Don’t sleep on these Phillies for your 2019 fantasy team

Whether you are still basking in the glory of your 2018 fantasy baseball league win or wallowing in shame and dismay for finishing in last place, it is never too early to start thinking about your 2019 fantasy team. The folks at ESPN seem to agree. Last week, ESPN published a list of fantasy baseball rankings, rating its top 300 overall draft picks for the upcoming season, as well as providing positional lists. The rankings will be updated throughout the winter and spring months.

Of most concern to the fantasy-loving Phillies community are our players who have made the cut. Don’t sleep on these Phillies for your 2019 fantasy team:

Coming in at #23 overall on the top 300 list, the boy from Baton Rouge himself, Aaron Nola. Nola had his best season in 2018 since making his major league debut in 2015, with a slim 2.37 ERA and 0.97 WHIP, earning 17 W’s for the Fightin’ Phils. He lands at No. 6 in positional rankings and is the youngest pitcher among the top 10 pitchers on ESPN’s coveted list. Nola is expected to have another winning season as the No. 1 starting pitcher, and is sure to be as much of an asset to your fantasy team as he is to our men in red pinstripes.

The next Phil to follow Nola in the top 300 is Rhys Hoskins. ESPN ranks the young Sacramento slugger No. 32 overall and No. 12 among outfielders (though he’s moving back to first base for the Phillies in 2019), making Hoskins a solid late second/early third round pick. Though Phillies fan bemoaned Hoskins’ offensive inconsistency towards the end of the 2018 season, his power-hitting numbers--34 homers and knocking in 96 RBI on the year--are sure to boost your fantasy team’s standings.

Following Hoskins, you’ll have to scroll a little way’s down the list to find our newly acquired shortstop Jean Segura. Joining us from the rainy city of Seattle, Segura is ranked No. 61 overall and the No. 10 shortstop by ESPN’s standards. Segura is coming off a strong offensive season, with a .304 batting average (one of the highest in the league). He also stole a solid 20 bases last year, which will give your team nice little cushion in points if you’re using the ESPN fantasy system. Phillies fans surely seem excited to see Segura in red and white in 2019, just as you brave and committed fantasy-ers should be about Segura’s fantasy prospects.

The rest of our dear Phillies to make the list are Odubel Herrera (111), Caesar Hernandez (138), Seranthony Domingeuz (164), Jorge Alfaro (233), Maikel Franco (249), Jake Arrieta (265), Pat Neshek (287), Zach Elfin (288), Scott Kingery (290), and rounding us out at 298, Nick Pivetta. They may not be high on ESPN’s list, but they’re certainly high in our hearts.