X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Breakout Hitters Watch for Fantasy Baseball - Leody Taveras, Riley Greene, Seiya Suzuki

Leody Taveras - Fantasy Baseball Rankings, Waiver Wire Pickups, Draft Sleepers

Jon Anderson looks at fantasy baseball breakout hitters, risers, and potential sleepers for the rest of the fantasy baseball season, written in Week 10 of the season. He looks into Statcast data to identify hitter breakouts.

It's Wednesday, so we have a handful more fantasy baseball breakout hitter picks for you. This post has been a lot of fun for me to write every week, and I hope some people out there are enjoying it!

If you're new here, every week I give 4-6 hitter names that seem to have sustainable improved production this season. Most of these names will be young hitters because that is the nature of a breakout. There will be exceptions from time-to-time as well as I give you more well-known and well-established names that seem to have made a change to their profile this year.

For full transparency, I also track the picks every week, so you can go back and see who I picked. There will be some misses, but hopefully, we'll have enough hits to make this a worthwhile endeavor. I'll give you the tracker first and then we'll get into the four names we're picking for this week.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy baseball lineup tools and resources:

 

2023 Breakout Picks Tracker

Week Date Breakout Picks
Week 3 4/12 Logan O'Hoppe, Miguel Vargas, Nolan Gorman, Josh Lowe, Brandon Marsh
Week 4 4/19 Jarred Kelenic, Ian Happ, Luis Garcia, Kerry Carpenter, Brent Rooker
Week 5 4/26 Jack Suwinski, James Outman, Nico Hoerner, LaMonte Wade Jr., Cody Bellinger
Week 6 5/2 Masataka Yoshida, Jarren Duran, Jonah Heim, Edward Olivares, Jorge Mateo
Week 7 5/9 Ezequiel Duran, Triston Casas, Joey Gallo, Zach McKinstry, Ke'Bryan Hayes
Week 8 5/16 Alex Kirilloff, Matt McLain, Zach Neto, Taylor Walls
Week 9 5/23 Josh Jung, Brett Baty, Ryan Noda, Esteury Ruiz

Week 10 Picks

Leody Taveras, Texas Rangers

As if the Rangers needed any more offensive help, they're getting breakout campaigns from a couple of formerly promising young hitters. Ezequiel Duran was mentioned on this post weeks ago and he continues to hit well with a .301/.340/.515 slash line.

Joining the party recently has been Taveras, who was a hyped-up prospect a few seasons ago but so far has struggled to a .244/.299/.364 slash line in his big league career (221 games).

In 2023, however, he is slashing .321/.381/.450 with two homers and five steals across 156 PAs. He has never been thought of as a guy with real raw power, so we aren't focused much on getting dingers and RBI from him -- that does lower the ceiling a bit.

However, Taveras has had big improvements this year in the categories we really like to see improvements:

Stat 2021 2022 2023
K% 32% 26% 20%
BB% 5% 6% 9%
xBA .194 .218 .270
EV 85 87 89
GB% 55% 45% 48%

Way fewer strikeouts, hitting the ball harder, and managing the ground ball. This guy has wheels, so any line drive can turn into extra bases easily, and he's hitting a good amount of line drives this year. All of that plus the Rangers' elite offense has bolstered him to scoring 25 runs and driving in 20 already, good for a full-season pace of 100 runs and 80 RBI.

He's also attempted steals at a high rate of 17%, showcasing the fact that more steals will be on their way once he finds more opportunities. Taveras can be a sneaky good fantasy option, and he's widely available right now.

Riley Greene, Detroit Tigers

Things may have clicked for Greene in late April. He has been one of the best hitters in baseball during the month of May, putting up a .368/.439/.579 slash line with three homers and a great 11.6% Brl%.

The things Greene needed to improve on coming into 2023 were pretty clear -- strike out less and elevate the ball more.

Early on, it didn't look like he had made any improvement from 2022 in these areas. On April 24, he sat there with a 36% K% and a 58% GB% -- completely debilitating numbers for your fantasy value. Since that day, however, he's gone for a 23% K% and a 48% GB% -- huge improvements in both areas.

Those improvements have helped him put many more balls into play, and they're going in the air at a higher rate as well.

