There are a lot of talented infielders in the Majors nowadays, but some of them might be trouble for fantasy players this season. With that said, here’s a look at five MLB infielders that we believe are overvalued in drafts for the 2023 season.
Related: 2023 MLB Fantasy: Five Starting Pitchers That Could Bust This Season
Jazz Chisholm Jr.
We’ll start off with Marlins infielder-turned-outfielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. Chisholm Jr. put up solid numbers when on the field last season in Miami, as the 25-year-old hit .254/.325/.535 with 14 home runs, 28 extra base hits, and 45 RBIs in 2022. However, one has to be concerned with Chisholm Jr’s durability. Chisholm missed most of 2022 due to back troubles, and also missed time a year earlier due to a knee contusion.
There’s no doubt that Chisholm Jr. — who possesses a tantalizing skillset — has incredible potential this season. But, injury concerns as well as swing-and-miss troubles do scare us a bit on the 25-year-old. That’s not to say that we don’t like him, but we would veer away from his current draft position in most leagues.
Wander Franco
Rays shortstop Wander Franco makes this list, more so due to his position in the rankings and the deep talent that can be found at short. Franco, a top 100 player in many formats, missed a healthy amount of time last season due to quadriceps and wrist troubles. When he was on the field, he hit .277/.328/.417 with six home runs and 29 extra base hits.
Franco’s value will be tied to how many home runs and steals he can rack up in 2023. But, Franco’s power numbers were not particularly impressive last season. Now, that may very well of have been due to health. Nonetheless, we would pivot towards other infielders like Carlos Correa and Dansby Swanson.
Jonathan India
Former NL Rookie of the Year Jonathan India had a rough sophomore campaign last year. India hit just .249 — twenty points lower than his 2021 season — in 2022, and hit 10 home runs. It’s a stark contrast from 2021, when the former University of Florida star belted 21 for the Reds.
India’s batted ball metrics went in the opposite direction as well, a caution sign for us heading into the 2023 campaign.
Ketel Marte
After a torrid 2019 campaign, Diamondbacks infielder Ketel Marte has been among the league’s most-valued players at second base. However, Marte hit just .240 in 2022, the lowest batting average of his career and about eight points lower than the total he recorded in his abbreviated 2021 campaign.
While Marte’s strikeout and batted ball metrics were roughly fine, it’s hard to be excited about him given the depth at the second base position. Players like Jeff McNeil, Whit Merrifield, and Ryan McMahon can be had at roughly the same spot in the draft and all three should have more of an impact in 2023.
Adalberto Mondesi
Can new Reds Sox infielder Adalberto Mondesi stay on the field in 2023? Mondesi was one of the more intriguing infielders in the game with Kansas City, thanks to incredible speed and decent pop. However, swing-and-miss troubles and inability to stay on the field stymied the 27-year-old — see a trend here?
Mondesi is owned in more than 80% of Yahoo! leagues despite being outside the top 200. Is he worth it? Well, it depends on if Mondesi can accrue regular playing time and put his tools to good use. Thing is, we’re a bit skeptical that Mondesi can be consistent.
