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Fantasy Baseball Player Notes

2021 Fantasy Baseball Draft Notes

Position

Team

Trevor Story Note
	8. Trevor Story SS Story had his usual stellar year in 2020, putting up strong overall numbers and offering a rare power and speed combination. As usual, he greatly outperformed his expected statistics, but that's been the norm for Story throughout his career and isn't all that unexpected since he plays in Colorado. Story is entering his walk year, so the chances of a trade, which would diminish his value, remain a possibility. But there are few safer players in the game as of this moment, and he's a locked-in first round pick. The only question surrounding Story is whether he or Trea Turner should be the first shortstop selected in drafts. 37 weeks ago

Freddie Freeman Note
	10. Freddie Freeman 1B Although there were questions about Freeman's 2020 season because of his battle with COVID-19 prior to the season, those questions were answered and then some with his MVP season. The statcast leaderboard is littered with Freeman's name, as he ranked in the top nine percent of the league in barrel rate, average exit velocity, expected batting average, expected slugging percentage, wOBA, xwOBA, xwOBAcon, hard hit percentage, strikeout percentage, and walk percentage. Freeman likely won't reach double digits in steals, but that is about the only negative thing you can say about his fantasy outlook. He's as safe as they come in the other four hitting categories, and comes with next to no risk. He'll likely cost a borderline first round pick on draft day, but he is worth it. 37 weeks ago

Michael Conforto Note
	42. Michael Conforto CF,RF Conforto built on his excellent 2019 season by trading off a bit of power for some batting average. Fed by a significant increase in line drive rate that led to a .412 BABIP, Conforto batted a career best .322 last year. His xBA was just .284, so don't think that he suddenly morphed into a high average bat, but he did hit above .300 against every type of pitch last year, so it was certainly more than luck. Expect some regression to closer to his .259 mark, but he should hit around 30 homers with plenty of runs and RBI and even toss in a few steals. That makes him a worthwhile OF2 in mixed leagues. 37 weeks ago

Nelson Cruz Note
	43. Nelson Cruz Util If you ascribe to the "I'd rather jump off a year too early than too late" philosophy, then you probably haven't been drafting Cruz for the last several years. But if not, then you've not only drafted one of the most underrated fantasy bats in recent memory, but you're probably going to do so again this year. Cruz is back on a one-year deal with the Twins, and he's coming off another utterly dominant season. Fine, his strikeout rate rose again a bit, he didn't hit the ball quite as hard, and he's eligible at utility only. But other than the fact that he will be 41 years old this season, there's nothing in his profile that should cause you to expect significant decline. Prepare to be having the same debate next year, after Crus puts up another 35-homer season this year. 37 weeks ago

Nick Castellanos Note
	45. Nick Castellanos LF,RF Castellanos hit for plenty of power last season with the Reds, but it was far from the full breakout season many expected. His strikeout rate jumped to 28.5%, his batting average cratered to a career-low .225, and his wOBA was his worst mark since 2015. But Castellanos was also the victim of some pretty terrible luck, given that he had an expected batting average of .273 and a strong 46.7% hard-hit rate. With a full year in Great American Ballpark, Castellanos should fully live up to the hype he had coming into the 2020 season if he can just have even normal luck. Draft him with confidence as a likely strong four-category contributor. 37 weeks ago

Anthony Rizzo Note
	52. Anthony Rizzo 1B Rizzo's average dropped to just .222 last year and his counting stats waned, though the latter failing was much more due to the lack of production from the rest of the Cubs lineup. His walk and strikeout rates, however, stayed mostly in line, and his BABIP was an artificially low .218 (career mark of .289), which is partly why there was such a gap between his xBA of .266 and his actual batting average. With that said, Rizzo didn't hit the ball nearly as hard last year, as he saw career worsts in average exit velocity and hard hit rate. He likely won't ever be the player he was at his peak, but there's still plenty in his bat that can help fantasy managers, including the handful of steals he will throw in each year. He's a starting-caliber first baseman still, without question, and he'll go at a discount because of last year's numbers. 37 weeks ago

