Fantasy Baseball Player Notes
2022 Fantasy Baseball Draft Notes
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49.
Wander Franco
3B,SS
The Rays' wunderkind signed an 11-year, $182 million contract in November and now simply has to go about the business of becoming the superstar everyone expects him to become. Franco scored 53 runs and had 39 RBI in only 70 games last season. He also displayed impressive plate patience and remarkable contact skills as a 20-year-old rookie. He's not a speed merchant, and the power might take time to develop, but Franco should score a lot of runs, drive in a lot of runs and produce something close to a .300 batting average.
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56.
Randy Arozarena
LF,RF
The playoff hero of 2020 provided a satisfying encore by being named 2021 AL Rookie of the Year, though there was some slippage. After belting 10 HRs in 20 playoff games two seasons ago, Arozarena hit 20 homers in 141 games last season and struck out 170 times. A modest flyball rate and ordinary Statcast numbers suggest that Arozarena probably won't provide elite power numbers. Last year's 37% hit rate fueled a .274 batting average that may not be sustainable. On the bright side, he had 20 SBs on 30 attempts. There are a multiple paths to value here, but still, Arozarena is a high-profile player likely to be overdrafted.
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68.
Brandon Lowe
2B,LF,RF
In 2021, Lowe became a full-time player for the first time in his career and responded with 39 HRs, 99 RBI and 97 runs. He batted only .247 last year and struck out 167 times in 615 plate appearances. Lowe has also struggled against lefties throughout his career. But Lowe's first-half/second-half splits were eye-opening. He was batting .208 at the All-Star break; Lowe batted .292 after the break and dramatically reduced his strikeout rate without sacrificing any power. If the second-half adjustments stick, Lowe might actually be able to improve upon his breakout season.
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94.
Shane McClanahan
SP
McClanahan had a successful 2021 season in almost every respect. His ERA, strikeouts, and walk rate were all extremely solid, and he made 26 starts including the post-season. Despite decent control, he had a bloated 1.27 WHIP, which was largely the result of batters destroying his fastball. Specifically, the pitch allowed a .308 batting average and a .378 wOBA, and considering he threw it 40.9% of the time, McClanahan's overall numbers are a testament to how good his slider and curveball were. Assuming he can get better command of his fastball and improve his performance with the pitch, there's plenty of room for growth with the young lefty.
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199.
Shane Baz
SP
Baz underwent elbow surgery, and he won't throw until early April, but the Rays reportedly don't expect him to miss much time. His pure stuff has always been electric, as he combines elite velocity with an outstanding curveball and slider. Prior to last year, his command was the only thing holding him back, but he blossomed in Double-A and kept his gains in control throughout his three-game stint in the majors. A rough postseason start aside, 2021 was all gravy for Baz, and the Rays undoubtedly expect him to be a contributor to their rotation this year. But he did pitch just 92 innings last season, and given his age, fantasy managers should expect the Rays to cap him at about 130 innings or so, so the missed time for his elbow injury isn't a huge deal as of yet. That still leaves room for Baz to provide plenty of value, so long as the helium on his draft price stays in check.
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226.
Andrew Kittredge
SP,RP
Kittredge tallied eight saves last season, and should be in line for the bulk of the opportunities early in the year with Pete Fairbanks dealing with a strained lat. He's had success for several years now, relying on his excellent command and his fastball-slider combination. Based on pure stuff, if we knew Kittredge would be the closer all year, he'd be way up the reliever ranks. But fantasy managers know by now that you cant trust a Rays reliever, so book 15 saves for Kittredge for now. Anything else is gravy.
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286.
Corey Kluber
SP
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304.
Drew Rasmussen
SP,RP
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305.
Manuel Margot
LF,CF,RF
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309.
Luis Patino
SP
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324.
Josh Lowe
LF,RF
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341.
Mike Zunino
C
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393.
Yandy Diaz
1B,3B
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400.
Vidal Brujan
2B
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431.
Pete Fairbanks
RP
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458.
Ryan Yarbrough
SP,RP
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466.
Harold Ramirez
1B,LF,CF,RF
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467.
Matt Wisler
SP,RP
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475.
Colin Poche
RP
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495.
JT Chargois
RP
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500.
Francisco Mejia
C
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511.
Jeffrey Springs
SP,RP
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526.
Tyler Glasnow
SP
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530.
Brooks Raley
RP
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532.
J.P. Feyereisen
RP
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552.
Ji-Man Choi
1B
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586.
Kevin Kiermaier
CF
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601.
Ryan Thompson
RP
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636.
Yonny Chirinos
SP
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733.
Nick Anderson
RP
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775.
Jason Adam
RP
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810.
Taylor Walls
2B,3B,SS
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815.
Jalen Beeks
RP
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825.
Tommy Romero
SP
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830.
Josh Fleming
SP,RP
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960.
Brendan McKay
SP
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978.
Ralph Garza Jr.
RP
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1044.
Chris Mazza
RP
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1054.
Shawn Armstrong
RP
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1126.
Phoenix Sanders
RP
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1147.
Dusten Knight
RP
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1166.
Cody Reed
RP
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1177.
Luke Bard
RP
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1178.
Rene Pinto
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1205.
Brett Phillips
LF,CF,RF
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1229.
David Hess
RP
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1248.
Calvin Faucher
RP
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1346.
Isaac Paredes
2B,3B
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1414.
Luke Raley
LF,RF
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1572.
Jonathan Aranda
2B
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1578.
Ben Bowden
RP
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