2014 Batter Profiles: M – O

by
February 10, 2014

Manny Machado

Debut: 2012 |  BirthDate: 7/6/1992 | Team: Orioles | Position: 3B
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’12 202 50 7 2 26 24 .262 .294 .445 .317 -0.2 6.1 1.3
’13 710 189 14 6 71 88 .283 .314 .432 .325 0.5 33.6 6.2
’14 471 116 12 7 52 59 .268 .313 .426 .323 -0.1 11.6 2.9

Profile: There’s a better than zero chance that Manny Machado stole either your heart, your breath, or both at some point in 2013. The sophomore exploded in his first full season, posting a six-win year thanks in large part to his otherworldly defense. However, for fantasy purposes he was less impressive, slashing .283/.314/.432 with 14 home runs and six stolen bases. That was still good enough for 10th among third basemen, and his 51 doubles and decent batted ball distances are encouraging for his power potential. The big question looming over Machado is when his season will start – he ruptured his left medial patellar femoral ligament in September and had surgery in mid-October. The current expectation is that he’ll be ready for the mid-April, if not the start of the season. It seems far more likely the recovery will impact his defense than his offense, placing him as a low-end starter at the hot corner in standard formats. (Blake Murphy)

Quick Opinion: Manny Machado was one of the most popular players of 2013, but the sophomore’s excellence was primarily in the field. Recovery from knee surgery isn’t particularly concerning, but don’t overpay for the potential, as his fantasy value hasn’t caught up to his reputation quite yet.

Joe Mahoney

Debut: 2012 |  BirthDate: 2/1/1987 | Position: 1B
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’12 4 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000 .000 -1.0 0.0 -0.1
’13 29 8 1 0 4 2 .276 .276 .414 .300 -0.7 -0.3 -0.0
’14 1 0 0 0 0 0 .231 .273 .348 .272 -0.0 -0.0 -0.0

Profile: Mahoney showed a little bit of pop during the spring of 2013, but injuries derailed what was probably his best chance at making the 25-man roster. He suffered an oblique injury at the tail-end of the spring and then a strained hamstring in late April and was barely heard from again. He batted .207 over 228 at-bats between time spent in High-A and Triple-A after that and then saw 29 meaningless at-bats in the majors at the end of the season in which he had eight hits, including one home run. The departure of Logan Morrison could have afforded him a potential opportunity in 2014, but the signing of Garrett Jones quickly erased that. He’s probably nothing more than organizational depth. (Howard Bender)

Quick Opinion: Injuries wiped away Mahoney’s best chance to make the big club in 2013, and he’ll probably never see another opportunity like he had to open that year. He was dropped from the 40-man roster during the offseason and will simply serve as organizational depth in 2014.

Martin Maldonado

Debut: 2011 |  BirthDate: 8/16/1986 | Team: Brewers | Position: C
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’12 256 62 8 1 30 22 .266 .321 .408 .320 -2.4 7.6 1.4
’13 202 31 4 0 22 13 .169 .236 .284 .234 -13.7 4.1 -0.4
’14 394 81 10 3 40 36 .227 .290 .363 .289 -9.9 7.7 1.0

Profile: Maldonado is a solid reserve catcher. He’s a defensive stalwart with a big arm and can handle a pitching staff with ease — none of which translates to fantasy baseball. His playing time will be limited behind Jonathan Lucroy, and even when he does start, he’ll offer nothing offensively aside from a random half-dozen homers throughout the year. (JP Breen)

Jake Marisnick

Debut: 2013 |  BirthDate: 3/30/1991 | Team: Marlins | Position: OF
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 118 20 1 3 5 6 .183 .231 .248 .216 -8.3 2.9 -0.2
’14 144 32 3 5 14 13 .239 .288 .362 .287 -3.5 1.3 0.2

Profile: Marisnick’s first season in the Marlins’ system was mostly a success. He posted an .860 OPS in Double-A and earned a 40-game taste of the big leagues. However, he was overmatched in The Show and managed a .478 OPS with just six walks and four extra base hits. He’s a highly athletic outfielder and could eventually be a four-tool player with his hit tool projecting as fringe-average because of his long swing and struggles with breaking balls. Unfortunately, his two best tools — his arm and his defense — will be of no help to fantasy managers, and his power has yet to fully manifest itself. Marisnick also doesn’t run a ton. In short, you’re probably better off looking to him as a backup outfielder rather than a starter. He’ll likely open 2014 in Triple-A while trying to iron out the wrinkles in his game. (Marc Hulet)

Quick Opinion: Marisnick is probably a better real life baseball player than fantasy contributor. He’ll look to polish his game in Triple-A and could eventually turn into a 15-15 or 20-20 player with an iffy average.

Nick Markakis

Debut: 2006 |  BirthDate: 11/17/1983 | Team: Orioles | Position: OF
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’12 471 125 13 1 54 59 .298 .363 .471 .359 12.7 -13.6 1.5
’13 700 172 10 1 59 89 .271 .329 .356 .304 -9.9 -14.1 -0.1
’14 581 144 12 3 61 70 .278 .347 .411 .333 4.5 -11.8 1.3

Profile: Another year, another ho-hum season from Nick Markakis, who has now failed to live up to his early-career 20-homer season benchmark over and over. He bottomed out with just 10 dingers in 700 plate appearances in 2013, a Starlin Castro-esque power output that came playing in lefty-friendly Baltimore. Of course, his home run per fly ball rate (5.7%) should rebound closer to career levels (9.1%) but even then, he continued a five-year trend of decreasing fly ball rates. The doubles have also disappeared, from a peak of 48 in 2008 all the way to just 24 in 2013. When you factor in that his arm wasn’t enough to make up for sub-par defense, Markakis was inexplicably a below-replacement level player and a fantasy afterthought. He’s a decent bet to hit .275 and plays enough to rack up runs and RBI, but there’s no longer much speed here and 15 home runs would feel like a power surge. (Blake Murphy)

Quick Opinion: Nick Markakis peaked long ago now despite having just turned 30. He brings a decent average and counting stats by way of a heavy workload but he’s not the hitter many had hoped he would be, especially when it comes to the long ball.

Chris Marrero

Debut: 2011 |  BirthDate: 7/2/1988 | Position: 1B/DH
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 16 2 0 0 1 0 .125 .125 .125 .111 -2.6 0.1 -0.2
’14 1 0 0 0 0 0 .251 .305 .379 .301 -0.0 -0.0 -0.0

Profile: Marrero is a corner type who doesn’t have the requisite power to profile as a successful big-leaguer at those positions. Luckily, he inked a minor-league deal with the Orioles this offseason. The Orioles received almost nothing from their designated hitters last season, which could mean Marrero has an outside chance to impress this spring. Maybe. (JP Breen)

Lou Marson

Debut: 2008 |  BirthDate: 6/26/1986 | Position: C
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’12 235 44 0 4 13 27 .226 .348 .287 .296 -5.1 1.6 0.4
’13 5 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .400 .000 .276 -0.2 0.2 0.0
’14 1 0 0 0 0 0 .216 .311 .312 .284 -0.0 0.0 0.0

Profile: Lou Marson was not expected to be the big reward when the Indians shipped Cliff Lee to Philadelphia in 2009, but so far he’s had the biggest impact on the team, collecting just over 2 WAR while playing 253 games over the course of five seasons. Marson was solid defensively, but the bat has never really played, leaving him with a .219/.309/.299 line with just 5 HR in 882 plate appearances. Now the emergence of Yan Gomes has made Marson expendable or, perhaps, a third-stringer. So you tell me – what role does a third-string, defense-first, no-hit catcher have on your fantasy team? Yeah, that’s what I thought. (Chad Young)

Quick Opinion: Lou Marson’s fantasy value was never impressive, as it rarely is for defensive-minded back-up catchers. Now he has been non-tendered by Cleveland, and while someone will likely take a shot on him as a backup, he isn’t on the fantasy radar. (Chad Young)

Starling Marte

Debut: 2012 |  BirthDate: 10/9/1988 | Team: Pirates | Position: OF
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’12 182 43 5 12 17 18 .257 .300 .437 .316 0.1 4.5 1.1
’13 566 143 12 41 35 83 .280 .343 .441 .344 20.6 4.9 4.6
’14 537 136 12 30 51 71 .277 .328 .440 .334 9.6 2.0 3.0

Profile: Marte never approached the 40 steals territory in the minor leagues, but in his 2013 breakout season, he not only stole 41 sacks, but also pow’d 12 homers. His .280 batting average and .343 on-base percentage may be tough to reproduce in 2014, and projection systems are pessimistic, but the 25-year-old outfielder is a safe bet to help most any fantasy team for a long time to come. His .363 batting average on balls in play foreshadows a likely reduction in fantasy impact, but Marte should develop into a high-BABIP hitter given his general offensive profile. Chris Cwik suggests Marte should be able to maintain a higher BABIP, but he will need to improve his contact rate first — which is fortunate because contact rate stabilizes rather quickly, so you’ll be able to spot any change their early in the season. Keep an eye on him early for signs of trouble or promise. (@BradleyWoodrum)

Quick Opinion: Marte is a young, versatile outfielder that should be good for a healthy dose of steals and solid batting average and on-base percentage. The high batting average on balls in play will probably come down, but should remain relatively high given his speed and line-drive hitting style — if he can improve his contact rate.

Alfredo Marte

Debut: 2013 |  BirthDate: 3/31/1989 | Team: Diamondbacks | Position: OF
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 48 8 0 0 4 4 .186 .271 .256 .244 -2.8 -1.8 -0.3
’14 52 12 1 1 6 5 .253 .305 .393 .307 -0.7 -0.7 0.0

Profile: Despite having played center field in the lower minors, Marte has done considerably less of that as he’s ascended through the Diamondbacks system. Unfortunately, he doesn’t appear to have the offensive projection to overcome his defensive shortcomings. That’s not to say he’s entirely without use. He’s demonstrated some control of the plate and some power. He’s a candidate to find work as the weak side of a corner-outfield platoon during his peak years. More than that would be surprising, however. (Carson Cistulli)

Quick Opinion: Could potentially serve as the weak side of a corner-outfield platoon. A larger role, however, would be to the detriment of his team.

Russell Martin

Debut: 2006 |  BirthDate: 2/15/1983 | Team: Pirates | Position: C
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’12 485 89 21 6 53 50 .211 .311 .403 .316 -2.9 6.6 2.0
’13 506 99 15 9 55 51 .226 .327 .377 .315 0.0 22.7 4.1
’14 497 98 13 8 52 52 .228 .322 .369 .309 -2.3 13.4 2.8

Profile: Recently, Russell Martin has received praise aplenty — and deservingly — for his defense, but that doesn’t make him a slouch with lumber in hand. He’s popped 15 or more homers over the last three seasons and sports a .255/.349/.396 career slash. For a catcher, we’ll take that. Projection systems foresee him hitting around league average in terms of weighted offense, as well as add a few of his annual surprise steals. Of course, at age 31 and having played over a 1050 games already, Martin is neither a super safe bet or a chicken of the spring. Injuries find catchers faster than most other players, but as long as he’s healthy, he’s a second or — at worst — third tier catcher. (@BradleyWoodrum)

Quick Opinion: The defensively elite Martin can also pop homers and get on base. He’s a solid starter for most fantasy teams and should continue to be so in 2014, if’n he can stay healthy in his age-31 campaign.