Eddie Rosario Note
	60. Eddie Rosario LF,RF Rosario stays in the AL Central, signing a one-year deal with the Indians after a successful tenure with the Twins. He's established a fairly reliable power baseline at this point, and he usually offers some batting average to go with it. Last year, however, his batting average dipped to just .257, in part because he became much more passive (8.2% walk rate, 51.2% Swing%, both far out of character for his career). The bigger issue was that Rosario largely cut down on his swing percentage on pitches in the strike zone, but continued to swing at pitches out of the zone at a 41.2% clip. That likely explains his lower than usual average exit velocity and barrel rate, and it's something that's easily correctable if he just goes back to his previous approach. At the very least, Rosario should chip in 25 home runs at least, while helping out in runs and RBI, and he's a fine third outfielder in mixed leagues. 37 weeks ago

Carlos Correa Note
	66. Carlos Correa SS There's still plenty of upside with Correa, as he showed when he hit 21 home runs and drove in 59 runs in just 75 games in 2019 and went on a postseason tear last year. But he's also one of the bigger injury risks in the game, given that he hasn't topped 109 games played since 2016. The steal potential that he showed early in his career is gone after he struggled with back issues, as he hasn't stolen more than three bases in any of his last four seasons. That leaves Correa as someone who will likely contribute, but not excel, in four areas. With his upside, there's still a lot to like about his fantasy outlook. But realistically, with a different name on the back of his jersey, he'd probably go several picks later than he does. 37 weeks ago

Kris Bryant Note
	67. Kris Bryant 1B,3B,LF,CF,RF Bryant had a terrible 2020 season, but it seems like fantasy managers are forgetting how consistent he's been. Over the last four seasons, he has a 162-game pace of a .278 average, 29 home runs, 112 run scored, 80 RBI, and five steals. His quality of contact was awful last season, but hard contact has never really been his calling card anyway, and he battled back and wrist injuries. Bryant doesn't deserve a mulligan entirely for last season, but give it minimal weight in your evaluation. 37 weeks ago

Tommy Pham Note
	68. Tommy Pham LF,CF Pham had a terrible 2020 season, during which he slashed .211/.312/.312 and hit just three home runs. A broken hamate bone limited him to just 31 games, and to make matters worse, he was stabbed in the lower back during an altercation in the offseason. But even entering his age-33 season, there are reasons to be optimistic about his 2021 outlook. Pham had averaged roughly 22 home runs and 22 steals with a .284 batting average the three years prior to last, and he had the highest hard-hit rate of his career in 2020. Indeed, his expected batting average of .266 was 55 points higher than his actual average. There's reason to expect Pham to return to his 20-20 ways if he can remain healthy, and batting in a loaded Padres lineup, he should add plenty of counting stats. 37 weeks ago

Jorge Soler Note
	79. Jorge Soler RF Soler's injury-shortened 2020 season didn't live up to his massive 2019 campaign, but he did show that a lot of his gains were legitimate. Yes, it was more of a 30-homer pace, but his barrel rate, average exit velocity, and hard hit rate were all elite, as they were the prior year. Soler struck out way too much (34.5% of the time), and if he can't fix that, then his average will suffer as it did last year. But, his walk rate remains high and the power is going to be there with how hard he hits the ball. He's a source of cheap power you can grab later than other similarly-profiled bats going several rounds earlier. 37 weeks ago

Andrew McCutchen Note
	104. Andrew McCutchen LF,CF McCutchen returned from his torn ACL and put up a decent season, hitting 10 home runs and stealing four bases in 57 games. If you watched him play, you could see he wasn't 100% himself, and his sprint speed dropped to just 27.4 ft/s, by far a career low. But he looks and reportedly feels healthier this spring, and will lead off again for the Phillies. Expect 20-plus homers, close to double-digit steals, and plenty of runs scored. And because he's an aging veteran, expect him to be a value on draft day. 37 weeks ago

