The Nationals acquired Adam Eaton on December 8 after weeks of clamoring to add an outfielder to their plans in 2017. The package the White Sox received was a big one, netting them Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo Lopez and Dane Dunning.
The Nationals in term received a solid outfielder (who might be best suited for left or right field) that can contribute across the board for fantasy owners. Here, we’ll take a look at Eaton as a Washington National and what that might mean for his fantasy value in 2017.
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2015-2016 Consistency
Eaton jumped onto the fantasy baseball scene in 2015 with a breakout season, slashing 287/361/401/792. While he saw a slight dip in batting average in comparison to 2014, his HR count jumped from one to 14, while keeping a solid 18 SB with eight failed SB attempts. While neither number jumps out as a stunner, Eaton did one thing all fantasy owners crave: he remained consistent in the following season.
His 2016 slash line was 284/362/428/790, almost identical to his 2015 season. He hit 14 HR – again – and drove in three extra runs. He did, however, steal four fewer bags in seven fewer attempts. His strikeouts also dropped from 131 to 115 last season, even while playing four more games.
Lineup
So we know Eaton can deliver consistency as a White Sox, but he’ll be playing 2017 in the nation’s capital, not in Chicago. As such, he’ll be moving into a much, much stronger lineup, likely batting second behind speedster Trea Turner and in front of elite-power hitter Bryce Harper. Eaton had Jose Abreu in Chicago, but that was about it.
The Nationals lineup is much deeper, featuring Anthony Rendon, Jayson Werth, Ryan Zimmerman and Derek Norris. Eaton scored 98 and 91 runs in the past two seasons, and an uptick in that category is almost guaranteed playing in front of Harper and company.
Eaton will also be playing 2017 under Manager Dusty Baker, known for his aggressiveness in the running game. While running in front of Bryce Harper might not be the smartest baseball strategy, it has worked for the Nats, who ranked fifth in SB/G in 2016 with 0.77, compared to Chicago’s 0.48 (15th). Of course, Trea Turner (OBP .370) will be on base frequently in front of Eaton, which may limit his stolen base attempts. That is until Turner swipes second base, leading to plenty of RBI opportunities for the newest Nationals outfielder.
2017 Outlook
Eaton will look to take his remarkably consistent batting record to Washington, making improvements along the way and hopefully pushing the Nationals to win their first playoff series in their franchise’s short history. To do so, he’ll need to continue to play the way he has over the past few season with Chicago, making minimal adjustments to his game. Simply playing for a competitive team and within a much stronger lineup should be enough to give him a boost in runs and stolen bases, although playing in the power-sapping parks of the NL East may diminish his HR output.
However, if you’re drafting Adam Eaton for home run, you’re doing it wrong. While continually drafted as a second outfielder, Eaton is a better value as a third, contributing in many categories, but not overwhelming in one particular aspect of his game. He’s a solid fantasy outfielder, but certainly not worth an overpay, where similar production potential can be found elsewhere.
Check out all of our 2017 fantasy baseball player profiles
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Roy Widrig is a correspondent at FantasyPros. To read more from Roy, check out his archive and follow him @rolewiii.