Leonys Martin

Debut: 2011 |  BirthDate: 3/6/1988 | Team: Rangers | Position: OF
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’12 52 8 0 3 6 6 .174 .235 .370 .257 -2.4 -2.9 -0.4
’13 508 119 8 36 49 66 .260 .312 .385 .308 -1.6 10.2 2.7
’14 523 127 10 29 56 65 .267 .321 .410 .321 -1.7 5.4 2.3

Profile: Leonys Martin is an athletic young man. He’s athletic in that he’s fast and strong at least. Maybe he’s missing some of the fine-twitch abilities that separate the toolsy upside guys from the true superstars in baseball. The patience he sometimes showed in the minor leagues didn’t travel with him to the majors, and he swung more and reached more than league average, so it’s probably not going to get much better. His strikeout rate is league average, but his swinging strike rate was worse. He looks powerful, but even playing his home games in Arlington couldn’t get his isolated slugging percentage up to league average. It’s tempting to give him upside there, but since he came over from Cuba, he’s already 26… and he hit more than half of his balls on the ground as well. Maybe there’s not a ton of power projection yet. The good news comes from opportunity — he’s the starting center fielder, and with Craig Gentry gone, he might even get full time play. His work against southpaws in his rookie season was bad — 46% worse than league average bad — but mostly that was because his power completely disappeared. 144 plate appearances against lefties in a rookie season is not enough to damn him to platoon work in the future hopefully. Full-time work could mean a .260ish average, 15 homers and 30-plus steals. Sure, thanks. (Eno Sarris)

Quick Opinion: You may want to sit Martin against lefties if you’re cautious and in shallower league with a deep bench, but it’s good news that his team is not necessarily going to do that going forward. Expect similar rate stats but more counting stats in 2014 — and that means more value.

J.D. Martinez

Debut: 2011 |  BirthDate: 8/21/1987 | Position: OF
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’12 439 95 11 0 55 34 .241 .311 .375 .303 -8.9 -11.3 -0.6
’13 310 74 7 2 36 24 .250 .272 .378 .284 -9.1 -11.4 -1.1
’14 90 21 2 0 10 10 .259 .309 .404 .313 -0.5 -2.2 0.0

Profile: Martinez suffered through an injury-marred season, but failed to display any type of solid offense while he was on the field. His walk rate plummeted, strikeout rate spiked and his power was worse than league average. With little speed, it all combines for a package not very attractive to fantasy owners. There have been some encouraging reports that the work he’s doing on his swing is working, but he went unclaimed in the Rule 5 draft. And the Astros’ outfield carousel has better options, which leaves Martinez without a starting gig. At best, fantasy owners could expect some cheap middling power from a reserve outfielder. (Mike Podhorzer)

Quick Opinion: Injuries and poor offense cost Martinez a starting outfield job and the Astros found better alternatives to replace him. With mediocre power and the need to make better contact, there is little upside for fantasy owners to hang their hats on.

Fernando Martinez

Debut: 2009 |  BirthDate: 10/10/1988 | Position: OF
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’12 130 28 6 0 14 12 .237 .300 .466 .330 1.1 0.5 0.6
’13 35 6 1 0 3 1 .182 .229 .273 .227 -2.4 -4.4 -0.6
’14 1 0 0 0 0 0 .255 .308 .434 .323 0.0 -0.0 0.0

Profile: It was a forgettable year for the former Mets top prospect as Martinez disappointed during his short stint with the Astros before being designated for assignment in Houston and then acquired by the Yankees. But the cherry on top was his 50-game suspension for being involved with Biogenesis. While he does flash some power potential, he has been making less and less contact as he ages. Now 25, the window of opportunity is closing quickly and he’s looking like nothing more than a reserve outfielder. (Mike Podhorzer)

Quick Opinion: A 50-game suspension stemming from the Biogenesis bust really sums up Martinez’s career as one of disappointment. Now in the Yankees organization, he’s more likely to show glimpses of his power potential in the minors than earn any sort of value for fantasy owners with the big league club.

Michael Martinez

Debut: 2011 |  BirthDate: 9/16/1982 | Position: OF
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’12 122 20 2 0 7 10 .174 .208 .252 .197 -11.6 3.0 -0.5
’13 40 7 0 1 3 5 .175 .175 .175 .155 -5.6 -1.6 -0.6
’14 33 7 0 1 3 3 .246 .289 .344 .279 -0.9 0.1 0.0

Profile: Multiple positions are always sexy in fantasy baseball, but Martinez is a 31-year-old utilityman with a career .187/.234/.261 slash who has had mixed hitting results in Triple-A. If he contributes meaningfully to any fantasy team in 2014, it might be the feel-good story of the season. (@BradleyWoodrum)

Quick Opinion: There are almost definitely better utilityman options on the waiver wire. Martinez may be somewhat useful to a real team, but there’s almost no chance his hitting and limited plate appearances will provide value in the fantasy sphere.

Victor Martinez

Debut: 2002 |  BirthDate: 12/23/1978 | Team: Tigers | Position: DH
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 668 182 14 0 83 68 .301 .355 .430 .340 1.0 -14.9 0.9
’14 583 153 15 2 74 71 .293 .354 .445 .346 7.8 -15.0 1.3

Profile: A one-man billboard for contact rate, Victor Martinez proved in 2013 that he could hit .300 even at 34, even coming off major surgery that cost him a year, even with the footspeed of a woolie mammoth, even coming off the bench as the designated hitter 90% of the time. Though age has robbed him of some power — he’s been below average in isolated slugging percentage for two seasons now — he’s gotten better at making contact as he’s aged, too. Which is his most relevant skill. Given that he still has some power, great command of the strike zone, and yes, that tiny little swinging strike rate, there’s little reason to think that Martinez can’t hit for a great batting average again in 2014. The only problem is that he’ll do it as a utility-only player, or a first baseman if you’re lucky and your league only requires ten starts for eligibility. Even then, and even with the league’s batting average down in the .250s, a one- or two-category first baseman can’t be a priority for your team. (Eno Sarris)

Quick Opinion: Victor Martinez can still make contact with a little power, and so he can still hit for a good batting average. But now that he’s no longer a catcher and no longer has above average power, where will you play him and how much will you pay for that privilege?

Darin Mastroianni

Debut: 2011 |  BirthDate: 8/26/1985 | Position: OF
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’12 186 41 3 21 17 22 .252 .328 .350 .303 0.2 7.5 1.5
’13 73 12 0 2 5 5 .185 .229 .215 .203 -7.2 -2.1 -0.7
’14 166 35 1 8 13 16 .238 .307 .325 .284 -4.4 -1.0 0.0

Profile: Mastroianni entered 2013 with a legitimate shot to claim the starting centerfield job. What occurred henceforth can only be termed as a total disaster. He missed time in the spring with a hamstring injury, and then again after hitting a foul tip of his left ankle in late March. On Opening Day as he tried to loosen it up, he aggravated the injury once more. It ended up being a stress reaction, which placed him in a walking boot and eventually required surgery to repair a bone chip. Then, while on a rehab assignment, he hyperextended his right knee. In mid-August, the Twins activated, then optioned him to Triple-A Rochester. Mastroianni eventually returned to the big league club in late August, and sputtered down the stretch with a .179/.217/.214 slash line. At times after activation, Mastroianni’s ankle would act up, though he’d be fine shortly thereafter. Ultimately, he had the fixation hardware removed from his ankle after the season, and was removed from the 40-man roster over the winter. Since he’s never been outrighted before, he’ll remain in the Twins organization and still have a chance to crack the opening day roster as a reserve. That’s a far cry from being the possible opening day starter in center field however, which is what was said of him prior to the 2013 season. (Brandon Warne)

Quick Opinion: The Twins removed Mastroianni from the 40-man roster over the winter. He’ll remain in the organization, and still have a chance to crack the opening day roster as a reserve, but his future potential is greatly diminished from just one year ago.

Jeff Mathis

Debut: 2005 |  BirthDate: 3/31/1983 | Team: Marlins | Position: C
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’12 227 46 8 1 27 25 .218 .249 .393 .277 -8.2 7.7 0.7
’13 256 42 5 0 29 14 .181 .251 .284 .236 -18.7 6.8 -0.5
’14 159 29 3 1 14 12 .197 .255 .315 .251 -8.7 4.0 0.0

Profile: In 1758, the British mathematician Francis Maseres claimed that negative numbers “… darken the very whole doctrines of the equations and make dark of the things which are in their nature excessively obvious and simple. ” Based on this argument, Jeff Mathis is the opposite of Roger Angell. His bat rends the aesthetic fiber of baseball, saps the hope and innocence from small children, and prospectively drove Lord Byron to melodramatic excess. No bobblehead exists of Jeff Mathis, because if one were to be created, the factory of origin would immediately topple in on itself. Jeff Mathis is a very bad hitter. (Patrick Dubuque)

Quick Opinion: Don’t draft Jeff Mathis.

Joe Mauer

Debut: 2004 |  BirthDate: 4/19/1983 | Team: Twins | Position: C/DH
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’12 641 174 10 8 85 81 .319 .416 .446 .376 29.8 -5.5 4.7
’13 508 144 11 0 47 62 .324 .404 .476 .383 25.1 6.2 5.2
’14 654 167 14 3 72 83 .297 .388 .439 .361 21.6 -12.3 3.3

Profile: A concussion suffered while facing the Mets in August hastened the move to first faster than most would have expected, but Mauer should still be a reasonable fantasy asset as he shifts positions. The Twins brass — specifically GM Terry Ryan — don’t necessarily expect Mauer to produce more power, but with legs that’ll be fresher longer into the season, it’s hard not to expect him to improve his extra-base hit volume. But even if Mauer only hits like he did as a catcher, take look at how his 2013 numbers would have fared among qualified first basemen: .324 batting average (first) .404 on-base percentage (second to Joey Votto) .476 slugging percentage (tenth, ahead of Adrian Gonzalez, Prince Fielder, and Mark Trumbo) .383 weighted on-base average (sixth, ahead of Brandon Belt, Brandon Moss, and Adam Lind) The only spot where Mauer would struggle is in 5×5 leagues, where his 11 home runs would have ranked dead last among qualified first sackers. It seems fair to believe his power will improve a bit, especially since his power is to the opposite field, which is much more accommodating at Target Field. Just for fun, take a look at what Mauer did to the opposite field last year: .482/.478/.857. That’s flat out ridiculous. Draft Mauer confidently as the fourth or fifth first baseman off the board in most leagues, unless he has catcher eligibility for one more season. Then he’s someone you can consider right after the Paul Goldschmidts and Chris Davises of the world. (Brandon Warne)

Quick Opinion: Mauer’s position switch looks scary to fantasy owners on the surface, but fret not: he’ll still be a viable fantasy resource no matter what his position eligibility is. Some regression — on a positional basis — should be expected at first base, but he’s still a legitimate fantasy asset.

Justin Maxwell

Debut: 2007 |  BirthDate: 11/6/1983 | Team: Royals | Position: OF
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’12 352 72 18 9 53 46 .229 .304 .460 .330 4.1 3.7 2.0
’13 262 59 7 6 25 35 .252 .328 .436 .336 4.5 -2.6 1.1
’14 163 34 5 3 19 19 .235 .315 .408 .319 -0.3 -2.1 0.3

Profile: After an impressive 2012 campaign in which he hit 18 bombs for the Astros in just 352 plate appearances, Justin Maxwell’s 2013 was frustrating. He dealt with injuries during the first part of the season, then was traded to the Royals. Maxwell actually hit well in Kansas City — .268/.351/.515 over 111 plate appearances, and looked to be in line for at least a platoon spot in 2014, but the Royals’ trade for Norichika Aoki probably puts him on the bench to start the year. In reality, the Royals would probably be best served to platoon Aoki and the underrated Maxwell, but that sort of thinking has not been one of Ned Yost’s more notable virtues. Still, with center fielder Lorenzo Cain likely in line for his usual disabled list stints, Maxwell might have another path to playing time. This is not to say Maxwell is a stud waiting for a chance. He still has the same faults — he is not really a center fielder at this point, and his contact skills are atrocious. Still, he takes walks and has good power, and .230/.320/.410 will play these days from a corner outfielder. That average will hurt in category leagues, and Maxwell’s playing time is questionable. If he does look like he will be the Royals’ fourth outfielder to start the year, he could be a nice bench pick in AL-only leagues. (Matt Klaassen)

Quick Opinion: Justin Maxwell has skills to help a real team and even some fantasy teams, but really only has value in deep AL-only leagues if he seems to be in line for playing time with the Royals.

