Officially, baseball is past the highway point. However, the Fourth of July holiday to the All-Star Game period is traditionally viewed as midway through the season. Many writers like to make use of this time to take a look back and see how fantasy players faired in the first half. I will do the same and that is where this midseason fantasy baseball review comes into focus.

As such, I will give awards to the most valuable player, pitcher, biggest value, best rookie and the most disappointing player in fantasy. Without question, my selections will stir up debate, which is fully anticipated and appreciated. Let the discussions begin!

Most Valuable Player

Ronald Acuna, OF, Atlanta Braves

First, let me point out that in leagues that Shohei Ohtani is a single player, like ESPN, he is the clear MVP of real and fantasy baseball. Secondly, however, that is way too easy a selection and doesn’t reflect the reality in other leagues that lists Ohtani as a separate pitcher and hitter. As that is the case, the only choice for Most Valuable Player in fantasy has to be Ronald Acuna. Really, it should take no convincing for anyone to accept this fact.

First off, Acuna is all over the leaderboard in offensive rankings in baseball. He ranks first in runs (78), second in batting (.337), SLG (.650), OPS (1.008), third in hits (117), OBP (.439) and tenth in doubles (24) and home runs (21). No other player, not even Ohtani, ranks as high in so many categories. Not surprisingly, Acuna is second in fantasy points to Ohtani with 373. The Dodgers’ Mookie Betts is third and Acuna leads him by more than 70.

Pure and simple, that is what is known as dominance my friends. Surely, if he keeps up anything near this pace, Acuna will be the hands down winner of the National League Most Valuable Player. At the season’s mid-point, he is the fantasy MVP, as well, by leaps and bounds.

Biggest Fantasy Value

Adolis Garcia, OF, Texas Rangers

Without question, several players could have been listed here. Be that as it may, my choice for biggest fantasy value of the first half goes to the Rangers’ Adolis Garcia. Currently, there are 37 All-Star players. The question is how many of them were taken in the 14th round of their fantasy drafts? Even better question: how many have 255 fantasy points? The answer: not many, if any. Not only is Garcia an All-Star, but he will also compete in the Home Run Derby. That is impressive by any measure.

However, that is not the only thing that makes Garcia a standout value this season. He is first in MLB with 71 RBIs and is sixth in homers (22) and runs scored (66). Additionally, Garcia has 88 hits and a .332/.515/.846 slash line. Best of all, his fantasy points are 11th overall and his OF fantasy position rank is fifth.

Garcia has been a huge part of the Rangers resurgence this season and is a deserving winner of the best fantasy value award of the first half.

Best Fantasy Rookie

Corbin Carroll, OF Arizona Diamondbacks

Of all the selections on this midseason fantasy baseball review edition, this should be the most obvious. There have been several rookies that have made a splash in the first half, but none has been as brilliant as Corbin Carroll. Right now, Carroll is all over the leaderboard hitting stats. He is sixth in slugging (.559), fifth in steals (24), and ninth in runs (61). On the season, Carroll is hitting .290 (15th), has 46 RBIs and a .365 OBP. Solid for any player, but simply out of this world for a rookie.

Further, Carroll has the stamp of approval of an elite player based on his All-Star Game selection. However, the best stat of all was left toward the end: of all the hitters in Major League Baseball, Carroll is eighth in fantasy points (261). As an 11th-round draft pick, he was in the running for biggest value as well. Without doubt, many players merited consideration for this spot, but ultimately, couldn’t hold a candle to Carroll. He is the best fantasy rookie of the first half, and it isn’t close.

Note:

As I am sure everyone is aware by now, Carroll left the game Thursday with a shoulder injury. It is a certainty that he won’t play in the All-Star Game. How much time he will miss remains to be seen. Of course, this news in no way takes away anything from Carroll’s first half performance. He remains the runaway leader for rookie of the year in both real and fantasy baseball.

Most Valuable Pitcher

Kevin Gausman, Toronto Blue Jays

Of all the choices, Kevin Gausman has to be the biggest surprise. Several pitchers could have been selected here, but as of this writing, Gausman leads all starting pitchers in ESPN fantasy points. More than likely, many pitchers were taken ahead of him in most drafts. As that is the case, Gausman takes the nomination as the best midseason fantasy pitcher and one of the biggest fantasy values.

Going into the weekend, Gausman has a 7-4 record, a 3.04 ERA, a 1.13 WHIP, 146 strikeouts and 27 walks in 109.2 innings. The strikeouts are second, the innings pitched eighth and the ERA 12th in baseball. The Blue Jays have had some issues with their pitching staff, but Gausman has given them all they could ask for. The same could be said of those managers that have him on their fantasy rosters.

As Gausman pitches against the Detroit Tigers Saturday, expect him to pad the above stats. Clearly, he belongs on this midseason fantasy baseball review edition.

Biggest Disappointment

Trea Turner, SS, Philadelphia Phillies

Unfortunately for many fantasy managers, the final selection on this fantasy baseball midseason review won’t be a surprise. In several drafts, Trea Turner might have been the very first selection. In any league format, Turner was certainly a first-round pick. Turner has played better lately, but for much of the season, he had more home runs in the World Baseball Classic than he did for the Phillies (Turner hit his fifth homer of the year on May 24).

In his last ten games, Turner had two hits in five of them, including his last two. He hit a home run Wednesday. If he hadn’t notched those tidbits, his stats would look really dreary. Even with those positives, Turner leaves a lot to be desired at the plate. In his last four games, Turner has 19 at-bats. Eight times he has returned to the bench without his bat touching the baseball. That is far too many strikeouts for a player with the ability that Turner has.

For the season, Turner is hitting .250-9-31 with a .303/.388/.691 slash line. He has 19 stolen bases, which ties him for 13th in baseball. No doubt, managers expected many more steals from Turner with the new rules in place this season. In 2022, his final season in Los Angeles, Turner hit .298-21-100 with a .343/.466/.809 slash line. Clearly, 2023 has been a big step down for Turner so far.

The absolute worst of all, however, is that Turner has 172 fantasy points. Those points place him in a tie for 76th best on the ESPN platform. Truly, no one could have predicted the depths in which Turner has fallen this year. Clearly, he is capable of turning things around in the second half. At this point, however, Turner is the obvious choice for biggest fantasy disappointment.

The Last Word

Thank you for joining me for this midseason fantasy baseball Review edition! As always, I welcome any and all suggestions, comments and input from my readers. Let’s discuss! Follow me on Twitter @kevin62wilsea. Please feel free to share this article. Be sure to turn to Belly Up Sports and Belly Up Fantasy for all the MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL happenings and the latest sports news!

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