One of the keys to navigating a draft or auction is having a lay of the land. Positional scarcity isn’t as defined as ten years ago, but there are still nuances within each position to help guide choices. Of course, everyone should design their own roadmap, based on league rules and personal evaluations, but here is a general overview of the 2022 hitting inventory.
CATCHER
The weakest of all the positions, catcher is the only spot needing a significant scarcity bump when ranking or pricing the position. There is some talent at the top for those wanting to invest, with the universal designated hitter likely boosting J.T. Realmuto (pictured above) and Will Smith. The back end is typically weaker than the low end of the other positions, but it seems a little stronger this season. At minimum, there is a good chance those waiting on a backstop will land on someone they like since there are so many lumped together and fantasy managers often having differing opinions in this range. Help is on the way, this year and down the line. Keibert Ruiz, Joey Bart and Adley Rutschman should all be assets in 2022 with Henry Davis, Francisco Alvarez, Austin Wells, Shea Langeliers, Gabriel Moreno, MJ Melendez, Luis Campusano all looming.
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FIRST BASE
As usual, there are options distributed equally throughout the position. There are five or six in the Top-50 overall, but beware, they’re devoid of speed while other positions in this range offer some stolen bases. Waiting can help achieve categorical balance and there is an ample supply of targets so as not to get caught sort. In fact, most corner infielders will come from the first base spot.
SECOND BASE
The operative phrase is quantity, not quality. Sure, Trea Turner’s dual middle infield eligibility joins Ozzie Albies in the Top-20 overall, but the keystone is characterized by a treasure trove of multiple eligibility options, rendering it the deepest of the infield pools. In fact, 25 of the 32 top second baseman can be slotted at another position. The pool is divided statistically, with more stolen base options at the top, followed by some power sources in the middle, then batting average help at the end. Of course, there are options for each category throughout, but knowing there are home runs available later could tilt the scales for an earlier pick.
SHORTSTOP
It’s no longer chic to note shortstop is loaded; everyone knows it. Fernando Tatis Jr.’s delayed start to the campaign doesn’t change things since he may have ended up at outfield for many fantasy managers. The catch with the position is while it’s stacked at the top, there is a severe drop-off, a little more than a dozen players in, right around Dansby Swanson. As such, it is advantageous to have at least one shortstop in the upper range, with grabbing a second in play. Doing so thins the field, forcing a competitor to either reach or be saddled with a lesser option.
THIRD BASE
There was a time when third base was replete with a plethora of power. Currently, it’s the shallowest in terms of quantity with the addition of a couple of speed merchants (Adalberto Mondesi, Jonathan Villar) keeping it afloat. Reaching a bit for Jose Ramirez, Rafael Devers or Manny Machado is recommended, as that gets the concern out of the way, allowing the focus to be roster construction and not interrupting that flow with chasing a reasonable option at the hot corner.
OUTFIELD
Drafting a solid outfield can no longer be taken for granted, especially in deeper mixed leagues, 15 teams or more. Shallower mixed formats along with AL and NL only should be fine, but there are concerns. After around 60 outfielders, the pool goes from full time regulars to platoon players. In a 15-team mixed league, this means on average, every team will have at least one platoon bat. Leagues with daily or twice-weekly moves and a reserve can optimize, but the pool thins at the back end. However, as the senior circuit clubs flesh out how they’ll deploy designated hitter, there may be emerging outfield reinforcements. The key is not bypassing an early outfielder like previous seasons as the inventory in the middle to late rankings isn’t as lush. Complicating matters is the likes of Mike Trout, Mookie Betts and Ronald Acuna all have some measure of injury concerns along with question regarding their stolen base output. Add in the recent inconsistent production from Christian Yelich and Cody Bellinger, and there’s a quintet of batters thought to be perennial first rounders with some kind of wart.