May Hard Hit Rate Leaders with K% Under 25%

Player PA HH% K%
Bryan Reynolds 104 61.3% 18.3%
Matt Olson 120 60.6% 24.2%
Juan Soto 103 60.3% 17.5%
Yordan Alvarez 105 60.0% 18.1%
J.D. Davis 101 59.7% 24.8%
Salvador Perez 97 58.6% 24.7%
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. 99 56.5% 24.2%
Riley Greene 107 55.1% 24.3%
Freddie Freeman 118 55.1% 16.1%
Andrew Vaughn 108 55.0% 19.4%

It's possible that these last few weeks have been flukey and he'll eventually go back to his old ways. But it's more than early enough in this guy's career to believe there was an on-switch to find and that he found it this year. Either way, Greene should be added and started in almost all league types right now as he's been among the game's best hitters for several weeks now.

Seiya Suzuki

We saw Suzuki flirt with greatness early last year when he debuted in the majors. He came out strong, limiting strikeouts and racking up a ton of barrels. That didn't last very long, however, as the league adjusted to him a bit and injuries really hampered his rookie campaign.

It didn't help that he had a late start to the 2023 campaign as well with a spring injury that cost him a few weeks, and he started off quite slow after his debut.

However, Suzuki is healthy, in the lineup everyday, and hitting the ball extremely well. Only 11 hitters can say they meet this criterion this year:

  • 150+ PA
  • Hard-Hit Rate above 50%
  • Strikeout Rate below 25%
  • Barrel Rate above 9%

Those names, in order of their PA count:

  1. Juan Soto
  2. Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
  3. Yandy Diaz
  4. Bryan Reynolds
  5. Paul Goldschmidt
  6. Yordan Alvarez
  7. Ronald Acuna Jr.
  8. Adolis Garcia
  9. Rafael Devers
  10. Randy Arozarena
  11. Seiya Suzuki

If we were redrafting today, Suzuki would probably go several rounds behind the rest of those names. But he's been rightfully in the conversation with those names.

In May, Suzuki slashed .298/.400/.548 with a 24% K% and a 15% BB% with five homers and a steal. His 90th percentile exit velocity is way up there at 107.2 miles per hour, and he's lived quite nicely in the 10-30 degree range in terms of launch angle.

Suzuki looks like one of the game's better power hitters (although that could err on the doubles side slightly more than homers), and he can give us at least a decent batting average with a few steals in there as well -- a very solid player with tons of upside.

I'm cutting it short at three names this week. There aren't too many other hitters I feel confident about right now that we haven't already talked about. But I like these three guys a lot and I think you should go get your hands on them if possible. Thanks for reading, we'll be back next week with more!



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy baseball app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, sleepers, prospects & more. All free!



More Fantasy Baseball Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Roman Anthony

"High Probability" Roman Anthony Lands on Injured List
Justin Thomas

Making Fourth Ryder Cup Team Appearance at Bethpage
Ben Griffin

Making First Career Ryder Cup Appearance at Bethpage
Bryson DeChambeau

Set to be Part of Team USA at Bethpage
Jason Adam

to Undergo Season-Ending Surgery
Roman Anthony

Will Undergo MRI on Wednesday
Santi Aldama

Bags Double-Double in Losing Effort
Guerschon Yabusele

Erupts for 36 Points Against Poland
Luka Dončić

Luka Doncic Leads Slovenia Into Next Round at EuroBasket
San Antonio Spurs

Stanley Umude Signs Training Camp Deal With Spurs
Reece Beekman

Joins Magic for Training Camp
Justin Minaya

Signs Exhibit 10 Deal With Magic
Travis Hunter

Jaguars List Travis Hunter as Starting Wide Receiver, Backup Cornerback
Kyle Tucker

Leaves With Calf Tightness on Tuesday
Alexandre Sarr

to Miss Rest of EuroBasket
Max Scherzer

Blue Jays Confident Max Scherzer Will Make Saturday Start Despite Back Tightness
Roman Anthony

Leaves Early With Back Injury
Jared McCain

"On Pace" for Training Camp
Lourdes Gurriel Jr.

