La Vida Baseball’s 2019 Fantasy Baseball preview, Part 1 on position players

With Opening Day two weeks away, fantasy baseball drafts are quickly approaching all over the country. Here at La Vida Baseball, we put a different spin on fantasy baseball.

If you’re in a league on Yahoo! or ESPN some players like Javier Báez or Marwin González can be incredibly valuable because they have multiple position availability. However, for the purposes of our list we listed each player at only one position. Be sure to check with your league settings to determine if a player can flex from one spot to another.

For each position we offer our Top 5 Latino fantasy baseball players and one sleeper, which we defined as a player who is ranked outside of the top 10 by most analysts but who could have good value in the coming season. In the outfield we ranked our Top 10 Latino players for this season.

Catcher

1. Gary Sánchez, Yankees
2. Willson Contreras, Cubs
3. Yasmani Grandal, Brewers
4. Wilson Ramos, Mets
5. Yadier Molina, Cardinals
Sleeper: Willians Astudillo, Twins

Backstops are a tough call heading into the 2019 season because our entire Top 5 had issues last year. Ramos and Molina dealt with injuries. Grandal lost his job in the postseason and is switching teams while Sánchez and Contreras are coming off down years.

Based on the lineups around them and their ages, we’re going to stack Sánchez, Contreras and Grandal at the top and look for them to have better offensive seasons. Ramos and Molina will have good offensive teams around them in New York and St. Louis, respectively, and should be the primary catcher for their teams.

One big name missing from this list is Salvador Pérez, who underwent Tommy John surgery last week and will miss the entire 2019 season.

Astudillo is our sleeper because this dude is fun to watch and he can hit. He’s eligible at catcher and third base in most leagues and has shown a terrific eye in the minors. With Joe Mauer retiring in Minnesota it might be time for the 27-year-old rookie to bring his swagger to the Twin Cities.

First Base

1. José Abreu, White Sox
2. Jesús Aguilar, Brewers
3. Edwin Encarnación, Mariners
4. Eric Hosmer, Padres
5. Yuli Gurriel, Astros
Sleeper: Ronald Guzmán, Rangers

White Sox fans are focused on the future, but they have one of the best first basemen in baseball already in Abreu. Although injuries cut short his 2018 season, he’s a lock to drive in 100 runs and hit around 30 home runs if he’s on the field for 150 games.

Aguilar emerged as a strong bat in the middle of the Brewers’ lineup last year. With most of that team coming back this year he’s in a favorable position to repeat that performance. Encarnación is in a new city, but he’ll look to top 100 runs batted in for the seven time in eight years.

Hosmer should benefit from Machado’s arrival in San Diego. Gurriel’s fantasy value will increase both because the Astros weren’t healthy for big parts of last year and Gonzalez won’t be around to steal at-bats from him.

Guzmán came up last year and hit 16 home runs for the Rangers in 428 plate appearances. If you’re in a league that values long balls and RBI, keep him in mind.

Second Base

1. José Ramirez, Indians
2. Javier Báez, Cubs
3. José Altuve, Astros
4. Ozzie Albies, Braves
5. Adalberto Mondesi, Royals
Sleeper: Yoán Moncada, White Sox

This might be the deepest and best position on the board. Ramirez and Báez were finalists for their respective league MVP awards a year after Altuve was the 2017 American League MVP.

Albies slowed down in the second half, but that experience should help him this season. The addition of Josh Donaldson in Atlanta will also take pressure off their young superstars to carry the team down the stretch of a possible playoff run as well.

Many people believe Mondesi, who will turn 24 in July, is ready to become a star in Kansas City. He has appeared in only 147 games over the past three seasons for the Royals, but he has 46 stolen bases in 56 attempts. We were torn between Mondesi and Robinson Canó for our fifth spot.

We’re buying Moncada this year as a sleeper in Chicago. When some of the young players arrive it will add thunder to the Sox lineup. He showed signs last year that the elite bat we heard about from folks around the Red Sox organization is ready to break out.