John Mayberry

Debut: 2009 |  BirthDate: 12/21/1983 | Team: Phillies | Position: OF
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’12 479 108 14 1 46 53 .245 .301 .395 .303 -10.1 -3.7 0.2
’13 384 80 11 5 39 47 .227 .286 .391 .298 -4.7 -10.6 -0.4
’14 221 49 7 3 25 22 .242 .300 .402 .308 -1.9 -7.6 -0.3

Profile: Mayberry has uncommon power for a fourth outfielder type, but as a platoon player getting the short side of the playing time, don’t get too excited. Moreover, a stellar 2013 season from Domonic Brown no doubt will have consequences on Mayberry. Though Mayberry definitely hits southpaws better than Brown, the Phillies may opt to give Brown as much playing time as possible in hopes he can continue to develop his 25+ home run power. For fantasy owners willing to put in the effort and swap Mayberry in when appropriate, his availability has never been higher and his price never cheaper. (@BradleyWoodrum)

Quick Opinion: A breakout season from Domonic Brown may have consequences on Mayberry’s platoon share. If he still gets some chances, though, Mayberry should be good a few homers despite limited playing time.

Cameron Maybin

Debut: 2007 |  BirthDate: 4/4/1987 | Team: Padres | Position: OF
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’12 561 123 8 26 45 67 .243 .306 .349 .290 -2.2 6.1 2.3
’13 57 8 1 4 5 7 .157 .232 .235 .209 -3.9 -3.4 -0.6
’14 343 76 7 14 33 35 .247 .316 .379 .307 0.6 0.9 1.3

Profile: Shhh. Don’t even read his name aloud here because that alone could land him on the disabled list. Maybin is the perfect example of the fact that there is no such thing as a “can’t-miss” prospect. He was considered a five-tool player when he was in the minors and though the Marlins would like everyone to forget it, he was the centerpiece of the return in the deal that sent Miguel Cabrera to Detroit. Since then, he’s enjoyed just two seasons of playing in more than 130 games though his fantasy owners have enjoyed just one. Last season it was knee and wrist injuries that put him on the shelf throughout the year. He managed just 57 plate appearances before opting for surgery to clean up the injured wrist. The recovery timetable for that procedure was 8-12 weeks, so he is expected to be ready to go for spring training. For how long he can stay healthy after that is anyone’s guess. In a healthy season, he could hit 8-10 home runs and swipe 30-40 bases while batting just .250, but putting your money on Maybin to stay healthy is like sitting on a toilet filled with piranha. Sooner or later, you’re going to get bitten in the ass. (Howard Bender)

Quick Opinion: Maybin and his fantasy owners endured yet another injury-plagued year — wrist and knee issues were the primary culprits. He is expected to be ready for spring training and walks into 2014 as the Padres starting center fielder. When healthy, he’s got the potential to hit 10 home runs and steal 40 bases, but he first needs to master the ‘when healthy’ part.

Brian McCann

Debut: 2005 |  BirthDate: 2/20/1984 | Team: Yankees | Position: C
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’12 487 101 20 3 67 44 .230 .300 .399 .300 -9.7 10.4 1.7
’13 402 91 20 0 57 43 .256 .336 .461 .347 5.6 7.7 2.7
’14 551 124 24 2 75 68 .255 .334 .452 .340 4.8 10.7 3.6

Profile: McCann, aka Mr. Yankee, should benefit substantially from his new digs. The combination of a home field that substantially boosts left-handed power along with being able to bat as the designated hitter on days off should result in more home runs, runs, and RBI for McCann. He’ll be one of the guys asked to fill Robinson Cano’s shoes offensively. Fantasy owners should be happy with the potential for a 600 plate appearance, 30 home run season while batting in the heart of the Yankees lineup. McCann is considered one of the best pitch framers in baseball, too, which should prove to be a boon for the Yankees staff. (Brad Johnson)

Quick Opinion: McCann will move to a home stadium where lefty home run production is boosted by 14 percent and he should also see more plate appearances than in years past. In other words, moving to New York has increased McCann’s value as a fantasy catcher.

Andrew McCutchen

Debut: 2009 |  BirthDate: 10/10/1986 | Team: Pirates | Position: OF
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’12 673 194 31 20 96 107 .327 .400 .553 .403 49.4 -6.5 6.8
’13 674 185 21 27 84 97 .317 .404 .508 .393 46.9 9.3 8.2
’14 650 168 24 21 87 91 .300 .389 .507 .386 38.5 3.7 6.7

Profile: Given how excellent he is, it’s tough to be hard on Andrew McCutchen. But fantasy baseball managers are tough on their players, especially their elite, first-round, big-investment stars. So where are the faults? Well, Cutch took a step back in power in 2013 — his homer total (21) and isolated slugging percentage (.190) moved towards his early career levels. While his batted ball distance was good (27th in baseball, 297 feet on average), his home run per fly ball number was not great (12.4%, 10.5% was league average). The Bucs’ center fielder also doesn’t steal an elite number of bases — his 27 from last year was the best in the last three years, so he could be projected to regress from that level. But now it’s time to say something nice. If you add homers and stolen bags together for a crude measure of power and speed, McCutchen was 11th in baseball, and one of four in the top fifteen to pair that ability with a good batting average. The other guys? Mike Trout, Miguel Cabrera and Paul Goldschmidt. Heady company. Even if you step back the steals some, McCutchen is only 27 and could add power to offset that loss. And, considering that his worst season since his rookie year still had him hit .259 with 23 homers and 23 steals, it seems his floor is very high. (Eno Sarris)

Quick Opinion: Maybe Andrew McCutchen won’t hit enough homers and steal enough bases to be a top-three fantasy player in 2014. That’s fine. His floor is so high that a strong investment in him is a safe one. At 27, there’s no reason to worry yet.

Darnell McDonald

Debut: 2004 |  BirthDate: 11/17/1978 | Position: OF
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’12 103 18 2 1 9 17 .205 .297 .352 .289 -2.3 0.2 0.1
’13 57 16 1 0 5 4 .302 .351 .434 .346 1.5 1.2 0.5
’14 269 58 5 4 26 26 .241 .306 .370 .299 -5.7 -6.6 -0.5

Profile: The 35-year old journeyman outfielder is looking to compete for a bench job here in his second season with the Cubs, but is likely to spend most of the year at Triple-A Iowa once again. There’s simply nothing exciting about his game as he doesn’t possess a whole lot of power or speed nor does he hit for a high average. Both his walk and strikeout rates are average and he makes decent contact, but he spends as much time mashing the ball into the dirt as he does hitting it in the air, which tends to keep his batting average on balls in play suppressed. The subsequent rate stats he produces are at levels that don’t exactly scream with promise. The Cubs have plenty of outfielders just like that, and all of them are younger than McDonald with more upside, so while he may earn a potential call-up at some point should some of the youngsters fail, he doesn’t hold much in the way of fantasy value, even in the short-term. (Howard Bender)

Quick Opinion: After spending the majority of 2013 in the minors, McDonald will once again receive an opportunity to compete for a bench job with the Cubs in the spring of 2014. Both his bat and his speed are on the lower end of the spectrum, so the chances of the 35-year-old gaining an opportunity over one of the many Cubs outfielders who are younger are remote, at best. Should he open the year at Triple-A Iowa, there’s a chance that he’ll earn a promotion if injuries hit the North Side, but even then, his fantasy value is minimal.

Chris McGuiness

Debut: 2013 |  BirthDate: 4/11/1988 | Team: Pirates | Position: 1B
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 34 6 0 0 1 0 .176 .176 .206 .168 -4.6 -0.7 -0.4
’14 165 33 4 1 17 16 .230 .312 .371 .303 -1.4 -3.0 0.1

Profile: You might remember Chris McGuiness from the Rule 5 draft last December, when Cleveland drafted him from Texas. Probably not, though, because they sent him back at the end of March. McGuiness had some superficially good-looking numbers for the Rangers in the minors in 2012 and 2013, until one remembers they were in the Texas League and Pacific Coast League, respectively, McGuiness will be 26 in April, and he’s a first baseman. His 34 plate appearances with the Rangers last year did nothing to impress anyone. If all that is not enough, he also is behind at least Prince Fielder and Mitch Moreland on the depth chart. Need we say more? (Matt Klaassen)

Quick Opinion: Chris McGuiness was such a hot prospect during the last off-season that Texas let Cleveland pick him up in in the Rule 5 draft, and Cleveland then sent him back. Value him in a similar fashion in your fantasy leagues.

Michael McKenry

Debut: 2010 |  BirthDate: 3/4/1985 | Position: C
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’12 275 56 12 0 39 25 .233 .320 .442 .330 1.9 5.6 1.7
’13 122 25 3 0 14 9 .217 .262 .348 .271 -4.2 -2.2 -0.3
’14 52 11 2 0 6 6 .247 .314 .419 .320 -0.8 0.6 0.1

Profile: One of just two players named “McKenry” in MLB history — the other was named “Limb” and got into 27 games for the 1915-16 Reds, so yes, we’re finding a way to mention him here — Michael is probably best known for his nickname these days than anything else. (It’s “The Fort,” which is everything.) His one positive fantasy attribute is power, which has let him pop 17 homers in 607 career plate appearances, or roughly a full season. Unfortunately, he’s got enough downside in his plate approach — approximately 35% of his career plate appearances have ended in a whiff or a pop-up — that even the power isn’t enough to justify the damage he’ll do to you in all other fantasy categories. That’s even if he’s in the big leagues in 2014; after putting up just a .262 on-base percentage in 2013, McKenry had knee surgery late in the year and was non-tendered by Pittsburgh. He’s probably a non-roster invite next season. (Mike Petriello)

Quick Opinion: The Fort can hit the ball a long way, but it’s rare that he’s in the lineup and even rarer that his bat connects with the ball, severely limiting his fantasy utility.

Nate McLouth

Debut: 2005 |  BirthDate: 10/28/1981 | Team: Nationals | Position: OF
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’12 298 64 7 12 20 39 .241 .314 .380 .305 0.5 -4.7 0.6
’13 593 137 12 30 36 76 .258 .329 .399 .323 5.9 -2.2 2.5
’14 509 109 11 18 46 58 .241 .315 .379 .307 -2.2 -14.0 -0.1

Profile: After being largely fantasy irrelevant for three seasons, Nate McLouth surprisingly came back on the fantasy radar in 2013, hitting 12 home runs with 30 stolen bases for the Orioles. While he struggled late in the year, it was enough to get the lefty paid by the Nationals to be their fourth outfielder. If that sounds scary for his fantasy value, it should, especially since each of the three Nationals starters hit right-handed pitching well. Still, the team insists he’ll get regular playing time, and Denard Span’s name has popped up in trade rumors. When McLouth plays, the speed matters. The power, however, may not reach double digits again, especially with a move from lefty-friendly Camden to neutral Nationals Park. If his playing time falls back into 300 plate appearance territory, McLouth is only draftable in NL-only leagues, and you’re drafting solely for the speed. (Blake Murphy)

Quick Opinion: Nate McLouth burst back onto the scene in 2013 and it was enough to get him paid… to be a fourth outfielder in Washington. Unless Denard Span gets dealt, McLouth’s value is very low, and tied only to his speed, at that.

Tommy Medica

Debut: 2013 |  BirthDate: 4/9/1988 | Team: Padres | Position: 1B
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 79 20 3 0 10 9 .290 .380 .449 .368 3.9 -2.4 0.4
’14 63 14 2 0 8 7 .241 .306 .418 .317 0.3 -1.6 0.1

Profile: The converted catcher is listed as the backup to first baseman Yonder Alonso, but will likely start the season in the Pacific Coast League. When healthy, Medica flashed some power and the ability to hit for average in both Advanced-A and Double-A. He blasted 19 homers with a .330 average in Lake Elsinore followed by 18 home runs and a .296 average in San Antonio. In 19 games for the Padres in ‘13, Medica clubbed three homers while maintaining a .290 average, but whiffed 29.1% of the time. If Medica can catch a few breaks and improve his plate discipline — especially his contact rate — he could be an interesting name to keep an eye on in twenty-fourteen. (Alan Harrison)

Quick Opinion: Turning 26, coming off a season in which he struck out nearly a third of the time and had almost 40% of his balls in play turn to hits, Tommy Medica is due for some regression. The good news is that his minor league power and contact rates show upside to combat that regression. So, the real question is: what will Yonder Alonso do this year?

