2015 Batter Profiles: M – O

by
February 9, 2015

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
’13 710 189 14 6 71 88 .283 .314 .432 .325 1.1 33.6 6.3
’14 354 91 12 2 32 38 .278 .324 .431 .332 3.5 7.8 2.5
’15 610 152 18 6 69 76 .271 .319 .436 .332 7.1 19.7 5.1

Profile: For a while, it appeared Manny Machado might not be ready to hit at the big league level. His two years of full time play at the big league level featured long periods of terrible slumps book-ended by moments of inspiration. Still just 22 years old, Machado’s numbers were trending in the right direction before injury cut his 2014 season short. He might not walk enough to keep some folks happy, but Machado produces with what appears to be an Orioles model for success: high contact, low walk, high average and power to the gaps. Like Adam Jones and Nick Markakis, in other words. His age and still-developing body, coupled with what appears to be a full-time move to third base (thank you J.J. Hardy!), make it easy to be bullish on Machado’s ability to show off a little more power in 2015. With Machado, it’s all about value. His numbers over the last two years put him on a third base tier with Martin Prado, Chris Johnson, and Trevor Plouffe. But with youth on his side, Machado is capable of delivering much more than that group’s middling results. Staying on the field is the biggest hurdle for Machado to clear before he becomes one of the best third baseman in baseball. (Drew Fairservice)

Quick Opinion: Another season cut short by injury and spurts of great offense make Manny Machado a high risk, high reward player for 2015.

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
’13 202 31 4 0 22 13 .169 .236 .284 .234 -14.0 4.1 -0.4
’14 126 26 4 0 16 14 .234 .320 .387 .316 -0.6 3.8 0.8
’15 182 36 5 1 18 17 .219 .283 .351 .283 -5.4 4.0 0.4

Profile: For the fourth straight season, Maldonado will serve as Jonathan Lucroy’s backup. The 28-year-old Maldonado is a career .225/.291/.360 hitter in the majors, after hitting .236/.313/.333 in the nine years he spent in the minors. (Scott Strandberg)

Quick Opinion: He’s the backup to one of the best catchers in baseball, and he’s not exactly known for his offense. No need to consider him in any format.

Jake Marisnick

Debut: 2013 |  BirthDate: 3/30/1991 | Team: Astros | 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
’14 237 55 3 11 19 21 .249 .281 .326 .265 -7.9 7.4 0.8
’15 547 118 12 19 53 54 .234 .280 .360 .283 -11.9 2.6 0.9

Profile: Once a solid prospect, Jake Marisnick has now played for three organizations: Toronto, Miami and now Houston. He’s similar to Colby Rasmus at the same age — a strong defensive player who flashes tons of potential with the bat but struggles to put it together. He has an overly aggressive approach at the plate, which has led to a walk minus strikeout total of 14-94 in 105 games. At 6-4, 225 pounds, he’s an impressive athlete and potential power hitter but he’s managed just 15 extra base hits at the big league level (75 total hits). Marisnick will turn 24 at the end of spring training but there is no guarantee he’ll even break camp with the Astros since he has George Springer, Dexter Fowler, and potentially Robbie Grossman ahead of him on the depth chart. Questions about his bat have persisted since his prep days so it will be interesting to see if Houston can finally unlock the potential within this talented but raw hitter. Ignore him during your fantasy draft, in most if not all formats, but monitor his situation as the year progresses. (Marc Hulet)

Quick Opinion: Marisnick’s great skill right now is his outfield defense, which isn’t going to help fantasy managers. He’s still young and has potential but also a lot of questions marks both about his bat and about what sort of playing time he’ll receive at the big league level in 2015.

Nick Markakis

Debut: 2006 |  BirthDate: 11/17/1983 | Team: Braves | Position: OF
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 700 172 10 1 59 89 .271 .329 .356 .304 -9.3 -14.1 -0.0
’14 710 177 14 4 50 81 .276 .342 .386 .325 2.1 -2.5 2.5
’15 649 154 12 4 55 70 .266 .333 .379 .317 0.2 -9.7 1.1

Profile: Markakis saw a little bit of his power return in 2014, hitting 14 home runs, but other than that it was more of the same. At this point, he seems like one of the most reliable players in fantasy baseball, in the sense that he is reliably going to give you mediocre production while not bottoming out, yet not allowing you to hope for more. He’s another year older, coming off neck surgery, and as we’ve learned, power doesn’t age well, neither does speed, which Markakis hasn’t shown much of since 2011. Expect more of the same: tons of grounders, somewhere near a .270 batting average, and 80-ish runs. (Landon Jones)

Quick Opinion: Markakis is the same as he ever was, only with more risk. He can help, but he isn’t someone to build your team around, and is likely easily replaceable in most leagues.

Andy Marte

Debut: 2005 |  BirthDate: 10/21/1983 | Position: 3B
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’14 16 3 1 0 3 1 .188 .188 .375 .245 -0.9 -1.4 -0.2
’15 1 0 0 0 0 0 .251 .299 .396 .305 -0.0 -0.0 0.0

Profile: Andy Marte’s inclusion in the 2015 FG+ profiles is proof that Eno Sarris is committed to covering every player that could conceivably receive an at-bat at the big league level in the coming year. This former top prospect washed out years ago and was last seen in The Show in 2010 — at least until 2014 when he re-appeared with the Diamondbacks for six games. His rebirth didn’t exactly go as hoped and the now-31-year-old infielder is just looking to hang on at the Triple-A level. His inability to handle anything but the fastball has been his downfall. (Marc Hulet)

Quick Opinion: It’s hard to fathom a reality where Marte becomes fantasy relevant in 2015. He was last relevant to big league clubs in and around 2008. If you’re a fan of Triple-A baseball, though, he might be your cup of tea.

Alfredo Marte

Debut: 2013 |  BirthDate: 3/31/1989 | 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
’14 114 18 2 1 9 8 .170 .221 .292 .231 -8.0 -2.2 -0.8
’15 1 0 0 0 0 0 .229 .285 .365 .289 -0.0 -0.0 -0.0

Profile: Marte was acquired on waivers from the Diamondbacks in October. The 25-year-old is not on the 40-man, and he’ll be a non-roster invitee at Spring Training with the Angels. Even if he stumbles his way into major-league playing time, his .174/.236/.282 slash in 162 big-league plate appearances inspires very little confidence. (Scott Strandberg)

Quick Opinion: If Alfredo Marte ends up on any fantasy rosters in 2015, it will be because an owner mistook him for Starling Marte.

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
’13 566 143 12 41 35 83 .280 .343 .441 .344 20.9 4.9 4.6
’14 545 144 13 30 56 73 .291 .356 .453 .358 25.3 -4.5 4.1
’15 592 147 14 29 59 73 .274 .331 .430 .335 12.5 0.3 3.3

Profile: Marte followed up his 2013 fantasy breakout with another strong showing, even bumping up his walk rate to a less intolerable level. He still strikes out far too much for a hitter who merely has above average power. Those strikeouts have led to a major reliance on batting average on balls in play to contribute a positive batting average, which increases the risk that he falls apart. While he does possess the batted ball distribution profile of a high BABIP guy, it’s extremely difficult to sustain marks above .360. His power upside is intriguing, as he finished 13th in baseball in average home run and fly ball distance. But PNC Park is death for right-handed home runs, which explains his stark home/away home run per fly ball rate splits, with an away rate 3.5% higher than at home. Given his apparent power ceiling and chances of enjoying a stolen base rebound, there is lots of upside here, with downside coming in the form of his batting average. (Mike Podhorzer)

Quick Opinion: Marte’s exciting combination of power and speed gives him a high floor, while his strong batted ball distance and the possibility of a stolen base rebound point to further fantasy upside. There’s lots of variance here given his reliance on a high BABIP, but he should remain a top outfield option.

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
’13 508 119 8 36 49 66 .260 .312 .385 .308 -1.5 10.2 2.8
’14 583 146 7 31 40 68 .274 .325 .364 .306 -0.3 13.3 3.5
’15 575 138 10 28 56 66 .264 .318 .387 .312 -2.4 5.1 2.3

Profile: In his follow-up to his full-season debut back in 2013, Martin posted nearly identical stats, albeit over an additional 75 plate appearances. He showed minor growth in his walk and strikeout rates, but swung and missed at the same clip and his power took a step backward. Unfortunately, there is little hope for a power surge, as his batted ball distance ranked just 266th out of 297 qualified hitters. There are two other primary issues curbing his fantasy value — his lineup spot and issues versus southpaws. A healthy Shin-Soo Choo ensures that Martin remains at the bottom of the order, reducing his times to the plate and counting stats. His issues versus left-handed pitchers suggests that a platoon role could be in his future. He owns just a .260 weighted on base average against them over his short career, thanks to a complete lack of power and inability to take a walk. There’s seemingly little upside here, but similar results would still earn him value in shallow leagues. (Mike Podhorzer)

Quick Opinion: Martin has a bit of power and good speed, which should continue to earn him decent fantasy value. However, a spot at the bottom of the batting order and problems hitting left-handed pitchers limit his fantasy upside.

Russell Martin

Debut: 2006 |  BirthDate: 2/15/1983 | Team: Blue Jays | Position: C
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 506 99 15 9 55 51 .226 .327 .377 .315 0.3 22.7 4.1
’14 460 110 11 4 67 45 .290 .402 .430 .370 19.4 14.9 5.3
’15 506 104 16 6 59 61 .241 .340 .405 .333 5.2 13.1 3.8

Profile: A career high batting average on balls in play and his always strong defense led to his best season since 2007 from a wins above replacement perspective. The Blue Jays rewarded him by signing him to a five-year contract, figuring that even if his offense declines, his defense will continue to provide a whole lot of value. The ball park switch is a good one, as he goes from the worst home run park in baseball for right-handers to the fourth-best. That’s quite the swing. The Rogers Centre also inflates overall run scoring, while PNC Park deflates offense. Martin will also be joining a strong offense, and is expected to fill the two hole in the lineup, in front of one of the best-3-4-5 combinations in baseball. Both his homer and runs scored totals should rise, though those increases will be offset by a decline in BABIP and resulting batting average. While the move is a major positive, it will merely give him a much better chance of repeating his fantasy earnings from 2014, rather than see them drop, perhaps significantly, had he remained with the Pirates. (Mike Podhorzer)

Quick Opinion: Martin makes the ultimate move, switching from the worst home run park to one of the best and joining a potentially top offense. It’s unlikely to be enough, though, to drive an increase in fantasy value from what he earned in 2014, but will ensure he remains one of the better catcher options.

