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Welcome RotoBallers to our salary cap league strategy article targeting hitters with an average auction value (AAV) of under $10.
In the salary cap draft format, fantasy baseball managers are not bound by the rules and structure of the snake draft. The ability to put your money towards the players you prefer feels liberating. The freedom of roster construction in a salary-cap league comes with the added challenge of being financially responsible. You won't be able to fill your roster with the hyped superstars, but if you bid shrewdly on targets under $10, you'll find that you'll have paved a smooth road to the fantasy baseball championship.
In this article, we will target the hitters with average auction values of less than $10 that should offer the most value. In this price range, plenty of standout hitters are still on the board. Be sure to check out the article for pitchers under $10.
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Christian Encarnacion-Strand (1B, CIN) - $9
While it took a couple of months for him to get up to the majors in 2023, Christian Encarnacion-Strand turned in a fine debut season. Through 63 games, the rookie slashed .270/.328/.477 with 13 home runs, 37 RBI, 29 runs, and two stolen bases.
ATC projects him to produce at roughly the same rate in 2024, projected to slash .266/.325/.491 with 26 home runs, 79 RBI, 66 runs, and three stolen bases through 125 games. He's also off to a torrid start in Spring Training, with three home runs and a 1.087 OPS through his first 10 games. Now that Cincinnati's infielder surplus issue has been nullified after the suspension of Noelvi Marte, Encarnacion-Strand should be in line for regular at-bats this season.
With no playing time concerns and few weaknesses in his offensive game, the 24-year-old's $9 AAV makes him a bonafide steal.
Vinnie Pasquantino (1B, KC) - $8
A mid-season call-up in 2022 and a shoulder injury midway through the 2023 season have robbed us of Vinnie Pasquantino's full power, so this may be the year we see the Pas-Quatch unleashed.
He's the complete package as a hitter, possessing elite plate discipline, impressive contact skill, and huge power. His plate discipline is among the best in the league, with an 11.9% strikeout rate and 17.4% whiff rate in 2023 putting him above the MLB's 90th percentile for those marks. He's also been one of the better contact hitters in the league, with an 84% contact rate, 37.8% sweet-spot rate, and .282 xBA in 2023. And while his lack of plate appearances results in a low home run total, his .454 xSLG and nine home runs through just 61 games show he can produce solid power numbers.
His 2024 full-season projections from ATC look incredible, with the 26-year-old expected to slash .274/.355/.467 with 20 home runs, 76 RBI, 68 runs, and a stolen base through 132 games.
Pasquantino is the type of hitting talent that doesn't stay at an $8 AAV long in fantasy baseball, so take advantage.
Nolan Gorman (2B, STL) - $7
Nolan Gorman made some decent strides in his second season, slashing .236/.328/.478 with 27 home runs, 76 RBI, 59 runs, and seven stolen bases through 464 plate appearances. With his 116 wRC+ against right-handed pitchers and 130 wRC+ against left-handed pitchers, Gorman has played himself out of a platoon role. With the expectation of an everyday role in 2024, it isn't difficult to imagine the 24-year-old mashing 30+ homers in 2024.
Big-time power is rarely available at a position traditionally possessed by baseball's most diminutive and light-footed, so Gorman's positional eligibility at second base makes him somewhat of a unicorn with his huge power. A unicorn available for just $7? Sign me up!
Nolan Gorman slugged .626 (67 total bases in 107 ABs) with runners in scoring position in the 2023 season, 5th best in MLB. pic.twitter.com/SblQSB3Ymg
— Inside Edge (@IE_MLB) March 13, 2024
Jackson Holliday (SS, BAL) - $5
Though he's the top prospect in all of baseball, expectations still may not be high enough for Jackson Holliday.
He was incredible in the minors last year, slashing .323/.442/.499 line with 12 home runs, 75 RBI, 113 runs, and 24 stolen bases through 125 games across the Single-A, High-A, Double-A, and Triple-A levels.
He's forcing Baltimore's hand this Spring Training, slashing .297/.316/.541 with a home run, five RBI, three runs, and two stolen bases through 12 games. While the top prospect won't be Baltimore's starting second baseman on Opening Day, the blue-chip 20-year-old infielder should be up early enough in the season for him to have a good shot on returning on his $5 AAV.
They picked out a home and called it "Holliday House" pic.twitter.com/KziiXx0TE7
— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) March 10, 2024
Edouard Julien (2B, MIN) - $5
It was a break-out rookie year for Edouard Julien, as he slashed .263/.381/.459 with 16 home runs, 37 RBI, 60 runs, and three stolen bases through 109 games. The Quebec native's 31.4% strikeout rate, 31.4% HR/FB ratio, and .233 xBA signal he may be due for some regression.
However, his 15.7% walk rate and outsized power will remain in the future. ATC projects a .246/.360/.409 line with 16 home runs, 55 RBI, 73 runs, and eight stolen bases through 132 games in 2024, making Julien a good value pick-up at his $5 AAV.
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