Fantasy Baseball Player Notes
2022 Fantasy Baseball Draft Notes
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27.
Whit Merrifield
2B
This late bloomer has been fantasy gold for the last five years. Merrifield stole 40 bases last season at age 32. Durability is a big plus: Merrifield hasn't missed a game in the last three years. But there are some worrisome signs of slippage. His line drive rate has been steadily dropping over the last few seasons, and he hit only two home runs last season from July 1 on. Merrifield has been a terrific value for years, but it's possible he'll be slightly overpriced in 2022 drafts.
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32.
Salvador Perez
C,DH
Perez tied for the MLB lead with 48 home runs in 2021 and had a league-leading 121 RBI. After missing the entire 2019 season due to Tommy John surgery and playing 37 of 60 games in 2020, Perez played 161 games last year (40 as a DH) and went to the plate 665 times. He's bound to get fewer PAs this season, and some HR pullback is probably inevitable, but the Statcast numbers show that Perez crushes the ball when he makes contact. His career batting averages have been all over the map, and he doesn't run, but the power and run production are legit. Perez deserves to be the first catcher off the board, but he might be drafted too early after last season's homer-fest.
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49.
Adalberto Mondesi
3B
If only we could transfer this skill set to a more durable body. Mondesi is a stolen base machine with some surprising pop in his bat, but he hasn't played in more than 102 games or made more than 443 plate appearances in any season, and he's played more than 75 games only once. Leg and foot injuries limited him to only 35 games last year, yet Mondesi still managed to swipe 15 bags and belt six home runs. He strikes out a ton, doesn't take walks and has a .249 career batting average, but his contributions in the counting categories (especially steals) more than make up for it. This is all about risk tolerance, and you're obligated to bake some missed games into Mondesi's price.
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59.
Bobby Witt Jr.
SS
Witt was drafted everywhere after buzz in the spring suggested that he'd be up in the majors before long. "Before long" became never, as Witt spent the entire year in Double-A and Triple-A, admittedly showing why he's such a valued prospect. In 123 games combined between the levels, he hit 33 home runs and stole 29 bases, all with a plus average. Witt should begin the year in the majors (or be up shortly after the start of the season), and he'll almost certainly play third base, giving him dual-eligibility. He may struggle early on, but he's too talented to let it continue for long. At a barren third base position, he could be one of the most impactful players in fantasy baseball this year based on his ADP.
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107.
Andrew Benintendi
LF
Benintendi was the classic "needs a change of scenery" player and got relatively back on track with the Royals. He looked almost identical to the disappointing but absolutely usable version of himself that he showed in 2019, and his underlying rates were nearly identical. He did walk at a career-worst rate but he also got his strikeout rate down under control, and had he avoided injury, he surely would have put up a 20-10 season. There's every reason to expct him to be able to do that again, but expect his other counting stats to remain mediocre with Kansas City's lineup.
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165.
Nicky Lopez
2B,SS
If they gave out fantasy points for soft contact, Lopez would be one of your leaders. He has five home runs in three combined seasons, and his career high in RBI is 43. He has some speed, as his 22 stolen bases showed last year, and he shouldn't hurt you in batting average. But batting ninth in a mediocre Kansas City lineup, with zero power upside, is just not a formula for success. There are better places to spend your late-round draft capital.
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214.
Carlos Santana
1B
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226.
Hunter Dozier
1B,3B,DH,RF
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244.
Michael A. Taylor
CF
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258.
Kyle Isbel
RF
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321.
MJ Melendez
C
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344.
Edward Olivares
RF
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415.
Nick Pratto
1B
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455.
Cam Gallagher
C
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481.
Sebastian Rivero
C
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534.
Jose Briceno
C
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546.
Ryan O'Hearn
1B,DH,RF
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553.
Emmanuel Rivera
3B
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692.
JaCoby Jones
CF
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699.
Ivan Castillo
2B
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705.
Clay Dungan
SS
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