Fantasy Baseball Player Notes

The city of Baltimore hasn't seen such an unexpectedly high HR total since Brady Anderson smacked 50 homers in 1996. Mullins had hit seven HRs in 374 career at-bats entering 2021. He cleared the fence 30 times last year and added 30 stolen bases for good measure. Mullins played the 2020 season with an undiagnosed case of Crohn's disease, which may have prevented us from seeing the "real" Cedric Mullins. Some pullback on the HR total is probably inevitable, but the speed and other plate skills should remain intact. Looks slightly overpriced at a third-round ADP.

Mountcastle fully arrived in his age-24 season, shaking off a slow start to finish with 33 HR, 89 RBI, 77 runs and a reasonable .255 batting average. His .333 BA in the abbreviated 2020 season was a mirage, but Mountcastle's power is legit, with a .232 ISO in 2021 and home runs on 20% of his flyballs. There's a lot of swing-and-miss to Mountcastle's game, which could make him a BA risk, and he won't steal many bases. But the power profile is enticing, and it's a nice bonus that Mountcastle has dual eligibility as an outfielder and first baseman.

Hays finally made good on his prospect pedigree, hitting 22 home runs and topping 140 combined runs and RBI. It wasn't perfect - he walked only 5.3% of the time and his hard-hit rate and exit velocity were mediocre. But he had a strong close to th season with 12 home runs and 35 RBI over the final two months of the season. Just 26 years old, there's plenty of room for growth, though the new dimensions in Camden Yards may keep his power in check a bit. Buy him at his 2021 numbers and understand there's plenty of room for growth.

Santander dealt with a litany of injuries last year to his lower body, so the fact that he still popped 18 home runs in 100 games is rather impressive. He's admitted he is not 100% healthy after last year, which is obviously concerning with the season on the verge of beginning. Nevertheless, given Santander's ADP, he's well worth drafting. He's got 25 home runs in his bat easily if he can remain healthy, and his defense is so strong that he'll remain in the lineup even if he struggles offensively to start as he finds his footing. He rarely walks and so his runs scored total will never help you, but he's fine as a cheap outfield bat that always gets overlooked in fantasy.