Well-Known Fantasy Baseball Players - Drop, Hold, or Sell Low? (Week 9)

Joey Pollizze discusses five well-known fantasy baseball hitters who are off to slow starts in 2024. He looks at whether it's time to drop or hold these players.

Welcome, RotoBallers, to our second edition of drop, hold, or sell low in fantasy baseball. In this article, I will look at five well-known fantasy baseball players whom fantasy managers drafted with confidence earlier this year and determine what to do with them following a slow start.

For the sake of this article, I will try not to repeat players from last week. If you missed last week's article, my colleague looked at players like George Springer, Bo Bichette, and Paul Goldschmidt. So, go check that out if you don't know what to do with those players in fantasy.

While those players won't be on this list, there will still be plenty of big names to discuss below. So, without further ado, here's what fantasy managers should do with these five players.

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OF, Corbin Carroll - Arizona Diamondbacks

After a historic rookie campaign -- which saw Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Corbin Carroll hit 25 home runs with 76 RBI, 30 doubles, 10 triples, and 54 stolen bases -- the 23-year-old has not been able to replicate those numbers in 2024. As a matter of fact, Carroll has been one of the worst hitters in baseball in the early going.

He is hitting just .191 with two HRs, 14 RBI, and five doubles. What's even worse is that Carroll's .550 OPS ranks 158th so far this season. It has been a rough start for the young outfielder, and there isn't a whole lot of optimism that he can turn it around.

Caught 'em sleeping. 😴 pic.twitter.com/Px5cHq4AMN

— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) May 19, 2024

His expected batting average (.236), expected slugging (.344), average exit velocity (86.9 mph), and hard-hit rate (32.6%) all rank in the bottom half of the league. Carroll has also had a hard time hitting the fastball this year, which is certainly concerning. Last year, he hit .296 with 31 extra-base hits on that pitch. However, he is batting a mere .183 with 24 strikeouts against the fastball in 2024.

It hasn't been fun rostering the Diamondbacks outfielder this season, but holding him is likely the best move for fantasy managers right now. If you can get a couple of nice players in return, I'd strongly consider trading him away. But you likely won't get much value in return, considering his slow start. That's why keeping him might be the right move. You just have to hope that the 2023 version of Carroll shows up at some point.

3B, Alex Bregman - Houston Astros

It was around this point last year that fantasy managers panicked and traded away Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman. Bregman had a .204 average with four HRs, four doubles, and 16 RBI across the first 40 games of the season. However, over the final 121 games, the slugging third baseman hit a solid .281 with 21 HRs, 24 doubles, and 82 RBI.

So, it's fair to assume that Bregman will eventually pick things up at the plate like he did last season. He might be hitting just .213 with four HRs and 19 RBI in 2024 so far, but this is a player who will wind up with at least a .250 average, 25 HRs, and 90 RBI. That's why fantasy managers shouldn't be getting rid of him yet. 

Of course, the slow start hasn't been great for fantasy managers. Nonetheless, expect Bregman to heat up at the plate soon. His hot streak started on May 22 last year, so we could see him go on a tear in the coming days. Fantasy managers should be holding the Astros third baseman in fantasy.

OF, Evan Carter - Texas Rangers

Like so many fantasy managers, I had high hopes for Texas Rangers outfielder Evan Carter heading into the year. He was coming off a season in which he hit .306 with five HRs and 12 RBI across 23 regular-season games. Even in 17 postseason games, Carter went 18-for-60 at the plate (.300 average) with one home run and six RBI. As a result, the left-handed slugger was going to be a steal at his preseason ADP in fantasy drafts.

However, that hasn't exactly been the case. Carter is hitting .205 in the early going with five HRs and 15 RBI across 40 games and just came off a back injury that caused him to miss a week of action. Even worse is the fact that the 21-year-old mostly sits against left-handed pitching. 

Yeah they’ve just decided Evan Carter is a platoon player at 21 because of 300 plate appearances against lefties in 4 years.

Don’t love that. https://t.co/2cAEpwhr9q

— Brice Paterik (@BricePaterik) May 18, 2024

All that certainly has the Rangers outfielder trending down in fantasy. His hard-hit rate (33.7%), strikeout rate (25.3%), and average exit velocity (86.2 mph) also rank in the bottom half of the league. However, fantasy managers shouldn't give up on Carter just yet. Rookies/young players tend to go through plenty of ups and downs in their first couple of years. That should be no different for the 21-year-old. He is a strong hold in most formats in fantasy.

2B, Xander Bogaerts - San Diego Padres

San Diego Padres second baseman Xander Bogaerts should be dropped in most fantasy formats. He has looked awful at the plate to start the season and is now dealing with a shoulder injury that is expected to keep him out for multiple weeks. He landed on the 10-day injured list on Wednesday, and Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune said the veteran has a fracture in his left shoulder. 

Xander Bogaerts is going to miss a large part of the season pic.twitter.com/sVYDeJYRKZ

— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) May 22, 2024

That injury is surely a tough blow for a player who has been struggling at the plate in 2024. Bogaerts was hitting just .219 with four HRs, six doubles, and 14 RBI through the first 47 games before his shoulder fracture. Now, the Padres can expect to be without the second baseman for most of the summer. 

Acee said the hope is that Bogaerts can return to the lineup later this summer, but that shouldn't be enough to keep him on your fantasy roster. He wasn't contributing much for fantasy managers, and there's a good chance he is out for at least two months. Drop him now and replace him with a player who can provide value. 

OF, Nick Castellanos - Philadelphia Phillies

When looking at Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Nick Castellanos, two things stick out to me. The first is his proven track record. Castellanos has totaled at least 29 HRs and 100 RBI in two of the past three seasons, which has made him a reliable fantasy option. The second is the offense that he is in. Hitting in the sixth spot in the Phillies lineup should lead to many solid fantasy days.

Casty gets us on the board early 🙌 pic.twitter.com/iAdyyYZunR

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) May 7, 2024

Now, Castellanos is certainly not off to a great start in 2024, which is the reason why he is on this list. He is batting .202 with four HRs, three doubles, and 19 RBI in the first 49 games. But, despite the slow start, it's hard to give up on the Phillies outfielder just yet due to his upside in this offense.

That's why I am holding Castellanos in most cases. It's hard to let go of a player who will potentially hit over 25 HRs and drive in at least 100 runs. Yes, the veteran has struggled in 2024, but when he gets hot, he is unstoppable at the plate. The 12-year veteran should eventually figure things out at the plate.

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