Fantasy Baseball Sleepers 2023: Best Hitting and Pitching Prospects to Draft

Fantasy baseball players have become accustomed to turning to the Baltimore Orioles roster to draft the best young prospects in the MLB.

Gunnar Henderson and Grayson Rodriguez will join Adley Rutschman, Ryan Mountcastle and others on the star-studded young Baltimore roster in 2023.

Henderson got a brief look at the majors at the end of the 2022 campaign, while Rodriguez will make his MLB debut in his first appearance.

Baltimore's pair of top prospects headline the list of the young players who should be targeted in the mid-to-late rounds of any fantasy baseball draft.

Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Corbin Carroll might end up as the top prospect with the highest average draft position.

Carroll marveled in his late-season stint in the majors in 2022, and he is expected to be a catalyst inside the Arizona lineup in his first full season.

A majority of the top prospects set to begin the 2023 campaign in the majors are hitters. Rodriguez is the only pitcher in the top 40 of MLB.com's top 100 prospects projected to begin the year at the highest level.

Gunnar Henderson, 3B/SS, Baltimore

Brace Hemmelgarn/Minnesota Twins/Getty Images

FORT MYERS, FL- MARCH 07: Gunnar Henderson #2 of the Baltimore Orioles bats during a spring training game against the Minnesota Twins on March 7, 2023 at the Hammond Stadium in Fort Myers, Florida. (Photo by Brace Hemmelgarn/Minnesota Twins/Getty Images)

Henderson has an opportunity to be one of the best young run-producers in baseball.

The left-sided infielder could hit behind Cedric Mullins, Austin Hays, Mountcastle and Rutschman to start in the Baltimore order.

Henderson had a .297 batting average, .946 OPS, 19 home runs, 76 RBI and 22 stolen bases in Double-A and Triple-A in 2022.

The No. 1 overall prospect in baseball had 30 hits in 116 at-bats in September after earning a call-up from Triple-A Norfolk.

Henderson's minor-league numbers have to excite any fantasy baseball player who selects him for the 2023 season.

He had the benefit of getting some MLB at-bats in September, and that may help with the transition process to being a full-time big leaguer.

Baltimore's crowded lineup should also help Henderson's adjustment to the majors because he will not have all the pressure on his shoulders to create runs.

Henderson's average draft position is 86th, per Fantasy Pros, so he will compete with Carroll to be the top hitting prospect chosen in fantasy leagues.

The consistent hitting numbers and stolen base potential make Henderson a strong candidate to start at either third base or shortstop in fantasy leagues. That versatility could help when configuring your lineup after the draft ends.

Grayson Rodriguez, RHP, Baltimore

Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

FORT MEYERS, FL - MARCH 07: Baltimore Orioles pitcher Grayson Rodriguez pitches against the Minnesota Twins on March 7, 2023, at Hammond Stadium in Fort Meyers, Florida. (Photo by Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Rodriguez is the top pitching prospect to watch in the early weeks of the MLB regular season.

The right-handed hurler struck out 109 batters in 17 minor league appearances in 2022. He played for Double-A Bowie and Triple-A Norfolk.

Rodriguez allowed 47 hits and only two home runs in 75.2 innings of work. That is a promising sign for his control at the MLB level.

The 23-year-old is expected to slot into the back end of the Baltimore rotation to begin the season.

As of now, he has an average fantasy draft position of 183, so you can wait to fill out your top-end pitching draft to select the Baltimore rookie.

Rodriguez is more of a player to draft on potential to help later in the season. Any high level of success in April or May would mark a massive step forward in his progression after missing parts of 2022 with a lat injury.

Corbin Carroll, OF, Arizona

John E. Moore III/Getty Images

SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA - MARCH 12: Corbin Carroll #7 of the Arizona Diamondbacks hits the ball during the first inning of the Spring Training game against the Colorado Rockies at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick on March 12, 2023 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images)

Carroll's 32-game production in 2022 has to make fantasy players excited for what he can contribute in 2023.

The Diamondbacks outfielder had nine doubles, four home runs and two triples as part of his 27 hits in 115 plate appearances.

Carroll had 24 home runs, 111 hits and 31 stolen bases across three levels in the Arizona organization last season.

He could be in line for a large number of runs, stolen bases and extra-base hits out of the leadoff spot in the Diamondbacks order.

Ketel Marte, Christian Walker and Jake McCarthy should hit directly behind Carroll, and that could lead to some big stat lines when the Arizona order is clicking.

Carroll's average draft position is No. 76 at the moment. He should be a starting outfielder in any fantasy baseball format, and he could be drafted slightly ahead of Henderson because of pace on the base paths and run-scoring potential from the top of the order.