J.D. Martinez

Debut: 2011 |  BirthDate: 8/21/1987 | Team: Tigers | Position: OF
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 310 74 7 2 36 24 .250 .272 .378 .284 -9.3 -11.4 -1.1
’14 480 139 23 6 76 57 .315 .358 .553 .391 25.0 -6.9 3.7
’15 584 146 22 6 79 71 .273 .323 .462 .343 10.5 -12.5 1.9

Profile: Martinez was a great story in 2014, using the offseason to rework his swing and turning himself into one of the best hitters in the league. Between Triple-A and the majors, J.D. hit .314 with 33 homers and 98 RBIs, all in 551 plate appearances. With his contact rate being a bit on the low side, he may not continue hitting at such a high average in 2015. However, he hits the ball ridiculously hard, so his batting average on balls in play may not regress as much as you might expect. Peg him for a .290 average with 25-30 home runs, while playing close to average defense in the outfield this season. If he continues to make adjustments to his swing and approach, he could keep hitting at the .300 level and even add in some more walks as pitchers need to adjust to him. 2014 will not be the last year J.D. is a force to be reckoned with. (Dan Farnsworth)

Quick Opinion: A breakout 2014 might have some thinking a return to past production is coming this year, but they would be wrong. Martinez is a new hitter, and he will be one of the best power sources in the league.

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 1.2 -14.9 0.9
’14 641 188 32 3 103 87 .335 .409 .565 .411 40.7 -21.2 4.4
’15 486 133 16 2 67 64 .308 .375 .483 .369 16.5 -13.1 2.1

Profile: How much should we buy into V-Mart’s power outburst last season? At age 35 ,he hit a career high 32 home runs. He didn’t get any more plate appearances compared to the past, either. His fly ball percentage was up, for one. The big difference from previous seasons, though, was a career high 16% home run per fly ball rate. He hit his combined home runs and fly balls seven feet further, but that doesn’t seem to be enough to explain the outburst. Tempering expectations will be key for 2015. Regress his home run total back to the 15 to 20 range. If people think he’ll hit more than that, let them and move on. His average has always been at or over .300, so expect the same in 2015. In OBP leagues, look for possible drop in his walk rate. He had a career high 28 intentional walks in 2015. If you remove the intentional passes from his last four walks rates, they would be at 6.5%, 6.8%, 6.7%, and 6.9%. Finally, expect no steals and any over one will be a bonus. It’s probably best to peg him at 18 homers with a .300 average, no stolen bases, and near 175 runs+RBI. (Jeff Zimmerman)

Quick Opinion: Don’t buy into Victor Martinez’s huge jump in home runs — instead, expect his 2015 total to be between 15 and 20. Also expect some recency bias. He’ll likely be overvalued in drafts this season. 

Darin Mastroianni

Debut: 2011 |  BirthDate: 8/26/1985 | Position: OF
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 73 12 0 2 5 5 .185 .229 .215 .203 -7.3 -2.1 -0.8
’14 44 5 1 1 2 7 .116 .136 .186 .145 -5.5 1.8 -0.2
’15 1 0 0 0 0 0 .231 .291 .321 .276 -0.0 -0.0 -0.0

Profile: Mastroianni has completely fallen off the radar after a decent little run in 2012 with the Twins that saw him play good defense, run a little bit and look the part of a very solid fourth outfielder. A stress fracture in his left ankle cost him virtually all of the next season, and when he played he was still hampered by it, and as a result predictably awful. Last we all saw of Darin was a 5-for-43 (.116) stretch this season between the Twins and his mothership Blue Jays before he was banished to Buffalo for the duration. Mastroianni has surfaced with the Phillies on a minor league pact, where he’ll look to crack an outfield that on paper might be the worst in baseball. He’s still facing an uphill battle. (Brandon Warne)

Quick Opinion: At one time Mastroianni looked like a speedy fourth outfielder type. That was about 30 pounds ago for cretins like you and me. Move along.

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
’13 256 42 5 0 29 14 .181 .251 .284 .236 -18.8 6.8 -0.5
’14 195 35 2 0 12 12 .200 .263 .274 .241 -11.8 7.2 0.1
’15 89 16 2 0 7 7 .197 .256 .302 .248 -4.9 2.4 0.0

Profile: Jeff Mathis isn’t a good hitter. And if he’s on your team you’re probably looking ahead to fantasy football. Keep your chin up, though! (Landon Jones)

Quick Opinion: Nope!

Joe Mauer

Debut: 2004 |  BirthDate: 4/19/1983 | Team: Twins | Position: 1B
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 508 144 11 0 47 62 .324 .404 .476 .383 24.5 6.2 5.1
’14 518 126 4 3 55 60 .277 .361 .371 .322 8.3 -7.9 1.9
’15 617 152 9 3 62 73 .284 .370 .403 .341 13.3 -10.7 2.5

Profile: When the Twins announced Mauer would no longer catch after a concussion during the 2013 season, a couple of different schools of thought sprung forth. The first was that Mauer’s value would take a big hit since he was no longer catching, specifically because he doesn’t provide the kind of power most associate with a traditional first baseman. However, the positive assertion was that Mauer’s legs would remain healthier, and that the trade-off for not catching anymore might be a little extra pop in his bat, and failing that, at least ~150 healthy games a year. Virtually none of that happened, as Mauer hit a decidedly un-Mauerlike .277/.361/.371. In fact, that is almost a carbon copy of his last injury-marred campaign in 2011, when he hit .287/.360/.368. He bounced back then, but he is now going to turn 32 this year, which may be a significant hindrance. Mauer hit just .271/.342/.353 through July 1, before an oblique strain put him on the shelf for 34 games. Upon his return, Mauer hit a much more Mauer-like .287/.397/.408, and walked 26 times against 32 strikeouts. That’s very much like vintage Mauer. The oblique issue seemed to be suffered pretty much at the moment Mauer left the game on July 1 after hitting a double. If concussion issues were still hampering him early in the season, it is certainly possible that midseason break helped. Either way, Mauer should be undervalued in fantasy leagues this year. Don’t bank on the full Mauer, but he should be a pretty useful player moving forward. (Brandon Warne)

Quick Opinion: Injuries and possible concussion hangover severely hampered Mauer’s 2014 season. It would seem likely that he rebounds in some fashion in 2015, making him a decent stealth candidate.

Justin Maxwell

Debut: 2007 |  BirthDate: 11/6/1983 | Position: OF
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 262 59 7 6 25 35 .252 .328 .436 .336 4.5 -2.6 1.1
’14 45 6 0 0 3 4 .150 .222 .175 .190 -4.4 -7.4 -1.1
’15 1 0 0 0 0 0 .227 .293 .379 .300 -0.0 -0.0 0.0

Profile: Maxwell sort of had a good season in 2012 when he hit 18 home runs for the Astros. The 31-year-old righty has been pretty useless otherwise. He has a career strikeout rate around 33%, when if he does make contact, the ball flies (17.5% home runs per fly ball). For the 2015 season, he starts with the Giants on a minor league invite. While the Giants’ outfield is a little suspect after Pence, Maxwell is probably not going to be the answer. There is no reason to roster him at all. The only time he should be considered is if he is somehow able to make the major league roster, and even then his role might be minimal. (Jeff Zimmerman)

Quick Opinion: Justin Maxwell’s usefulness as a major league hitter ended a couple of seasons ago. Look elsewhere for a hitter with some possible upside.

John Mayberry

Debut: 2009 |  BirthDate: 12/21/1983 | Team: Mets | Position: 1B/OF
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 384 80 11 5 39 47 .227 .286 .391 .298 -4.3 -10.6 -0.4
’14 168 31 7 0 23 15 .212 .310 .425 .326 1.1 -4.1 0.2
’15 216 44 6 2 23 21 .225 .292 .375 .297 -2.1 -4.4 -0.0

Profile: Mayberry is a right-handed, 31-year-old platoon hitter. This limits his utility to teams, but the Mets saw enough to take a shot. He’s athletic enough to fake it in center in a pinch, but he does better in the outfield corners or first base. Against southpaws, Mayberry is a career .269/.324/.533 hitter in 534 plate appearances with even better numbers last season. That’s what the Mets bought for $1.45 million (with $500K in incentives). For somebody who was once dealt in a challenge trade for Greg Golson, Mayberry has turned in a tidy little career.(Brad Johnson)

Quick Opinion: Mayberry is a classic wrong-handed platoon hitter. He’ll mash those lefties, but teams don’t often go out of their way to keep right-handed platoon bat on the roster.

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
’13 57 8 1 4 5 7 .157 .232 .235 .209 -3.9 -3.4 -0.6
’14 272 59 1 4 15 24 .235 .290 .331 .275 -5.8 2.2 0.5
’15 34 7 1 1 3 3 .238 .302 .351 .291 -0.3 0.0 0.1

Profile: The Padres acquired three big outfield bats this offseason, but none of their acquisitions are suited to handle center field. Maybin is the guy on the roster best suited to handle center, but the Padres didn’t make the big trades with the intention of Maybin playing all that much. So even if Maybin stays healthy, something he hasn’t done the last two years, it’s hard to imgaine him getting to the plate nearly enough to have any fantasy value. If there’s an injury to one of San Diego’s new outfielders, Maybin figures to take over in center and could be a cheap source of speed. But until that happens, he has little to no value. (Brett Talley)

Quick Opinion: With the Padres bringing in Justin Upton, Wil Myers and Matt Kemp, Maybin is unlikely to see much playing time. Even if he ends up with regular playing time, he’s nothing more than a guy you add off the waiver wire if you need steals.