Jordy Mercer

Debut: 2012 |  BirthDate: 8/27/1986 | Team: Pirates | Position: SS
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’12 68 13 1 0 5 7 .210 .265 .371 .275 -2.3 2.2 0.2
’13 365 95 8 3 27 33 .285 .336 .435 .333 3.8 -1.5 1.4
’14 399 95 7 5 40 41 .260 .314 .391 .309 -2.1 3.5 1.4

Profile: Jordy Mercer, after a strong 2013 half-season, enters 2014 as the probable starting shortstop for the Pittsburgh Pirates. He’ll have Clint Barmes backing him up, and the 35-year-old Barmes would not normally be a risk to steal playing time away from Mercer — if the youngster was completely competent with the glove. Do we expect Mercer to plop a second .285/.336/.435 slash on the league? The projection systems have him in around league average in weighted offense with a .310 on-base percentage and around ten homers, which, honestly, wouldn’t be too shabby. The average major league shortstop had a 85 wRC+ (with a .308 OBP) and 9.7 homers per 600 plate appearances. In that respect, Mercer makes for a great bench player or possibly cheap stopgap starter. But, if somehow Mercer appears to be a more well-known name in your league, given his strong showing in 2013, don’t pay anything more than average shortstop auction price or draft round. (@BradleyWoodrum)

Quick Opinion: Mercer projects as an average shortstop in the real life game, and given his strong finish to the 2013 season, he should have a generous leash. He should make for a solid bench player or backup shortstop in fantasy, but don’t overpay thinking he’ll replicate 2013.

Melky Mesa

Debut: 2012 |  BirthDate: 1/31/1987 | Position: OF
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’12 2 1 0 0 1 0 .500 .500 .500 .442 -0.0 -0.2 -0.0
’13 14 5 0 0 1 2 .385 .429 .538 .421 0.8 1.6 0.3
’14 33 7 1 1 4 4 .237 .283 .400 .298 -0.7 0.2 0.1

Profile: Outfielder Melky Mesa has just 16 big league plate appearances in his two-year career, and with the Yankee additions of Jacoby Ellsbury and Carlos Beltran, Mesa was released by the Yankees in September and has yet to land with another club. Mesa does have modest power and speed and would be a 20-20 threat in a full season, but after striking out in nearly one third of his at-bats in Triple-A, Mesa will probably never get that opportunity. (Scott Spratt)

Quick Opinion: Melky Mesa is a modest power-speed threat without a home, as the Yankees released him in September. His extreme strikeout tendencies make him uninteresting in fantasy even if he finds a new team.

Devin Mesoraco

Debut: 2011 |  BirthDate: 6/19/1988 | Team: Reds | Position: C
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’12 184 35 5 1 14 17 .212 .288 .352 .275 -7.9 1.6 -0.0
’13 352 77 9 0 42 31 .238 .287 .362 .282 -13.3 6.6 0.4
’14 440 97 14 3 50 44 .246 .308 .410 .312 -3.2 8.5 2.0

Profile: Catchers have a lower batting average on balls in play than most positions, but there’s no reason that Devin Mesoraco’s career BABIP should be .248. And before you point out he’s been playing for three seasons and the sample is large, remember that he’s been a backup most of the time, and he’s only managed 589 plate appearances. That’s not even a full season. Instead look at his strikeout rate (good, at 17.7%), line drive rate (average, at 19.2%), power (okay, at .134 isolated slugging percentage), and lack of infield flies (10.8%, average) or extreme fly ball split (1.24 ground balls per fly ball, career), and realize that this is a guy that has a well-balanced approach at the plate that should produce a decent batting average. With a new manager, and Ryan Hanigan gone, it looks like he might even get a chance to start. If he finally uses all of the tools that gave him all that pedigree — he’s been ranked very highly on national prospect lists in the past — we could see a mini-breakout from a cheap catcher. He also had good walk rates in the minor leagues, so even if it’s ‘just’ a .260 average with 15+ homers, it might come with a decent on-base percentage. And reports on his defense have been improving with time, so all of this is very possible. (Eno Sarris)

Quick Opinion: It only *seems* like Mesoraco has been around forever and is broken and old. Instead, he’s only turning 26 and doesn’t even have a full season of plate appearances under his belt. And the peripherals don’t hate him as much as his batting average. Remember his name in deeper and two-catcher leagues.

Will Middlebrooks

Debut: 2012 |  BirthDate: 9/9/1988 | Team: Red Sox | Position: 3B
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’12 286 77 15 4 54 34 .288 .325 .509 .357 7.1 2.1 1.9
’13 374 79 17 3 49 41 .227 .271 .425 .300 -6.9 -2.4 0.3
’14 458 110 20 5 64 56 .261 .308 .461 .333 2.8 0.7 2.0

Profile: Widely regarded as one of fantasy’s sleeper breakout candidates in 2013, Will Middlebrooks left most of his owners with a pretty sour taste in their mouths. After swatting 15 homers in his first 286 plate appearances, Boston’s young third baseman managed to follow that up with 17 in his next 374. Unfortunately, that’s about the only thing Middlebrooks did right. His pathetic .227 batting average (.271 on-base percentage) crushed owners and he was so bad at the big league level, the Red Sox demoted him to Triple-A. His batted ball profile remained similar to 2012, so his .263 batting average on balls in play (.335 in 2012) was partly to blame for some of his woes. Unfortunately for a guy who struggles making contact, his strikeout and swinging strike rates both climbed from their already subpar numbers. If he could ever get his 30+% reach rate under control, he might be able to bring his walk rate up to an acceptable level, but until he makes those gains in plate discipline he’s going to be difficult to trust. Further complicating efforts for Middlebrooks is the emergence of Xander Bogaerts, Boston’s shortstop of the future, but possibly third baseman of the present. If it’s clear Middlebrooks will get at bats at the hot corner coming out of spring training, he makes for an interesting power-upside pick late in drafts, but a lot of his prospect shine came off last year. (Colin Zarzycki)

Quick Opinion: The Middlebrooks hype balloon deflated in a big way in 2013, with the young hacker’s already poor plate discipline rates further moving in the wrong direction. He still has power upside which makes him a decent pick at the back end of standard drafts, but don’t reach, especially if the Red Sox keep Xander Bogaerts and another shortstop on the roster in 2014.

Brad Miller

Debut: 2013 |  BirthDate: 10/18/1989 | Team: Mariners | Position: SS
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 335 81 8 5 36 41 .265 .318 .418 .323 3.7 1.3 1.7
’14 628 150 14 14 60 80 .268 .331 .413 .327 5.1 7.3 3.6

Profile: Brad Miller really wasn’t even supposed to be here yet. But the Seattle Mariners’ season was such a lost cause by mid-season, there was reason to start evaluating the future a little earlier than planned, and they thrust Brad Miller not only into an everyday role, but atop the lineup to maximize at bats. And Miller turned plenty of heads. Over 335 plate appearances, Miller hit .265/.318/.418 with eight home runs, 41 runs scored, 36 RBI, and five steals. Oliver projections suggest over a full season, he could hit .268/.329/.406 with 14 home runs, 72 runs, 66 RBI, and 12 steals. That might not seem like light-the-world-on-fire production, but being able to check off all five categories at shortstop is a rare opportunity. For context, there is a much sexier name projected to hit .266/.352/.404 with 12 home runs, 72 runs, 63 RBI, and nine steals and his name is Ben Zobrist. Because of a lack of track record, it’s hard to hang your hat on Miller’s projections, but the team is committed to him, he has youth on his side (24), and there will be a few more bats behind him to drive him in for 2014. He’s worth more than a flier on draft day, and could be your regular shortstop for little investment. (Michael Barr)

Quick Opinion: Brad Miller went from shortstop of the future to the shortstop of the now in a jiffy. Never among the more sizzling of Seattle Mariner prospects, Miller turned in a solid rookie campaign and his future appears bright. From a fantasy perspective, Miller doesn’t provide a ton of pizzazz, but he contributes nicely across all five standard categories, and for a shortstop, that can be pretty handy when there remains a dearth of options on draft day.

Corky Miller

Debut: 2001 |  BirthDate: 3/18/1976 | Position: C
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 41 9 0 0 8 2 .257 .366 .400 .343 1.0 1.2 0.4
’14 33 6 1 0 3 3 .218 .304 .335 .287 -0.9 0.6 0.1

Profile: If you’re playing in a “Sal Fasano Memorial Backup Catchers With Mustaches” league then perhaps Miller is wor… no, not even then does he have fantasy relevance headed into his age-38 season with a career .193 batting average. But you knew that already, right? (Mike Petriello)

Yadier Molina

Debut: 2004 |  BirthDate: 7/13/1982 | Team: Cardinals | Position: C
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’12 563 159 22 12 76 65 .315 .373 .501 .375 20.6 20.2 6.2
’13 541 161 12 3 80 68 .319 .359 .477 .362 18.6 17.1 5.6
’14 456 122 11 4 56 51 .293 .346 .439 .342 8.2 14.2 3.9

Profile: Despite some slight regression off his career offensive season in 2012, Molina was once again a top fantasy catcher. His power fell off as expected, but excellent contact combined with tons of line drives that boosted his batting average on balls in play ensured he hit above .300 for the third straight year. At age 31 and with knee issues cropping up, it appears rather safe to figure that his days of high single-digit to double-digit steals are over. Though he has remained rather consistent these past three years, some warning signs are creeping up. He has been swinging and missing a little more often than usual since 2012, and his strikeout rate reached its highest mark since 2007. I would be hesitant to pay full value given the risk of BABIP decline and aging effects taking their toll. (Mike Podhorzer)

Quick Opinion: Molina remained a strong fantasy catcher for a third straight season, but there are several warning signs worth heeding. Since catchers are always risky to begin with, paying top dollar for a 31 year old with sudden knee issues is probably unwise.

Jose Molina

Debut: 1999 |  BirthDate: 6/3/1975 | Team: Rays | Position: C
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’12 274 56 8 3 32 27 .223 .286 .355 .284 -7.5 6.2 0.8
’13 313 66 2 2 18 26 .233 .290 .304 .266 -12.7 3.9 0.2
’14 286 60 4 3 26 27 .230 .290 .330 .276 -9.2 6.0 0.7

Profile: Jose Molina went from hardly known and under-appreciated to being a widely-lauded star defender at the age of 37. He is reportedly a great clubhouse guy, an excellent instructor to younger players and an all-around asset to any franchise. Do not put him on your fantasy team. Yeah, his career .238/.287/.340 slash is deceptive, since he’s hit much better since receiving more playing time (.242/.302/.354 since 2010, despite playing in pitchers’ parks), but Molina has fantasy value only in the most deep of leagues. Even in a Scoresheet league, where defense matters, Molina is still just a part time player at best. The addition of Ryan Hanigan to the 2014 Rays roster should also eat away at Molina’s partial playing time. Root for the man, but do not draft him. (@BradleyWoodrum)

Quick Opinion: Jose Molina not only hits poorly, but he also plays sparingly. His recent numbers are better than his career numbers, but do not expect him to help your fantasy team in any meaningful way.

Johnny Monell

Debut: 2013 |  BirthDate: 3/27/1986 | Team: Orioles | Position: C
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 9 1 0 0 1 2 .125 .222 .125 .179 -0.9 0.0 -0.1
’14 33 7 1 0 3 4 .229 .304 .375 .300 -0.6 0.6 0.1

Profile: There’s a certain demarcation between when a player transaction is called a trade and when it’s called a roster move. Wherever that line is, Johnny Monell is below it. The Orioles purchased the career minor-leaguer from the Giants in November for an uninteresting sum, giving him an opportunity to be the guy who backs up Matt Weiters and gets fifty plate appearances in a season. Don’t get fooled by his Triple-A numbers last year (.275/.364/.494): he was playing in the PCL, he was twenty-seven, and he was playing in the PCL. But at the same time, he’s not Taylor Teagarden. (Patrick Dubuque)

Jesus Montero

Debut: 2011 |  BirthDate: 11/28/1989 | Team: Mariners | Position: C
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’12 553 134 15 0 62 46 .260 .298 .386 .295 -12.9 -9.0 -0.4
’13 110 21 3 0 9 6 .208 .264 .327 .263 -6.1 -1.5 -0.4
’14 1 0 0 0 0 0 .257 .317 .432 .325 0.0 0.0 0.0

Profile: To say Jesus Montero’s stock has fallen would probably be an insult to falling stocks everywhere. He was once a top prospect, a can’t-miss bat with some questions about his defensive skills as a catcher. He’s not only a work in progress now, a bat which failed at the major league level, but the only thing he caught well in 2013 was performance enhancing drugs. After hitting .208/.264/.327 with three home runs over 110 plate appearances, Montero was sent to Tacoma where he didn’t hit much better, and was subsequently suspended for PEDs. His time behind the plate is likely over and where he fits with the Mariners future is entirely unclear. They’ll give him a chance to get his bat squared away, and there is still hope he can be a productive hitter, but it will likely be as a designated hitter. For 2014, it’s also likely to be in Triple-A. (Michael Barr)

Quick Opinion: The Seattle Mariners won’t give up on Montero just yet, but this once top prospect has little allure in fantasy formats, unless you care to burn up a spot in dynasty leagues. There’s potential in his bat, but the results so far have been underwhelming to say the least, and Montero may very well start the season in the minors.

