RADIO
Ke'Bryan Hayes is a third base fantasy baseball draft sleeper, and an ADP draft value for 2024. Target Hayes as an undervalued 3B in fantasy baseball drafts.
BALLER MOVE: Target in drafts ~pick 144
CURRENT ADP: ~188
ANALYSIS: We’ve yet to see a full season (150-plus games) out of Ke'Bryan Hayes but breakout signs are emerging.
The 27-year-old brought his strikeout rate down for a second straight year while bumping his ISO to .182 from .101 in ‘22. His average exit velocity gained another tick and his fly-ball rate jumped by more than 10 percentage points. He particularly loved facing southpaws (.847 OPS, .238 ISO, 120 wRC+) but held his own against right-handers (.721, .156, 92). The overall point is that his bat is still climbing.
And why shouldn’t it be? A wrist injury plagued his 2021 season and then he played through a back injury for much of 2022. Pittsburgh played it safe with two IL stints in ‘23 due to lower back inflammation. But his healthy stretch run in August/September saw him hit .299 with 10 HRs.
There is a 20-25 HR bat in here. I will note he only attempted two swipes after the IL visits after going 9-for-14 in the first half. A healthy Hayes could punch the ball and feel comfortable running en route to a 20/15/.275 campaign near pick 200. Such a finish would yield roughly 4-5 rounds of profit.
Golden and Grand. pic.twitter.com/OmEQoOe9C1
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) February 27, 2024
More Fantasy Baseball Draft Values and Sleepers
Chandler Simpson - Fantasy Baseball Prospects Waiver Wire Stashes (Week 12)
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ team leagues CALL-UP ETA: July ANALYSIS: Unlike many players currently in the minor leagues, Chandler Simpson has proven he can be a valuable fantasy player at the MLB level. In his time in the majors, he hit .285 with 19 stolen bases in 35 games. Unfortunately, being a valuable fantasy player […]
Brady House - Fantasy Baseball Prospects Waiver Wire Stashes (Week 12)
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12-team leagues CALL-UP ETA: June ANALYSIS: The Nationals went viral on social media this week for making a fun call-up. They called up their bat dog from Triple-A. While this was very cute and should improve the vibes a little bit in Washington, I don't think Bruce the Bat Dog will help […]
Samuel Basallo - Fantasy Baseball Prospects Waiver Wire Stashes (Week 12)
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12-team leagues CALL-UP ETA: June ANALYSIS: Samuel Basallo might be the best hitter in the minors right now, and he has catcher eligibility. What more do you need to know (I know catcher is super deep this year, but still)? Basallo has been an age-to-level monster for the majority of his pro […]
Andrew Painter - Fantasy Baseball Prospects Waiver Wire Stashes (Week 12)
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12-team leagues CALL-UP ETA: June ANALYSIS: Painter's last two starts don't give a ton of confidence that he is ready to be in the majors. It may not even be before the All-Star break before we see him, but that does not mean we are in stash territory. The good news is, […]
Colby Thomas - Fantasy Baseball Prospects Waiver Wire Stashes (Week 12)
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ team leagues CALL-UP ETA: July ANALYSIS: The A's continue to lose, and Colby Thomas continues to hit homers in Triple-A. The A's just got swept by the Angels, bringing their record to 26-44. While plays like Denzel Clarke's HR robbery can generate a spark for a team, the A's might need […]
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!
Check out RotoBaller's entire fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups and sleepers list, updated daily!