Matt McBride

Debut: 2012 |  BirthDate: 5/23/1985 | Position: 1B/OF
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’14 34 7 2 0 6 6 .226 .294 .484 .342 0.4 1.3 0.3
’15 1 0 0 0 0 0 .275 .312 .450 .334 -0.0 -0.0 0.0

Profile: McBride hit two homers in his 34 major-league plate appearances last year, but was outrighted off the 40-man roster by the Rockies during the offseason. At 29 years old, he’s not really considered a prospect. He’s an emergency-only option for Colorado, and won’t likely see the majors this year, unless he works his way into another September call-up. (Scott Strandberg)

Quick Opinion: McBride is unlikely to hold fantasy value outside PCL-only leagues, and I’m not sure Pacific Coast League fantasy leagues even exist. Pretty sure they don’t.

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
’13 402 91 20 0 57 43 .256 .336 .461 .347 5.4 7.7 2.7
’14 538 115 23 0 75 57 .232 .286 .406 .306 -7.5 11.5 2.3
’15 518 117 24 1 70 62 .251 .317 .445 .333 4.0 8.8 3.2

Profile: First, the good news: McCann bashed 23 homers in 2014, the most among qualified catchers, while his 75 RBIs were second only to Buster Posey. He posted his lowest strikeout rate since 2008 and the 140 games in which he appeared were his most in four years. The bad news: McCann killed owners with an abysmal .232/.286/.406 slash line, he walked less frequently than he ever had in his career, and his overall stat line would have looked a lot worse had it not been for the eight home runs he smacked in September (he still hit just .222 for the month). Much has been written about McCann’s struggles against the shift in recent years, and the catcher himself said it has contributed to some “bad habits” at the plate. As it happens, McCann produced the lowest ground-ball-to-fly-ball ratio of his career and smacked line drives at a healthy clip, but his average batted ball distance of 280 feet was the lowest of his career since 2007, and there’s little doubt that had he not been playing at Yankee Stadium, his home run total would have looked a lot worse. It’s possible that McCann will find greater success now that he’s had some time to adjust to American League pitching, and the 31-year-old catcher has vowed to alter his approach at the plate, trying to go the other way more often in 2015 to beat the shift to help his batting average. Such an approach could help rehabilitate the awful batted ball luck he had last year, but also would have the effect of diminishing his already-fading power. (Karl de Vries)

Quick Opinion: McCann still has plenty of value in standard mixed leagues, but owners hoping for a return to him being an elite option will be disappointed.

James McCann

Debut: 2014 |  BirthDate: 6/13/1990 | Team: Tigers | Position: C
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’14 12 3 0 1 0 2 .250 .250 .333 .255 -0.3 -1.0 -0.1
’15 31 7 0 0 3 3 .243 .282 .348 .280 -0.9 0.6 0.1

Profile: McCann is a defense-first catcher that has scouts dreaming on the upside in his power potential due to his large frame. In his young professional career, he has demonstrated the ability to hit for a decent average with minimal power, while contributing at least scratch defense at the catcher position. He has a swing that is tight and compact, more of an inside-out stroke. It allows him to barrel up a lot of balls, but leaves him wanting in the power department. Though he has shown small stretches of time where he loosens up his shoulders and creates a bit more loft in his swing, it will likely be at least a few years before he figures out how to do it with any kind of regularity. Spending time with the rest of the Tigers’ lineup this season has to be a good thing for his development. Still, expect a solid average and good defense to go along with 5-10 homers, nothing more. (Dan Farnsworth)

Quick Opinion: McCann is a young catcher with a bright future, possibly as a starter. He will contribute in the batting average department, but do not count on him generating any power in 2015.

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
’13 674 185 21 27 84 97 .317 .404 .508 .393 47.2 9.3 8.2
’14 648 172 25 18 83 89 .314 .410 .542 .412 51.1 -8.6 6.8
’15 650 167 23 16 86 90 .301 .393 .504 .390 40.1 -2.9 6.2

Profile: It’s difficult to poke holes in Andrew McCutchen’s game. After a “down” year — only by his own incredible standards — in 2013 in terms of power, McCutchen was well on his way to another season like 2012 last year before a side injury cut his season a little bit short. Still, the worst McCutchen has done in the standard roto categories over the last three seasons are a .314 average, 21 home runs, 83 RBI, 89 runs, and 18 steals. That sounds like a top three pick to me. The only real question is whether McCutchen is the better fantasy option than Giancarlo Stanton for the second spot overall. Given that Stanton has hit 37 home runs in two of his last three seasons, which is probably 10 more than one can safely expect from McCutchen this season, Stanton likely has the edge. But it’s certainly up for debate. (Scott Spratt)

Quick Opinion: McCutchen does it all. He hits for average, hits home runs, steals bases, and does so year after year. He will likely be the number three overall pick in most fantasy formats in 2015, and his consistency makes a compelling case for the number two spot.

John McDonald

Debut: 1999 |  BirthDate: 9/24/1974 | Position: 3B
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 77 8 1 0 4 8 .116 .197 .174 .178 -8.9 -2.2 -0.9
’14 91 13 0 1 5 4 .171 .256 .197 .217 -6.9 2.9 -0.1
’15 1 0 0 0 0 0 .214 .266 .294 .251 -0.0 0.0 -0.0

Profile: The 40-year-old John McDonald was never much of a fantasy option. In 2015, he will likely serve as a backup and defensive substitute with no fantasy value or retire. (Scott Spratt)

Casey McGehee

Debut: 2008 |  BirthDate: 10/12/1982 | Team: Giants | Position: 3B
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’14 691 177 4 4 76 56 .287 .355 .357 .319 -2.5 0.7 2.0
’15 557 125 8 3 54 52 .252 .321 .354 .302 -3.9 -3.8 1.0

Profile: The new Giants third baseman comes to San Francisco after a decent season in Miami, hitting for a nice average and posting a high on-base percentage while providing no power whatsoever. He did manage 76 RBI for his trouble, proving once again that hitting behind two OBP machines is always good for business. The biggest concern for McGehee in 2015 remains his extremely high in-play average. The burly infielder put up numbers consistent with a much speedier player in 2014, including a .307 average on balls hit on the ground (where league average is .241). There’s a chance his time in Japan helped to refine his approach, as McGehee put the ball in play more consistently and used the whole field more during his year in Miami. But his power outage predates 2014, McGehee posted very similar slugging percentages over his last three years in MLB (.346, .358, .357), when he did hit for a higher isolated slugging percentage but without the average or OBP to support it. Even those who believe a few more of his fly balls leave the park by sheer force of regression, a move to San Francisco only dashes those hopes. (Drew Fairservice)

Quick Opinion: After a nice season in Miami, Casey McGehee comes to San Francisco where he tries to keep his singles magic alive — without the underlying skills to do so.

Michael McKenry

Debut: 2010 |  BirthDate: 3/4/1985 | Team: Rockies | Position: C
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 122 25 3 0 14 9 .217 .262 .348 .271 -4.1 -2.2 -0.3
’14 192 53 8 0 22 23 .315 .398 .512 .400 7.0 3.1 1.7
’15 183 44 6 2 23 21 .267 .336 .439 .342 -0.1 2.3 0.8

Profile: On the surface, Michael McKenry appears to be a vanilla backup catcher who platoons or plays sparingly in relief of his team’s primary backstop. That’s pretty true, but McKenry isn’t all that bad when given opportunities at the plate. He triple slashed .315/.398/.512 with eight home runs and 22 runs batted in in just 192 plate appearances in 2014. Additionally, he can take the free pass (11.5% walk rate in 2014) and excels against right-handed pitching. In fact, McKenry owned the league’s best batting average against right-handed pitchers among catchers with a minimum of 100 plate appearances last year. Forty-one of his 53 hits — including five of his eight homers — also came against righties. But now that we’ve discussed the positives, it’s fair to note that McKenry’s batting average on balls in play against right-handers was .404 last season (.307 career BABIP vs. RHP), so the batting average should regress towards that career number. All-in-all, McKenry sounds like a decent platoon option for your deep-league fake baseball team. (Alan Harrison)

Quick Opinion: Michael McKenry should be valued in deep two-catcher formats or deep mixed leagues where an owner needs a platoon partner. McKenry excels against right-handed pitching, so consider pairing him up with the likes of Brian McCann or Jason Castro who hit less than .220 against righties in 2014.

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
’13 593 137 12 30 36 76 .258 .329 .399 .323 6.4 -2.2 2.6
’14 162 24 1 4 7 10 .173 .280 .237 .243 -8.0 -2.6 -0.6
’15 164 35 3 5 14 18 .238 .312 .354 .299 -1.7 -3.4 -0.0

Profile: McLouth cratered his first year in the Nation’s Capital, hitting just .173 over 162 plate appearances. He had shoulder surgery in August, so it’s tough to say that he’s done being relevant. At the same time, McLouth was basically written off as a fantasy asset until he surprisingly showed signs of life in 2013. At best, he’s the Nationals’ fourth outfielder, which really limits his value. If he does happen to get some time in the starting lineup, it’s tough to trust him given his recent history. There’s still some potential for steals, but you can’t really depend on much else. (Chris Cwik)

Quick Opinion: McLouth suffered through an injury-riddled 2014. He’s back in the same role to open 2015, and playing time will likely be a big issue.

