Fantasy Baseball Player Notes

2020 Fantasy Baseball Draft Notes

Position

Team

Trevor Bauer Note
	22. Trevor Bauer Bauer may be one of the most talented pitchers in baseball, but he has exactly one season with an ERA below 4.18, a WHIP below 1.25, or more than 12 wins. Even on an improved Cincinnati team, there's little reason to expect him to do much better than those numbers. Bauer will give you innings and plenty of strikeouts, but fantasy owners would do well to largely forget 2018, and draft him with closer to a 4.00 ERA and 1.25 WHIP in mind. 27 weeks ago

Corey Kluber Note
	23. Corey Kluber Kluber showed some skills decline in 2018, but nothing could have prepared fantasy owners for the disaster that was 2019. He got off to a terrible start before a broken forearm ended his season. Now with the Rangers, Kluber will get a fresh start and look to rebuild some of his real and fantasy value. Throw out the 5.80 ERA and 1.65 WHIP from last year - Kluber hasn't declined to that extent. Expect him to provide very solid, albeit not pristine, numbers, if he can stay healthy. 27 weeks ago

James Paxton Note
	35. James Paxton Paxton will be out until at least early May (and likely longer) after undergoing a microscopic lumbar discectomy with removal of a peridiscal cyst in early February. Although his talent is undeniable, this is yet another in a long list of injuries for Paxton, who has eight injured list stints since the beginning of the 2014 season. While early May is the front end of the three to four month timetable, expect Paxton's absence to last until at least June and possibly longer if he has any setbacks. 27 weeks ago

Mike Minor Note
	45. Mike Minor The Rangers pushed Minor to reach 200 strikeouts and, although his 3.59 ERA shows he surpassed expectations, there was really fairly little to get excited about. Minor's FIP and xFIP were substantially higher than his ERA, his WHIP was mediocre, and his strikeout rate hardly impressed. He's a pitcher you draft to solidify the back end of your rotation, but nothing more. 27 weeks ago

Jake Odorizzi Note
	49. Jake Odorizzi Odorizzi just refused to fail last year, and he was a reliable pitcher all year long. His continued gains in strikeouts and drop in walks, to go along with his 15 wins, led to a remarkably profitable season. But his xFIP remained at 4.33 and Odorizzi just never felt quite like a pitcher who was going to dominate every time out. Fortunately, you don't have to pay for his 2019 numbers given his ADP, so draft him at his price without much worry. 27 weeks ago

Masahiro Tanaka Note
	53. Masahiro Tanaka Tanaka had a bizarre year. On the negative side, his ERA soared to 4.45 and his WHIP and strikeout rate went to a career worst 1.24 and 7.37/9, respectively. Yet he slightly lowered his walk rate from the past two years, cut his HR/FB rate, and got batters to swing at pitches outside the zone more than almost any other pitcher in the second half of the season. At this point in his career, given his home park, there's little optimism that Tanaka can ever develop into the ace he appeared to be during his debut. Draft him as a back-end-of-the-rotation starter in deeper leagues but nothing more. 27 weeks ago

Mike Foltynewicz Note
	54. Mike Foltynewicz Foltynewicz was on nearly everyone's bust list, and his awful return from an injury only confirmed everyone's intuitions. But he really turned it on in the latter half of the season, pitching to a 2.65 ERA and 1.08 WHIP in the second half. No, he might not be the 2018 version of himself this year, but he certainly has more to offer than his overall 2019 numbers. 27 weeks ago

Rich Hill Note
	64. Rich Hill Hill is as predictable as they come nowadays. He'll give you outstanding innings with excellent strikeout numbers, but will top out at 135 innings and likely less. He'll likely be sidelined until June with his elbow injury but that may be just in time for the start of the season now. That should move Hill far up your draft boards, from afterthought to late-round sleeper. 27 weeks ago

Anthony DeSclafani Note
	66. Anthony DeSclafani Desclafani quietly had a decent season in 2019, with a 3.89 ERA, a 1.20 WHIP, and more than a strikeout per inning. But his FIP and xFIP suggested he was lucky, and he lacks the upside of other late-round starters. In deeper mixed leagues where your rotation is solid and you just want someone to not hurt you, Desclafani is your guy. Otherwise, go for a higher ceiling. 27 weeks ago