Kyle Schwarber Note
	109. Kyle Schwarber 1B,LF Schwarber gave back many of his 2019 gains last year, seeing a rise in strikeout rate (29.5%) and his batting average dropping to an abysmal .188. But Schwarber's season was far from linear: over the first half of the season, he slashed .230/.343/.448, but those numbers dropped to .154/.279/.346 over the second half. At the same time, he continued to hit the ball extremely hard, with a 92.8 MPH average exit velocity, which was top 5% in the league. Given his consistently hard contact, the better course of action seems to forgive Schwarber for what amounted to an extremely poor 24-game stretch to close out the season. Now batting in the middle of the Nationals lineup with a fresh start and entering his age-28 season, Schwarber should rebound to somewhere between his 2018 and 2019 numbers. 37 weeks ago

Kyle Seager Note
	128. Kyle Seager 3B

Joc Pederson Note
	149. Joc Pederson 1B,LF,CF,RF

Jonathan Villar Note
	161. Jonathan Villar 2B,3B,SS Villar's quality of contact dropped significantly last year, but given how out of character it was for his career, the decline can probably be written off to the small sample of the shortened season. But he was still one of the league leaders in stolen bases with 16 and he showed no hesitation about running whenever he got the chance. The bigger issue is that Villar won't have a regular role now that he's with the Mets, but instead will be a super-utility player. With that said, Villar's versatility should allow him to see a few starts each week, and he should see action as a defensive replacement and pinch runner. All that to say that Villar should tack on 15-20 steals over the course of the season, and therefore make a viable middle infield option despite his lack of a regular role. 37 weeks ago

Alex Dickerson Note
	163. Alex Dickerson LF

Buster Posey Note
	170. Buster Posey C,1B Posey sat out the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic and concern for the health of his adopted daughters, but he returns this year for what is almost certainly his final season with the Giants and perhaps his career. Posey is in his age-34 season, ancient for a catcher, and he's coming off two seasons during which he totaled a .741 OPS and a .688 OPS in 2018 and 2019 respectively. But he's healthy and appears refreshed, and the changes to Oracle Park last year should work in his benefit now. He's outside the top-12 catchers, but you can get away with him in a one-catcher league in a pinch. 37 weeks ago