Tommy Medica

Debut: 2013 |  BirthDate: 4/9/1988 | Team: Padres | Position: 1B/OF
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 4.0 -2.4 0.4
’14 259 56 9 6 27 31 .233 .286 .408 .307 0.9 -3.4 0.6
’15 204 41 6 2 22 20 .222 .284 .380 .295 -2.0 -4.2 -0.0

Profile: The Padres roster received a well-documented facelift in the off-season and the changes don’t bode well for this former 14th-round draft pick who appeared in 107 games in the big leagues in 2014. Medica, 26, saw time mostly as the pinch hitter, back-up left fielder and fill-in at first base for the injured (and disappointing) Yonder Alonso. The second-year player’s time in the big leagues for 2015 will likely be tied closely to the production from the incumbent, who needs to show some consistency — and health. Monitor the first base situation in San Diego and, if Medica appears set to receive some at-bats, consider him in NL-only leagues and expect modest production outside of a little pop. (Marc Hulet)

Quick Opinion: Medica is by no means assured of a roster spot on the new-look San Diego roster. However, his roadblock to regular playing time is the disappointing Yonder Alonso, so keep a close eye on the first base situation if you’re playing in an NL-only league.

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
’13 365 95 8 3 27 33 .285 .336 .435 .333 4.0 -1.5 1.4
’14 555 129 12 4 55 56 .255 .305 .387 .299 -4.7 6.8 2.0
’15 550 128 11 5 54 54 .255 .308 .383 .302 -4.5 1.6 1.5

Profile: Jordy Mercer finally earned the full-time shortstop job for the Pirates in 2014, and his season went fairly well. Mercer doesn’t wow with the bat or the glove, but he still hit 12 home runs (tied for eighth best at the position) with a .255 average (tied for 13th best at the position). Apart from a 45-point decline in batted ball luck, Mercer’s 2014 season at the plate was basically identical to his 2013 season, and Steamer expects 2015 to be the same. There is no upside there, but there is also little downside unless the iffy-gloved newcomer Jung-Ho Kang takes his job. As such, Mercer is right on the edge of being a draftable middle infield option in standard leagues, and he makes a lot of sense behind a more volatile option like Jean Segura. (Scott Spratt)

Quick Opinion: Mercer doesn’t wow with any tool, but his power and average are decent for the position. He has a low ceiling but high floor and is draftable as a final middle infielder in standard formats.

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
’13 352 77 9 0 42 31 .238 .287 .362 .282 -13.3 6.6 0.4
’14 440 105 25 1 80 54 .273 .359 .534 .387 19.5 7.3 4.4
’15 434 95 18 3 55 48 .246 .318 .442 .332 3.7 9.7 2.9

Profile: Nearly 600 disappointing at-bats spread across three years into Devin Mesoraco’s MLB career, and the first-round pick and former top prospect was beginning to have the bust label applied to him by some. The power was there in the minors, and at times he flashed it at the big-league level, but it never actualized. In 2014, it actualized. Only five players — Edwin Encarnacion, Mike Trout, Giancarlo Stanton, Jose Abreu, and Chris Carter — had higher isolated slugging percentages than Mesoraco. He finally stopped hitting ground balls and instead began spraying line drives and pulling balls in the air. And when he pulled balls in the air, he crushed them. 22 of his 25 homers came on balls to left field, and he had a 1.390 OPS to the pull field. There was a considerable boost in strikeouts, but he still hit the ball hard enough to maintain a decent average, and pitchers began throwing him fewer strikes which led to more walks, so the OBP was still good despite the strikeout increase. A six-percent boost in his strikeout rate could be a cause for concern, but that might just be what comes with the power. And as long as the power is anywhere near where it was last year, you can live with some whiffs. (August Fagerstrom)

Quick Opinion: Mesoraco was a surprise breakout of the 2014 season, but maybe it wasn’t a huge surprise considering his pedigree and the fact that he wasn’t even 600 plate appearances into his big league career. The power is very real, and Mesoraco made some changes in his swing to get the ball in the air more often for the power to play. Strikeouts are up, but aren’t a concern, given the production. He is easily a top-10 option at catcher for the upcoming season, if not top five.

Will Middlebrooks

Debut: 2012 |  BirthDate: 9/9/1988 | Team: Padres | Position: 3B
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 374 79 17 3 49 41 .227 .271 .425 .300 -6.9 -2.4 0.3
’14 234 41 2 1 19 14 .191 .256 .265 .238 -15.0 0.3 -0.8
’15 361 73 12 3 39 33 .221 .271 .376 .285 -6.4 0.0 0.5

Profile: Could Will Middlebrooks’ stock fall any further? The third baseman better known as “Jenny Dell’s soon-to-be husband” saw his stats plunge for the third straight season. After swatting 32 dingers in his first 660 plate appearances, he only mashed two in 234 trips to the dish last year. And if Middlebrooks isn’t hitting the ball out of the ballpark, he isn’t doing anything else useful for your fantasy squad. His strikeout rate continues to climb and sat at a career high 30% last year. His averages was only .191 and you can’t blame that on his batting average on balls in play which was only a little below his career average. The righty continues to struggle dealing with pitches out of the zone, swinging at nearly a third of them while missing on those swings nearly half the time. Essentially, if you are a pitcher and threw a slider in the dirt down and away, there’s essentially a one in xi chance he’s is just going to swing right through it. As if that story wasn’t bleak enough, Middlebrooks leaves Fenway for Petco Park. While he might see more playing time, park factors are a real thing. If you’re in a deep league and want to roll the dice on last year being sabotaged by injury and gamble that “Will Middlebrooks” the prospect is still in there somewhere, take him late. Otherwise, just ignore him on draft day. (Colin Zarzycki)

Quick Opinion: In his third big league season, Middlebrooks continued to show he’s unable to lay off pitches out of the zone. Perhaps most distressingly, his power completely evaporated last year. Some of his struggles may be injury-related, but with a move to Petco Park, he’s a very unappetizing option for fantasy owners.

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 4.7 1.3 1.8
’14 411 81 10 4 36 47 .221 .288 .365 .290 -4.5 4.3 1.4
’15 422 94 10 7 42 48 .248 .310 .389 .310 0.9 3.5 2.0

Profile: While he didn’t live up to expectations last year, Brad Miller should not be ignored by you, or by the Mariners. A former second round pick out of Clemson, he has a goofy swing and looks awkward in the field, but he’s a legitimate big league shortstop. Miller hit .265 with eight homers in his 2013 half-season debut, but then hit just .221 with 10 dong-dongs in 411 plate appearances in 2014. With Chris Taylor breathing down his neck and taking away playing time, Miller made some strides late in the season after hitting .204 in the first half of the season. Heading into his age-25 season, he will have to compete with Taylor for playing time, but Miller will likely come away with a bulk of the ABs against right-handed pitching. Miller will hopefully be able to repeat his 2013 debut, but even then he’s a fringe option in standard leagues. (Zach Sanders)

Quick Opinion: Miller could start for the Mariners, and while he has the potential to be a standard league shortstop, it’s not worth paying much for the privilege of his services.

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
’13 541 161 12 3 80 68 .319 .359 .477 .362 17.9 17.1 5.5
’14 445 114 7 1 38 40 .282 .333 .386 .317 0.2 14.4 3.1
’15 443 115 10 3 51 47 .284 .335 .418 .331 4.2 18.2 3.9

Profile: Yadier Molina had a career year with 22 home runs in 2012, but he has declined to 12 home runs in 2013 and just seven in 2014. It’s easy to view those 22 home runs the way we do Joe Mauer’s 28 home run season, especially now that Molina is 32 years old. However, it’s important to consider that Molina’s 2014 season was derailed by a thumb injury that required surgery and cost him more than a month on the disabled list. Meanwhile, Molina hit all seven of his home runs in the first half, before the thumb injury. It’s not a stretch to think that Molina could hit close to 20 home runs, again, and with his consistency in terms of batting average and his high games played — thumb injury aside — compared to most catchers, he is a clear top five player at the position. (Scott Spratt)

Quick Opinion: Molina missed time with a thumb injury in 2014 that also cost him his power. Expect a bounce back in 2015, which makes him a clear top five catcher.

Jose Molina

Debut: 1999 |  BirthDate: 6/3/1975 | Position: C
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 313 66 2 2 18 26 .233 .290 .304 .266 -12.6 3.9 0.2
’14 247 40 0 3 10 4 .178 .230 .187 .196 -21.7 2.0 -1.3
’15 1 0 0 0 0 0 .213 .268 .289 .252 -0.0 0.0 0.0

Profile: Even when Jose Molina was on a team, he was there for his pitch calling and framing skills over his batting profile. Molina was released by the rays in November and as of this writing isn’t on a team. He just had knee surgery and will be out for a “long, indefinite period.”  It wouldn’t surprise me to see Molina play in the majors in 2015 but I would be shocked to see him on a fantasy team. Molina never was even an average hitter, and his bast was 77% worse than league average in 247 plate appearances for the Rays last year. That might signal the end. However, nobody can take away the fact he hit the last home run in the old Yankee Stadium, so there’s that! (Ben Pasinkoff)

Quick Opinion: Framer extraordinaire (and never really a great fantasy asset) Jose Molina is now hurt and is still a free agent. But we will remember him if he gets another job or not. 

Jesus Montero

Debut: 2011 |  BirthDate: 11/28/1989 | Team: Mariners | Position: DH
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 110 21 3 0 9 6 .208 .264 .327 .263 -5.8 -1.5 -0.4
’14 17 4 1 0 2 1 .235 .235 .412 .283 -0.3 -0.4 -0.0
’15 68 16 3 0 9 8 .255 .307 .428 .322 0.5 -1.5 0.1

Profile: Jesus Montero’s star has fallen faster than Cuba Gooding Jr’s and much like the actor, he should consider himself lucky to find work that pays. Montero has gone from uber-prospect to an irrelevant, overweight player without a position who got a scout fired over an ice cream sandwich. If anything, he’s at least fun to watch run the bases. Ignore in all formats, even if he dropped forty pounds this offseason. He’s too far buried on the depth chart and is completely devoid of defensive value or position. (Michael Barr)

Quick Opinion: Even if there’s life left in the bat, there’s no glove that comes with it. Jesus Montero is a man without a position on a team with many options at designated hitter.

