Fantasy Baseball Player Notes

The young White Sox slugger missed more than three months after straining his hip flexor trying to leg out an infield single but went nuclear upon his return, batting .350 with 12 HRs and 35 RBI over his final 43 games. Robert runs, too, with 15 SBs in 124 career games. There's legitimate 30-30 potential here, and it's not hard to imagine Robert producing a 40 HR season at cozy Guaranteed Rate Field. A ridiculous .394 BABIP fueled last year's .338 batting average, so there's bound to be some major recoil in that category. Health is a concern as well, as Robert experienced leg tightness in the playoffs. There's a lot to like here, but a second-round ADP seems a bit rich for a 24-year-old who has yet to play a full season.

Give the ascending slugger a mulligan for an ill-fated 2021 season. Jimenez ruptured a pectoral tendon in a spring training game and didn't come back until July 26. His surface stats in his 55 games were decent - 10 HRs, 37 RBI a .249 average - but Jimenez didn't live up to the promise he showed in the shortened 2020 season, when he had 14 HRs, 41 RBI and a .296 average. Expect a rebound and substantial power numbers. Speed isn't part of the package - he's played 232 career games and still hasn't stolen a base - but that's the only weakness here. It's only a matter of time before Jimenez gives us a 40 HR season.

Vaughn's rookie season was a little unfair, as he was thrust into the outfield despite little experience there when Eloy Jimenez suffered a serious injury in the spring. His 15 home runs in 127 games as a rookie showed his potential, but his 21.5% strikeout rate was a bit higher than projected. He'll likely see at-bats from several positions this year, as he plays outfield, first base, and DH, and it's likely that an advanced college bat such as his will take a step forward this year. Expect a good 20% increase on all his numbers across the board, which should make him startable, but not quite a fantasy superstar.