Done for the Year With Torn ACL
Luke Hughes

Devils Optimistic About Signing Luke Hughes
Martin Fehérváry

Martin Fehervary on Track to Be Ready for Training Camp
Dylan Holloway

Good to Go for Start of Season
Nick Kurtz

Back in Action on Tuesday
Josh Morrissey

Fully Healthy for Start of Season
Dennis Hildeby

Signs Three-Year Extension With Maple Leafs
Nick Lodolo

Scratched With Illness
Dalton Kincaid

Role Not Expected to Grow?
Quinshon Judkins

Zero Chance Quinshon Judkins Plays Against Bengals?
Najee Harris

Says He's Expecting to Play Against Chiefs
Adolis García

Adolis Garcia Departs Monday with Quad Injury
Franz Wagner

Collects Double-Double in Blowout Win
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Achieves Rare Numbers at EuroBasket
Nikola Vučević

Nikola Vucevic Dominates Against Sweden
Stefon Diggs

Expected to Suit Up in Week 1
Kristaps Porzingis

Finding Form at EuroBasket
Nikola Jović

Nikola Jovic Suffers Minor Injury at EuroBasket
DJ Moore

Bears Experimenting with DJ Moore in Backfield
Rome Odunze

Could Move All Around the Offense
Carolina Panthers

Dave Canales Comfortable With Panthers' Young Receivers
Quinshon Judkins

Not Considering NCAA Return
Dallas Goedert

Healthy for Week 1
Marvin Mims Jr.

Returns to Practice Monday
Lourdes Gurriel Jr.

Carted Off Monday With Knee Injury
Jason Adam

Diagnosed With Ruptured Left Quadriceps Tendon
Victor Wembanyama

Looking "Quite Stellar"
Fernando Tatis Jr.

Scratched on Monday
Matthew Stafford

Expected to Start in Week 1
Edward Cabrera

Heading to Injured List With Elbow Sprain
Najee Harris

Cleared for Contact, Could Play in Week 1
Denny Hamlin

Ends Eventful Day at Darlington in Seventh Place
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Almost Earns a Top-Five Finish at Darlington
John Hunter Nemechek

has His Best 2025 Performance at Darlington
Ryan Blaney

Has An Underwhelming Performance At Darlington
Josh Berry

Crashes Early and Suffers A Playoff Setback at Darlington
Harry Ford

Called Up for Major-League Debut
Victor Scott II

Activated From Injured List
Fernando Tatis Jr.

Dealing With Hamstring Tightness, Expects to Play Monday
Giannis Antetokounmpo

"Staying in Milwaukee"
Thanasis Antetokounmpo

Agrees to a One-Year Contract with Milwaukee
Kyrie Irving

"Healing Up Great"
Dante Exum

Mavs Agree on a One-Year Deal
Jaylen Warren

Agrees to Two-Year Extension With Steelers
De'Von Achane

Practicing Monday, on Track to Play in Week 1
Quinshon Judkins

Could Report to Browns This Week
Kansas City Chiefs

Chiefs, Trent McDuffie Not Expected to Finalize Extension
Chase Elliott

Under Playoff Pressure After 17th-Place Darlington Finish
Kyle Larson

Despite Hendrick Mediocrity, Kyle Larson Remains Pretty Safe in Playoffs
Alex Bowman

Opening-Lap Crash and Botched Pit Stop May Have Sunk Alex Bowman's Playoff Hopes
Erik Jones

Darlington Master Erik Jones Comes Up Short but Still Finishes Third
AJ Allmendinger

A.J. Allmendinger Impresses at Southern 500
Dameon Pierce

Ahead of Schedule, Ready for Season
Jordan Love

May Wear Thumb Brace During Season
Chicago Bears

Bears Head Coach Admits Offense Could Face Learning Curve
Matt Chapman

Leaves Early on Sunday, Expects to Play Monday
A.J. Brown

Says He'll Be Active For Season Opener
Luis Garcia

to Make Season Debut on Monday
Max Scherzer

Exits Due to Back Tightness
Taylor Ward

Exits Early After Collison
Daniel Suarez

is A DFS Risk for Darlington Lineups?
Noah Gragson

Should Fantasy Managers Roster Noah Gragson for Darlington?
Ty Dillon

is an Excellent Punt Option for Darlington DFS Lineups
Bogdan Bogdanović

Bogdan Bogdanovic to Miss the Rest of EuroBasket
Denny Hamlin

Picking Up Where He Left Off At Darlington
Kyle Larson

The Sky Is The Limit for Kyle Larson at Darlington
Ryan Blaney

a Strong DFS Play at Darlington This Weekend
Tyler Reddick

Shouldn't Be Overlooked at Darlington This Weekend
Alex Bowman

An Easy Place-Differential Play in DFS This Weekend
Ty Gibbs

Could Be Strong at Darlington This Weekend
Erik Jones

Has Best Darlington Qualifying Effort Since Last Win
Zane Smith

Hopeful For Another Solid Run At Darlington
Dallas Mavericks

Olivier-Maxence Prosper Waived by the Mavs
Lauri Markkanen

Dominant in Win Over Great Britain

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP