This article is part of our Sorare MLB series.
Sorare is a new type of fantasy baseball where you can buy, sell and trade digital player cards and use them to compete in competitions for prizes. It's free to sign up at https://sorare.com/mlb.
In my first look at the Sorare landscape of the 2024 season, I focused more on players who started the year putting up numbers not in line with previous campaigns. My upgrades were guys who were off to slow starts who should pick things up and my downgrades were dudes off to hot starts destined to fade, and perhaps fade with gusto. Now, though, we have a chunk of the 2024 MLB season in the books. Not a hefty chunk, but a chunk nonetheless. Thus, my focus will be on this year.
Have some players taken a leap? Have some veterans seen the wheels come off? If you are wondering about what to do with your Sorare lineups, look no further. It's time for a look at the Sorare landscape.
Note: the number in parentheses is each player's last Limited Card sale price as of April 17.
Upgrades
Anthony Volpe, NYY ($33.51): Obviously, eyes are often on you when you are the shortstop for the New York Yankees. An entire cult of personality was built around Derek Jeter because he played the position. As a rookie, Anthony Volpe played a style of baseball rich in incident. For those interested in counting stats and dynamic moments, the kind that brings you Sorare points, his 21 home runs and 24 stolen bases brought a lot of enthusiasm, even though he batted .209. He was also a rookie in his age-22 season. Volpe will have rough days, but he's already had four 20-point games in Sorare and has slashed .324/.410/.471 to start 2024. I don't think his leap as a hitter will be that sizable, but if he can get on base at a .330 clip, Volpe could be in line for a 25/40 type season.
Will Benson, CIN ($6.90): The Reds are rife with young talent. With Elly De La Cruz hitting inside-the-park homers, a player like Will Benson can go under the radar. However, in 108 games last year, he hit .275 with 11 homers, eight triples, 15 doubles and 19 stolen bases. Benson has already had two games with over 20 Sorare points plus one against Milwaukee where he had 33. He's hit eight doubles in only 17 games and has stolen five bases. As a rookie, he sat against his fellow southpaws. When he played, it was not pretty. In limited action this year (20 plate appearances), he's posted a .933 OPS against lefties. If he can prove playable against left-handed pitchers, he's a real upgrade.
Brice Turang, MIL ($14.38): Last year, stolen bases soared, which brought high Sorare scores for previously unknown names. Brice Turang wasn't quite on that level, but as a rookie, he stole 26 bases and was caught only four times. This year, the second baseman has already swiped nine bags. Hitting .327 has helped, though it may not continue. Even so, Turang could hit 40 on the stolen-base front, which would be big.
Holds
Cole Ragans, KC ($30.26): After being dealt from the Rangers to the Royals, and simultaneously moved from the bullpen to the rotation, Cole Ragans pitched like an ace. He had a 2.48 FIP and struck out 11.18 batters per nine innings. Through four outings in 2024, Ragans has…pitched like an ace. He has a 2.33 FIP and has struck out 11.19 batters per nine. He's had 26.5 or more Sorare points in three of those starts. Only the Astros have gotten to him, and he still had 13.0 Sorare points in that start. Ragans is an ace in the making. We'll be able to drop the "in the making" part soon enough.
Hunter Greene, CIN ($6.49): You should hold Hunter Greene because if you've accepted his faults, you'll get what you expect, and perhaps a bit more. His fastball is incredible and his strikeout rate is remarkable. Greene also walks too many guys and has had an issue with homers, which is why he seems primed to have an ERA over 4.00 once again. That said, his dynamic pitching still helps, even on down days. Take, for example, his start against the Brewers. He allowed six runs and two homers in six innings. Greene also struck out nine batters, so he racked up 18.0 Sorare points.
Downgrades
Andrew Vaughn, CWS ($5.30): Andrew Vaughn was drafted for his hit tool, and when you are drafted high as a first baseman, you need to deliver, especially when it comes to power. In his sophomore season, he showed promise by slugging .429. Then, last year, he followed that up by…slugging .429. Vaughn did hit over 20 home runs for the first time, but there has been no uptick in his age-26 season. Games with negative Sorare points abound. Not only has he batted under .200, but he's trying to get his slugging percentage over .300. Vaughn may have plateaued. The woeful environment in Chicago right now doesn't seem primed to breed improvement.
Cristian Javier, HOU ($8.40): Ronel Blanco has gotten the "get out while the getting is good" attention in fantasy, Sorare included. Cristian Javier is in the same boat. His 1.54 ERA is paired with a 3.66 FIP. Javier's only managed to strike out 6.94 batters per nine innings and he continues to have problems with walks. His BB/9 rate is up to 4.24. It's been a good start. If you collected those Sorare points, good for you. Although, as of this writing, Javier's next start is in line to be against Washington. Maybe you get out of the Javier business after that.
Paul Goldschmidt, STL ($9.59): Fun fact: Zero MLB players have had an infinitely long career. Father Time is the one true champ. Paul Goldschmidt appears to be on the downward slope of his career, and it may be coming faster than we realized. Last season, he hit .268 with 25 home runs. That was his lowest average since 2019 and his fewest home runs since 2016. Goldschmidt has started his age-36 season by slashing .182/.289/.227 with a single extra-base hit. Nothing lasts forever. Don't be surprised if Goldschmidt has entered the "Last days of Miguel Cabrera and Albert Pujols" era of his career.
