Before last season, the steal was gradually leaving the game, with fewer and fewer players capable of reaching 20 steals, never mind 30 or 40. And the 30/30 player was all but eliminated. With money going to home run hitters, stealing became a lost art. That all changed last season with the league increasing the size of bases and limiting pickoff attempts to two. This made targeting steals in fantasy baseball a much easier proposition. A total of 19 players had 20/20 seasons, with two eclipsing the 30/30 mark. And Ronald Acuna Jr. had a seemingly impossible 41/73 season. Along with the players who reached these milestones, far more surpassed the 20-steal mark, and 18 players stole 30 or more bases last season.
Many of these players are going to cost you a significant portion of your budget. Obviously, names like Bobby Witt Jr., Julio Rodriguez, Kyle Tucker, Ronald Acuna, and Corbin Carroll will all go for a premium. The key in fantasy is find value and seek out those under the radar players other may have overlooked.
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A Sneaky Source For Speed
One of those players is on the Minnesota Twins. I’m referring to the switch-hitting Willi Castro. The switch hitter had his best season in the majors last year. In 124 games, he posted a .257 AVG and a .750 OPS. And in just 358 ABs he managed to get himself on base enough to steal 33 bases. Now, he enters the 2024 season eligible at both 3B and the outfield, and although he doesn’t project to start at any position he will be used similarly as he was in 2023: filling in where necessary to give players a break or to cover injuries.
There’s a good chance that his role will expand, making him eligible at even more positions this year. The Twins will want to get his bat and specficially his legs into their lineup. When you consider he’s not behind a player like Rafael Devers or Austin Riley at 3B, he’ll get his share of opportunities. And when you consider some of his ABs last season were filling in for the perennially injured Byron Buxton in the OF, he’ll get some more.
Although he may not duplicate the 33 SBs he managed last season, 20 should be a foregone conclusion. You won’t have to spend double digits on him in an auction, and you’ll be able to snag him at the very end of your snake draft. Depending on how deep your league is, there’s a decent chance he won’t even get drafted.
He’s been turning heads so far this young Spring Training, going 4-10 over the first week of action. If he does break camp and manages to leapfrog Royce Lewis at 3B or Matt Wallner in the OF, his value will go up, and you won’t be able to “steal” him.
Willi Castro is the reason fantasy baseball is fantastic … it forces you to pay attention and scout players like Will Castro.
