YOUNG HITTERS STEP IT UP
Building your fantasy team’s hitting roster around young hitters can be a risky proposition, especially when their underlying skills foundation is shaky.
Filling out your hitting roster with young players who own strong underlying peripherals, such as good plate discipline and sturdy power skills, is a more effective strategy. When that foundation exists, it is even more likely that those young players will continue along their growth curve or maintain their elite status.
It is easy to identify the young batters who own elite skills. They continue to be headlined by two familiar faces — Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels and
Bryce Harper of the Washington Nationals. But in each league, who are the next emerging young hitters? Let’s take a look. NATIONAL LEAGUE Joining the Trout-Harper club has been newfound lineup anchor
Freddie Freeman, who until his recent wrist injury was drawing tons of walks while producing elite power with the Atlanta Braves.
Freeman is the only young bat in the game with a skills-supported batting average of .340 or higher, and his power skills are the best in the NL among young hitters.
Scouting reports also can help you develop your hitting core. Among recent top prospects, Los Angeles Dodgers teammates
Corey Seager and Cody Bellinger have translated their tools into immediate production.
Both own strong power skills, which give them immediate 30home run potential. And Seager has combined that strength with excellent pitch recognition. His walk rate is in the top 10 among young NL batters. Marcell Ozuna of the Miami Marlins has produced 20-homerun seasons in two of the last three years but has not enjoyed a big breakout yet. It might be happening during his age-26 season. His walk rate has jumped by 50%, and his rate of hard contact is the best of his career.
Another effective strategy when going after young batters is to target post-hype types — those whose prospect luster has worn off over time. One example is corner infielder Wilmer Flores of the New York Mets.
His prospect star has diminished, but it is easy to forget that he’s 25. Flores, who entered Monday with a .909 on-base-plusslugging percentage (OPS) this month, does not strike out much, pummels left-handed pitching and makes a lot of hard contact. With better production against right-handed pitchers, Flores could develop into an impact bat.
Though he doesn’t have the MLB experience Flores does, Mets teammate Michael Con
forto is in a similar situation — a highly touted prospect who failed in an initial call-up to the majors in 2016. This season, the outfielder’s 1.074 OPS trails only that of Freeman and Harper among young NL hitters. Conforto is walking a lot and making hard contact at a top clip. St. Louis Cardinals outfielder
Stephen Piscotty has been a huge disappointment in 2017. But now is not the time to give up on him. His walk rate has doubled from 2016, which has helped to give him a strong 0.81 walk-tostrikeout ratio (BB/K). In addition, his power peripherals suggest he could go on a power surge soon. Piscotty is in his age-26 season. AMERICAN LEAGUE Two heralded young shortstops are fulfilling their promise as fantasy stalwarts: Carlos Correa of the Houston Astros and Franciso Lindor of the Cleveland Indians.
While Correa’s surface stats have not been eye-opening, his combination of plate control and power upside remains intact. He could surge at any time. Lindor, on the other hand, had 11 home runs entering Monday. While he is not likely to continue that pace, his multifaceted offensive skills suggest he should continue to develop into a top multicategory contributor. New York Yankees phenom
Aaron Judge has been a big early-season surprise, producing at a higher level than his prospect upside suggested he would. He’s on pace to eclipse 50 home runs during his first full major league season.
Some of that power surge has been because 40% of his fly balls are leaving the park, a very friendly rate and one that we cannot expect to stick. Still, his power peripherals (fly-ball percentage, hard contact) are some of the best in the game, and he is drawing plenty of walks. If Judge can reduce his strikeout rate even further, he could join Trout and Harper among the top-tier fantasy bats. Joey Gallo of the Texas Rangers might have the highest power ceiling of any young hitter in the game. Many have soured on him because of his chronic problems making contact, but he has made modest strides in that area this season. And his top-flight raw power (15 home runs) has come out against left-handed and righthanded pitchers. He will play the entire season at 23 years old. Gallo could easily total 30 home runs in 2017; just know that it will come with a low batting average.
Slugger Miguel Sano has played a key role in the Minnesota Twins’ surge this season. After flopping during his sophomore campaign in 2016, Sano owns a .986 OPS that has been backed by some of the best power skills in the game. Just keep in mind that his near-.300 batting average will not stick, as he is working to close the big holes in his swing.
Several second-tier bats have piqued our interest during the first two months. Although he’s on the disabled list with an oblique strain, Mitch Haniger of the Seattle Mariners is another young outfielder worthy of an investment, and he’s due to return in early June. Before his injury, Haniger showed solid plate control, good power and sneaky speed skills (four home runs and two stolen bases in 79 at-bats).
Another sneaky stash if you are looking for infield help is second baseman Chad Pinder of the Oakland Athletics. He has been more than an adequate fill-in for injured Marcus Semien.
With five home runs in 57 atbats, Pinder has shown surprising power — especially against righthanded pitchers — and drawn plenty of walks. At 25, he could have more upside than was previously thought. And the Detroit Tigers’ James
McCann recently went on the disabled list with a hand injury after getting hit by a pitch. Before that, he was enjoying the best season of his career at the plate, hitting seven home in his first 108 at-bats.
McCann’s rate of hard contact has jumped again this season, and his walk rate nearly has doubled from last season. He is developing into a premium, frontline catcher option, a fact that is being obscured by his low batting average on balls in play, which has limited his batting average to .204. Chances are that will tick up when he returns.