In the first of a series of weekly articles, we take a look at hitters you will want to consider adding in deep mixed leagues and AL/NL-only formats. All of these players have less than 10% ownership.
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Austin Hedges (C – SD) 9% ownership
Since the Padres took Austin Hedges in the second round of the 2011 draft, there has been the expectation that his glove would be Major League-ready before his bat. This changed last year with a stunning breakout season in Triple-A, where he hit 21 home runs with a slash line of .326/.353/.597.
He hit .310 in Spring Training, including a two-homer appearance in the final Cactus League game vs. White Sox.
Hedges will be the everyday catcher for San Diego with 2017 representing the first opportunity for extended playing time in the majors. The Padres’ “catcher of the future” will become their “catcher of the present.”
Catcher remains the weakest position in fantasy baseball, so why not claim a player off waivers who could finish in the top-12?
Joey Gallo (3B – TEX) 5% ownership
Everyone knows Gallo has immense power but strikes out far too much. In fact, there is a concern that his lack of plate discipline will prevent him from becoming a Major League regular. It is due to this concern that Gallo is available in 95% of leagues.
Having exceeded rookie limits, the former first-rounder slipped off prospect lists and had dropped off the radar of many fantasy baseball players. With Adrian Beltre starting the season on the DL, Gallo is expected to get at-bats, especially against right-handed pitching.
Gallo is coming off a strong Spring Training campaign where he led the Rangers in home runs (four) and strikeouts (23).
Comparisons can be drawn with Chris Davis when he was with the Rangers. He looked like the stereotypical Quad-A player with an inability to make contact frequently enough to harness his power.
Don’t be the one in your league to let prospect fatigue make you dismiss Gallo’s immense potential.
Raul Mondesi (2B – KC) 4% ownership
The Royals signaled their intention to contend in 2017 by announcing that star prospect Raul Mondesi is their starting second baseman, ahead of Whit Merrifield, Christian Colon, and Cheslor Cuthbert.
This was the decision that every fantasy owner wanted. Despite being far younger than the rest of the competition, Mondesi slashed .268/.322/.469 over three levels in the minor leagues last season. He hit nine doubles, six triples and seven home runs in 203 at-bats.
Including his stint in the majors, the 21-year-old racked up 33 stolen bases, suggesting that 35-40 over a full season in 2017 would be a possibility.
Middle infielders with any upside are seldom available in deeper leagues, so ensure you make claiming Mondesi a priority.
Ben Revere (OF – LAA) 3% ownership
Between 2011-2015, Ben Revere had a .296 batting average with 176 stolen bases. Only Dee Gordon and Rajai Davis stole more bases over that stretch. 2016 was nothing short of a disaster with an injury in his first at-bat on Opening Day and then watching his replacement in center field, Trea Turner, emerge as one of the most dynamic players in the game.
The 28-year-old will start the year as the Angels’ fourth outfielder but is only a Cameron Maybin injury away from everyday starts. Maybin has missed 304 games over the last four seasons.
Even with a bench role, Revere offers the potential for a significant number of stolen bases, especially valuable in this era of diminished speed.
Revere led the Angels in Spring Training with a .411 AVG and five stolen bases. His ownership will not stay below 10% for much longer.
Jesus Aguilar (1B – MIL) 1% ownership
In three very brief stints in the major leagues with Cleveland, Aguilar slugged .172/.234/.190. Despite hitting 30 home runs with 92 RBIs for Triple-A Columbus in 2016, the Indians cut ties with the Venezuelan.
Claimed on waivers by the Brewers, Aguilar destroyed Spring Training pitching with seven home runs and a .452 batting average. He has created an unanticipated battle for the first base job in Milwaukee.
Eric Thames was expected to be the everyday first baseman, but the veteran struggled in adjusting back from the KBO with a .268 AVG and just one home run in Spring Training. A platoon is likely at the start of the season until one or other grabs the role for their own.
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Gavin Tramps is a correspondent at FantasyPros. To read more from Gavin, check out his archive or find him @_tramps.
