Orioles Fantasy Baseball Draft Preview | Corbin Burnes, Adley Rutschman, Grayson Rodriguez, Gunnar Henderson, Kyle Bradish and More

Discussing the top fantasy players from the Baltimore Orioles as the 2024 season approaches.

The fantasy baseball season is closing in quickly. FantasySP has published a number of articles relating to 2024 fantasy baseball draft prep and will continue to do so through the start of the MLB season.

Recently, we’ve been looking at things on a team-by-team basis. Those articles can be found at the links below:

American League - Texas Rangers (hitters and pitchers), Oakland Athletics, Chicago White Sox, Kansas City Royals, Houston Astros (hitters and pitchers), Minnesota Twins, Tampa Bay Rays (hitters and pitchers), Cleveland Guardians, Detroit Tigers, Los Angeles Angels, Seattle Mariners, New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays

National League - Los Angeles Dodgers (hitters and pitchers), Washington Nationals, Colorado Rockies, Atlanta Braves (hitters and pitchers), Pittsburgh Pirates, Miami Marlins, Milwaukee Brewers, New York Mets, San Francisco Giants, Arizona Diamondbacks (hitters and pitchers), San Diego Padres, St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies, Cincinnati Reds

We’ll close up the team-by-team series by covering the Baltimore Orioles.

Get ready for draft season! Check out our Mock Draft Simulator, Average Draft Position list and Draft Genius!

Top Fantasy Pitchers

The first Baltimore player off the FantasySP Average Draft Position list is starting pitcher Corbin Burnes, ranking 16th overall with a mark of 17.61.

He’ll join the Orioles after pitching six seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers. He won the NL Cy Young in 2021, but his earned run average has risen in two straight years, finishing nearly one full run more than his Cy Young ERA in 2023.

Along with his 3.39 ERA last season, Burnes went 10-8, striking out 200 batters over 193 2/3 innings and 32 starts.

I see most pitchers going earlier than I’d like on the ADP list. Burnes is a guy I like a round or more later, especially with his numbers falling each of the past two seasons. He’ll have a better team around him, but he’ll also face stiffer competition in the AL.

Grayson Rodriguez is the team’s No. 2 starter now, and ranks 78th overall with a mark of 78.78.

He made his MLB debut in 2023, getting 23 starts in total. Rodriguez went 7-4 with a 4.35 ERA and 129 strikeouts over 122 innings.

Those are solid numbers to build on for Rodriguez, but you are still spending a pretty early pick on a fairly unproven arm. He’s another guy I’d like a couple rounds later than his current ADP, and probably a third or fourth fantasy SP arm.

Kyle Bradish is next up, ranking 109th with a mark of 112.74.

In his second season in the bigs, Bradish made 30 starts, finishing 12-7 with a 2.83 ERA. He struck out 168 over 168 2/3 innings.

Bradish is dealing with an elbow issue and is likely out through April - that’s what is allowing you to get him a little bit later in drafts. The injury concern should probably move him even further down draft boards, but there’s plenty of upside if he can only miss the first month of action. I’d target Bradish if you feel really good about your fantasy SP to that point of the draft.

Craig Kimbrel is next up, ranking 169th with a mark of 158.18. He’ll serve as the team’s closer with Felix Bautista out for the entire season.

Kimbrel continues to earn closer roles despite inching toward 40 years old. He appeared in 71 games in 2023 for the Philadelphia Phillies, going 8-6 with 23 saves and a 3.26 ERA. Kimbrel struck out 94 batters across 69 innings.

I like taking closers after round 10 or so, so that makes Kimbrel an option, and a pretty solid one at that. He’s been pretty reliable his entire career, and should get plenty of save opportunities with Baltimore.

Reliever Yennier Cano is the next in line if Kimbrel is unavailable. He ranks 224th with a mark of 194.95.

Cano pitched in 72 games in 2023, going 1-4 with a strong 2.11 ERA. He struck out 65 batters over 72 2/3 innings and earned eight saves.

Cano is one of the better fantasy non-closer relievers in the league. With Kimbrel being on the back side of his career, it’s possible Cano gets a handful of save opportunities in order to keep the veteran fresh over the course of the season. There’s not much risk involved with taking Cano, with the upside outweighing any downside.

Starter Dean Kremer is next, ranking 247th with a mark of 212.4.

Kremer went 13-5 across 32 starts last season. He had a 4.12 ERA and 157 strikeouts over 172 2/3 innings. 

That was easily Kremer’s best season in the big leagues, but for this point in a fantasy draft, I love the value Kremer provides, even if he regresses a touch. He’s a great depth fantasy SP option.

John Means is the last Baltimore pitcher on the ADP list, ranking 332nd with a mark of 262. He’s injured to start the season, but expects to return by late April.

