The MLB All-Star Game has come and gone, but there’s still time to look at the best players of the first half of the season: The 2018 daily fantasy All-Stars, as it were. Using our Trends tool, I’ve identified the top players at each position, guys who have impressively exceeded salary-adjusted expectations (based on our Plus/Minus metric). For simplicity, I’m looking only at FanDuel.
Right-Handed Pitcher: Trevor Bauer (Indians)
Among right-handed hurlers, Bauer has averaged 47.05 FanDuel points per game, and his +13.31 Plus/Minus leads all righties by a full two points. Bauer also leads all aces with a 90% Consistency Rating, yet he he trails pitchers like Max Scherzer and Jacob deGrom with his average ownership rate.
Second-Team Selection: Scherzer leads all righties with an average of 49.10 FanDuel points per game. He trails only Bauer with his +11.23 Plus/Minus and 75% Consistency.
Left-handed Pitcher: Chris Sale (Red Sox)
Sale dominated the left-handed cohort in the first half, averaging 48.75 FanDuel points per game with a +11.54 Plus/Minus. On a per-game basis, he outscored the second-most productive lefty (James Paxton) by nearly 10 points. Additionally, his Plus/Minus was a full +2.70 points higher than that of the next-best pitcher.
Second-Team Selection: Blake Snell trailed only Sale with his +8.81 Plus/Minus, and he just edged out Paxton with his Consistency Rating (63%) and Upside Rating (9%).
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Catcher: J.T. Realmuto (Marlins)
At the midway point, catchers have averaged 8.08 FanDuel points with a -0.5 Plus/Minus and 34% Consistency. Realmuto has smashed those baselines with 12.68 FanDuel points as well as a +2.58 Plus/Minus and 47% Consistency. Overall, his cumulative Plus/Minus (+175.30) is 48.10 points higher than that of the next catcher in line. He’s shown exceptional power this season with a .226 isolated power (ISO) and a .384 weighted on-base average (wOBA). Per FanGraphs, Realmuto’s 3.5 Wins Above Replacement (WAR) and 145 Weighted Runs Created Plus (wRC+) are position-best marks (minimum 100 plate appearances).
Second-Team Selection: Yasmani Grandal averaged the second-most fantasy points per game (11.55) behind Realmuto in the first half. While Grandal’s +1.78 Plus/Minus isn’t elite, his 46% Consistency Rating and 23% Upside Rating are exceptional.
First Baseman: Jesus Aguilar (Brewers)
It shouldn’t be shocking to see Aguilar here with his National League-high 24 home runs. He leads all first basemen by a significant margin and trails only Mookie Betts among all positions with his +3.98 average Plus/Minus. With his 30% Upside Rating, Aguilar trounces some of the other power hitters such as J.D. Martinez and Mike Trout. Overall, Aguilar has been one of the most reliable first basemen this season, sporting a 52% Consistency Rating.
Second-Team Selection: Max Muncy is just slightly behind Aguilar, averaging a +3.25 Plus/Minus with comparable Consistency Ratings (52%) and Upside Ratings (31%).
Second Baseman: Javier Baez (Cubs)
Baez smashes all second baseman with his cumulative +264.20 Plus/Minus. For perspective: The second-place Scooter Gennett trails by 107.50 points. Moreover, Baez’s 14.91 fantasy points per game and +3.52 Plus/Minus are position-best marks among everyday starters. Baez has been incredibly valuable for the Cubs, jacking 19 home runs and 72 runs batted in and stealing 18 bases.
Second-Team Selection: Gennett has been serviceable with 12.40 average fantasy points per game. He trails Baez and Ozzie Albies (12.68) in raw production, but Gennett has the edge over Albies with his superior Consistency Rating and Plus/Minus.
Third Baseman: Jose Ramirez (Indians)
Ramirez has shown elite power this season with his .427 wOBA and .327 ISO. He trounces all other third basemen with his 29 home runs, and he’s been exploitative as a runner with 20 stolen bases. Ramirez is especially valuable to his team, boasting a WAR of 6.5. His average 15.13 fantasy points per game is an exceptional mark; only Betts is averaging more.
Second-Team Selection: Eugenio Suarez leads all third baseman in RBIs (71), and his 13.62 fantasy points per game is excellent. His +2.76 Plus/Minus isn’t far off from Ramirez’s (+2.87).
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Shortstop: Francisco Lindor (Indians)
This season, shortstops have averaged a paltry 9.16 fantasy points per game with a woeful -0.4 Plus/Minus. Lindor is crushing those numbers with 14.52 points and a +2.28 Plus/Minus. He trails only Betts and his teammate Ramirez with his per-game production. It’s not shocking to see Lindor here with his 25 home runs, 62 runs batted in and 13 stolen bases. His 143 wRC+ and 5.4 WAR are top-two marks among shortstops.
Second-Team Selection: It’s close between Trevor Story and Manny Machado. Story has the edge in Plus/Minus, Consistency Rating and Upside Rating, but Machado deserves consideration, given that he doesn’t have the benefit of playing half his games at Coors Field, where Story has scored nearly seven fantasy points more than he has on the road.
Outfielders: Mookie Betts, J.D. Martinez, Andrew Benintendi (Red Sox)
It might seem odd to have three outfielders from the same team here, but among hitters who see regular playing time, Betts, Martinez and Benintendi rank first, second and fourth in fantasy points per game. They’re also all top-10 in average Plus/Minus and top-four in cumulative Plus/Minus.
Betts has been extraordinary this year, averaging 18.17 fantasy points per game with a +5.23 Plus/Minus. His cumulative +392 Plus/Minus is 184 points higher than that of the second-most productive outfielder. Betts and Martinez each own a wRC+ in the top-three at the position; Benintendi has the No. 11 mark. All three have demonstrated significant power this season, especially Martinez and Betts, who sport ISOs and wOBAs above .300 and .400.
Second-Team Selection: Trout has been valuable for his team (6.5 WAR), and he has a top-three mark at the position with 14.40 fantasy points per game, but he gets edged out because of his elevated salary-based expectations: His average +1.00 Plus/Minus and cumulative +94.50 Plus/Minus pale in comparison to those of the Red Sox outfielders.
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Pictured above: Mookie Betts and J.D. Martinez
Photo credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
