The most interesting change to the new MLB season has got to the inclusion of a universal designated hitter. Not only does it give National League managers a whole lot more roster relief and flexibility, it opens the door to a whirlwind of possibilities and surprises for many players who’d otherwise be out of very many playing opportunities.
In fantasy, this development is a huge deal in that a decent slew of National League clubs are cramped with bat-first players who could now get everyday at-bats without the added risk of playing on the field. Couple that with the much-shortened schedule, and a few more factors like age, fatigue, injury history, etc. become almost nonexistent.
I wholeheartedly believe the following hitters could all yield generous results in various league formats – especially as a utility option or a fill-in bench bat. Despite a couple of them still facing uncertainties in playing time (The reveal of Opening Day rosters could prove to be the deciding factor in some cases), I’m confident in their skills at the plate, and would definitely consider taking a chance on their newly-established positional upside.
Yoenis Cespedes/Dominic Smith, New York Mets
The mountain of adversity Yoenis Cespedes has overcome in the last couple of years to return from the Injured List is admirable, and new Mets manager Luis Rojas, despite recently trying out the 34-year old veteran in the outfield, would be wise not to lock him in left field fresh off recovering from various heel and ankle injuries.
His bat has probably lost some of its luster since he last touched a Major League diamond back in 2018, but a full-time DH role could give him all the peace of mind he needs to continue his +.230 ISO, +.820 OPS ways. A Statcast darling who’s always barrelled the ball with both loft and consistently high exit velocities, a healthy Cespedes should definitely offset the age factor, and seeing as how he currently sits just a couple rounds outside of Yahoo’s top 300, there isn’t much reason not to see if he could still produce at a high level.
However, the recent emergence of Dominic Smith certainly murks things up a bit. The 25-year old catapulted virtually every offensive category in his 3rd Major League season, thanks in large part to a drastic improvement in hitting breaking balls (.557 SLG, .279 ISO in 2019), and in taking pitches (BB-K up from .09 to .43 between 2018 and 2019). I don’t love his 88.5 miles per hour average exit velocity, and his hard hit rate could use some work, but his Statcast figures saw major leaps across the board in 2019, suggesting that perhaps his improved selectiveness at the dish gave him more pitches to crush.
If Rojas is confident in Cespedes collecting the lion’s share of playing time out in left field, Smith could be a sneaky good late-round snag/waiver wire acquisition as a designated hitter.
Although at this point, I know what you may be thinking here: “What about J.D. Davis getting the DH spot over them both? He’s currently the best hitter, and most defensively inept outfielder, of the trio.”
While that may be true, and if I were a betting man I’d anticipate Davis soaking up his share of ABs in that capacity, he’s undoubtedly solidified a starting position in the Mets lineup after his breakout 2019 performance, and, strictly from a health standpoint, is a far safer option out in left field than Cespedes at least.
Given the circumstances, I personally don’t find there to be much fantasy intrigue surrounding Smith, which means you could draft Cespedes late, and in deeper leagues scoop Smith off of waivers if Rojas squeezes him into the Mets starting lineup during the first week of the season. Either way, at least one of these guys is worth grabbing if you need that extra bat to round out your offense (but definitely prioritize on Cespedes, in my opinion).
Howie Kendrick, Washington Nationals
World Series hero Howie Kendrick had everything going right in 2019. By adding three degrees of loft in his swing, upping his barrels by nearly seven percent, and boosting his average exit velocity into the top ten percentile, Kendrick easily shattered almost every single-season metric in his career – from batting average (.344) and OPS (.966), to wOBA (.400) and wRC+ (146). In addition, his plate discipline was pristine, with a career-low 7.4% swinging strike rate, and career-high 84.3% contact rate.
Besides the obvious matter of both his age and the fact that his 2019 looks like an outlier compared to much of his career, It’s very hard to find a reason not to like Kendrick this year. He’s an absolute lock to begin the season as the Nationals’ primary DH, and appears to have taken the necessary steps to justify his numbers playing above expectations. So long as he continues to keep hitting the ball hard and in the air, he should very easily build off of his career year with sneaky mid-round value.
Ryan Braun, Milwaukee Brewers
At this stage of his career, having battled a vast array of (relatively small, but increasingly incessant) injuries over the last couple of years, and pulling an about-face on retirement, Ryan Braun has no reason at all not to pounce on a full-time DH role. Obviously, that would mean burning out the rest of his contract with Milwaukee and banking on an American League squad liking their chances of keeping him healthy, but thanks to this year’s universal DH rule that’s a conversation for another time.
You can’t talk about Ryan Braun and neglect the consistency he’s provided for many fantasy outfields over the years. Slashing .278/.341/.833 with a .214 ISO and .353 wOBA since 2014, Braun has accumulated double-digit homers and steals for six straight seasons (four of which were at least 20-10, including last year). Like the aforementioned Cespedes, his Statcast profile screams of year-in, year-out consistency, featuring an average exit velocity that’s almost always settling in elite territory.
