Fantasy Baseball Player Notes
2021 Fantasy Baseball Draft Notes
|
5.
Mike Trout
CF
For one of the first times since he took the league by storm, Trout is not the consensus top pick this year. It's hardly his fault, though it's fair to point out some of the negatives with his 2020 season. He batted a career-low .281, and posted his worst walk- and strikeout-rates since 2015. He also stole only one base. But Trout's move down the overall baseball rankings is due more to his competition for the top spot, rather than his numbers. He was still among the league leaders in quality of contact and every expected statcast metric, and was on pace to hit 50 home runs over the course of a full season. Trout is entering his age-30 season, so although we've seen him rebound from poor stolen base years before, it now seems unlikely that he'll ever get back to much past low-double digits. That keeps him out of the top spot in rotisserie rankings, but his incredibly high floor makes him a top-five overall draft pick.
|
|
17.
Anthony Rendon
3B
Rendon's stock feels like it has dropped dramatically, but there's really nothing in the small sample size of the 2020 season that should alter your outlook much on him. Yes, he didn't hit the ball as hard consistently, but he walked more than ever, maintained his elite strikeout rate, and still put up a roughly 30-homer, 100-RBI pace. Still just 31 years old, there should be plenty left in the tank this season for the veteran, and he should once again be a strong four-category contributor, with a small bit of speed thrown in for good measure.
|
|
136.
Jared Walsh
1B
|
|
145.
David Fletcher
2B,SS
|
|
184.
Justin Upton
LF
|
|
202.
Jo Adell
LF
|
|
245.
Shohei Ohtani
DH
|
|
247.
Max Stassi
C
|
|
293.
Shohei Ohtani
DH,SP
Depending on your league settings, Ohtani has the potential to be a dominant force in 2021. There has never been any doubt about his talent, and he looks fantastic in the spring, hitting home runs at will and pumping in high-90s fastballs when on the mound. He's been batting on days he pitches, and Joe Maddon has suggested that he's going to throw out the old rules that led to Ohtani's decreased playing time. If you can move him between hitter and pitcher on a daily basis, then move him up your board significantly. Even if not, he should provide plenty of value when healthy as either a hitter or a pitcher, so make sure he's on your radar as you move into the double-digit rounds.
|
|
336.
Chad Wallach
C
|
|
424.
Brandon Marsh
CF
|
|
447.
Taylor Ward
RF
|
|
524.
Tyler Wade
3B,SS
|
|
538.
Jordyn Adams
CF
|
|
569.
Jeremiah Jackson
SS
|
|
576.
Luis Rengifo
SS
|
|
632.
Phil Gosselin
3B,LF
|
|
669.
Andrew Velazquez
SS
|
|
694.
Jack Mayfield
3B
|
|
695.
Jose Rojas
RF
|
|
698.
Matt Thaiss
1B
|
|
|
794.
Aaron Whitefield
CF
|