Adam Eaton Note
	176. Adam Eaton LF,RF

Starlin Castro Note
	187. Starlin Castro 2B,3B

Corey Dickerson Note
	190. Corey Dickerson LF,CF

Wilson Ramos Note
	192. Wilson Ramos C

Maikel Franco Note
	203. Maikel Franco 3B

Andrelton Simmons Note
	209. Andrelton Simmons SS

Colin Moran Note
	210. Colin Moran 1B,2B,3B

Donovan Solano Note
	222. Donovan Solano 2B,3B,SS

Gregory Polanco Note
	224. Gregory Polanco RF

Yasiel Puig Note
	233. Yasiel Puig RF

Kevin Pillar Note
	242. Kevin Pillar LF,CF,RF

Mitch Moreland Note
	250. Mitch Moreland 1B

Kurt Suzuki Note
	255. Kurt Suzuki C

Niko Goodrum Note
	262. Niko Goodrum 1B,2B,SS,LF,CF,RF

Khris Davis Note
	263. Khris Davis Util

Joshua Fuentes Note
	264. Joshua Fuentes 1B,3B

Freddy Galvis Note
	265. Freddy Galvis 2B,3B,SS

Nomar Mazara Note
	270. Nomar Mazara RF

Chance Sisco Note
	274. Chance Sisco C

Hanser Alberto Note
	278. Hanser Alberto 2B,3B,SS

Dexter Fowler Note
	290. Dexter Fowler CF,RF

Jay Bruce Note
	294. Jay Bruce 1B,LF,RF

Ronald Guzman Note
	298. Ronald Guzman 1B

Matt Carpenter Note
	299. Matt Carpenter 1B,2B,3B

Tim Locastro Note
	301. Tim Locastro LF,CF,RF

Asdrubal Cabrera Note
	302. Asdrubal Cabrera 1B,2B,3B

Marwin Gonzalez Note
	303. Marwin Gonzalez 1B,2B,3B,SS,LF,RF

Roman Quinn Note
	305. Roman Quinn CF

Alex Avila Note
	306. Alex Avila C

Albert Pujols Note
	307. Albert Pujols 1B

Travis Shaw Note
	308. Travis Shaw 1B,3B

Jake Bauers Note
	309. Jake Bauers 1B,LF,RF

Mike Tauchman Note
	315. Mike Tauchman LF,CF,RF

Ender Inciarte Note
	317. Ender Inciarte CF

Daniel Vogelbach Note
	318. Daniel Vogelbach 1B

Edwin Encarnacion Note
	321. Edwin Encarnacion 1B

Stephen Vogt Note
	323. Stephen Vogt C,LF

Rio Ruiz Note
	327. Rio Ruiz 1B,2B,3B

Brett Gardner Note
	333. Brett Gardner LF,CF

Austin Romine Note
	337. Austin Romine C

Jake Marisnick Note
	339. Jake Marisnick LF,CF

Yolmer Sanchez Note
	341. Yolmer Sanchez 2B

Eric Sogard Note
	345. Eric Sogard 2B,3B,RF

Dee Strange-Gordon Note
	349. Dee Strange-Gordon 2B,LF

Odubel Herrera Note
	353. Odubel Herrera 2B,LF,CF

Jake Lamb Note
	360. Jake Lamb 1B,3B,LF,RF

Tyler Flowers Note
	361. Tyler Flowers C

Danny Santana Note
	362. Danny Santana 1B,2B,3B,SS,LF,CF,RF

Brad Miller Note
	364. Brad Miller 1B,2B,3B,LF,RF

Grayson Greiner Note
	369. Grayson Greiner C

Franklin Barreto Note
	370. Franklin Barreto 2B

Albert Almora Jr. Note
	371. Albert Almora Jr. CF

Josh Reddick Note
	373. Josh Reddick LF,CF,RF

Billy Hamilton Note
	375. Billy Hamilton LF,CF

Phillip Evans Note
	377. Phillip Evans 1B,3B,LF,RF

Pablo Sandoval Note
	379. Pablo Sandoval 1B,3B

Matt Wieters Note
	380. Matt Wieters C

Brian Goodwin Note
	382. Brian Goodwin LF,CF,RF

Josh Harrison Note
	385. Josh Harrison 2B,3B,SS,LF

Ryan Braun Note
	386. Ryan Braun LF,RF

Cameron Maybin Note
	388. Cameron Maybin LF,RF

Mike Freeman Note
	392. Mike Freeman 2B,3B,SS

Jonathan Lucroy Note
	396. Jonathan Lucroy C

Dustin Fowler Note
	399. Dustin Fowler CF

Robinson Chirinos Note
	407. Robinson Chirinos C

Tim Lopes Note
	410. Tim Lopes LF,RF

Tyler Heineman Note
	413. Tyler Heineman C

Jed Lowrie Note
