2024 Aquarius Preview
I spend a lot of time dunking on Aquarius for being generally hapless in the Fantasy Astrology Baseball League standings. And while that diagnosis probably holds true in 2024, at least the Water Bearers aren’t ranked at the very bottom, according to MLB.com’s ranking of the top 300 players. Here’s my position-by-position preview of Aquarius heading into the 2024 Fantasy Astrology Baseball League season.
Rankings from MLB.com’s top 300, as of Valentine’s Day.
Being deep at catcher in fantasy baseball is a bit like rostering multiple kickers in fantasy football. It’s a less bitter pill to swallow when your number one is Adley Rutschman (44), the number one catcher in the sport, who will spend his days “off” at DH, so the Orioles can keep his bat in the lineup. On those days, Aquarius has Gabriel Moreno (165), who recently found himself batting third in the lineup in the World Series, and Logan O’Hoppe (201), who showed a lot of promise until his 2023 season was cut short due to injury.
The best Aquarius primary first baseman is Jose Abreu (246), whose counting stats were buoyed by a strong Astros lineup, despite his declining skillset. When you extend the search to secondary positions, you can include Rays third baseman Isaac Paredes (175) in the mix. When Miami moved Jazz Chisholm Jr. (72) from second base to center field, they kind of hamstrung Aquarius’s infield mix, leaving new Phillies bench bat Whit Merrifield (260) as the top-ranked qualified option there. Jake Cronenworth is still around as an alternate, and you should keep an eye on AL East prospects Jordan Westburg (Orioles) and Davis Schneider (Blue Jays).
The Water Bearers have some third base depth, even accounting for Paredes moving across the diamond. Josh Jung (99) joins Moreno as players who were rookies when they played in the 2023 World Series. Ke’Bryan Hayes (174) is a great fielder, who is part of Pittsburgh’s long term infield plans. The shortstop job goes to Dansby Swanson (116), with Angels graduating rookie Zach Neto (280) and Marlins utility player Jon Berti behind him on the depth chart.
Flanking Chisholm in the outfield will be Josh Lowe (69), brother of Nathaniel, of the Rays, and Ke’Bryan’s Pirates teammate Bryan Reynolds (86), who was also signed to a long-term extension. Ironically, even if Jazz had stayed at second base, Aquarius would have a decent center field option, in Athletics speedster Esteury Ruiz (125). Outfield depth includes Max Kepler (244) of the Twins, and two players who joined him in the AL Central during the offseason: Hunter Renfroe (Royals) and Mark Canha (Tigers).
Rankings from Lindy’s magazine, by position.
With Brandon Woodruff’s season-ending injury, Seattle’s young co-ace George Kirby (37) is cemented atop this rotation. Speaking of injuries, Kodai Senga (65) has been dealing with shoulder issues, and will open the season on the IL. That means Kirby’s Mariners teammate Bryan Woo (200) has the inside track on the number two spot to start the year. Nathan Eovaldi (203) has had his fair share of playoff heroics, but his own injury history presents a big question mark.
For the fifth starter spot, Nick Pivetta (218) has the best rank, but keep in mind that he had more relief appearances than starts last season. If you want a dedicated starter, former Reds prospect Nick Lodolo (231) is looking to bounce back from his own injury troubles. His Cincinnati teammate Graham Ashcraft is around as depth, along with Jose Quintana, Cal Quantrill, Matt Manning, and Sean Manaea, another primary reliever in 2023.
Speaking of relievers… Actually, there’s not much to speak of in terms of Aquarius relievers. The best option in terms of players who didn’t have at least 10 starts in 2023 is Gregory Soto, who has some closing experience, but will be taking lower leverage innings for the Phillies next year. Jorge Lopez and Jake Diekman, both signed by the Mets, have also racked up some career saves, but neither is locked into ninth inning work next year. The most interesting name is Liam Hendriks, who signed with the Red Sox while he recovers from Tommy John surgery.