Miguel Montero

Debut: 2006 |  BirthDate: 7/9/1983 | Team: Diamondbacks | Position: C
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’12 573 139 15 0 88 65 .286 .391 .438 .364 11.1 14.7 4.6
’13 475 95 11 0 42 44 .230 .318 .344 .295 -12.1 6.1 0.9
’14 581 129 15 1 66 64 .256 .345 .408 .331 1.5 14.2 3.6

Profile: The 2013 season was a tough one for Montero and his fantasy owners as the once-consistent producer posted one of his worst statistical seasons. Granted, back problems limited him to just 112 games, but even beyond that, his strikeouts spiked, his walks diminished, his isolated power dipped, and his average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage all fell dramatically from the year before. The struggles early in the season snowballed throughout the year as he was obviously pressing at the plate. His swing rate rose but his contact rate fell and his swinging-strike rate jumped to a career-worst 12.2%. Now the question is, was it just a bad year or are we looking at the start of a statistical decline for the 30-year old backstop? It’s hard to imagine such a consistent producer falling so hard, so fast, but you have to be concerned that age and injuries have finally caught up to him. He walks into 2014 as the starting catcher for the Diamondbacks and last season’s totals should help to keep his draft price down, but if you go cheap at the position and make him your primary catcher, be sure to have a solid contingency plan just in case. (Howard Bender)

Quick Opinion: Montero could prove to be a fantastic bargain in 2014 if last year’s statistical drop-off was more of an aberration than an actual decline, but at 30 years of age and a history of both back and knee problems, he could also be on his way out the door. He’ll open the 2014 season as the Diamondbacks’ primary catcher, but his fantasy value will suffer if he doesn’t return to the consistent production he once offered.

Tyler Moore

Debut: 2012 |  BirthDate: 1/30/1987 | Team: Nationals | Position: 1B/OF
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’12 171 41 10 3 29 20 .263 .327 .513 .361 4.6 -4.4 0.6
’13 178 37 4 0 21 16 .222 .260 .347 .265 -8.0 -8.1 -1.2
’14 231 50 9 2 29 25 .239 .294 .432 .315 -0.6 -5.0 0.1

Profile: Moore has 95 home runs in his last 1,777 plate appearances across four levels. That’s one every 18.7 plate appearances. The guy obviously has power. The problem is that he won’t get enough playing time to really let that power become a fantasy asset. With Adam LaRoche ahead of him at first base, Moore will be hard pressed to get much more than about 200 plate appearances unless LaRoche gets hurt. He could hit 10 home runs in limited work which has some value in NL-only leagues, but that’s the extent of his fantasy value as long as LaRoche is healthy. (Brett Talley)

Quick Opinion: Moore has some power that could be useful to fantasy owners, but he won’t get enough playing time to have fantasy value unless Adam LaRoche gets hurt.

Adam Moore

Debut: 2009 |  BirthDate: 5/8/1984 | Position: C
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’12 12 2 1 0 2 1 .182 .250 .545 .334 0.2 -0.5 0.0
’13 11 3 0 1 0 1 .300 .364 .400 .340 0.7 0.4 0.2
’14 1 0 0 0 0 0 .222 .284 .355 .283 -0.0 0.0 0.0

Profile: In Adam Moore’s life, you get the call in spring training to help with pitchers and then you ride the minor league bus for the rest of the season. If you are reading this preview for some entertaining jokes about Adam Moore, I am sorry to disappoint you. I will just keep his bio quick. He can’t hit for power or steal bases or hit for average. No team has signed him yet. (Jeff Zimmerman)

Kendrys Morales

Debut: 2006 |  BirthDate: 6/20/1983 | Position: DH
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’12 522 132 22 0 73 61 .273 .320 .467 .339 8.5 -9.7 1.7
’13 657 167 23 0 80 64 .277 .336 .449 .342 6.4 -16.7 1.2
’14 632 158 25 1 89 76 .275 .334 .467 .346 10.4 -16.3 1.5

Profile: Kendrys Morales, healthy for the first time in perhaps the last two full seasons, didn’t provide the big power stroke the Seattle Mariners were hoping for, but still provided nice value for most fantasy owners. His .277/.336/.449 slash line with 23 home runs and 80 RBI sits neatly in line with what you would expect from the hefty switch hitter. One notable thing Morales was able to overcome is a history of problems versus left-handed pitching. His career slash line vs. LHP stands at .262/.311/.425 with a .318 weighted on base average. In 2013, he managed a .282/.353/.440 slash line with a .345 wOBA, which was actually a hair better than he performed against right-handed pitchers. Keep an eye on where he lands in free agency and how it will impact his place in the batting order, not to mention the surrounding pieces. If Morales has a decent cast around him, he could provide solid RBI numbers and push 25 home runs if he can stay off the trainers table. It’s not everything you’d ever want in a first baseman, but when you look at what’s available at first base, there aren’t that many guys who can deliver well in four categories, making Morales an interesting fall back option for 2014. (Michael Barr)

Quick Opinion: Morales seemed to fix his issues with left-handed pitching, and managed to produce a nice little season at very low cost to fantasy managers. Where he lands in 2014 will obviously impact his projections, but if Morales can plod his way to a .280 batting average with 22-26 home runs and a goodly number of RBI, he’s easily a decent corner infielder and could be a regular in deeper leagues.

Brent Morel

Debut: 2010 |  BirthDate: 4/21/1987 | Team: Pirates | Position: 1B/3B
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’12 125 20 0 4 5 14 .177 .225 .195 .194 -11.8 1.5 -0.7
’13 30 5 0 1 1 3 .200 .333 .200 .263 -1.8 0.2 -0.1
’14 13 3 0 0 1 1 .237 .295 .345 .284 -0.3 0.1 0.0

Profile: Despite the White Sox’s black hole at third last season, Morel only received 30 plate appearances in the majors. With the team trading for Matt Davidson during the offseason, Morel is no higher than fourth on the team’s depth chart at third. (Chris Cwik)

Mitch Moreland

Debut: 2010 |  BirthDate: 9/6/1985 | Team: Rangers | Position: 1B
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’12 357 90 15 1 50 41 .275 .321 .468 .334 -1.7 -3.5 0.7
’13 518 107 23 0 60 60 .232 .299 .437 .320 -4.5 -6.5 0.7
’14 552 125 21 2 72 67 .253 .322 .444 .332 1.4 -13.8 0.6

Profile: At 28 years old, with 1560 plate appearances under his belt, it should be clear what Mitch Moreland brings to the table. At least against right-handers, he can walk and strike out at league average rates while adding power (.205 career isolated slugging percentage). He’s made some improvements against left-handers, but he’s never been able to push that production to league average. So this year, you’ll probably see Moreland play two thirds of the time again, and with normal batted luck he could hit .250-plus with 20 homers again. In a nice park, in a nice league, he could be useful in short stints in deeper leagues with daily lineups, even at the bottom of a more crowded lineup. The problem might be his position. With Prince Fielder in town, Moreland is now the designated hitter, and coming off the bench — either to DH or pinch-hit — normally costs a player five to ten percent in production. His career split against right-handers is only about six percent better than league average! Tough to squeeze a lot of value out a guy that was the 34th-ranked first baseman last year in that situation. (Eno Sarris)

Quick Opinion: Batted ball luck could help Mitch Moreland’s line this year, but the circumstances on the team could undo a lot of that good will. Coming off the bench more often than he did last year won’t be a good thing for his already marginal production at a position with a high bar for excellence.

Justin Morneau

Debut: 2003 |  BirthDate: 5/15/1981 | Team: Rockies | Position: 1B
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’12 570 135 19 1 77 63 .267 .333 .440 .330 2.0 -18.0 0.3
’13 635 148 17 0 77 62 .259 .323 .411 .321 -1.3 -12.3 0.8
’14 491 121 16 1 66 61 .275 .344 .457 .348 2.0 -10.1 0.7

Profile: Justin Morneau was having an absolutely monstrous year at the plate in 2010 when a concussion ended his season early. He has not been the same since. Ability to stay on the field has not been an issue — he had 570 plate appearances in 2012 and 635 in 2013 with the Twins. But the walks have dropped and his power has dropped further. Still, Morneau has value. Not only does he seem to be able to play pretty much full-time now, but he signed with the Rockies. Unless your fantasy league does park adjustments, that gives him value. He still will not be the force (even if overrated) he once was in his pre-concussion prime, and he turns 33 in May. He is not a first-tier first baseman, even in NL-only leagues, but he might be somewhere in the second tier. Hey, 20 home runs is 20 home runs. Don’t make him a priority, just don’t make the mistake of thinking he is a scrub or something because of the injuries, age, and performance relative to his prime. There’s probably something left in the tank. (Matt Klaassen)

Quick Opinion: Justin Morneau is a shadow of his former self, but he still provides value in NL-only leagues, especially now that he will call Coors his home.

Logan Morrison

Debut: 2010 |  BirthDate: 8/25/1987 | Team: Mariners | Position: 1B
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’12 334 68 11 1 36 30 .230 .308 .399 .308 -4.2 -7.9 -0.1
’13 333 71 6 0 36 32 .242 .333 .375 .312 -1.6 -13.5 -0.6
’14 518 112 16 2 64 62 .250 .342 .429 .337 7.2 -14.1 1.1

Profile: Four seasons into his career, Logan Morrison is known more for his usage of Twitter and time missed due to injury than anything he’s done on the field. That’s disappointing considering his productive first two years in the bigs, but over the last two seasons he’s hit just .236/.321/.387 with 17 homers while missing 146 games. That’s tough production to swallow from any position, but especially if he’s exclusively a first baseman — he’s losing his remaining outfield eligibility headed into 2014. (The Mariners will likely put him back in the outfield enough to gain it back, if they can stomach the awful defense.) While his line drive rate has increased, his home run per fly ball percentage has been all over the map, and he’s now a slow-footed first baseman who won’t help with batting average or power. A move to the big park in Seattle isn’t likely to help, though he is only headed into his age-26 season. (Mike Petriello)

Quick Opinion: The shine has worn off Logan Morrison, who is now a first baseman with little power and knee trouble. At just 26, he’s too young to give up on, but his fantasy relevance is quickly expiring.

Michael Morse

Debut: 2005 |  BirthDate: 3/22/1982 | Team: Giants | Position: OF
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’12 430 118 18 0 62 53 .291 .321 .470 .340 0.7 -15.0 -0.0
’13 337 67 13 0 27 34 .215 .270 .381 .286 -10.8 -15.0 -1.6
’14 605 151 25 2 86 72 .273 .326 .467 .344 13.5 -15.3 1.8

Profile: The reunion wasn’t supposed to go this way. Michael Morse, jettisoned by the Seattle Mariners for Ryan Langerhans long ago, discovered his power stroke as a member of the Washington Nationals, once crushing 31 home runs and slashing .303/.360/.550. The Mariners, in desperate need of the mythical big bat, brought him back… and he started hitting like Ryan Langerhans. Through an injury-plagued 76 games, Morse hit .226/.283/.410 with 13 home runs all while playing a particularly miserable form of outfield defense. He was then traded to the Orioles, where he made 30 plate appearances and basically did absolutely nothing. He had arthroscopic surgery on his wrist a few months later. Morse would be best used by a team in need of a designated hitter, but don’t tell the San Francisco Giants that, as they’ve committed to regular playing time in the field. Despite that, his fragility makes him a huge risk in fantasy baseball. If he could manage to stay healthy for 500 at-bats, it’s possible he’d give you 25 home runs. He’s an interesting flier in late rounds. (Michael Barr)

Quick Opinion: If Morse could stay healthy, he’d be an interesting option as a final outfielder. He clearly has power, but he’s only managed to stay off the trainers table consistently once in his career. There’s reward with this risk, but you’re probably best leaving his troubles to another manager.

