Adrian Beltre has shown improvement of late
Adrian Beltre has been drafted as a top-three third baseman for a number of years in a row, and this season was no different. So far, Beltre has not lived up to his draft status, but has shown signs of turning his season around. If you can acquire him in your league without paying full price for him, now is a good time to buy in on him for the rest of the season.
Although his season average is only .236, Beltre has hit .280 over his last seven games, including four extra-base hits in his last three games. Though none of those hits have been home runs, Beltre can provide value through his average and prime spot in the Rangers’ lineup, even if his power continues to slip. For one, Beltre’s contact rate continues to be a strong (84%), nearly identical to his contact rate last year, which resulted in a very productive season for Beltre. The problem is that it has become less hard contact. His hard-contact rate is down to 26.3%, his lowest since the 2003 season, and his rate of soft contact is 26.3%, a career-high by nearly four percent. Therefore, there is obvious reason for concern for owners of Beltre. Even so, Beltre’s HR/FB ratio is currently at 5.1%, the same rate as Joe Mauer last season. Even given the fact that some of Beltre’s power is gone, it can be expected that this rate will improve as the season goes on.
Beltre has proven he is a great hitter throughout his career, as evidenced by his career .284 average. Although regression is inevitable in his statistics as he moves towards the twilight of his career, it is unreasonable to expect Beltre to fall off the map as a relevant fantasy player. Given his recent production, it is clear he still has potential to be a .300 hitter with around 20 home runs and 80 RBI, which is a productive season and will once again put Beltre in the top five among third baseman. If his current owner doesn’t believe that, make sure you get Beltre on your team.
Daniel Marcus is a correspondent at FantasyPros. To read more from Daniel, check out his archive or follow him @danmarcus3.
