It’s time to give out my April awards for Most Valuable Player in fantasy baseball at each position. These are players who are outperforming their preseason average draft positions, so you won’t find the usual suspects here. We will do this monthly, highlighting those who are providing an exceptional return on investment throughout the previous month.
Of note, statistics for games played on March 30 and 31 are included.
Catcher: Jonah Heim, Texas Rangers
Entering the season, the Rangers were expecting a catcher tandem of Heim and Mitch Garver, but an early-April knee injury forced the latter out of action and thrust the former into the regular role he held for most of 2022. Heim has responded with an excellent first month, leading MLB catchers with 22 runs batted in and a .592 slugging percentage. His .303 batting average trails only the Rockies’ Elias Diaz among qualified catchers and his 16 runs scored put him in a tie for the league lead. He’s going to continue to receive playing time because of his defense, but his bat has taken a big step forward so far this season. Heim is 64 percent owned on ESPN and 87 percent on Fantrax, so there’s a chance you might still be able to pick him up.
First Base: Yandy Díaz, Tampa Bay Rays
There are a handful of worthy candidates for this spot but I’m giving the nod to Díaz, who has long had an impressive batted-ball profile but has increased his launch angle in 2023, helping him become one of the most productive hitters in baseball. Díaz leads qualified first basemen with his .319 batting average, .585 slugging percentage and 185 wRC+. He has added seven long balls, crossed the plate 23 times and driven in 16. The 31-year-old has found his power stroke to go along with his exceptional on-base abilities, making him my pick for most valuable fantasy first baseman a month into the season.
Second Base: Thairo Estrada, San Francisco Giants
A three-way tie for the major league lead in hits between three second baseman made this decision a nearly impossible one. On top of that, second base has been a surprisingly strong position overall through the first month of the season. Ultimately, I give the edge not to one of the hits leaders, but to Estrada, who was a 19th-round fantasy pick entering this season. He has impressed, not only with his .346/.393/.529 slash line through April, but with his display of both power and speed. Estrada has hit four long balls and stolen eight bases, putting him among the second base leaders in each category.
Third Base: Matt Chapman, Toronto Blue Jays
After several down years offensively for the three-time Gold Glove third baseman, Chapman arrived with a vengeance to his contract year. Through April, he has a .384 batting average. No other qualified third baseman is hitting over .300. Chapman’s on-base percentage is .465, with Max Muncy as his only company above .370. Chapman’s five home runs are unspectacular but sufficient, and he’s added a stolen base at a position that generally does not provide much in the way of speed. This was an easy decision.
Shortstop: Jorge Mateo, Baltimore Orioles
One of baseball’s most improved players this season, Mateo ditched his leg kick in favor of a gentle toe tap and the results have been remarkable. Not only has he cut his strikeout rate in half, he’s hitting the ball harder than he ever has. Mateo finished April leading all major league shortstops in batting average (min. 75 plate appearances), slugging percentage and stolen bases, among other advanced statistics. He also closed the month tied with Bo Bichette for the shortstop home run lead despite 44 fewer plate appearances. The 2022 Fielding Bible Award winner for best defensive shortstop has turned himself into a fantasy weapon.
Outfield: Bryan Reynolds, Pittsburgh Pirates
Remember, average draft position and return on investment play a role in my decisions here. The Acuñas, Trouts, and Arozarenas of the world are doing what we expected them to do. Reynolds, while not terribly undervalued as a ninth rounder, is providing exceptional production for the 23rd outfielder off the board in drafts. Reynolds finished April with 15 extra-base hits, five of which were home runs, and tacked on five stolen bases as well. His .320 batting average is top five among qualified outfielders and his .573 slugging percentage top 10. Reynolds looks like his 2021 self, when he earned an All Star nod and finished 11th in NL MVP voting, and is on track to shatter his career high in stolen bases.
Outfield: Jarred Kelenic, Seattle Mariners
When I wrote about my breakout and bounce-back candidates prior to the season, I wanted so badly to include Kelenic, but there was very little in his profile that allowed me to justify it. I thought he was toast; instead I find egg on my face a month into the season. Kelenic has provided the bacon (seven home runs) and cheese (five stolen bases) to complete the breakfast sandwich. He is hitting the ball hard and hitting it far. If you want to throw in some avocado, his .308/.366/.615 slash line through April is a great compliment to his counting stats. Now I’m hungry. Anyway, I guess Kelenic is good again.
Outfield: Brandon Marsh, Philadelphia Phillies
Marsh was included in my first waiver-wire piece of the season and has hardly slowed down, continuing to rack up extra base hits as his .647 slugging percentage leads baseball’s outfielders by a lot. His .329 batting average and .418 on-base percentage are both top five in the class as well. The run production leaves a bit to be desired, as he has just 14 RBIs on the season, but that’s largely because he simply has not had a ton of opportunities. If he continues hitting fifth in the Phillies’ lineup, more should arise. I’d like to see Marsh run a bit more, which is my only real knock on his 2023 season to this point, but I still expect him to swipe double-digit bags by the end of the year.
Utility: Luis Arraez, Miami Marlins
Arraez has the highest batting average at the end of April since Barry Bonds in 2004. I should be able to stop there, but I’ll try to continue, this time without cheesy breakfast sandwich puns. His on-base percentage is an even .500 through the first month, which is frankly absurd. I wrote about Arraez in March as an undervalued hitter in fantasy baseball, pointing out that there’s value in a guy with his pure hitting ability, even if he’s not providing much in the way of power or speed. Arraez is chasing his second consecutive batting title and is doing so exceptionally. He also has just five strikeouts to his name, making him even more valuable in points leagues that dock you for each punchout.
Starting Pitcher: Zac Gallen, Arizona Diamondbacks
Gallen finished April with a streak of 28 scoreless innings and counting, lowering his ERA to 2.15 and his WHIP to 0.77. Pair that with a stellar 51:5 strikeout-to-walk ratio and you have an exceptional body of work for a pitcher who was drafted outside the top 20 starters. Gallen ranks at least top 10 in all major pitching categories despite a rocky first couple of starts, and that’s enough for me to give him the nod for April’s fantasy baseball most valuable starting pitcher. Following up a 2022 season in which he posted a 2.54 ERA in 184 innings pitched, Gallen continues to be one of baseball’s most underappreciated starters.
Relief Pitcher: David Bednar, Pittsburgh Pirates
The 12th relief pitcher off the board across all fantasy platforms, Bednar has been baseball’s best closer. He’s 9-for-10 in save opportunities, with the only blunder the result of a defensive error. His ERA and WHIP both sit at 0.69 and he’s struck out at least one batter in all but one appearance, totaling 17 with just one walk surrendered. This should hardly come as a surprise for Bednar, who posted a sub-3.00 ERA in each of the previous two seasons with great walk and strikeout numbers. If the Pirates stay hot, Bednar will continue getting ninth inning chances and should continue to take advantage of them.
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