched all of 2020 in the majors and hit a solid mark of 56 IP in the shortened COVID season. A full 150+ IP season for May is unlikely given his shortened run last year and the Dodgers' proclivity to phantom IL players for the long run. If he could hit 125 IP and perform like an above-average starter, that is a huge win and a place to build upon for the 25-year-old fireballer.
Vaughn Grissom - 2B, Atlanta Braves
Buy Vaughn Grissom while he is in the minors. Grissom's fatal flaw is his defense and only at the hardest position to field in baseball. While there is no guarantee that Grissom will wind up at shortstop once recalled by Atlanta, he should return at some point this season depending on how much the team wants to manipulate his service time. Grissom's clock resets mid-June and it would make sense for Atlanta to do it then given the potency of their offense as currently constructed even without Grissom.
Nevertheless, Grissom is a talented bat that already displayed a five-category fantasy upside across 156 PA last season. His five HRs and five SB while batting .291 were superb for anyone who nabbed him off of waivers in the second half. Grissom's minor league numbers are superb at each age relative to the level and he has plenty of his career left given that he just turned 22.
Josh Jung - 3B, Texas Rangers
While Jung's rookie year was quite horrible, we can link the performance to a preseason leg fracture which likely impacted not only his routine and strength but headspace as well. Sports are as much mental and physical. Thus, after suffering a severe injury and returning within the same season, it is fair to assume Jung was far from 100% even if his leg fully healed.
Jung at 23 years old played 50% above the average hitter between Double-A and Triple-A with a K rate that did not crack 23% at any point before or during. His 33% K rate in 2022 between Triple-A and the MLB was unlike him. The former first-round pick was touted across the board prior to his injury and the gaudy stat line can be used to dynasty buyers' advantage as Jung is way too talented a hitter to fail in such fashion.
Other Notable Players To Buy
- Nolan Gorman -2B, St. Louis Cardinals
- Trey Mancini - 1B/OF, Chicago Cubs
- Manuel Margot - OF, Tampa Bay Rays
- Ramon Laureano - OF, Oakland Athletics
- Bailey Ober - SP, Minnesota Twins
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