Brandon Moss

Debut: 2007 |  BirthDate: 9/16/1983 | Team: Athletics | Position: 1B
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’12 296 77 21 1 52 48 .291 .358 .596 .402 20.8 -8.8 2.3
’13 505 114 30 4 87 73 .256 .337 .522 .369 18.9 -18.0 1.9
’14 444 96 21 3 62 55 .244 .320 .460 .338 7.1 -9.8 1.3

Profile: Raise your hand if you thought Brandon Moss would get MVP votes in 2013. Coming off an impressive 2012 campaign that saw him hit 21 home runs in almost an exclusive platoon versus right-handed pitchers, Moss looked like he would fulfill a similar role for the Oakland Athletics in 2013. As it stood, he was an interesting enough player in deeper leagues or AL-only formats due to his power production, but his .359 batting average on balls in play in 2012 had a lot of prognosticators expecting a letdown. He went rather bonkers in April slashing .295/.398/.477 with four home runs and 19 RBI and it was evident very early that Moss would see regular playing time. Although he didn’t maintain that pace, he finished with a .256/.337/.522 line, clubbing 30 home runs and driving in 87 runs. He still struggled mightily with left-handed pitchers and his strikeout rate remained characteristically high at 28%. But Moss represented another A’s diamond in the rough, and even at age 30, it seems like he ought to be able to come close to repeating his 2013 production. Most projection systems suggest regression in the batting average department, which given his proclivity for fly balls, is certainly possible. But if it’s home runs you seek, he should be able to break 25 again if given 500-plus plate appearances — but he might have the best use in daily leagues given the potential for the platoon. (Michael Barr)

Quick Opinion: Brandon Moss went from a trivia name involved in the Manny Ramirez and Jason Bay trade in 2008 to a player with legitimate fantasy relevancy in 2013. Even though he might be lifted against southpaws on occasion, if Moss can fall into 500 plate appearances again, he should be able to provide you with 25 or more home runs and a .250 batting average. He’s not the sexiest first base candidate, but he can check off HR, runs, and RBI fairly nicely.

Mike Moustakas

Debut: 2011 |  BirthDate: 9/11/1988 | Team: Royals | Position: 3B
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’12 614 136 20 5 73 69 .242 .296 .412 .305 -8.8 18.0 3.1
’13 514 110 12 2 42 42 .233 .287 .364 .287 -16.6 9.6 1.1
’14 470 110 15 4 58 53 .257 .313 .427 .323 -0.4 5.7 2.2

Profile: Mike Moustakas is trying to be a home run hitter. The problem is is isn’t one. About 45% of his hits are fly balls and just over 7% of them have gone for home runs over the past three seasons. A 7% home run per fly ball ratio is similar to values put up by Michael Young, Jimmy Rollins and Carl Crawford. Besides not hitting many home runs, he is fifth in the league (min 1000 plate appearances) in pop-up percentage at 18.1%. An all fly ball, no-homer hitter is bad fantasy combo leading to minimal home runs and low batting average. There isn’t a lot of room for improvement, either. His fly ball and homer distances have been 267, 279, 270 feet — all way below league average. He will still be hitting in Kauffman Stadium, which suppresses home runs. He hit four home runs for two months before the hitting coach change and eight for the four months after the change. Since he has no speed, he really is pretty much useless in fantasy baseball. Right now, I see him at best hitting .250 with 15 home runs, two stolen bases and 120 Runs+RBI. He could always hit worse, too. I would not pay over $1 or a last-round pick for him in any format. Maybe see if he somehow finds his power stroke — if not, cut bait immediately. (Jeff Zimmerman)

Quick Opinion: Mike Moustakas’ value lies in his ability to hit home runs, which he sucks at. Currently, there are better about 29 better options at his position.

Donnie Murphy

Debut: 2004 |  BirthDate: 3/10/1983 | Team: Cubs | Position: 3B
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’12 129 25 3 1 12 13 .216 .281 .379 .285 -4.2 -2.0 -0.2
’13 163 38 11 2 23 23 .255 .319 .530 .366 6.0 -3.5 0.8
’14 471 103 18 5 57 51 .241 .302 .428 .318 -1.9 -1.1 1.2

Profile: Donnie Murphy hit seven home runs in his first 58 plate appearances in 2013, and for a brief moment was the proud owner of a .472 isolated slugging percentage. And yet Barry Bonds he is not. The clock struck midnight, his glass slipper shattered, and his home run surge fell to mortal levels. The 31-year-old has flashed power in the past (a career .190 ISO, including last year’s binge) but offers little else to fantasy owners or the Cubs. With Luis Valbuena, Mike Olt, and Kris Bryant in the mix at third base this year for Chicago, it’s unlikely Murphy will be a factor without injuries or ineffectiveness above him on the depth chart. (Jack Weiland)

Quick Opinion: Despite a short-term power binge last season, Murphy remains buried on the depth chart for the lowly Cubs and is unlikely to be a fantasy factor in 2014.

David Murphy

Debut: 2006 |  BirthDate: 10/18/1981 | Team: Indians | Position: OF
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’12 521 139 15 10 61 65 .304 .380 .479 .369 18.7 1.6 3.9
’13 476 96 13 1 45 51 .220 .282 .374 .289 -16.6 4.8 0.4
’14 463 109 12 6 54 54 .266 .334 .420 .329 5.6 -2.6 2.0

Profile: After six full seasons in Texas, including a very disappointing 2013, David Murphy signed a two-year pact with the Indians over the winter, where he will presumably platoon in one of the team’s corner outfield spots. He moves to Cleveland after two final bipolar seasons in Texas. While 2012 was the best of his career (including a .369 weighted on-base average) 2013 was his worst (.289 wOBA). Much of this decrease stems from a drop in batting average on balls in play, as his mark of .227 last year is well below his career average of .302. Similarly his fine 2012 was aided by a career high .333 BABIP. The truth, as always, is probably somewhere in the middle. With bounce back potential there, Murphy could provide value. Still, Murphy will never hit much against lefties, and his value is therefore limited to his playing time. Consider him a platoon final outfielder in most leagues with deeper benches. (Jack Weiland)

Quick Opinion: A batting average on balls in play that was 70 points below his career average contributed to Murphy’s worst season ever in 2013. His playing time is limited since he can’t hit lefties, but Murphy makes a solid cheap buy for 2014, his first season in Cleveland.

J.R. Murphy

Debut: 2013 |  BirthDate: 5/13/1991 | Team: Yankees | Position: C
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 27 4 0 0 1 3 .154 .185 .192 .171 -3.2 0.8 -0.2
’14 20 4 0 0 2 2 .240 .296 .369 .294 -0.4 0.4 0.1

Profile: The young catcher got a taste of the big league life in 2013, appearing in 16 September games. He’ll spend this season catching full time at Triple-A, most likely. If something should happen to shiny new toy Brian McCann, Murphy may get the majority of playing time over the inept Francisco Cervelli. If he did, he has the potential to show league-average strikeout, walk and power rates from the catcher position. That still won’t make him mixed-league relevant, considering what true league average outcomes look like these days (.253/.318/.396). (Erik Hahmann)

Quick Opinion: When you have the *upside* to be league average, you don’t really have much fantasy upside. Oh, and Brian McCann is the guy in front of him.

Daniel Murphy

Debut: 2008 |  BirthDate: 4/1/1985 | Team: Mets | Position: 2B
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’12 612 166 6 10 65 62 .291 .332 .403 .318 2.3 -9.5 1.3
’13 697 188 13 23 78 92 .286 .319 .415 .320 11.0 -4.4 3.0
’14 576 150 9 11 56 65 .280 .323 .408 .319 3.9 -1.0 2.2

Profile: As an equation, production can be represented as talent plus opportunity. Murphy is a slightly above average major league hitter who saw several factors combine to maximize his talent, from a production and fantasy value point of view, in 2013. He plays everyday, is a contact-based free swinger, was thrust into the middle of a batting order, and earns position value as second baseman, despite not being a particularly good one. The real surprise last year was Murphy more than doubling his career high steal total, by swiping 23 at a stellar rate of success. The Mets were shopping Murphy this offseason, but it’s beginning to look more likely that he stays put, which could actually be good for him as a number of those circumstantial advantages should remain in 2014. Murphy is a borderline top-10 fantasy second baseman and a luxury as a middle infielder, despite being not nearly that good in real life. (Derek Ambrosino)

Quick Opinion: The stars aligned for Daniel Murphy last year as health, tons of at bats, and other injuries thrust him into a starring role in the Mets order and enabled him to barely miss a game. Murphy’s owners were also treated to a burst of speed beyond their expectations. His makeup as a player leads him to be a better fantasy asset than real player; he’s a borderline top-10 second baseman for 2014.

Wil Myers

Debut: 2013 |  BirthDate: 12/10/1990 | Team: Rays | Position: OF
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 373 98 13 5 53 50 .293 .354 .478 .357 13.5 -3.1 2.4
’14 625 147 24 8 83 77 .264 .334 .453 .341 14.3 -6.3 3.1

Profile: He entered the season as one of the most lauded hitting prospects in the league, and in his 88 games in the majors, Wil Myers did not disappoint. The 2013 Rookie of the Year bashed 13 homers and a .293/.354/.478 slash, but was buoyed by a surprising .362 batting average on balls in play. Yeah, Myers hits the ball hard — even when it’s on the ground — but a .362 BABIP seems pretty inconsistent with his foot speed and minor league history. Expect the BABIP — and thus the batting average — to ease downward in 2014, but don’t expect much of a slugging or homer decrease. Myers can turn all manners of pitches into ICBMs. Expect his batting average to drop into the .250s neighborhood based on his historical BABIPs and his strikeout rate, but also don’t doubt his ability to crush 30+ homers. Moreover, he’ll be but 23 years of age in 2014, making him a great keeper candidate. (@BradleyWoodrum)

Quick Opinion: Myers appears to be a legitimate, powerful right fielder — despite being four years younger than the average physical peak. At just 23 years old, Myers looks every bit like a franchise building block in a keeper league. He has 30+ HR power, but don’t expect his batting average to stray too far above .250.

Hiroyuki Nakajima

Debut: 2013 |  BirthDate: 7/31/1982 | Position: SS
’14 1 0 0 0 0 0 .266 .318 .356 .299 -0.0 0.0 0.0

Profile: The former gold glove shortstop in Japan looked out of place in the field and overwhelmed at the plate during Spring Training. When he hit the bench with an injury, the Athletics decided to move on without him on the 25-man roster. When he struggled to play well in the minors, the A’s decided to move on without him on the 40-man roster. Despite weighted offense that was 15% *worse* than league average in Triple-A, Nakajima projects to hit close to league average in the majors. That would be great for a catcher or shortstop, less so for a third or second baseman. The Athletics aren’t content to give up on Nakajima just yet, but his odds of landing a starting job are now more limited than ever. Oakland manger Bob Melvin has said he plans to use Nakajima as a utility player, and inconsistent playing time will only decrease his odds of hitting well in the majors. Watch Nakajima in case he can recapture his defensive acumen, but don’t expect much playing time unless the Oakland infield suffers a spate of severe injuries. (@BradleyWoodrum)

Quick Opinion: The Japanese gold glove infielder has only utility man hopes on the Athletics roster. His hitting may never push him into the starting lineup, but injuries might give him a chance to contribute to the most needy of fantasy infields.