Miguel Montero

Debut: 2006 |  BirthDate: 7/9/1983 | Team: Cubs | Position: C
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 475 95 11 0 42 44 .230 .318 .344 .295 -12.0 6.1 0.9
’14 560 119 13 0 72 40 .243 .329 .370 .307 -11.1 5.5 1.2
’15 416 90 9 2 43 43 .249 .339 .379 .319 -1.7 10.9 2.4

Profile: The Cubs acquired Montero this offseasn primarily because he is a great pitch framer and Welington Castillo is a terrible pitch framer. But Montero is on the wrong side of 30 and has a pretty noticeable platoon split, so it would make sense for Chicago to spell him often when they face left-handed pitching. As a result, he might not get 550+ plate appearances like he did in three of the last four years in Arizona. In addition to the concerns about volume, his triple slash stats rebounded last year after a terrible 2013, but not anywhere close to where they were at in 2012. Montero just barely managed to finish as a top 12 catcher last year, and it’s hard to imagine him repeating that with a presumed drop in plate appearances. He’s really only an option in two-catcher leagues and NL-only leagues. (Brett Talley)

Quick Opinion: Montero bounced back from a terrible 2013, but not anywhere near where he was in 2012. That decline in production coupled with a likely decrease in plate appearances mean that Montero’s days of mixed-league relevancy are probably over.

Tyler Moore

Debut: 2012 |  BirthDate: 1/30/1987 | Team: Nationals | Position: 1B
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 178 37 4 0 21 16 .222 .260 .347 .265 -8.1 -8.1 -1.2
’14 100 21 4 0 14 8 .231 .300 .385 .307 -0.3 -0.3 0.3
’15 99 22 4 1 12 11 .244 .305 .426 .322 0.4 -1.8 0.2

Profile: As a former 16th-round draft pick, it’s commendable that Tyler Moore was even able to make it to the big leagues, let alone log 180 games. The back-to-back 31 home run seasons in 2010-11 certainly earned him the attention, but he’s been unable to replicate the success since. Now in his late 20s, the window of opportunity is closing more quickly on the first baseman. Only weak organizational depth and an injury prone big league first baseman (Ryan Zimmerman) conspire to mean that Tyler could receive more (sorry) big league at-bats in 2015. Don’t expect fantasy relevance. (Marc Hulet)

Quick Opinion: Moore had some intriguing minor league seasons when he showed well-above-average power but those days are long gone. He’s a short-term injury replacement, at best.

Kendrys Morales

Debut: 2006 |  BirthDate: 6/20/1983 | Team: Royals | Position: 1B/DH
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 657 167 23 0 80 64 .277 .336 .449 .342 8.4 -16.7 1.4
’14 401 80 8 0 42 28 .218 .274 .338 .271 -17.2 -11.5 -1.7
’15 533 128 17 1 67 60 .264 .321 .424 .328 2.8 -14.0 0.7

Profile: Morales’ season was an utter debacle, starting all the way back in the previous offseason with failed contract negotiations that saw the Scott Boras client not only reject a reasonable multi-year deal from the Mariners, but also reject a Qualifying Offer which resulted in him sitting out a large chunk of the season. Morales ultimately signed with the Twins and joined the team immediately, without a semblance of preparation time outside of individual workouts. Predictably, the switch-hitting Cuban stumbled to a .234/.259/.325 line in 162 plate appearances before the Twins flipped him to Seattle for broken-down flame-thrower Stephen Pryor. Morales was hardly better with the Mariners — .207/.285/.347 — but still managed to land a multi-year deal with the Royals to fill the role by departed designated hitter Billy Butler. Morales’ bat still likely has some hits in it, but it’ll be worth monitoring whether it was a lack of spring training or a slowed bat which stalled his 2014 season. It may have been a bit of both. (Brandon Warne)

Quick Opinion: Morales signed with the Twins in early June, and jumped into the lineup right away. Predictably, his bat never got going as he had easily his worst season as a big leaguer. His status will be worth monitoring in the early season, as he likely still has a bit more in the tank than he showed down the stretch.

Brent Morel

Debut: 2010 |  BirthDate: 4/21/1987 | Position: 3B
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 30 5 0 1 1 3 .200 .333 .200 .263 -1.8 0.2 -0.1
’14 41 7 0 0 4 1 .179 .220 .231 .193 -3.6 0.1 -0.3
’15 1 0 0 0 0 0 .234 .288 .328 .276 -0.0 0.0 0.0

Profile: Scrubby McScrubberson teased us all by hitting eight homers in September of 2011 and then none since over 177 at-bats. With little power or interest in taking a base on balls, his offensive upside (and therefore his fantasy usefulness) is limited. (Mike Podhorzer)

Mitch Moreland

Debut: 2010 |  BirthDate: 9/6/1985 | Team: Rangers | Position: 1B/DH
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 518 107 23 0 60 60 .232 .299 .437 .320 -4.4 -6.5 0.7
’14 184 41 2 0 23 18 .246 .297 .347 .287 -5.7 -4.5 -0.5
’15 425 94 15 2 51 48 .244 .308 .416 .318 -1.6 -11.7 0.0

Profile: Mitch Moreland will still qualify at first base in most leagues and his horrible 2014 rate stats were all in small sample size — you could fake an interest in him. On the other side (the one closer to reality), even in his earlier years he was platooned pretty heavily, he did not really hit well enough to play first base, and the small sample of 2014 was not all that much different from his better seasons. When Texas first gave him the chance to be their (semi-) regular first baseman back in 2010 and 2011, he showed enough promise and was just young enough to give people the idea that he might blossom into something more. But he has never really grown as a hitter — low walk rates, high strikeout rates, and power that looks less impressive once you remember which park he calls home have been his calling card. Moreland’s home run rate did increase a bit in 2012 and 2013, but it was also accompanied by in a increase in his 2013 fly ball rate, which hurt his batting average on balls in play (and thus also his average and on-base percentage). Moreland is coming off a pretty brutal ankle injury, but the Rangers do not have many other choices at first and DH besides Moreland and Fielder. That means Moreland is going to have value, especially in that park. Moreland will hurt your rate stats, but help your counting stats. So he should be drafted in all AL-only leagues as a low-end option. Something like .250/.310/.420 with 15-20 home runs has value, just not too much. Watch how his Spring Training goes, health-wise. (Matt Klaassen)

Quick Opinion: Mitch Moreland is clearly a marginal role player at this point, but his park and the promise of playing time means he is useful in almost all AL-only leagues for his counting stats. His rates will hurt, though.

Nyjer Morgan

Debut: 2007 |  BirthDate: 7/2/1980 | Position: OF
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’14 52 14 1 3 6 8 .341 .429 .439 .387 4.0 -3.6 0.2
’15 1 0 0 0 0 0 .244 .297 .337 .285 -0.0 -0.0 0.0

Profile: Morgan, and his alter-ego, Tony Plush, was released by the Indians in August. He has since signed with the Hanwha Eagles of the Korean Baseball Organization for 2015. After playing in Japan in 2013, and now Korea, perhaps in 2017 he will be playing on the moon. (Jeremy Blachman)

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
’13 635 148 17 0 77 62 .259 .323 .411 .321 -1.8 -12.3 0.7
’14 550 160 17 0 82 62 .319 .364 .496 .373 10.2 -3.3 2.5
’15 527 141 19 2 74 67 .295 .352 .484 .364 7.7 -8.2 1.7

Profile: A more aggressive approach at the plate appears to be at the root of Justin Morneau’s most productive season since his 2010 campaign as a Twinkie. The soon-to-be 34-year-old offered at more pitches (55.6% swing rate) — both in (79.3% zone swing rate) and out (39.6% reach rate) — than he has in any of his 12 seasons in the league. With those offerings, Morneau made contact at a career best 76.3% on balls out of the zone while making contact on 91.3% of offerings at pitches in the zone — the second best rate of his career. Despite the career numbers related to aggressiveness at the dish, Morneau failed to produce the flashy power numbers and counting statistics some may be looking for out of their starting first baseman or corner infielder. That’s okay based on the cost to acquire the Rockies’ first baseman last season, which will likely be a similar price owners will pay headed into the 2015 season. Should said owners expect another .319/.364/.496 season with 17 homers and 82 RBI? The counting numbers shouldn’t be that far off as long as the lefty stays healthy, but the .319 batting average could see some regression due to an inflated average on balls in play (.330 ‘14 BABIP vs. .296 career BABIP).  (Alan Harrison)

Quick Opinion: Folks will be blowing their bankrolls for the likes of Miguel Cabrera Jose Abreu and Paul Goldschmidt on auction day — and rightfully so. But if you decide to allocate your funds differently in the early going, Justin Morneau could make for a fine late-round value selection in your fake baseball league.

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
’13 333 71 6 0 36 32 .242 .333 .375 .312 -1.6 -13.5 -0.6
’14 365 88 11 5 38 41 .262 .315 .420 .324 1.6 -4.5 1.0
’15 579 131 20 5 71 67 .254 .326 .430 .333 9.6 -13.3 1.6

Profile: Moving from the Marlins to the Mariners, Logan Morrison may be finally delivering on the promise he displayed as a top prospect. LoMo struggled in the first half amid sporadic playing time, but turned things on when handed the starting job in the second half of the season. Morrison hit .284 over 220 plate appearances, hitting six homers and performing 27% better than league average as a hitter. While a sample of 220 plate appearances is hardly reliable, Morrison hit the ball with noticeably more authority and looked more comfortable and confident at the dish. The last time Morrison hit over .250 was his rookie season in 2010, but there’s reason to hope he can at least repeat his .262 average from the whole of 2014. Morrison has a hold on the Mariners first base job, and thus will have to be under consideration in AL-only formats. He doesn’t make for much a mixed-league option with his limited power, and has had health issues, but he could be a fringe corner infield contributor in OBP leagues. (Zach Sanders)

Quick Opinion: LoMo had his best season since 2011, and performed even better with consistent playing time in the second half of the year. Morrison has to be considered in AL-only leagues, especially those that count OBP over batting average.

