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Analysis of five third base fantasy baseball targets to draft in the late rounds. Potential 2024 fantasy baseball sleepers and undervalued 3B to target in drafts.
Welcome officially to the 2024 fantasy baseball season! Late-round picks in fantasy baseball can often be the difference between a mediocre team and a championship contender. While it's easy to get caught up in the excitement of selecting big-name players early in the draft, finding those hidden gems in the later rounds is equally essential. As a fantasy manager, it's crucial to do your due diligence and research these overlooked players' statistics, injury history, and current team situation. While taking a chance on a player based on a hunch or a cool name may seem appealing, making informed decisions that increase your chances of success is the wiser strategy. With careful consideration and some luck, these late-round picks could be the key to unlocking your team's full potential.
Today, we're looking at some late-round third base options for you to consider drafting in your season-long leagues this season. Are their ADPs undervalued? Will they make significant fantasy contributions and become a priority late-round draft target? Read on to see our take.
Our editors have hand-picked these specific MLB players for your draft prep enjoyment. Usually only available to Premium subscribers, the five outlooks below are meant to give you a taste of the in-depth analysis you receive with our industry-leading 2024 Draft Kit. Be sure to subscribe today to start reading all of our in-depth 2024 player outlooks and many other premium articles and tools, including Team Sync, the Live Draft Sync assistant, Custom Rankings Service, and so much more – available exclusively in our 2024 Draft Kit.
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Michael Busch, Chicago Cubs
Infielder Michael Busch was traded from the Los Angeles Dodgers to the Chicago Cubs this offseason. Most of his playing time with the Dodgers came at the hot corner, but he's expected to be moved to first base with his new club in 2024 because his glove isn't exactly his strong suit. Busch made his major league debut in 2023 in L.A. and went 12-for-72 (.167) with two homers, seven RBI, and 27 strikeouts in 27 games played. It remains to be seen if the 26-year-old left-handed hitter's bat can produce enough at the big-league level to make him a valuable corner-infield option for fantasy managers.
The former first-rounder mashed to the tune of .323/.431/.618 with a 1.049 OPS and 27 home runs in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League in 2023, but he only had two of his 27 homers against lefties, making him potentially vulnerable to a platoon role in Chicago. The trade to the Windy City will give Busch more of an opportunity to play in his rookie season, but expecting him to contribute in shallow-mixed fantasy leagues right away would be a mistake. ATC is projecting Busch to hit .236/.316/.409 with 13 home runs, 47 RBI, and 47 runs scored in 398 plate appearances in his first year with the Cubbies.
-- Keith Hernandez - RotoBaller
Colt Keith, Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers infield prospect Colt Keith was arguably the minor league's best player in the 2023 season. In his age-21 season, Keith made his presence felt right out of the gate, hitting .325 with 14 home runs, 18 doubles, two triples, and a .976 OPS across 59 games at Double-A Erie. He would follow that up with a .287 average alongside 13 home runs, 20 doubles, a triple, and a .890 OPS across 67 games and 301 trips to the plate at Triple-A Toledo. Despite his fantastic campaign, Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris did not pull the trigger on a promotion to the big leagues.
However, with holes at both second and third base, the two positions Keith is capable of playing, the Tigers have little choice but to take Keith north with them out of spring training. His defense will remain a work in progress, but the 2020 fifth-round pick has forced his way into the big leagues with his bat. He is a dynasty league darling and a solid late-round look with second-base eligibility in redraft leagues.
-- Brenton Kemp - RotoBaller
Junior Caminero, Tampa Bay Rays
Mashing 31 home runs in 2023 across 117 games, Tampa Rays top prospect Junior Caminero posted elite exit velocities, reaching 111 mph on his 90th percentile exit velocity, which would rank in the top five among all hitters in baseball. The power is evident to all fields, and he can hit opposite-field home runs with the flick of his wrist. The contact skills are average, as Caminero posted a contact rate north of 73 percent and a zone contact rate north of 80 percent.
He will not be a .324 hitter like we saw in the minors, but he can be a .270+ hitter consistently. The bat speed and barrel control allow Caminero to make adjustments on the fly in his swing and cover the zone well without expanding it too often. With regular playing time in Tampa, the 20-year-old will start the season in the minors but should get the call to The Show soon. Caminero has a legitimate chance to mash 25-plus home runs (ATC projects Caminero to hit 22 homers) in 2024 with a solid batting average and counting stats.
-- Chris Clegg - RotoBaller
Maikel Garcia, Kansas City Royals
Kansas City Royals infielder Maikel Garcia is looking to build on a solid rookie season in 2023. Garcia hit .272 with four home runs, 50 RBI, 20 doubles, four triples, and 23 stolen bases last year. The 23-year-old did a little bit of everything, and while his home run numbers might not be there, he can be extremely valuable in all formats. There's also reason to believe a better season could be in store.
His average exit velocity (91.8 mph), hard-hate rate (50.6%), and sweet spot rate (36.9%) all ranked in the top half of the league in 2023. If you need a deep sleeper in your drafts (NFBC ADP 226), take a chance on Garcia, who has also been hitting the ball well in spring training. Garcia has Kansas City's third base job locked down and is slashing .333/.444/.667 with two home runs, six RBI, three runs, and a stolen base over nine games this spring.
-- Joey Pollizze - RotoBaller
Coby Mayo, Baltimore Orioles
In a system that is loaded with talent, it is easy to get overshadowed, and that is the case for the Baltimore Orioles third baseman Coby Mayo. The 2020 fourth-round pick has done nothing but mash and consistently improve. He is coming off a 2023 season that saw him hit 29 home runs and 77 extra-base hits between AA and AAA.
It was not just empty power as Mayo slashed .290/.410/.564, showing strong contact and plate discipline skills. Mayo makes enough contact when you consider the quality of the contact, checking in with a 74 percent clip while making contact on pitches in the zone at an 83 percent rate. He also posts low chase rates and is a selective hitter.
The power is massive, and Mayo posted an average exit velocity of 92 mph to pair with a near 107 mph 90th percentile, putting the power in the plus or better range. The performance was extremely strong, considering Mayo spent the year as a 21-year-old. How Mayo fits in the Orioles' crowded infield is the biggest question. Considering he already got 267 Triple-A plate appearances under his belt in 2023, it seems possible that we see Mayo in Baltimore by midseason.
-- Chris Clegg - RotoBaller
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