Mike Napoli

Debut: 2006 |  BirthDate: 10/31/1981 | Team: Red Sox | Position: 1B
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’12 417 80 24 1 56 53 .227 .343 .469 .349 7.2 -1.3 2.0
’13 578 129 23 1 92 79 .259 .360 .482 .367 17.6 -0.6 3.9
’14 472 99 20 2 64 61 .245 .347 .460 .351 9.2 -6.2 2.0

Profile: After some back-and-forth in the offseason regarding a latent hip injury, Mike Napoli’s first season in Boston was a fairly successful one. The slugger carried over his catcher eligibility to finish among the top-five options at the position in 2013. Napoli saw both his walk and strikeout rates go the wrong the way, but just slightly, so there’s no reason to sound the panic alarms of age-regression yet. Helping offset that, his batted ball distance jumped off 2012 lows and his line drive rate held steady at an impressive 24%. That’s good news for his batting average on balls in play holding well north of .300, helping save some owners from his ugly whiff rate. While many expected him to post huge numbers at Fenway, he was surprisingly park-independent, although a return to Boston in 2014-2015 was probably the best news his owners could get this offseason. Unfortunately, his catcher eligibility will expire in 2014. No longer a top-five option in the catcher slot, his draft stock will plummet, although through no fault of his own. He still remains worthy of a first base or corner infield slot, but he’s somewhat less exciting of a value play there. Also, while it sounds like his hip issues are under control, those in dynasty leagues would be smart to take his career one year at a time going forward.(Colin Zarzycki)

Quick Opinion: With Mike Napoli’s days of donning the “tools of ignorance” behind him, his fantasy value will take a big hit in 2014. He’s still worth snagging as a first baseman, but you’ll need to wait much later if you want to scoop him up at good value.

Daniel Nava

Debut: 2010 |  BirthDate: 2/22/1983 | Team: Red Sox | Position: OF
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’12 317 65 6 3 33 38 .243 .352 .390 .330 2.1 -3.0 1.0
’13 536 139 12 0 66 77 .303 .385 .445 .366 17.6 -18.4 1.8
’14 487 114 10 3 51 59 .270 .356 .410 .339 5.5 -10.4 1.2

Profile: Daniel Nava’s underdog story continued in 2013, as the former team equipment manager at Santa Clara University triple-slashed his way to a .303/.385/.445 line while gobbling up starts at all three outfield positions. The Red Sox have never seemed to consider him more than a fourth outfielder, but he has still proved useful in fantasy for certain stretches of time. Perhaps Nava’s most significant contribution comes in on-base percentage leagues, where his .385 mark this past year dwarfed the .320 American League average. He has his warts (he is essentially replacement level from the right side of the dish) but with the Red Sox letting Jacoby Ellsbury walk and passing on Shin-Soo Choo, he figures to share time with Shane Victorino, Jonny Gomes, and Jackie Bradley, Jr. in Boston’s 2014 outfield. Assuming they don’t pick up a big name before spring training, he’s a sneaky late-round snag in OBP leagues and will be a nice plug-and-play option in daily leagues. (Colin Zarzycki)

Quick Opinion: Nava may not be starting-caliber in most fantasy leagues, but he can still be a useful piece if used correctly. With Ellsbury gone and no one else signed to push him off the Sox roster, his above-average walk rate and solid numbers versus righties should keep him in the lineup most days. You could do worse in the late rounds of deeper formats.

Dioner Navarro

Debut: 2004 |  BirthDate: 2/9/1984 | Team: Blue Jays | Position: C
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’12 73 20 2 0 12 6 .290 .306 .449 .317 -0.7 1.4 0.3
’13 266 72 13 0 34 31 .300 .365 .492 .374 5.6 2.5 1.7
’14 365 83 10 2 42 41 .253 .321 .398 .316 -3.5 5.9 1.6

Profile: With a new two-year deal from Toronto, Navarro moves on to his seventh team in 10 years, but has more intriguing potential now than he has at any other point in his big league career. As he’s gotten older, his plate discipline has continued to improve with better walk and strikeout rates, but 2013 also saw a significant increase of power as he belted 13 home runs in just 266 plate appearances for a career-best .192 isolated slugging percentage. Though that power seemed to come from nowhere, he has actually been improving his power peripherals for three years running. Now, with a move to hitter-friendly Toronto and an apparent starting job, there’s reason to believe that he can continue to hit for power and be a decent low to mid-level option behind the plate, depending on how much or how little you want to invest at the position. (Howard Bender)

Quick Opinion: A move to hitter-friendly Toronto and a starting job for the Jays gives hope that Navarro can continue to hit for the power he displayed during his 2013 breakthrough season. Surprising? Yes. But the handwriting was certainly on the wall; enough to believe that 2013 wasn’t a complete fluke. Look for him in the later rounds as many will still overlook him in drafts.

Efren Navarro

Debut: 2011 |  BirthDate: 5/14/1986 | Team: Angels | Position: 1B
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 6 1 0 1 1 0 .250 .500 .250 .378 0.5 -0.9 -0.0
’14 1 0 0 0 0 0 .262 .317 .370 .304 -0.0 -0.0 0.0

Profile: Efren Navarro may be one of the Angels’ top prospects; unfortunately, that doesn’t say much, due to the extreme weakness of their farm system. A first baseman who projects to put up weighted offense under 100 in the majors is definitely not an enticing fantasy pick. He just doesn’t have the power that’s usually commensurate with the position and it’s unclear if his other skills will be plentiful enough to overcome that short-coming. That said, to Navarro’s credit, he made massive strides in his Triple-A walk rate in 2013. The doorway to significant time in the majors is undoubtedly blocked by one Albert Pujols, and perhaps C.J. Cron behind him, but you never know what will become of Pujols’ supposedly healed foot. (Steve Staude)

Quick Opinion: Don’t expect Navarro to get enough playing time for him to matter in fantasy ball anytime soon. Or maybe ever.

Yamaico Navarro

Debut: 2010 |  BirthDate: 10/31/1987 | Position: 2B
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’12 56 8 1 0 4 4 .160 .232 .220 .209 -5.6 0.1 -0.4
’13 31 8 0 0 2 3 .286 .333 .357 .307 -0.8 -0.7 -0.0
’14 1 0 0 0 0 0 .242 .312 .382 .307 -0.0 0.0 0.0

Profile: The New York Yankees signed Yamaico Navarro to a minor league deal with a spring training invite this winter, a prudent move that shores up their infield depth. Primarily a shortstop and third baseman but capable of playing just about anywhere, Navarro has a strong minor league track record in terms of both discipline and power, slashing .269/.355/.442 with 28 home runs over the past three partial seasons at Triple-A. And not for nothing, but Navarro has been killing it in the Caribbean Winter League. That doesn’t change the fact that he’s posted a weighted offenese that has been 61% worse than league average in 199 major league plate appearances, but it’s intriguing nonetheless. There’s not a clear spot on the 25-man roster for Navarro, but an injury to any number of Yankees could open the door for the 26-year old to prove he can bring near league-average offense in a super-utility role. (Blake Murphy)

Quick Opinion: Yamaico Navarro hasn’t shown it in the majors yet, but he possesses a decent bat with appreciable discipline and can play all around the diamond. It’s not difficult to see a Yankee infielder getting hurt and opening up playing time for Navarro to prove it.

Chris Nelson

Debut: 2010 |  BirthDate: 9/3/1985 | Position: 3B
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’12 377 104 9 2 53 45 .301 .352 .458 .348 1.8 -17.0 -0.3
’13 227 48 3 2 24 19 .227 .273 .327 .266 -11.6 -2.4 -0.7
’14 1 0 0 0 0 0 .250 .298 .387 .300 -0.0 0.0 0.0

Profile: No major league club is excited about bringing Chris Nelson into the fold, so clearly you shouldn’t be either. Nelson has never done much that wasn’t batted-ball-luck related, so there’s a reason teams aren’t interested. (Zach Sanders)

Kirk Nieuwenhuis

Debut: 2012 |  BirthDate: 8/7/1987 | Team: Mets | Position: OF
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’12 314 71 7 4 28 40 .252 .315 .376 .305 -1.2 -3.3 0.6
’13 108 18 3 2 14 10 .189 .278 .337 .272 -2.0 3.0 0.5
’14 34 7 1 1 3 3 .231 .301 .378 .300 -0.3 0.2 0.1

Profile: Nieuwenhuis got off to a hot start when he hit the scene in 2012 but then finished poorly. His challenges at the plate continued in 2013 until he was optioned to Triple-A in late July. While in the bigs, the absence of prototypical top of the order hitters for the Mets resulted in Nieuwenhuis has starting in the lead off slot 34 times and hitting second 14 more through the first 138 games and two seasons of his career. He’s hit 10 homers in 422 plate appearances, so he does have some power. In a full season, Nieuwenhuis could limp toward roster-ability in standard 12-team mixed leagues, especially if he spent a chunk of time toward the top of the order. The problem is, it doesn’t appear as if he will get that opportunity with the Mets. Nieuwenhuis has definite contact-rate problems, which contribute to limit his ceiling even with regular playing time. It seems unlikely he’ll be relevant in just about any format unless he finds his way to a team that will give him regular playing time and not hit him eighth. (Derek Ambrosino)

Quick Opinion: While Nieuwenhuis did flirt with mixed league relevance when he debuted in 2012, he’s struggled since, ultimately leading to a demotion to Triple-A in late July of last season. He has notorious problems making contact, limited potential, and would need either a great spring or a change of situation to be in-line for enough playing time to make him relevant even in NL-only leagues.

Wil Nieves

Debut: 2002 |  BirthDate: 9/25/1977 | Team: Phillies | Position: C
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’12 89 25 2 0 8 7 .301 .330 .410 .313 -3.1 -0.5 -0.1
’13 206 58 1 0 22 16 .297 .320 .369 .303 -5.2 -1.5 -0.1
’14 130 30 2 1 12 11 .248 .288 .346 .278 -4.7 2.4 0.2

Profile: As a 36-year old journeyman catcher, Nieves provided a bit of helpful depth for the Diamondbacks in 2013, but did very little for fantasy owners. He hit for a decent average (.297 over 206 plate appearances) but doesn’t possess much in the way of power and he doesn’t play often enough to have much relevance unless your catcher suffers a serious injury and you play in an extremely deep league. He signed a one-year deal in the offseason to back up Carlos Ruiz in Philadelphia in 2014 and even though Ruiz is no spring chicken and has a nagging case of plantar fasciitis, Nieves’ value doesn’t really change. His playing time will be determined by Ruiz’ health, so while there’s a chance that he’ll see a bit more work this season, it’s not something on which you can rely. (Howard Bender)

Quick Opinion: The 36-year old Nieves signed a one-year deal to back-up Carlos Ruiz in Philadelphia for the 2014 season. He’s a light-hitting journeyman with very little fantasy upside, but could see a bit of extra work this year should some of Ruiz’ chronic injury issues resurface. He’s nothing more than waiver wire material, at best.

Laynce Nix

Debut: 2003 |  BirthDate: 10/30/1980 | Position: OF
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’12 127 28 3 0 16 13 .246 .315 .412 .317 -0.5 0.9 0.5
’13 136 23 2 1 7 11 .180 .228 .258 .213 -10.7 -0.2 -0.7
’14 196 40 5 2 21 20 .230 .295 .383 .296 -3.5 -1.8 0.1

Profile: In a career of over 2000 plate appearances, the fact that Nix has under 300 PA against lefties speaks profoundly about his manager’s expectations. And so far, no manager has expected Laynce Nix to succeed against a lefty. That’s the first knock against him. Platoon players aren’t terribly useful, but what about aging ones who can’t find playing time in the outfield with the worst wins above replacement total in 2013? Expect very little from Laynce Nix if he manages to reach the majors again in 2014. (@BradleyWoodrum)

Quick Opinion: Don’t expect even a major league roster spot for Nix in 2014. The 33-year-old outfielder will likely have to prove himself in the minors before getting fourth outfielder consideration, much less fantasy value.