Michael Morse

Debut: 2005 |  BirthDate: 3/22/1982 | Team: Marlins | Position: 1B/OF
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 337 67 13 0 27 34 .215 .270 .381 .286 -9.9 -15.0 -1.5
’14 482 122 16 0 61 48 .279 .336 .475 .355 12.8 -18.0 1.0
’15 552 130 20 1 70 60 .259 .313 .438 .330 2.5 -12.2 0.7

Profile: Morse signed a two-year deal with the Marlins and figures to be their primary first baseman. Marlins Park obviously isn’t an ideal spot for a power hitter, but it’s not like Morse was in a favorable park in San Francisco, so it’s a lateral move from a ballpark perspective. Morse should be a bump in playing time after failing to get more than 500 plate appearances in each of the last three seasons. With that much work, he could hit 20 home runs, and 25 if he gets some luck on fly balls. But you have to be concerned about his batting average. He’s always maintained a higher-than-normal batting average on balls in play (career .333), but that wasn’t the case in 2013. His strikeout rate also rose that year and he hit a paltry .215 as a result. His BABIP rebounded last year, but his strikeout rate remained elevated. If the BABIP falls again, he could have a disastrous batting average. It’s not like he has a lot of success on balls in play due to an elite line drive rate or elite speed, so his BABIP seems a little tenuous. Draft him late if you need power, but be wary of that batting average. (Brett Talley)

Quick Opinion: Morse is moving from one bad ballpark for power hitters to another after signing with the Marlins. He can be a cheap source of power, but he’s striking out too much in recent years and is a batting average risk. Proceed with caution.

Brandon Moss

Debut: 2007 |  BirthDate: 9/16/1983 | Team: Indians | Position: 1B/OF
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 505 114 30 4 87 73 .256 .337 .522 .369 18.7 -18.0 1.9
’14 580 117 25 1 81 70 .234 .334 .438 .339 13.1 -11.1 2.3
’15 488 106 26 2 72 64 .248 .332 .485 .356 16.5 -10.3 2.4

Profile: The 2014 season was one of two halves for Brandon Moss. In the opening half, he blasted opposing pitchers and hit 48% better than league average. In the second act, he hit 25% worse than league average. A more than 50 point gap in batted ball average didn’t help matters, however Moss also saw his swinging strike rate drop almost 5%, from 15% in the first half down to 10.5% in the second. He also managed to reel in his strikeouts in the second half, however it wasn’t enough to offset is other offensive woes. A hip injury certainly gave Moss fits in the second half, and assuming the off-season surgery he underwent took care of the issue, this year Moss could be a solid first base/outfield option once again. The move from Oakland’s O.Co Coliseum to Progressive field will also be a considerable help to Moss’ power numbers. The A’s home park ranked third-worst in terms of left-handed home runs last season while the Indians’ field tied for sixth-best. Moss historically did his best work against right-handed pitchers, though last season his .373 batting average on balls in play powered a strong batting line against southpaws. Heading into the 2015 season, expect Moss to revert back to his righty smashing ways. While the hip injury does bring a slight pause, the improvement in home parks alone is a reason to go for a player who has gone three consecutive seasons of 20+ home runs. (David Wiers)

Quick Opinion: A hip injury and the resulting off-season surgery may give some owners pause, however Moss is still a very viable fantasy first basemen. The ability to plug him in the outfield gives him flexibility and while he may not be lights-out against southpaws, his power and new home park make him a 30 home run candidate.

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
’13 514 110 12 2 42 42 .233 .287 .364 .287 -16.1 9.6 1.1
’14 500 97 15 1 54 45 .212 .271 .361 .281 -12.8 4.6 0.9
’15 528 119 17 3 61 57 .248 .305 .415 .317 0.3 6.4 2.6

Profile: Moustakas had a great spring training and postseason. Those periods surrounded a horrible regular season. We are seeing what Moustakas has become as a hitter, and it is not pretty. His average has declined every year in the majors (.263 to .242 to .233 to .212) mainly because teams are using the shift more and more against him. In 2014, he hit into the shift more than all but eight major league hitters. With his heavy pull tendencies, he should be able to hit a few home runs, but he was managed 15 last season. Besides the lack of elite power, he has no stolen base ability (1 stolen base in 2014 and 2 SB in 2013). Additionally, he really struggles against left-handed pitchers in his career (.211/.267/.328). Now, the one group of pitchers he does hit is ground-ball pitchers (.302/.349/.475). He is a necessary evil in AL-only leagues, but stay away otherwise because of the minuscule average and speed paired with only okay power. (Jeff Zimmerman)

Quick Opinion: Don’t be fooled by Mike Moustakas’s post season heroics. He has no useful fantasy traits besides power and playing time — and he may even continue to lose playing time against lefties going forward.

Steven Moya

Debut: 2014 |  BirthDate: 8/9/1991 | Team: Tigers | Position: DH/OF
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’14 8 3 0 0 0 2 .375 .375 .375 .334 0.2 -0.6 -0.0
’15 89 19 3 2 11 10 .228 .259 .398 .287 -1.9 -2.1 -0.1

Profile: Moya put up monster numbers in 2014 between the Double-A Eastern League and Arizona Fall League. He won the league MVP for his 35 homer / 16 stolen base performance. The well-documented problem is, of course, his plate discipline. With a low walk rate and high strikeout rate even during a dominant offensive season, it is unlikely he will vastly improve those numbers in the big leagues. On the downside, they may be a lot worse and force him into a platoon/part-time role. Despite his contact issues, he has the swing to generate a lot of deep fly balls and hard line drives. If he can learn to keep the effort level in check on some of his swings, he’ll be able to tap into the potential suggested by his tools enough to justify a classification as at least an average regular. In the long run, you have to hope the fear he puts in opposing pitchers leads to easier opportunities to boost his on-base percentage via walks. For 2015, we cannot expect more than a .250 average (if he continues to improve), albeit with 20-30 homers. The dangerous plate discipline numbers point to an even lower average with the better pitching he’ll face this year, unless he is able to shore up his approach. Expect him to tap into his power consistently within the next year or two, but it might come with some Adam Dunn-type batting averages, without as many walks in the first couple years. The efficiency of his swing will allow him to hit for a ton of power without needing to put extra muscle into it, but he has to figure that out first before he can be a legitimate starting outfielder. (Dan Farnsworth)

Quick Opinion: The development of Moya’s plate discipline and contact rates will be the determining factor in his success in the big leagues. Don’t count on him hitting higher than .240-.250, but enjoy some monster home runs in bunches with a streaky average until he can make some more adjustments.

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
’13 476 96 13 1 45 51 .220 .282 .374 .289 -16.5 4.8 0.4
’14 462 109 8 2 58 40 .262 .319 .385 .311 -2.7 -16.6 -0.5
’15 250 58 6 2 27 27 .257 .320 .393 .315 0.8 -4.4 0.5

Profile: David Murphy’s final two seasons in Texas were polar opposites. He was spectacular in 2012, batting .304 with a .380 on-base percentage and 15 homers, creating runs at a clip 30% better than league average. In 2013, everything regressed and he was 25% worse than league average. After signing with Cleveland in the offseason, he split the difference, posting almost exactly league-average numbers. And at 33 years old, that’s about the most we can reasonably expect moving forward. He’s lost a step in the field and on the bases, he no longer calls the hitter-friendly Ballpark at Arlington his home, and the arrival of Brandon Moss leaves Murphy’s playing time situation cloudy at best. Murphy has had 440 plate appearances in each of the last seven seasons, but with the way the Indians roster is shaping up, that number seems like a hard one to reach. Until somebody in Cleveland gets hurt, Murphy will serve as a fourth outfielder, and even then, his struggles against lefties limit him to a platoon role. Murphy offers little in the way of upside. (August Fagerstrom)

Quick Opinion: Murphy bounced back from a miserable 2013 season to do what he’s done throughout the course of his career: be just about average at everything. However, age will soon begin taking its toll on the 33-year-old and playing time will be hard to come by in a crowded Indians outfield. Until he becomes anything more than a platoon bat off the bench, you can ignore Murphy in fantasy.

Donnie Murphy

Debut: 2004 |  BirthDate: 3/10/1983 | Position: 2B
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 163 38 11 2 23 23 .255 .319 .530 .366 6.3 -3.5 0.8
’14 128 22 4 0 14 11 .196 .268 .330 .268 -5.7 -2.5 -0.4
’15 100 20 3 1 11 10 .219 .278 .380 .292 -1.9 -0.7 0.1

Profile: Donnie Murphy has hung around the majors/minors so long that it is amazing he is not some sort of “catch and throw” backup catcher. He was drafted by the Royals way back in 2002 and acquired by the Athletics in 2006. He has never had more than 163 plate appearances in any one of the nine major league seasons in which he has appeared. He strikes out a lot and has a below-average walk rate, but has enough pop to be a bit of a threat, one supposes. He doesn’t steal bases. Murphy probably hangs around because, like Willie Bloomquist, he plays a lot of positions. It is not clear why he keeps getting major-league chances from his numbers — Murphy must be a great clubhouse guy. He is not with any organization at the moment, so don’t bother with him yet. And if he does get on a team… well, it is fun to root for guys like Murphy, but unless your league rewards points for mysterious locker room awesomeness, there really is no point. (Matt Klaassen)

Quick Opinion: Donnie Murphy has received plate appearances in nine different MLB seasons. Whatever the reason for that is, he should not receive any for your fantasy team in 2015.

JR 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 85 23 1 0 9 7 .284 .318 .370 .307 -0.3 -0.3 0.2
’15 123 26 3 1 13 13 .230 .283 .366 .289 -2.6 2.5 0.4

Profile: Once considered one of the Yankees’ better prospects, Murphy, 23, had cups of coffee in 2013 and 2014, and while he has struck out often at the big league level so far, he did manage to hit .284 in 85 plate appearances last year. Of course, that was aided by a ridiculous .379 average on balls in play, and Murphy was just a career .263 hitter who reached double digits in home runs only once in his six minor league seasons. Meanwhile, there happens to be some guy named McCann behind the dish who’s owed $68 million by the Yankees over the next four years. Murphy could have fantasy value were he to be traded, but for the moment, he can be ignored in all formats. (Karl de Vries)

Quick Opinion: Maybe Murphy could mash a couple of homers if given the chance, but while Brian McCann is still hale and healthy, he probably won’t get that chance.

