Fantasy Baseball Player Notes

He's destined to end up in Cooperstown, but Trout has been plagued by injuries in what should be the prime of his career. He hasn't played more than 140 games in a season since 2016, and a calf injury last year limited him to just 117 at-bats. If he can stay healthy, he'll hit a bunch of bombs and make major contributions in runs, RBI and batting average. Trout once stole 49 bases, but that was a long time ago, and the SBs might not come back now that he's in his 30s. You're bound to get an injury discount on Trout, and with good reason - the risk of continued health problems is very real. But if you're lucky enough to get 150+ games out of him, you're going to turn a big profit.

Walsh was outstanding in his rookie year, blasting 29 home runs and batting .277. His expected batting average (.257) and slugging percentage (.436) lagged significantly behind his actual numbers, but his 114.8 MPH maximum exit velocity was in the top six percent of MLB and suggests his power is real. Walsh couldn't hit a lick against lefties last year, as he batted just .170 against them with a .565 OPS. But, even if he loses time against them, his success against righties should be more than enough to keep him relevant. Buy him as a 30-homer bat but take at least 10 to 20 points off his batting average from last year.

Adell has massive power but hit just four home runs in 35 games in the majors last year. But his strikeout rate was a very manageable 22.9% after it was an incredibly bloated 41.7% in 2020, and that generally bodes well for a prospect. He worked on a swing change this offseason and looks much, much more comfortable in the spring. As fantasy managers know, prospect growth is not linear, so Adell's mediocre performance in the majors to this point shouldn't give you much pause. You'll have to pay more for him than his numbers suggest you should, be he's got the type of upside that should make the price worth it.