Fantasy Baseball Player Notes
2021 Fantasy Baseball Draft Notes
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146.
Anthony Santander
DH,RF
Santander has quietly turned into a strong power bat, but few fantasy managers seem to give him credit. A .476 slugging percentage with 20 home runs in 93 games in 2019, followed by a .575 slugging percentage and 11 home runs in 37 games in 2020. There's nothing particularly fluky about his power output - it's just a young hitter coming into his own and making better contact. He did seem to sell out a bit for power last year, upping his launch angle and fly ball rate significantly. And yet he hit .261, the same mark as in 2019, and his xBA was .286. In other words, there's plenty to like about Santander, who is going well behind other hitters who offer similar production. He should be a value in drafts this year.
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147.
Ryan Mountcastle
1B,DH,LF
Mountcastle followed up a successful minor-league career with a strong 35-game stint in the majors last year. Not only did he bat .333 with an .878 OPS and a 139 wRC+, but he also walked 7.9% of the time, far above what he showed in the minors. The batting average is unsustainable - he was a .295 hitter in the minors and last year he relied on a .398 BABIP despite sub-par average exit velocity and a middling line drive rate. But playing in Camden Yards should certainly keep his production high, and batting in the middle of the Orioles lineup should lead to enough RBI chances to make him a rosterable, if not startable, fantasy option.
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158.
Trey Mancini
1B,DH,RF
Mancini missed all of the 2020 season after being diagnosed with cancer, but appears to be healthy as we head into 2021. He had a breakout 2019 season during which he hit 35 home runs and slashed .291/.364/.535, and there's every reason to think that production is sustainable. Mancini had hit 24 home runs in each of the two previous seasons, and other than being a bit more selective at the plate, made few changes that suggest his 2019 production was fluky. Instead, it appeared to be the natural progression of a hitter improving on his already strong foundation. Batting in a great home park, Mancini should again be a four-category producer, and his ADP should rise if he shows he's fully healthy throughout the spring.
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195.
John Means
SP
Means's 4.53 ERA and grotesque home run rate are probably going to scare the casual fantasy manager away, but there is a ton to like about him heading into 2021. First, Means had a weird year last season, as he dealt with arm fatigue early and then his father passed away, so his schedule was certainly thrown up into the air at the start. Probably because of those difficulties, his outstanding changeup wasn't effective earlier in the season, but it was back to being his money pitch by season's end. Add to that Means' increase in velocity, his strong finish (1.52 ERA, 30 strikeouts over his last four starts), and his excellent command, and there's a breakout waiting to happen, despite the tough division.
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251.
Austin Hays
LF,RF
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338.
Tanner Scott
RP
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382.
Renato Nunez
1B
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389.
Jose Iglesias
SS
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461.
Cedric Mullins II
CF
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470.
Dean Kremer
SP
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483.
Rougned Odor
2B,3B
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491.
DJ Stewart
LF,RF
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535.
Keegan Akin
SP
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646.
Cole Sulser
RP
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649.
Paul Fry
RP
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677.
Dillon Tate
RP
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716.
Adley Rutschman
C
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782.
Cionel Perez
RP
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810.
DL Hall
SP
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817.
Jordan Lyles
SP
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877.
Alex Wells
SP
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885.
Grayson Rodriguez
SP
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891.
Zac Lowther
SP
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896.
Jorge Lopez
SP
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934.
Tyler Wells
RP
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965.
Jahmai Jones
2B
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1076.
Chris Davis
1B
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1078.
Jorge Mateo
CF
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1081.
Richie Martin
SS
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1082.
Travis Lakins Sr.
RP
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1124.
Mike Baumann
RP
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1129.
Yusniel Diaz
RF
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1139.
Bruce Zimmermann
SP
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1192.
Rylan Bannon
3B
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1326.
Isaac Mattson
RP
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1343.
Kohl Stewart
RP
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1396.
Ramon Urias
2B,SS
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1420.
Austin Wynns
C
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1496.
Kelvin Gutierrez
3B
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1523.
Tyler Nevin
LF
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1537.
Richard Urena
SS
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1540.
Dwight Smith Jr.
LF
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1544.
Ryan McKenna
LF
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