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
’13 697 188 13 23 78 92 .286 .319 .415 .320 11.7 -4.4 3.0
’14 642 172 9 13 57 79 .289 .332 .403 .324 10.8 -4.5 2.8
’15 616 158 9 11 56 67 .277 .320 .393 .314 3.4 -7.8 1.5

Profile: Daniel Murphy wound up as the eighth most valuable second baseman in 2014 for 5×5 fantasy formats. Based on Steamer’s 2015 projections, Daniel Murphy would rank as the number nine overall second baseman with another very balanced 5×5 line. If we use 250 plate appearances as the qualifier, Murphy continues to have a top 50 swinging-strike rate (5.7%) – just ahead of Wilmer Flores, believe it or not. In fact, Steamer actually projects Flores to be worth .4 wins more than Murphy. According to some, Daniel Murphy has too much perceived value from the Mets — whether that pertains to Sandy Alderson, the Mets, or their fanbase, we don’t always know. Murphy could actually have the most value to the Mets in a trade to acquire an impact prospect. That would allow the Mets to move Flores into a competition with Dilson Herrera at second base. This will only happen if the Mets find an upgrade at shortstop. What that trade would mean for Murphy’s long-term fantasy value is up in the air — it’s possible he could be traded to a team with a need at third base, which would be a shame for his fantasy owners.  (Dan Schwartz)

Quick Opinion: Daniel Murphy remains a consistent, balanced fantasy second baseman for the Mets. If he’s traded, he may end up as a consistent, balanced fantasy third baseman — and a little bit less valuable in that case.

Wil Myers

Debut: 2013 |  BirthDate: 12/10/1990 | Team: Padres | 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
’14 361 72 6 6 35 37 .222 .294 .320 .275 -7.3 -3.0 0.1
’15 556 122 18 8 62 60 .247 .323 .412 .323 6.5 -7.0 1.8

Profile: In 2014, Myers decided not to hit homers anymore. With a below-average contact profile, he needs to figure out how to make balls fly over people’s heads again if he’s going to be the star hitter he was supposed to be. Myers flattened out his swing last season, likely related to his wrist issues, though the change happened before his collision sat him out for a few weeks. If he can get some lift back into his swing, he’ll return to the 30 homer threat who can also hit .270 with an above average walk rate. That’s a big “if”, especially going to a park and team in San Diego that has not promoted hitting fly balls for a long time now. He’s always relied on his hands and wrists a bit more than the average guy to drive the ball, so put some sizable risk into his profile for 2015 and beyond. He’s so talented that he almost has to figure something out, but I would rather split the difference and count on 15-20 homers with a .260 average. If he comes out in spring training with his 2013 swing path, throw all doubt and fear away, but don’t expect the best outcome at this point. (Dan Farnsworth)

Quick Opinion: Wrist injuries and a flattened swing path put major question marks on his power production, which is Myers’ carrying tool. Expect some bounce-back just from getting healthy, but he needs to get back to his old approach to be an above average outfielder with star potential again.

Xavier Nady

Debut: 2000 |  BirthDate: 11/14/1978 | Position: OF
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’14 42 5 3 0 4 4 .135 .238 .405 .286 -1.8 -1.1 -0.2
’15 1 0 0 0 0 0 .220 .275 .337 .274 -0.0 -0.0 -0.0

Profile: Ah, Xavier Nady. The now 36-year-old was a serious fantasy commodity back in 2008, when he hit .305/.357/.510 with 25 homers. Alas, that was seven years ago, and he’s been completely worthless ever since. Nady has played for five different organizations in the last three years, logging just 208 major-league plate appearances in that span. (Scott Strandberg)

Quick Opinion: Nady is currently a free agent, and it is unthinkable that he could be fantasy relevant in 2015.

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
’13 578 129 23 1 92 79 .259 .360 .482 .367 17.6 -0.6 3.9
’14 500 103 17 3 55 49 .248 .370 .419 .353 10.5 -4.0 2.5
’15 546 112 22 3 72 71 .244 .352 .444 .352 12.4 -6.6 2.6

Profile: While his hips stayed intact, Mike Napoli found staying on the field consistently in 2014 to be somewhat problematic. The catcher-turned-first-baseman dislocated his left ring finger in April and it seemed to bother him all season. While both his walk rate and strikeout rate improved slightly over past seasons, the real nosedive came in the power department, with Napoli posting his first sub-.200 isolated slugging percentage in eight years. Fantasy owners hoping for 20+ dingers and 90+ RBI were left wanting, although those in OBP leagues certainly didn’t hate the uptick to a .370 mark. The positives heading into 2015? Even with the nagging injuries, Napoli posted the second-highest contact rate of his career and his 304 foot fly ball distance was seventh-best in baseball (and a 10 foot improvement on 2013). More good chi? The righty slugger has had a full offseason to rest his finger and underwent bone-crunching (they literally broke his jaw) surgery to hopefully clear up chronic bouts of sleep apnea. Hey, those swanky hotels do little if you can’t breathe, right? Look for Napoli has a bounce back candidate (albeit one with capped upside) later in drafts, with a few bumps up if you are in an on-base league. (Colin Zarzycki)

Quick Opinion: Mike Napoli never listened to Little League coaches who told him never to slide headfirst. Of course, this led to him dislocating a finger in April of last year which led to a precipitous drop in the power department. With a solid contact rate and top-ten fly ball distance, Napoli is a good candidate for a bounce back, even if he’s an unsexy pick at first base.

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
’13 536 139 12 0 66 77 .303 .385 .445 .366 17.6 -18.4 1.8
’14 408 98 4 4 37 41 .270 .346 .361 .319 1.6 8.5 2.6
’15 326 76 6 3 33 38 .265 .346 .389 .329 2.5 -5.3 0.8

Profile: After posting a strong season in 2013, it seemed somewhat surreal that righty-masher Daniel Nava was optioned to Triple-A less than a month into the 2014 season. But with the Red Sox possessing a glut of outfielders (and still trying to give Jackie Bradley, Jr. the benefit of the doubt), Nava, who slumped massively in April, became the odd man out. When he returned for good at the beginning of June, he looked a lot like the 2013 vintage, posting a .308/.379/.395 triple slash through the rest of the season. Unfortunately for the switch-hitting outfielder, while his patience returned, his power did not. Nava’s isolated slugging percentage, which sat around .145 in 2012-2013, fell dramatically to .091 last season. The good news for the former equipment manager at Santa Clara? His fly ball distance didn’t drop; it actually climbed from 270 to 276 feet. Nava’s biggest problem was likely the spike in grounders (up 10% last year), so if he can stop pounding the ball into the ground, there’s reason to believe he can continue to be an above-average platoon outfielder. The biggest problem facing Nava is Boston’s continued outfield logjam once again. The team signed Hanley Ramirez and Rusney Castillo within the last six months and neither are going to ride the pine. Mookie Betts has essentially forced his way into the starting lineup and the team still has a healthy (for now) Shane Victorino ready to return. Nava has to potential to offer sneaky value in OBP leagues when he’s in the lineup (especially daily lineup leagues where you can sit him against lefties), but he’s likely to either open the season on the bench or in Pawtucket. Leave him on the wire come draft day. (Colin Zarzycki)

Quick Opinion: Daniel Nava’s overall line took a tumble last season, although a large contributor was an awful April. While his power has waned, there’s no reason to think he’s lost his solid OBP skills against righties. Unfortunately, the Red Sox have a lot of talented and/or high-priced outfielders which will torpedo Nava’s value in non-Triple-A fantasy leagues.

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
’13 266 72 13 0 34 31 .300 .365 .492 .374 6.1 2.5 1.8
’14 520 132 12 3 69 40 .274 .317 .395 .315 -4.7 6.0 2.0
’15 257 62 7 1 30 28 .263 .317 .402 .317 -1.4 -0.6 0.7

Profile: There was almost no chance that Dioner Navarro was going to repeat anything like his 2013 offensive performance with the Cubs. His 2014 with the Jays, considered in hits own right, was decent, particularly relatively to his paycheck. Maybe .274/.317/.395 from a catcher does not a superstar make, but these days that is actually about league average production (aka good for a catcher). He is not a defensive wizard, but he does not kill a team back there. Plus, he played in 139 games for the Jays in 2014, an impressive feat for a catcher these days. The Blue Jays (rightly) saw Russell Martin as an upgrade, and signed the former Pirate. This puts Navarro in limbo. If the Jays keep Navarro around, he becomes a high-end backup catcher, useful to have, but not something teams generally spend $5 million on. If he is still in a backup role, he has very little value outside of very deep AL-only leagues. However, if Navarro gets traded into a situation in which he is the primary starter, he is a decent fantasy performer for the position. He is not a walks machine, but he is not Sal Perez, and Navarro makes contact well. His power is good enough — in a full-time role he will hit double digit homers. Something like a .270 batting average is reasonable. Watch his job status leading up to the draft. If he is a team’s primary catcher, he is not a top performer, but is definitely draftable in almost all leagues. (Matt Klaassen)

Quick Opinion: Navarro is a decent catcher in most fantasy formats. The main issue at the moment is his job status. If he gets traded into a situation in which he is the primary starter, he is a useful starter in most leagues.

Kristopher Negron

Debut: 2012 |  BirthDate: 2/1/1986 | Team: Reds | Position: 2B/3B
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’14 158 39 6 5 17 19 .271 .331 .479 .356 7.0 5.4 1.9
’15 341 67 7 7 29 30 .215 .268 .331 .268 -12.7 -0.1 -0.3

Profile: Kristopher Negron looked like a lifelong glove-first journeyman until he came up and smacked six dingers in 158 plate appearances with a .271 average and a .330 OBP. Given that his previous career-high in homers for a single season was 11 (15 if you count extended time at rookie ball in 2010), the power looks like a fluke. And so does the average and on-base skills, as he only posted an average above .225 and an OBP above .300 once in the minors over the last four years. While his performance last year likely earns him a bench role on the Reds opening day roster, he’s got all the makings of a flash in the pan. (August Fagerstrom)

Quick Opinion: Negron hit well in limited action with the Reds last year, but a poor offensive track record in the minors suggests he’s nothing but a one-hit wonder.