Means only made four starts a season ago, and has just six starts over the past two seasons. He’s got a career 3.74 ERA, so if he can remain healthy from May until the end of the season, he could definitely help some fantasy teams out. I’m fine taking a gamble on him with a late-round draft pick.

Until Means returns, Tyler Wells and Cole Irvin are the projected final starters for the Orioles and are streaming options against weaker-hitting teams.

Top Fantasy Hitters

Catcher Adley Rutschman is the first Baltimore hitter off draft boards, ranking 27th overall with a mark of 29.2. He’s the first catcher taken, going nearly 30 picks before another catcher, on average.

Rutschman played in 154 games last season (which is pretty unheard of for catchers nowadays), tallying a .277 average and .374 on-base percentage. He had 163 total hits, 80 RBIs, 84 runs scored and 52 extra-base hits (20 home runs).

Rutschman was the 25th-best fantasy hitter in points leagues last season, but I think is going far too early in fantasy drafts. Sure, he played nearly every game last season, but I think you can find a lot better value in the third round. I’d consider Rutschman starting early in round five. 

Gunnar Henderson is next up, ranking 41st with a mark of 43.11. He should be eligible to start at 3B and SS.

Across 150 games in 2023, Henderson had a .255 average, .325 OBP, 143 total hits, 82 RBIs, 10 stolen bases and 100 runs scored. He popped 28 homers among his 64 extra-base hits.

Even despite a lower average, Henderson really delivered well-rounded fantasy numbers. Because he’s eligible at two positions, that makes him even more valuable, so I wouldn’t mind taking Henderson a touch before his current ADP. If he has a similar average, you get good value back on your pick, and if he increases it, you have a draft steal.

Outfielder Anthony Santander is ranked 96th with a mark of 102.33.

He played in 153 games last season, posting a .257 average, .325 OBP, 152 total hits, 95 RBIs and 81 runs scored. Santander homered 28 times among his 70 extra-base hits.

Santander is a great value pick and could outperform a number of the fantasy hitters taken before him. He’s a great third or fourth OF option and should be startable all season.

Outfielder Cedric Mullins ranks 160th with a mark of 150.72.

Across 116 games in 2023, Mullins had a .233 average and .305 OBP. He collected 94 total hits, 41 of which went for extra bases (15 homers), 74 RBIs, 19 stolen bases and 51 runs scored.

Mullins had played in nearly every game in 2021-22, but missed a good portion of the season in 2023. Factoring in his low average, his ADP took a pretty big hit. He’s a bounceback candidate, with a decent amount of upside at his current ADP. I like taking Mullins if you are really confident in your other OF options.

Prospect Jackson Holliday is ranked 177th with a mark of 162.22. He’s widely regarded as the top prospect in the league.

The 20-year-old has a career .320 average across his two seasons in the minor leagues. He has some pop and speed to his game and is expected to open the season as the team’s starting second baseman.

There’s always some risk involved in taking a player who has never had a MLB at-bat, but if Holliday lives up to the hype, he could be one of the best fantasy hitters in the league. I love the idea of taking a chance on him, especially in the middle rounds of a draft. I’d protect him with a fairly strong fantasy asset, but I also see Holliday being a big draft steal by the end of the season.

Outfielder Austin Hays ranks 301st with a mark of 240.86.

Hays played in 144 games last season, tallying a .275 average and .325 OBP. He had 143 total hits, 67 RBIs, five stolen bases, 76 runs scored and 54 extra-base hits (16 homers). 

I love the value Hays could provide fantasy teams this coming season. He’s a fantastic depth option in the outfield and could be started throughout the season.

Ryan Mountcastle ranks 321st with a mark of 253.2.

In 115 games last season, he had a .270 average, .328 OBP, 114 total hits, 68 RBIs, 64 runs scored and 40 extra-base hits (18 homers).

Durability is a concern for Mountcastle, but this late in a draft, I like the value he can provide you. He’s a good backup option at first base, and could start at an infield/utility spot most of the season.

Last up for Baltimore hitters on the ADP list is Jordan Westburg, who ranks 354th with a mark of 284.

He made his MLB debut last season, playing 68 games and finishing with a .260 average, .311 OBP, 54 total hits, 23 RBIs, four stolen bases and 26 runs scored. Westburg homered three times among his 22 extra-base hits.

Westburg should be eligible at second and third base, which is a nice bonus. He’s expected to be the team’s starter at 3B to open the season and is a fine late-round infield option to take a chance on.

Ryan O’Hearn is the team’s other projected starter, but in a platoon with Jorge Mateo. James McCann will back up Rutschman, while Ramon Urias and Colton Cowser are projected bench bats. 

Along with Holliday, Cowser, Coby Mayo and Heston Kjerstad are other top-100 prospects to keep a close eye on.

Thanks for following along as we covered each MLB team’s best fantasy players. Good luck in your fantasy drafts and be sure to check back during the season for more fantasy baseball analysis and insight!

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