Garrett Richards Note
	68. Garrett Richards

Alex Wood Note
	75. Alex Wood Wood will be in the Dodgers' rotation to start the year, and there's some reason for optimism. After an offseason spent with Driveline Baseball, Wood saw a velocity bump in the spring, and that usually portends better things for the veteran throughout his career. Don't go crazy with Wood, but he's fine as a late-round pick with upside. 27 weeks ago

Ian Kennedy Note
	76. Ian Kennedy Kennedy was an afterthought on draft day last year, but a run of save chances in the middle of the summer boosted him to 30 saves. His peripherals didn't hurt fantasy owners and his strikeout numbers were solid, making Kennedy the poster child for the "wait on saves" crowd. In the final year of his deal, he'll again open as the closer for the Royals, but his chances of being dealt mid-season are extremely high. Draft him, of course, but don't bank on much more than 15 saves or so. 27 weeks ago

Jose Quintana Note
	81. Jose Quintana Quintana went from a solid, low-3.00 ERA pitcher with the White Sox to an unreliable pitcher with over a 4.00 ERA in his time with the Cubs. His strikeout rate continues to trend down, and despite pitching at least 171 innings in each of the past seven seasons, he's never won more than 13 games. A low-upside, low-floor play, Quintana is just NL-only material. 27 weeks ago

Cole Hamels Note
	82. Cole Hamels Hamels kept up his strikeout rate last year with the cubs, but his control waned, and he had the worst walk rate of his career. He's dealing with a shoulder injury in the spring and there's currently no timetable for his return. Add it all up and Hamels is only barely worth drafting until or unless we get some positive news. 27 weeks ago

J.A. Happ Note
	87. J.A. Happ

Rick Porcello Note
	89. Rick Porcello Porcello's move to the National League makes him somewhat intriguing. His middling strikeout rate (17.4% career) will likely take a jump, and his overall numbers should improve with a move out of the AL East. Even with improvement, however, there's a long way to go before Porcello is contributing to a fantasy team. His biggest asset - his ability to consistently throw innings - will be far less useful with the postponement of Opening Day. He's a late-round filler for a deep pitching staff but little more. 27 weeks ago

Jeff Samardzija Note
	90. Jeff Samardzija Samardzija had an impressive 3.52 ERA and 1.11 WHIP last year, but that's where the good news ended. His strikeout rate is at the point where it actively hurts fantasy owners, and his win potential is capped by pitching for the Giants. There are better pitchers to consider late in your draft. 27 weeks ago

