With just a day until 2024 Opening Day, Dalton Del Don delivers his fantasy baseball predictions for every MLB team — first up, the American League, and you can go here for the National League!
[Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Baseball league for the 2024 MLB season]
Fantasy and real-life predictions for the AL East
1. New York Yankees
2. Tampa Bay Rays (wild card)
3. Toronto Blue Jays (wild card)
4. Baltimore Orioles
5. Boston Red Sox
New York Yankees
Gleyber Torres has a huge season in a contract year, finishing as a top-three fantasy second baseman … Juan Soto leads the American League in runs scored, while Aaron Judge misses 25+ games … Anthony Rizzo and DJ LeMahieu both bounce back, while Anthony Volpe steals 40 bases … Giancarlo Stanton hits 35+ homers … Clarke Schmidt and Luis Gil both produce better fantasy seasons than Carlos Rodón … The Yankees trade for Kenley Jansen, who takes over as closer for Clay Holmes … New York overcomes a lost season from Gerrit Cole to win the AL East.
Tampa Bay Rays
Jose Siri goes 30/20, while Yandy Díaz bats .300+ but hits fewer than 15 homers … Brandon Lowe hits 25+ home runs, and Junior Caminero becomes one of the best waiver wire adds of the season in the second half … Pete Fairbanks records 30+ saves, but Ryan Pepiot is a fantasy bust … Zach Eflin finishes as a top-10 fantasy starter … Jacob Waguespack is a deep sleeper who emerges as a valuable piece of Tampa Bay’s rotation, helping the Rays win a wild-card spot.
Toronto Blue Jays
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has a monster season and finishes runner-up in MVP voting … Justin Turner records 100 RBI for the first time in his career, while Alejandro Kirk and Danny Jansen combine to hit 30+ homers from the catching position … Yimi García records more saves than an injured Jordan Romano in 2024 … Ricky Tiedemann emerges as Toronto’s second most valuable fantasy starter, behind only Kevin Gausman … The Blue Jays beat out the Rangers for the final wild-card spot on the last day of the season.
Baltimore Orioles
Cedric Mullins bounces back and steals 30+ bases, while Ryan Mountcastle clubs 30+ homers … Craig Kimbrel records 30+ saves, while Corbin Burnes disappoints fantasy managers after joining Baltimore … Grayson Rodriguez finishes as the Orioles’ top fantasy starter, but Baltimore regresses and just misses the postseason.
Boston Red Sox
Triston Casas hits .300 and finishes as a top-five fantasy first baseman … Jarren Duran is a top-20 fantasy outfielder, while rookie Ceddanne Rafaela (SS-eligible in Yahoo) hits 15 homers and steals 30 bases … Tyler O’Neill bounces back with a big campaign … Kenley Jansen records 30 saves, but Brayan Bello is a fantasy bust and finishes as Boston’s fifth-best starter … Nick Pivetta is a dark-horse Cy Young candidate (150/1) and finishes as a top-20 fantasy starter … Kutter Crawford, Tanner Houck and Garrett Whitlock all end up being fantasy bargains, but the Red Sox finish last in their division.
Fantasy and real-life predictions for the AL Central
1. Minnesota Twins
2. Cleveland Guardians
3. Detroit Tigers
4. Kansas City Royals
5. Chicago White Sox
Minnesota Twins
Royce Lewis becomes a universal second-round pick in 2025 fantasy drafts … Carlos Santana scores 90+ runs, while Edouard Julien is one of the best bargains at a tricky 2B position … Ryan Jeffers finishes as a top-15 fantasy catcher, and Max Kepler hits 30 homers … Byron Buxton led MLB in HR/AB from 2020-2022 before playing on one leg last season, yet we can get 150/1 odds on him hitting the most homers this season when he’s finally healthy … Brock Stewart may get a save or two early, but Griffin Jax finishes the season as a top-20 fantasy RP … Bailey Ober and Louie Varland are fantasy breakouts, giving the Twins a loaded rotation … Minnesota easily takes a weak Central division and then surprises by winning the AL pennant.
Cleveland Guardians
Andrés Giménez has a better fantasy season than Marcus Semien and Nico Hoerner, but José Ramírez underperforms compared to his ADP … Ramón Laureano goes 20/20 while hitting in the middle of Cleveland’s lineup, yet he’s going undrafted in most fantasy leagues … Emmanuel Clase records fewer saves than Raisel Iglesias, Camilo Doval and Evan Phillips … Shane Bieber bounces back, while Triston McKenzie has a better fantasy season than Tanner Bibee … Gavin Williams could develop into an ace if health cooperates, but Guardians starters will suffer from poor run support.
