Fantasy Baseball Player Notes

2021 Fantasy Baseball Draft Notes

Position

Team

Anthony Santander Note
	144. Anthony Santander LF,CF,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. 4 weeks ago

Ryan Mountcastle Note
	146. Ryan Mountcastle 1B,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. 4 weeks ago

Trey Mancini Note
	156. Trey Mancini 1B,LF,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. 4 weeks ago

John Means Note
	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. 4 weeks ago

Austin Hays Note
	253. Austin Hays LF,CF

Maikel Franco Note
	334. Maikel Franco 3B

Tanner Scott Note
	345. Tanner Scott RP

Pedro Severino Note
	410. Pedro Severino C

Freddy Galvis Note
	452. Freddy Galvis 2B,SS

Cedric Mullins II Note
	459. Cedric Mullins II CF

Dean Kremer Note
	468. Dean Kremer SP

DJ Stewart Note
	488. DJ Stewart LF,RF

Chance Sisco Note
	523. Chance Sisco C

Keegan Akin Note
	535. Keegan Akin SP

Cesar Valdez Note
	548. Cesar Valdez RP

Hunter Harvey Note
	555. Hunter Harvey RP Harvey strained his oblique in spring training and was placed on the 60-day IL, meaning he's unlikely to contribute as the Orioles' designated closer, which was unlikely anyway with Brandon Hyde as the manager. Harvey had a ton of buzz heading into last season, but a strained forearm ultimately limited him to just 8 2/3 innings. He's got a dominant fastball that can reach triple digits, but his injury history has been a roadblock to him becoming a regular and reliable reliever. Hyde likes to go by committee anyway, and Harvey's injury should give him the chance to do just that again. Perhaps spend a last-round pick on Harvey, but better yet, leave him undrafted. 5 weeks ago

Shawn Armstrong Note
	634. Shawn Armstrong RP

Cole Sulser Note
	647. Cole Sulser RP

Paul Fry Note
	653. Paul Fry RP

Dillon Tate Note
	672. Dillon Tate RP

Rio Ruiz Note
	673. Rio Ruiz 1B,2B,3B

Adley Rutschman Note
	710. Adley Rutschman C

Pat Valaika Note
	806. Pat Valaika 1B,2B,SS

DL Hall Note
	808. DL Hall SP

Adam Plutko Note
	820. Adam Plutko SP,RP

Alex Wells Note
	875. Alex Wells SP

Grayson Rodriguez Note
	883. Grayson Rodriguez SP

Zac Lowther Note
	889. Zac Lowther SP

Jorge Lopez Note
	894. Jorge Lopez SP,RP

Tyler Wells Note
	932. Tyler Wells SP

Mickey Jannis Note
	945. Mickey Jannis

Jahmai Jones Note
	963. Jahmai Jones 2B

Mac Sceroler Note
	968. Mac Sceroler SP

Conner Greene Note
	990. Conner Greene SP

Gray Fenter Note
	1031. Gray Fenter SP

Wade LeBlanc Note
	1040. Wade LeBlanc SP,RP

Matt Harvey Note
	1071. Matt Harvey SP

Chris Davis Note
	1076. Chris Davis 1B

Richie Martin Note
	1081. Richie Martin SS

Travis Lakins Sr. Note
	1082. Travis Lakins Sr. SP,RP

Evan Phillips Note
	1085. Evan Phillips RP

Mike Baumann Note
	1124. Mike Baumann SP

Yusniel Diaz Note
	1129. Yusniel Diaz CF

Bruce Zimmermann Note
	1140. Bruce Zimmermann SP

Fernando Abad Note
	1192. Fernando Abad RP

Rylan Bannon Note
	1193. Rylan Bannon 3B

Cody Carroll Note
	1293. Cody Carroll RP

Isaac Mattson Note
	1327. Isaac Mattson RP

Thomas Eshelman Note
	1387. Thomas Eshelman SP,RP

Ramon Urias Note
	1397. Ramon Urias

Austin Wynns Note
	1421. Austin Wynns C

Tyler Nevin Note
	1524. Tyler Nevin 1B,3B

Richard Urena Note
	1538. Richard Urena 2B,SS

Dwight Smith Jr. Note
	1541. Dwight Smith Jr. LF

Ryan McKenna Note
	1545. Ryan McKenna CF