Anibal Sanchez Note
	95. Anibal Sanchez

Julio Teheran Note
	98. Julio Teheran

Jon Lester Note
	99. Jon Lester

Mike Fiers Note
	102. Mike Fiers

Matt Shoemaker Note
	113. Matt Shoemaker

Jake Arrieta Note
	126. Jake Arrieta

Gio Gonzalez Note
	131. Gio Gonzalez

Homer Bailey Note
	137. Homer Bailey

Chase Anderson Note
	139. Chase Anderson

Brad Peacock Note
	143. Brad Peacock

Taijuan Walker Note
	144. Taijuan Walker

Adam Wainwright Note
	145. Adam Wainwright

Martin Perez Note
	153. Martin Perez

Trevor Williams Note
	161. Trevor Williams

Michael Wacha Note
	162. Michael Wacha

Cam Bedrosian Note
	180. Cam Bedrosian

Tyler Skaggs Note
	185. Tyler Skaggs

Brett Anderson Note
	189. Brett Anderson

Tyler Chatwood Note
	194. Tyler Chatwood

Austin Adams Note
	195. Austin Adams

Jesse Chavez Note
	199. Jesse Chavez

Mark Rogers Note
	202. Mark Rogers

Derek Holland Note
	205. Derek Holland

Zack Godley Note
	207. Zack Godley

Aaron Sanchez Note
	208. Aaron Sanchez

Junior Guerra Note
	210. Junior Guerra

Ubaldo Jimenez Note
	213. Ubaldo Jimenez

Mauricio Robles Note
	214. Mauricio Robles

Sam Gaviglio Note
	215. Sam Gaviglio

Mike Montgomery Note
	217. Mike Montgomery

Harold Ramirez Note
	218. Harold Ramirez

Andrew Kittredge Note
	219. Andrew Kittredge

Ivan Nova Note
	221. Ivan Nova

Trevor Cahill Note
	223. Trevor Cahill

Tyler Clippard Note
	225. Tyler Clippard

Zack Littell Note
	228. Zack Littell

Braden Shipley Note
	232. Braden Shipley

Wade LeBlanc Note
	248. Wade LeBlanc

Andrew Triggs Note
	254. Andrew Triggs

Daniel Gossett Note
	265. Daniel Gossett

Jake Faria Note
	267. Jake Faria

Jordan Zimmermann Note
	270. Jordan Zimmermann

Wilmer Font Note
	273. Wilmer Font

Bo Takahashi Note
	275. Bo Takahashi

Jharel Cotton Note
	277. Jharel Cotton

Brian Johnson Note
	278. Brian Johnson

Wei-Yin Chen Note
	300. Wei-Yin Chen

Yohander Mendez Note
	316. Yohander Mendez

Edinson Volquez Note
	319. Edinson Volquez

Danny Salazar Note
	324. Danny Salazar

Matt Moore Note
	332. Matt Moore

Shelby Miller Note
	333. Shelby Miller

Tommy Milone Note
	334. Tommy Milone

Luis Perdomo Note
	340. Luis Perdomo

Nestor Cortes Jr. Note
	350. Nestor Cortes Jr.

Francisco Liriano Note
	352. Francisco Liriano

Chandler Shepherd Note
	357. Chandler Shepherd

Andrew Cashner Note
	358. Andrew Cashner

Sean Gilmartin Note
	363. Sean Gilmartin

David Hess Note
	364. David Hess

Kohl Stewart Note
	366. Kohl Stewart

Manny Banuelos Note
	369. Manny Banuelos

Matt Harvey Note
	372. Matt Harvey

Cy Sneed Note
	375. Cy Sneed

Tony Cingrani Note
	376. Tony Cingrani

Tim Melville Note
	377. Tim Melville

Dario Agrazal Note
	378. Dario Agrazal

Tyson Ross Note
	381. Tyson Ross

Jerad Eickhoff Note
	386. Jerad Eickhoff

Odrisamer Despaigne Note
	395. Odrisamer Despaigne

Jason Vargas Note
	397. Jason Vargas

Mike Shawaryn Note
	402. Mike Shawaryn

Clay Buchholz Note
	404. Clay Buchholz

Clayton Richard Note
	405. Clayton Richard

Aaron Brooks Note
	408. Aaron Brooks

Bud Norris Note
	413. Bud Norris

Ross Detwiler Note
	417. Ross Detwiler

Adalberto Mejia Note
	421. Adalberto Mejia

Chad Bettis Note
	423. Chad Bettis

Cody Anderson Note
	425. Cody Anderson

Heath Fillmyer Note
	430. Heath Fillmyer

Ervin Santana Note
	431. Ervin Santana

Drew Gagnon Note
	437. Drew Gagnon

Aaron Wilkerson Note
	438. Aaron Wilkerson

JC Ramirez Note
	440. JC Ramirez

Wes Parsons Note
	441. Wes Parsons

Yefry Ramirez Note
	444. Yefry Ramirez

Ben Lively Note
	446. Ben Lively

Gabriel Ynoa Note
	447. Gabriel Ynoa

Chase De Jong Note
	452. Chase De Jong

Pedro Payano Note
	457. Pedro Payano

Dan Straily Note
	460. Dan Straily

Erasmo Ramirez Note
	467. Erasmo Ramirez

Brock Stewart Note
	468. Brock Stewart

Alex White Note
	470. Alex White

Ricardo Sanchez Note
	471. Ricardo Sanchez

James Shields Note
	477. James Shields

Luis Ortiz Note
	478. Luis Ortiz

Jeremy Hellickson Note
	479. Jeremy Hellickson

Luiz Gohara Note
	480. Luiz Gohara

Artie Lewicki Note
	482. Artie Lewicki

Chris Ellis Note
	483. Chris Ellis

Jimmy Yacabonis Note
	484. Jimmy Yacabonis

Rookie Davis Note
	485. Rookie Davis

Luis Escobar Note
	486. Luis Escobar