Detroit Tigers
Spencer Torkelson hits 40+ homers, and Riley Greene finishes as a top-25 fantasy outfielder … Javier Báez bats under .200, but Jake Rogers is the cheapest source of 20-homer power from the catcher position … Tarik Skubal overcomes pitching for the Tigers and wins the Cy Young award … Kenta Maeda is preferred over Jack Flaherty as Detroit’s later-round SP option, while Jackson Jobe and Casey Mize are fantasy sleepers.
[2024 Fantasy Baseball Draft Rankings: C | 1B | 2B | SS | 3B | OF | SP | RP]
Kansas City Royals
Vinnie Pasquantino flirts with batting .300, but Maikel Garcia disappoints fantasy managers … Bobby Witt Jr. finishes as fantasy’s second most valuable hitter, while Salvador Pérez goes down as one of the best draft-day bargains among catchers … Dairon Blanco steals 35+ bases … Kansas City’s pitching is a mess outside of Cole Ragans, who finishes as a top-15 fantasy starter despite the Royals’ obstacles that include a highly favorable hitter’s park.
Chicago White Sox
Luis Robert doesn’t live up to his lofty ADP thanks to more injury problems, but Eloy Jiménez rebounds with a .280-25-90 campaign … Yoán Moncada has his best season since 2019 and gets added in all fantasy leagues, while Andrew Benintendi is a sleeper who quietly puts up a .275-10-90-20 line … Michael Kopech records the most saves for the White Sox, but no one in Chicago’s starting rotation provides fantasy value … Fangraphs projects the White Sox to finish last in the American League, winning five fewer games than the A’s.
Fantasy and real-life predictions for the AL West
1. Houston Astros
2. Seattle Mariners (wild card)
3. Texas Rangers
4. Los Angeles Angels
5. Oakland A’s
Houston Astros
Alex Bregman tops 30 homers, while José Abreu records 110 RBI … Jose Altuve has a better fantasy season than Marcus Semien … Jeremy Peña offers 20/20 upside at an affordable ADP, but he has zero home runs since July 5, 2023 (349 plate appearances, including spring training) … Hunter Brown emerges as Houston’s top fantasy starter, as the Astros comfortably win the AL West.
Seattle Mariners
Julio Rodríguez, who just posted a 156 wRC+ after the All-Star break as a 22-year-old, wins the MVP award despite playing in an extreme pitcher’s park … J.P. Crawford scores 100+ runs, while Ty France’s revamped swing results in the first 20+ homer season of his career … Mitch Haniger hits 25 homers with 90 RBI yet remains free at draft tables … Seattle has a loaded rotation, although George Kirby fails to live up to his ADP … Andrés Muñoz finishes ahead of Emmanuel Clase and as a top-five fantasy closer, helping the Mariners secure a wild-card berth.
Texas Rangers
Evan Carter and Wyatt Langford both finish as top-25 fantasy outfielders, with Langford running away with the Rookie of the Year award … Corey Seager wins the batting title while battling through injuries, and Jonah Heim hits 20+ homers with 80 RBI … José Leclerc enters as Texas’ closer with David Robertson in the setup role, but Josh Sborz is a deep sleeper to emerge as the Rangers’ best reliever in 2024 … Texas would become a real threat to repeat as World Series champs if it makes the postseason with a healthy Max Scherzer and Jacob deGrom, but it will be challenging for it to win a wild-card spot.
Los Angeles Angels
Taylor Ward rebounds and is a top-25 fantasy outfielder, while Logan O’Hoppe leads all catchers in homers … Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon continue to miss significant time … Carlos Estévez looks like one of the cheapest sources for 20+ saves, and Griffin Canning emerges as the team’s ace … The Angels enter full rebuild mode after Shohei Ohtani switched LA dugouts during the offseason.
Oakland Athletics
Other than Elly De La Cruz, Esteury Ruiz might have the second-widest range of fantasy outcomes this season. He’s fully capable of hitting 10 home runs and stealing 80+ bases, but he’s also a terrible defensive player who’s suddenly not projected to be in Oakland’s Opening Day lineup … Zack Gelof and Brent Rooker aren’t exactly a modern-day Bash Brothers, but both provide cheap power in fantasy drafts … Paul Blackburn and Alex Wood can be streamed at home in deep leagues, but Joe Boyle’s erratic control continues to hold him back … Mason Miller finishes as a top-15 fantasy RP despite seeing limited save opportunities … The A’s are a team in flux, but at least they get to play in a stadium with character.