Last season, several infielders went from interesting talents to fantasy superstars. Bryson Stott was a hitting machine last season, while Isaac Paredes cracked the 30-home run plateau for the first time. And, let’s not forget about Gunnar Henderson. But now that the 2024 fantasy baseball season has arrived, here’s a look at five potential breakout candidates among infielders.
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Oneil Cruz
Will 2024 be the year for Pirates shortstop Oneil Cruz? Cruz came out of the gate last spring with a solid start when he went 8-32 (.25) with a home run and three stolen bases over his only nine games. The 25-year-old’s season, though, ended in April thanks to a fractured fibula.
Cruz is one of the few players with 30-30 potential thanks to his plus power and speed. Will it be tough to get there with his swing-and-miss troubles? Yes, but that potential can’t be ignored by any means.
Elly De La Cruz
Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz is rated quite high by several different fantasy baseball destinations despite what was an underwhelming .235/.300/.410 slash line in 2023. Still, De La Cruz showed plenty of pop and swiped 35 bases in his rookie campaign. Hence, why De La Cruz made our top 50 heading into the preseason.
Like with Cruz, the strikeouts (33.7% K%) are going to be a problem with De La Cruz. That dings his fantasy value a bit, as the odds of him cracking a .240 average aren’t high. But, the tools – plus power and some of the best speed in the game today – make De La Cruz a high-risk, high-reward option.
Edouard Julien
With Jorge Polanco now a member of the Mariners, the Twins’ second baseman belongs to Edouard Julien. Julien jumped up prospect lists in 2021 and 2022 thanks to above-average power and a plus eye at the plate. Injuries gave Julien his first crack in the Majors in April but a roster logjam meant it took a while for the 24-year-old to cement a firm roster spot.
Julien finished in the top 20 among second basemen (min. 10 GP at 2B in 2023) in home runs (16) and walks (64), despite only playing in 109 games at the MLB level. He’s got at least 20-25 home run potential, and Julien’s ability to draw walks does make him an underrated option for runs scored.
Brice Turang
Last season was a breakout campaign for Bryson Stott, who netted 164 hits over 151 games and swiped 31 bases for the Phillies. So, who could be the 2024 version of Stott? This one is a bit of a risk, so it’s worth watching his performance in the spring. Former first-round pick Brice Turang is the fourth name on our list of potential fantasy baseball breakout infielders.
The Brewers 2B/SS has the speed and baserunning skills to be an impact fantasy player. The 24-year-old netted 26 in his rookie campaign. And while Turang might not have as good of a power tool as compared to Stott, the contact tool is strong enough that the 24-year-old could be a name to watch. But, he’ll need to hit in the spring to shore up a regular role with the Brewers.
Anthony Volpe
The 2023 campaign was a weird one for Anthony Volpe. Volpe cracked the Yankees’ Opening Day roster and did what just three rookies — himself, Corbin Carroll, and Nolan Jones — did all of last year: record a 20-20 campaign. It’s hard, though, to call last season a breakout campaign. Volpe hit just .209 and posted just a .666 OPS.
It’ll be interesting to see how Volpe is deployed in 2024, in a Yankees lineup that now includes Juan Soto and Alex Verdugo. 50.2% of his plate appearances came in the bottom third of the Yankees’ lineup last season and he didn’t score many runs despite over 600 plate appearances. But, Volpe’s power and speed — as well as promising signs shown in August — make him a key name to watch.
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