Atlanta Braves OF Ronald Acuna Jr. boasts a strong lead on ESPN's Player Rater, buoyed by his .325 batting average, 15 home runs, 30 stolen bases and 63 runs scored through 72 games. If one were to draft a roto team today, Acuna would be the obvious top pick, although you have to check your league rules for how to dually utilize Los Angeles Angels SP/DH/unicorn Shohei Ohtani.
Meanwhile, several of the preseason's first-round picks have hardly returned strong value, led by Philadelphia Phillies SS Trea Turner, Cleveland Guardians 3B Jose Ramirez and San Diego Padres OF Juan Soto, each warranting some re-evaluation. Fantasy baseball managers looking for new first-round names should start with Arizona Diamondbacks OF Corbin Carroll. After all, Carroll leads the Player Rater over the past 30 days, and his 2023 numbers look much like those of Acuna, with a .305 batting average, 15 home runs, 19 stolen bases and 53 runs.
