Super Early 2024 Top 300 Rankings

The MLB Roundtable ranking crew (Jeff Erickson, Clay Link, Todd Zola, Erik Halterman) will have a full Roundtable update later this month, which I can't wait to check out. Since there are already NFBC leagues drafting (I'm currently in two Draft Champions) and probably some best balls up and running too, I figured I'd get a quick, super-early top 300 up for everyone's perusal.

These are intended specifically for 2024 standard 5x5 rotisserie redraft leagues with a slight lean to draft-and-hold and two-catcher formats, but they should be relevant to all formats. I isolated the relievers at the bottom with my thoughts on the position and how I like to attack it, which should make the top 300 (just hitters and starting pitchers) even more applicable across scoring formats. REMEMBER THIS if you're drafting off these rankings, relievers are not included in the top 300. 

I've included the positions each player will qualify at next year (20+ games to qualify) and noted free agents and potential free agents. 

Also for anyone unaware, I updated the top 400 prospect rankings earlier this week for the final time in 2023! The next set of rankings I'll be working on will be the dynasty rankings, and I think I'll release those right after the MLB postseason.

Aaron Judge, Yordan Alvarez, Shohei Ohtani, Royce Lewis, Luis Robert, Jose Altuve, Tyler Glasnow, Max Fried, Manny Machado, Brandon Woodruff, Jazz Chisholm, Mike Trout, Max Scherzer, Walker Buehler, Cole Ragans, Michael King, Joe Musgrove, Chris Sale, Carlos Rodon, Eloy Jimenez, Riley Greene, Clayton Kershaw, Vinnie Pasquantino, Jackson Chourio, Jackson Holliday, Shane Baz, Nick Lodolo, Triston McKenzie, Carlos Correa, Jasson Dominguez, Mason Miller, Danny Jansen, Byron Buxton, Tyler O'Neill are all players I'd have ranked higher if I felt better about their chances of playing a full season.

MULTI-POSITION PLAYERS

Eligible at two positions:

Mookie Betts (2B/OF)

Gunnar Henderson (SS/3B)

Elly De La Cruz (SS/3B)

Cody Bellinger (OF/1B)

Nico Hoerner (2B/SS)

Matt McLain (2B/SS)

Thairo Estrada (2B/SS)

Salvador Perez (C/1B)

Isaac Paredes (1B/3B)

Alec Bohm (1B/3B)

Whit Merrifield (2B/OF)

Brandon Drury (1B/2B)

Alex Kirilloff (1B/OF)

Ryan McMahon (2B/3B)

Jeimer Candelario (1B/3B)

Jordan Westburg (2B/3B)

Willi Castro (OF/3B)

Brice Turang (2B/SS)

Matt Vierling (OF/3B)

Eligible at three positions:

Ha-Seong Kim (2B/SS/3B)

Tommy Edman (2B/SS/OF)

Spencer Steer (OF/1B/3B)

Chris Taylor (OF/SS/3B)

Eligible at four positions:

Luis Rengifo (2B/SS/3B/OF)

RELIEVER TIERS

I separated the relievers from everyone else because everyone attacks the position a little differently, so it's more relevant how I rank the relievers than how I rank relievers relevant to players at other positions. 

My strategy this year, like it was the past couple years, is to pay up for at least one high-end closer, and ideally another top-15 closer. I need saves to realistically win a competitive roto league, and the best way to ensure I have enough saves to compete is to take relatively safe closers. If you've got a different approach to the category that has worked for you in recent seasons, by all means stick with it.

By paying up for a high-end closer, I mean that I want one of Edwin Diaz, Emmanuel Clase, Devin Williams, Camilo Doval, Josh Hader, David Bednar, Raisel Iglesias, Jordan Romano or Jhoan Duran by the end of the fourth round. I then want one of Alexis Diaz, Ryan Pressly, Andres Munoz, Paul Sewald, Kenley Jansen or Evan Phillips as my second relatively safe closer. In the one draft-and-hold I've done that's gotten this far, Jansen and Phillips lasted until the 11th round, but I expect I'll need to take one from that (Diaz/Pressly/Munoz/Sewald/Jansen/Phillips) group by the end of the 10th round. If I don't execute this plan, there's a third tier with fine options that I think are a bit riskier than the relievers in the second tier, and then there's a fourth tier of mediocre incumbents, speculative plays and premium handcuffs. The order within the tiers is just personal preference and not that important.