Shortstop

1. Francisco Lindor, Indians
2. Carlos Correa, Astros
3. Jean Segura, Phillies
4. Gleyber Torres, Yankees
5. Amed Rosario, Mets
Sleeper: José Peraza, Reds

Lindor and Correa are interchangeable at the top of this list (with Báez, who is shortstop eligible as well) giving this top five a lot of style – and power. All three of those guys should hit 30 home runs this year and score around 100 runs as well.

Segura might be the biggest individual winner of the winter. He turns 28 on March 17 and has stolen at least 20 bases in six consecutive seasons. He’s an on-base percentage machine who will now hit in front of Rhys Hoskins, Bryce Harper and JT Realmuto in Philadelphia. If he can stay healthy he should blow past his career-high of 102 runs scored.

Rosario and Peraza will also benefit from additions to their respective lineups. Rosario will look to run more frequently with veterans Canó and Ramos in the lineup while Peraza will have a few new faces – including Yasiel Puig – around him as well.

Third Base

1. Nolan Arenado, Rockies
2. Manny Machado, Padres
3. Eugenio Suárez, Reds
4. Anthony Rendon, Nationals
5. Vladimir Guerrero Jr, Blue Jays
Sleeper: Rafael Devers, Red Sox

It feels strange to put together a top third baseman list and not have Adrián Beltré’s name on it. Beltré was a good fantasy option at the position for almost 20 years. The current (and future) generation isn’t missing much, though. Arenado and Machado have two of the highest salaries in MLB this season and play well enough to back up the investments from the Rockies and Padres.

Suarez is a star in Cincinnati, and Rendon will finally emerge from Harper’s shadow.
The wild card at the position is Vladi Jr. Guerrero will miss the final couple weeks of spring training because of injury, which gives the Blue Jays a convenient excuse to start him in the minors for a few weeks to get healthy before he can come up and dominate in Toronto.

Our sleeper here is Devers, who is coming off a marvelous postseason for the World Series champion Red Sox. If he can carry that confidence into a full season he could be a terrific pick late in your draft.

Outfield

1. Ronald Acuña Jr, Braves
2. George Springer, Astros
3. Juan Soto, Nationals
4. Eddie Rosario, Twins
5. Marcell Ozuna, Cardinals
6. Starling Marté, Pirates
7. Yasiel Puig, Reds
8. Nomar Mazara, Rangers
9. Ender Inciarte, Braves
10. Eloy Jiménez, White Sox
Sleeper: Ramón Laureano, A’s

This group is young, talented and can do it all. The top of the list shouldn’t surprise anyone. The only fear in drafting either Acuña or Soto early is a potential sophomore slump, but the lineups they’re each in will help take pressure off of them.

Rosario and Ozuna will benefit greatly from additions to their rosters. Minnesota and St. Louis both added big bats that will help these guys be more productive. Puig stands to have a better opportunity to play every day in Cincinnati.

Like Vladi Jr, Jiménez won’t be in the lineup on opening day. He should be a big part of the majority of the season on Chicago’s south side.

Last year Laureano came up and played outstanding defense in Oakland while posting a solid .358 OBP. If he can stick in the lineup for 130-150 games he should have the opportunity to score enough runs to make him an intriguing player to consider in deeper leagues.

Designated Hitters

1. JD Martinez, Red Sox
2. Nelson Cruz, Twins
3. Khris Davis, A’s
4. Carlos Santana, Indians
5. Albert Pujols, Angels
Sleeper: Yonder Alonso, White Sox

All of the names on this list are known commodities, but a few are in new places. Cruz moved on to Minnesota, Santana is back in Cleveland, and Alonso will split first base duties with Abreu for the White Sox. All three should have solid seasons.

There are few certainties in baseball quite like Khris Davis hitting .247 with bombs, lots of bombs. He has found his way to that exact batting average each of the last four seasons, a remarkably random achievement.

Pujols will make this list until he retires. His legs aren’t what they used to be, but he’ll still get you 20 home runs. We are a bit worried about him being asked to play first base more frequently with Shohei Ohtani only batting this year for the Angels.

In Part 2 of La Vida Baseball’s fantasy baseball preview, we’ll break down the top Latino pitchers on March 16.

Featured Image: Jonathan Daniel / Staff / Getty Images