Jayson Nix

Debut: 2008 |  BirthDate: 8/26/1982 | Position: 3B/SS
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’12 202 43 4 6 18 24 .243 .306 .384 .304 -4.0 -0.1 0.3
’13 303 63 3 13 24 32 .236 .308 .311 .279 -7.9 4.7 0.7
’14 1 0 0 0 0 0 .220 .284 .342 .278 -0.0 0.0 0.0

Profile: Nix was forced into action more than the Yankees would have liked in 2013 thanks to the Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez injuries. He responded by doing what he always does, hitting poorly and playing iffy defense. Now he’ll get to do that in Tampa Bay, maybe. The stable of light-hitting infielders that can play multiple positions is fairly crowded in that city. (Erik Hahmann)

Quick Opinion: Signed to a minor league deal by Tampa Bay, Nix can play multiple infield positions and doesn’t totally embarrass himself at the plate. He’ll be insurance at Triple-A if Sean Rodriguez or Logan Forsythe goes down for an extended period.

Nick Noonan

Debut: 2013 |  BirthDate: 5/4/1989 | Team: Giants | Position: 2B/3B
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 111 23 0 0 5 12 .219 .261 .238 .215 -7.6 1.7 -0.3
’14 54 12 0 1 5 5 .250 .302 .339 .283 -1.1 -1.4 -0.1

Profile: As of this writing, the last line of Nick Noonan’s Wikipedia page: “He nearly had a home run on June 14, 2013, but after review it was declared a double.” Rarely has so much been said with so few words. (Patrick Dubuque)

Derek Norris

Debut: 2012 |  BirthDate: 2/14/1989 | Team: Athletics | Position: C
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’12 232 42 7 5 34 19 .201 .276 .349 .275 -6.7 3.1 0.4
’13 308 65 9 5 30 41 .246 .345 .409 .335 5.5 3.2 2.0
’14 350 70 11 5 40 41 .232 .323 .402 .321 1.5 6.2 2.1

Profile: Derek Norris was part of a three-headed-monster catching rotation for the Oakland Athletics, featuring Stephen Vogt and John Jaso. Norris destroyed left-handed pitchers in 2013, producing a .320/.410/.580 slash line, but he struggles mightily versus right-handed pitchers, hitting just .149/.261/.184 over 114 plate appearances in 2013. For this reason, Norris takes a significant value hit in fantasy circles since it’s difficult to manage a player based on who is on the hill each day. Norris is definitely the “catcher of the future” for the A’s but he’s likely going to continue to platoon in 2014, and even when he does find a regular role, he’s got work to do versus righties. A certain stash in dynasty leagues, but he doesn’t hold a ton of value as a catcher in standard roto formats. (Michael Barr)

Quick Opinion: At just 24 years of age, a catcher with power and a strong on base percentage is unquestionably the catcher of the future for the Oakland Athletics. But with John Jaso still around and his dramatic platoon splits, Derek Norris is likely to find himself fighting for 300 plate appearances in 2014.

Eduardo Nunez

Debut: 2010 |  BirthDate: 6/15/1987 | Team: Yankees | Position: SS
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’12 100 26 1 11 11 14 .292 .330 .393 .312 2.0 -0.9 0.4
’13 336 79 3 10 28 38 .260 .307 .372 .298 -6.1 -18.0 -1.4
’14 165 39 2 6 15 17 .257 .307 .363 .296 -3.3 -1.4 0.1

Profile: 27-year-old utility infielder Eduardo Nunez appeared in 90 games for the Yankees in 2013, most of which came during Derek Jeter’s time on the disabled list. He put forth a fair effort in 336 appearances at the plate, but for fantasy purposes, his contributions were still subpar. With Jeter presumably back to full strength and the additions of Kelly Johnson and Brendan Ryan to the Bombers’ roster, Nunez could struggle to make the team and therefore have little fantasy relevance this season. (Alan Harrison)

Miguel Olivo

Debut: 2002 |  BirthDate: 7/15/1978 | Position: C
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’12 323 70 12 3 29 27 .222 .239 .381 .267 -14.4 4.6 0.1
’13 80 15 4 0 9 5 .203 .250 .392 .280 -3.0 0.0 -0.1
’14 1 0 0 0 0 0 .225 .265 .386 .283 -0.0 0.0 0.0

Profile: Olivo elected free agency in early July after being designated for assignment from the Marlins, and never resurfaced. It’s probably fair to say he may not again, as he hit just .203/.250/.392 while fanning in nearly 30% of his plate appearances with the Fish in 2013. Jeff Sullivan’s recent research pegs Olivo as one of the very worst pitch framers among free agent catchers as well, leaving teams unlikely to come calling for him as a defensive specialist. If it is the end of the line for Olivo, it’s at least worth noting that he hit double-digit homers for seven straight seasons. That alone should give J.P. Arencibia some hope. (Brandon Warne)

Quick Opinion: Olivo is 35, can’t hit, and isn’t a particularly good defensive catcher. Fantasy or real-life, just stay away.

Mike Olt

Debut: 2012 |  BirthDate: 8/27/1988 | Team: Cubs | Position: 1B/3B
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’12 40 5 0 1 5 2 .152 .250 .182 .206 -4.1 -2.2 -0.5
’14 226 43 7 2 24 23 .217 .301 .379 .301 -3.8 0.9 0.4

Profile: Olt’s 2013 was a washout due to concussion and vision problems. He’s a sneaky good post-hype sleeper going forward. Olt has too much swing and miss in his game to project as a high batting average hitter, but he gets on base and will hit for plenty of power. Where Olt fits on the Cubs isn’t clear. Second overall pick Kris Bryant was drafted as a third baseman, but could be forced off the hot corner by the time he reaches the majors. His defense at the posiiton hasn’t impressed. Incumbent third baseman Luis Valbuena has been decent with the glove but is far from an overwhelming option, particularly with the bat. Olt has a lot of risk in terms of health, performance and playing time for 2014, but he’s a good player and could outperform expectations if he gets a chance. (Al Skorupa)

Quick Opinion: Olt is coming off a lost 2013 season dogged by concussion, vision and performance problems. Now with the Cubs, he may get a chance to show what he can do but he remains a considerable risk.

Pete Orr

Debut: 2005 |  BirthDate: 6/8/1979 | Position: 3B/OF
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’12 57 17 0 3 7 6 .315 .327 .444 .333 -0.0 -0.5 0.1
’13 22 4 0 0 0 1 .200 .273 .200 .224 -2.0 -0.5 -0.2
’14 1 0 0 0 0 0 .238 .278 .339 .271 -0.0 0.0 -0.0

Profile: Batten down your hatches, ladies and gentlemen, Pete Orr is a free agent! If Willie Freaking Bloomquist is still getting multi-year, multi-million dollar contracts in his mid-thirties, why not Pete Orr. I suppose the comparison of Orr with the Bloomquist Phenomenon is a bit overdrawn — Bloomquist has been a major leaguer (at least nominally) for years, and used to steal some bases, whereas Orr (who will turn 35 in June) has spent most of his adulthood bouncing between the majors and minors for various National League East teams. Orr does not walk, make decent contact, or hit for power. He does not currently have a team. Need I say more? (Matt Klaassen)

Quick Opinion: Unless you have done a study predicting an age-35 peak for journeymen utility infielders with no average skills, you can probably forget about Pete Orr.

David Ortiz

Debut: 1997 |  BirthDate: 11/18/1975 | Team: Red Sox | Position: DH
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’12 383 103 23 0 60 65 .318 .415 .611 .425 24.4 -9.6 2.9
’13 600 160 30 4 103 84 .309 .395 .564 .400 30.9 -15.5 3.8
’14 562 138 24 2 85 79 .285 .378 .510 .376 18.0 -14.4 2.4

Profile: Ortiz continued to turn back the clock (or at least keep it from moving forward) in 2013, swatting 30 homers while driving in over 100 runs for the first time since 2010. His three-year running weighted offense numbers now only trail Miguel Cabrera and Mike Trout among American League sluggers. Not bad company for the soon-to-be 38-year-old to be in. He has continued to maintain gains in strikeout rate that he first picked up in 2011, and that, coupled with a consistent 12-15% walk rate has kept his on-base percentage up near the .400 mark. Certainly a nice present for those in roto leagues that have swapped out batting average. This late in his career, regression is always a major concern, but Ortiz should still be a nice gamble after the first 60-70 picks come off the board, especially since his batting eye should cushion his inevitable slide (whether that comes next year or in 2018). One note, even with the new interleague rules, Ortiz only started six games at first base. Unless you play in a league with lax eligibility rules, Boston’s DH will once again be UTIL-only to start 2014. (Colin Zarzycki)

Quick Opinion: Father Time was turned away again in 2013 for David Ortiz. While age will continue to be a concern going forward, his excellent walk and strikeout rates should help cushion his inevitable power fall, making him a decent utility guy if he falls out of the first four or five rounds in standard mixed leagues.

Lyle Overbay

Debut: 2001 |  BirthDate: 1/28/1977 | Position: 1B
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’12 131 30 2 0 10 12 .259 .331 .397 .314 -4.1 -1.0 -0.1
’13 485 107 14 2 59 43 .240 .295 .393 .303 -9.2 -7.2 -0.0
’14 20 4 1 0 2 2 .231 .301 .379 .300 -0.4 -0.3 -0.0

Profile: Forced into action without a platoon partner for most of 2013, Overbay was exposed by southpaws. He still has a capable bat against right-handers (.746 OPS in 2013), which is why the Brewers extended a spring training invite to the 37-year-old first baseman. His best days are clearly behind him but there’s enough talent there that he may end up being a useful piece to Milwaukee. Your fantasy league will have to be really deep to want to use a part-time platoon first baseman, though. (Erik Hahmann)

Quick Opinion: If he somehow gets regular playing time and is used correctly, he wouldn’t be a poor play in league-specific formats with deep benches.

Chris Owings

Debut: 2013 |  BirthDate: 8/12/1991 | Team: Diamondbacks | Position: SS
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 61 16 0 2 5 5 .291 .361 .382 .326 0.3 1.2 0.4
’14 150 38 3 4 16 14 .270 .300 .398 .304 -2.3 1.7 0.4

Profile: The Diamondbacks debuted two impressive young shortstop prospects in 2013 in Didi Gregorius and Owings. The former is the stronger defender but Owings projects to provide a better offensive attack, although he needs to be more patient to take full advantage of his skills. The South Carolina native has always hit for average in the minors and his above-average bat speed allows him to generate solid power and he could be good for 30+ doubles and 15+ home runs in his prime. He’s not a burner on the base paths but he’s a solid base runner and capable of piling up double-digit stolen bases. Owings isn’t projected to open the 2014 in the majors but he’d serve as excellent depth in Triple-A. An injury to incumbent second baseman Aaron Hill or an extended slump by Gregorius could open up a job for the former 41st overall draft pick (2009). His general manager has hinted that he may get a shot at the shortstop job in the spring, so watch closely. (Marc Hulet)

Quick Opinion: Despite hitting .330 in Triple-A in 2013, Owings is not assured of an opening day assignment in Arizona. If he gets his chance, though, expect him to hit for a solid average with decent pop at either second base or shortstop.

Marcell Ozuna

Debut: 2013 |  BirthDate: 11/12/1990 | Team: Marlins | Position: OF
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 291 73 3 5 32 31 .265 .303 .389 .304 -1.9 8.4 1.6
’14 574 132 16 8 66 57 .249 .296 .405 .306 -5.3 5.8 1.9

Profile: After slugging 20 or more home runs in three straight seasons between 2010 and ’12, Ozuna managed just eight between the minors and the majors (84 games). The young outfielder’s aggressiveness got the better of him in The Show and he’ll have to become more selective to receive better pitches to drive. He’ll likely battle Brian Bogusevic and Jimmy Paredes for the starting left-field gig in spring training. He might not be a relevant fantasy contributor in 2014 mixed leagues but his ceiling is much higher than his competition. Ozuna could eventually hit .250-.270 with 20+ home runs and 70+ RBI. And a team that’s building for tomorrow might just give him the job and let him run with it. (Marc Hulet)

Quick Opinion: Ozuna isn’t a player you want to target for fantasy baseball unless you’re in a keeper league looking for a future source of power. He has an outside shot at receiving an opening day assignment to the big league club but he has enough rough edges to warrant cynicism over his ability to help a fantasy baseball club in 2014.





 

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