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Mike Barner looks at some fantasy baseball first-round picks who have yet to hit a home run in 2024.
The first round was loaded with a talented hitting options for fantasy baseball this season. Many of the players at the beginning of the round had a great combination of power and speed. That made for a great base to build a fantasy squad around.
It’s still early in the season, but some of the first-round players are still looking for their first home run. Ronald Acuna Jr., Corbin Carroll, Julio Rodriguez, and Trea Turner have all yet to go deep.
Let’s dig into the slow starts for these four stars and discuss how things might play out for them moving forward.
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Ronald Acuna Jr., Atlanta Braves
Acuna was the top overall pick in most drafts. He was a league-winner in 2023, hitting 41 home runs to go along with his 73 stolen bases. He also batted .337 with a .416 OBP, basically excelling across the board. He stayed healthy, appearing in a career-high 159 games.
One of the reasons for Acuna’s explosion last season is that he reduced his strikeout rate to 11.4 percent, which is well below his career mark of 22.1 percent. He has a 31.0 percent strikeout rate this season, which has contributed to his slow start. On the plus side, he does have a 14.3 percent walk rate.
Ronald Acuña Jr. was called out on strikes with the bases loaded. #Braves' rally fizzles.
I guess file that one under, "Too close to take."
Which I'm here to tell you should never be a thing. pic.twitter.com/ihqA7jW0c8
— Grant McAuley (@grantmcauley) April 6, 2024
Asking Acuna to replicate the stellar numbers that he provided last season is likely unrealistic. However, don’t expect him to continue to strike out at the rate that he has early this year. Look for him to heat up sooner rather than later. The Braves will play 12 of their next 18 games at home, where Acuna had a .261 ISO last season.
Corbin Carroll, Arizona Diamondbacks
Carroll won the Rookie of the Year Award last year by hitting .285 with a .362 OBP, 25 home runs, and 54 stolen bases. He showed an excellent eye at the plate, finishing with just a 19.4 percent strikeout rate. His 40.9 percent hard-hit rate wasn’t off the charts, but with his speed and low strikeout rate, it left him with a high batting average floor.
Caroll is still searching for his first home run this season, but he does have three stolen bases and a .340 OBP. He has only struck out two times over 47 plate appearances, so he’s not exactly having a difficult time making contact. He doesn’t have the power upside that Acuna does, but he should at least surpass 20 home runs again when all is said and done.
Julio Rodriguez, Seattle Mariners
Rodriguez is off to a dreadful start. He is batting just .186 with a .209 slugging percentage. Not only is he still searching for his first home run, but he has no triples and just one double. While his slugging percentage did dip a bit last season to .485, he still smashed 32 home runs and 37 doubles.
WHAT. A. CATCH!
Julio Rodriguez showing off the glove 🔥pic.twitter.com/zoiZPypOEB
— Caesars Sportsbook & Casino (@CaesarsSports) April 2, 2024
It’s worth noting that the Mariners have played seven of their first 11 games at home. Rodriguez hit 18 of his 32 home runs last season on the road. Rodriguez also got off to a slow start in the power department last season, hitting five home runs over 27 games in April. When all is said and done, expect Rodriguez to at least threaten for a second straight 30-30 season.
Trea Turner, Philadelphia Phillies
Turner completes this quartet of stars who has yet to go deep. His struggles in the power department are similar to last season. In his first 18 games, he hit no home runs and only had a .382 slugging percentage. Through the end of May, Turner had hit just five total home runs and produced a .371 slugging percentage.
The good news for those who drafted him was that Turner got hot as the weather warmed up. He finished with 26 home runs, marking his third straight campaign with at least 21 home runs. He also stole at least 30 passes for the sixth time in his career. While he may no longer be the hitter who has a career .296 batting average, another season with at least 20 home runs certainly would not be a surprise.
Conclusion
So, are we panicking over the slow starts for any of these four stars? Simply put, no. These four are all elite fantasy options who should thrive over the course of a long season. Who will be the first to finally go deep? Let’s call our shot with Acuna, who will face Adrian Houser, Jose Quintana, and Luis Severino over the next three games, each of which will be played in Atlanta. Also, look for him to finish the season with the most home runs among this group.
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