Keeping him far and away from left field (or even first base, a position manager Craig Counsell initially experimented with during Spring Training) and locking his focus exclusively on swinging the bat could maintain his conditioning and encourage an extended hot stretch throughout the Summer. Braun is currently struggling with mild oblique, back and neck soreness, which I’d still presume will push him out of the lineup here and there – but not enough to keep him from starting a day or two past Opening Day and taking off in a hurry.
Ian Happ, Chicago Cubs
Ian Happ is in an awesome position right now. With the Cubs all but locking up a full starting nine in the field, the DH role is pretty much sitting in his lap. With positional flexibility, he could slide into almost any part of the diamond on either a getaway day or the nightcap of a doubleheader. The bottom line is, unlike his previous three seasons, we’re almost guaranteed to see Happ step up to the plate everyday.
Purely a power-hitting utility option, Happ could bop a great deal of dingers in this shortened season (15.8 degree avg. launch angle, .438 expected wOBA on contact, 37.3% hard hit rate in 2019) as he continues to build on some promising plate discipline-related developments he made during his brief tour last season.
There’s not much else to it, really. I think Happ is still plenty susceptible to a cold streak, considering his BB-K ratio and the fact that his contact rate has graded well below average since coming to the Majors. However, he’s tapped into his power a lot more often than not (a weak 2018 sandwiched in-between a strong 2017 debut and last season, according to both his ISO and wRC+). If you’re approaching the end of your draft and are looking to round out your lineup with an everyday bat who could clear the fence with regularity, Happ is a solid option this year.
A.J. Pollock, Los Angeles Dodgers
From a skills standpoint, A.J. Pollock has only slightly deviated from his stellar 2015 campaign, with his last couple of seasons on a trajectory eerily similar to recent performances from the aforementioned Ryan Braun – but, of course, the injury bug has done everything it can to suppress his fantasy value. From a groin strain in 2017 to an elbow injury back in late April of last year, Pollock has seen more than a whole third of potential playing time fall by the wayside.
Luckily, none of that seems to be standing in his way at the moment (despite his late camp arrival due to testing positive for COVID), and with his defensive prowess pulling a complete Houdini act in recent years, it stands to reason that manager Dave Roberts should elect to have Pollock take over the primary DH role. The now 32-year old Pollock has seen his contact and swinging strike rates deteriorate over the last few seasons, but he continues to make strong contact (90.6 MPH avg. exit velocity, 39.1 Hard Hit rate in 2019) and still runs enough around the bases to swipe double-digit bags in a full season.
Something’s gotta give here. We’re only asking for 60 games of uninterrupted bliss, bolstered by a severely mitigated need to play any defense whatsoever. The latter could change if Roberts decides to have Pollock patrol left field and have Joc Pederson hold down the DH spot in the lineup, but considering that he’s defensively inferior, and Pederson cannot hit lefties, I’d bet highly against that happening.
Matt Kemp, Colorado Rockies
My personal “home run or bust” pick of this list, Matt Kemp is in a very delicious situation should he capitalize on it. Nothing has stopped Coors Field from consistently ranking as one of the top run-scoring environments in MLB, and with Ian Desmond opting out of playing for the year, the Rockies have a hole at DH begging to be filled.
Now, it’s important to realize how many different ways this problem could be solved. For example: Charlie Blackmon cannot adequately play right field anymore, and is slowly wheeling his way back in the swing of things with his team after testing positive for COVID. While I’m not confident in the bat of Raimel Tapia right now, he would be the team’s best bet at offering an all-around decent defensive outfield, prompting manager Bud Black to start him in right while Blackmon becomes Colorado’s full-time DH for the year. (I doubt Sam Hilliard is worth noting here, as his bat already plays and, according to Fangraphs depth charts, should be the first to tackle left field on a daily basis.)
Luckily for those betting on Kemp, doing so wouldn’t cost you a thing, as he currently sits way outside the top 300 in various fantasy outlets. A great deal of his 2019 centered around being hurt and being left out of a Major League roster. His numbers last year hold very little weight, as we never got to see him play at 100% for either the Reds, who cut him, or the Mets, who didn’t even promote him past Minor league ball.
The reason why I like him as a longshot is because, lately, he hasn’t necessarily been a slouch when he’s been healthy. He slashed .290/.333/.481 with a .190 ISO in his last full season of work back in 2018, and besides last year, has never had an expected Weighted On-Base Average on Contact below .410 since the statistic has been measured. Strong barrel, sweet spot, and hard hit rates all support a batted ball profile to stand by, even if the question of “how much does he have left in the tank?” begins to loom larger by the day.
The Rockies will probably find ways to make our heads spin throughout the year, which may lead to Kemp remaining on the outside looking in. If you’re like me and have a gut feeling about him winning some everyday ABs, you lose nothing for rolling the dice.
Hello Brooklyn! 