	416. Jed Lowrie 2B

Yoenis Cespedes Note
	420. Yoenis Cespedes Util

Lewis Brinson Note
	422. Lewis Brinson LF,CF,RF

Jose Marmolejos Note
	434. Jose Marmolejos 1B,LF

Rene Rivera Note
	437. Rene Rivera C

Tony Wolters Note
	443. Tony Wolters C

Willians Astudillo Note
	444. Willians Astudillo C,1B,3B

Jason Kipnis Note
	449. Jason Kipnis 2B

Mike Ford Note
	455. Mike Ford 1B

Joe Panik Note
	459. Joe Panik 1B,2B,3B,SS

Pat Valaika Note
	464. Pat Valaika 1B,2B,SS

Shed Long Jr. Note
	466. Shed Long Jr. 2B,LF

Derek Fisher Note
	468. Derek Fisher LF,RF

Jose Briceno Note
	474. Jose Briceno C

Beau Taylor Note
	480. Beau Taylor C

Ehire Adrianza Note
	487. Ehire Adrianza 1B,2B,3B,SS,LF,RF

Delino DeShields Note
	500. Delino DeShields CF

Jarrod Dyson Note
	502. Jarrod Dyson LF,CF,RF

Jedd Gyorko Note
	507. Jedd Gyorko 1B,3B

Steven Souza Jr. Note
	509. Steven Souza Jr. RF

Cristian Santana Note
	512. Cristian Santana

Jose Martinez Note
	513. Jose Martinez RF

Brock Holt Note
	526. Brock Holt 1B,2B,3B,LF,RF

Magneuris Sierra Note
	528. Magneuris Sierra LF,CF

Yairo Munoz Note
	532. Yairo Munoz 3B,SS,LF,RF

Matt Kemp Note
	534. Matt Kemp LF

Ryan Zimmerman Note
	542. Ryan Zimmerman 1B,3B

Ryan McBroom Note
	544. Ryan McBroom 1B,RF

Shin-Soo Choo Note
	545. Shin-Soo Choo LF,RF

Bryan Holaday Note
	547. Bryan Holaday C

Daniel Murphy Note
	548. Daniel Murphy 1B

Deivy Grullon Note
	549. Deivy Grullon

Daniel Robertson Note
	550. Daniel Robertson LF,CF

Anthony Bemboom Note
	551. Anthony Bemboom C

Daniel Robertson Note
	554. Daniel Robertson 2B,3B,SS

Chris Owings Note
	564. Chris Owings 2B,3B,SS,CF

Drew Butera Note
	566. Drew Butera C

Brandon Drury Note
	570. Brandon Drury 1B,2B,3B,LF,RF

Justin Williams Note
	573. Justin Williams LF,RF

Logan Morrison Note
	574. Logan Morrison Util

Charlie Culberson Note
	577. Charlie Culberson 1B,3B,SS,LF,RF

Bubba Starling Note
	580. Bubba Starling CF,RF

Scooter Gennett Note
	582. Scooter Gennett 2B

Chris Herrmann Note
	584. Chris Herrmann C,RF

Luke Maile Note
	587. Luke Maile C

Zack Cozart Note
	588. Zack Cozart 3B,SS

Rob Brantly Note
	589. Rob Brantly C

Greg Bird Note
	590. Greg Bird 1B

Andrew Susac Note
	591. Andrew Susac C

Josh Phegley Note
	594. Josh Phegley C

Joe Hudson Note
	598. Joe Hudson C

Ildemaro Vargas Note
	601. Ildemaro Vargas 2B,3B

John Hicks Note
	602. John Hicks C,1B

Gerardo Parra Note
	605. Gerardo Parra 1B,LF,CF,RF

Jose Lobaton Note
	609. Jose Lobaton C

Raudy Read Note
	610. Raudy Read C

Jeff Mathis Note
	611. Jeff Mathis C

Matt Joyce Note
	612. Matt Joyce LF,RF

Juan Lagares Note
	613. Juan Lagares LF,CF,RF

Brian Navarreto Note
	614. Brian Navarreto C

Joseph Odom Note
	617. Joseph Odom C

Tim Federowicz Note
	619. Tim Federowicz C

Matt Adams Note
	623. Matt Adams 1B

Neil Walker Note
	627. Neil Walker 1B,3B

Trayce Thompson Note
	630. Trayce Thompson CF,RF

Alex Blandino Note
	631. Alex Blandino 1B,2B,3B

Phil Gosselin Note
	632. Phil Gosselin 1B,3B,LF

Tim Beckham Note
	638. Tim Beckham 2B,3B,SS,LF

Braden Bishop Note
	640. Braden Bishop CF,RF

Mark Payton Note
	643. Mark Payton LF

Robel Garcia Note
	646. Robel Garcia 2B,3B,SS,LF

Keon Broxton Note
	649. Keon Broxton LF,CF

Justin Bour Note
	650. Justin Bour 1B

Matt Duffy Note
	651. Matt Duffy 2B,3B

Hernan Perez Note
	652. Hernan Perez 2B,3B,SS

Jordy Mercer Note
	654. Jordy Mercer 1B,2B,3B,SS

Billy McKinney Note
	656. Billy McKinney 1B,LF,RF

Derek Dietrich Note
	657. Derek Dietrich 1B,2B,LF

Breyvic Valera Note
	658. Breyvic Valera 2B,3B

Greg Garcia Note
	660. Greg Garcia 2B,3B

Brian O'Grady Note
	661. Brian O'Grady CF,RF

Erick Mejia Note
	664. Erick Mejia CF

Josh Ockimey Note
	667. Josh Ockimey 1B

Travis Jankowski Note
	675. Travis Jankowski CF

Kyle Holder Note
	676. Kyle Holder SS

Austin Listi Note
	681. Austin Listi

Ronald Torreyes Note
	682. Ronald Torreyes 2B,3B,SS

Nicky Delmonico Note
	685. Nicky Delmonico LF

Troy Stokes Jr. Note
	688. Troy Stokes Jr. CF

JT Riddle Note
	691. JT Riddle 3B,SS,CF

Jorge Bonifacio Note
	692. Jorge Bonifacio LF,RF

Wilmer Difo Note
	699. Wilmer Difo 2B,3B,SS,RF

Nick Williams Note
	701. Nick Williams LF,RF

Kevin Kramer Note
	702. Kevin Kramer 2B,3B,LF,RF

Mark Trumbo Note
	703. Mark Trumbo Util

Eduardo Nunez Note
	704. Eduardo Nunez 2B,3B,RF

Luis Gonzalez Note
	707. Luis Gonzalez Util

Stephen Wrenn Note
	709. Stephen Wrenn

Jon Jay Note
	711. Jon Jay LF,CF,RF

Sean Rodriguez Note
	712. Sean Rodriguez 2B,3B,SS,LF

Sam Travis Note
	714. Sam Travis 1B,LF

Socrates Brito Note
	717. Socrates Brito CF,RF

Zach Green Note
	718. Zach Green 3B

Will Craig Note
	723. Will Craig 1B

Tyler White Note
	736. Tyler White 1B

Ian Miller Note
	737. Ian Miller CF,RF

Domingo Leyba Note
	740. Domingo Leyba 2B,3B,SS

Max Moroff Note
	742. Max Moroff 2B,SS

Yasmany Tomas Note
	743. Yasmany Tomas LF,RF

Tzu-Wei Lin Note
	747. Tzu-Wei Lin SS

Scott Schebler Note
	751. Scott Schebler CF,RF

Melky Cabrera Note
	752. Melky Cabrera LF,CF,RF

Eddy Alvarez Note
	754. Eddy Alvarez 2B,3B

Tomas Telis Note
	758. Tomas Telis C

Dylan Cozens Note
	760. Dylan Cozens RF

Cheslor Cuthbert Note
	761. Cheslor Cuthbert 1B,3B

Ryan Goins Note
	762. Ryan Goins 3B,SS

Nick Tanielu Note
	763. Nick Tanielu 2B,3B

Pedro Florimon Note
	764. Pedro Florimon SS

Patrick Kivlehan Note
	765. Patrick Kivlehan 1B,RF

Marco Hernandez Note
	766. Marco Hernandez 2B,3B

Drew Ward Note
	767. Drew Ward 3B

Justin Smoak Note
	769. Justin Smoak 1B

Forrest Wall Note
	772. Forrest Wall 2B

Carlos Tocci Note
	773. Carlos Tocci CF

Daniel Descalso Note
	776. Daniel Descalso 2B,3B

Carlos Gonzalez Note
	777. Carlos Gonzalez LF,RF

Terrance Gore Note
	778. Terrance Gore LF,CF,RF

Gordon Beckham Note
	779. Gordon Beckham 2B,3B,SS

Nick Martini Note
	781. Nick Martini LF

Abiatal Avelino Note
	784. Abiatal Avelino SS

Joey Rickard Note
	785. Joey Rickard LF,CF,RF

Ryan Cordell Note
	786. Ryan Cordell CF,RF

Blake Swihart Note
	787. Blake Swihart C,LF,RF

Pete Kozma Note
	788. Pete Kozma 2B,SS

Brian Dozier Note
	789. Brian Dozier 2B

Nick Ciuffo Note
	795. Nick Ciuffo C

Chris Shaw Note
	797. Chris Shaw 1B,LF

Christian Colon Note
	799. Christian Colon Util

Juan Rivera Note
	801. Juan Rivera

Nate Orf Note
	803. Nate Orf Util