Chris Nelson

Debut: 2010 |  BirthDate: 9/3/1985 | Position: 3B
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 227 48 3 2 24 19 .227 .273 .327 .266 -11.6 -2.4 -0.7
’14 81 17 0 1 7 5 .233 .296 .274 .256 -4.8 1.6 -0.1
’15 164 36 3 1 16 15 .238 .293 .351 .286 -3.9 -1.4 -0.0

Profile: A couple years ago, it looked like Nelson might have some potential as a fantasy option, hitting .301/.352/.458 in 377 plate appearances. That production ended up being a Coors Field mirage, and over the last two seasons, his weighted offense has been about 40% below league-average. The 29-year-old will spend Spring Training with the Phillies as a non-roster invitee, but he’s not likely to make the team. (Scott Strandberg)

Quick Opinion: Fun fact: Chris Nelson’s middle name is Lars. How neat is that? Lars!

Adrian Nieto

Debut: 2014 |  BirthDate: 11/12/1989 | Team: White Sox | Position: C
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’14 118 25 2 0 7 8 .236 .296 .340 .287 -4.6 -2.8 -0.4
’15 89 17 2 1 8 8 .215 .279 .328 .273 -3.1 1.4 0.1

Profile: The White Sox definitely see something in Nieto. After picking him up in the Rule 5 draft, the team kept him on the roster the entire year, ensuring they wouldn’t have to give him back to the Nationals. Nieto’s numbers weren’t great, but he played fairly infrequently, receiving just 118 plate appearances. The team clearly views him as a developmental prospect, even though he’ll be 25 heading into the season. Nieto is unlikely to unseat Tyler Flowers as the team’s primary starter, and could find himself in the minors to begin the year after the White Sox brought in a number of catchers (including Geovany Soto) during the offseason. That’s probably for the best. Nieto went from High A to the majors last season, and could probably use some time in the minors to refine his approach. (Chris Cwik)

Quick Opinion: Nieto is still fairly raw despite his age. The White Sox liked him enough to hold onto him last season, and will probably let him develop in the minors this year.

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
’13 108 18 3 2 14 10 .189 .278 .337 .272 -1.9 3.0 0.5
’14 130 29 3 4 16 16 .259 .346 .482 .352 4.2 0.5 0.9
’15 141 28 4 2 14 14 .220 .290 .371 .293 -1.6 -1.3 0.1

Profile: If you are in a deep, daily NL-only league, then you could swap in Kirk Nieuwenhuis against righties. He’s shown above-average overall offense despite the flaws, and even had a .223 isolated slugging percentage in 2013. Both of these features are well above average, but 92% of his at-bats were against righties. At least he is on the more valuable side of a platoon from a fantasy perspective. (Dan Schwartz)

Jayson Nix

Debut: 2008 |  BirthDate: 8/26/1982 | Position: 2B/3B
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 303 63 3 13 24 32 .236 .308 .311 .279 -7.9 4.7 0.7
’14 91 10 1 1 4 2 .120 .169 .157 .154 -11.6 -0.6 -1.0
’15 1 0 0 0 0 0 .228 .285 .335 .278 -0.0 -0.0 0.0

Profile: Nix, 32, elected to become a free agent after he declined an assignment to Triple-A in the Royals system. Should he resurface with a major league team for 2015, however, the infielder and his lifetime .212/.282/.345 slash line would have very limited fantasy value, even if he did steal 13 bases as recently as 2013 and had back-to-back seasons of double digit home runs in 2009-10. (Karl de Vries)

Derek Norris

Debut: 2012 |  BirthDate: 2/14/1989 | Team: Padres | Position: C
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 308 65 9 5 30 41 .246 .345 .409 .335 5.4 3.2 2.0
’14 442 104 10 2 55 46 .270 .361 .403 .341 8.7 -0.6 2.5
’15 406 83 12 3 42 41 .235 .325 .386 .318 2.6 6.1 2.3

Profile: Derek Norris posted numerous single season highs in 2014, including home runs, RBI, batting average, on-base percentage, and walk rate. He managed to do this while also appearing in 127 games and accruing 442 plate appearances — both also single season highs for Norris — and flourishing in a platoon role with John Jaso. The right-handed hitting Norris did most his damage against lefty pitchers, hitting them at a 48% rate above league average. While he owned opposite-handed pitchers, Norris was still 6% better than average against fellow righties. As a member of the San Diego Padres, it seems as though he will be the everyday backstop. Despite posting a 0.63 walk to strikeout ratio (yet another personal best), there are offensive questions regarding Norris. Of his 10 home runs last year, eight were to the pull area of the field with the remaining two going to center. San Diego’s Petco Park ranked 27th in terms of right-handed home run power. Of course Oakland’s Coliseum ranked 22nd, so Norris may be able to once again reach double digits in the home run department, especially if he receives a full season behind the plate. Counting on another batted ball fueled .270 batting average would be naive (Norris’ .324 batting average on balls in play was over 20 points higher than his career average), though he did hit ground balls at a much higher rate than previously seen. Still, as a second or primary catcher in deep leagues, Norris holds some value, especially in OBP formats. (David Wiers)

Quick Opinion: Don’t count on another .270+ batting average from Norris, however his on-base skills and occasional power will bring a handful of home runs. His best fit would be in daily OBP formats while handcuffed with another catcher — playing the platoon advantage with Norris is important.

Eduardo Nunez

Debut: 2010 |  BirthDate: 6/15/1987 | Team: Twins | Position: 3B/SS/OF
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 336 79 3 10 28 38 .260 .307 .372 .298 -6.1 -18.0 -1.4
’14 213 51 4 9 24 26 .250 .271 .382 .287 -3.7 -3.3 -0.0
’15 187 45 2 7 18 19 .258 .300 .369 .296 -2.5 -2.0 0.2

Profile: The Twins sent fringy left-handed pitching prospect Miguel Sulbaran to the Yankees to acquire Nunez in hopes of shoring up its bench after the Jasons Bartlett and Kubel debacle. And while Nunez did in fact stand in a lot of different places for the Twins this season, he provided virtually nothing in terms of actual value. In fact, his he accrued exactly zero wins above replacement. He slugged a decent .382, but hit just .250 with a meager .271 on-base percentage. He was neither a sore thumb nor a useful appendage in the field, but there’s ample evidence from his time in New York that suggests that is an aberration. Nevertheless, the Twins tendered him a contract and he’ll at least be in camp with the club to battle for a back-end bench spot. (Brandon Warne)

Quick Opinion: Nunez has a little pop but isn’t a good defender anywhere, really. You can do worse for a 25th man on a big league roster, but I don’t suppose you’re a major league GM, are you?

Shawn O’Malley

Debut: 2014 |  BirthDate: 12/28/1987 | Position: OF
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’14 16 3 0 2 1 3 .188 .188 .188 .167 -1.0 -0.9 -0.2
’15 1 0 0 0 0 0 .234 .293 .314 .274 -0.0 -0.0 -0.0

Profile: O’Malley, 27, made his major league debut last season. A 3-for-16 showing with eight strikeouts doesn’t impress anyone, and it’s unsurprising the Angels eventually chose to release him. He should help another franchise in need of fortifying its minor league soldiery. (Brad Johnson)

Rougned Odor

Debut: 2014 |  BirthDate: 2/3/1994 | Team: Rangers | Position: 2B
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’14 417 100 9 4 48 39 .259 .297 .402 .306 -4.8 -3.7 0.5
’15 357 84 8 9 39 38 .252 .292 .391 .301 -5.4 0.6 0.7

Profile: Rougned Odor’s appearance in the major leagues on May 8th was really a worst-base scenario for Texas. An injury to Jurickson Profar — yet another talented middle infielder — necessitated the move, which thrust the 20-year-old rookie into the limelight. He appeared in 114 games in ’14 but walked just 17 times and (as expected) showed some rough edges to his overall game. Odor did a respectable job of keeping his head above water considering he had just 62 games of experience above A-ball and actually showed some pop at the plate with 30 of his 70 hits going for extra bases. In a perfect world, Texas would probably reinstall Profar at second base and allow Odor some additional development time but the former continues to battle with injuries and is a significant question mark heading into 2015. One thing is certain, though. Odor possesses a lot of raw potential. (Marc Hulet)

Quick Opinion: Odor was promoted to the majors well before he was ready but he was able to harness his raw ability enough to keep his head above water. Some additional seasoning in the minors would be ideal but the continued health concerns surrounding fellow young infielder Jurickson Profar could once again thrust Profar into big league action.

Miguel Olivo

Debut: 2002 |  BirthDate: 7/15/1978 | Position: C
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 80 15 4 0 9 5 .203 .250 .392 .280 -3.0 0.0 -0.1
’14 25 5 0 0 2 4 .217 .240 .304 .236 -1.8 -0.2 -0.1
’15 1 0 0 0 0 0 .212 .248 .355 .266 -0.0 0.0 0.0

Profile: Olivo was released from the Dodgers’ Triple-A affiliate in May after biting off a piece of a teammate’s ear. In a candidate for quote of the year, Dodger catcher A.J. Ellis quipped, “some people are hungry to get to the big leagues.” Olivo then played for the Toros de Tijuana in the Mexican league, and perhaps this year may find himself in a penal league near you! (Jeremy Blachman)

Mike Olt

Debut: 2012 |  BirthDate: 8/27/1988 | Team: Cubs | Position: 3B
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’14 258 36 12 0 33 23 .160 .248 .356 .270 -10.5 -2.7 -0.6
’15 304 55 12 2 34 31 .204 .285 .378 .296 -5.5 -2.4 0.1

Profile: Mike Olt was very recently an exciting Rangers prospect, smashing Double-A so hard he reached the majors at age 23 without even first trying on Triple-A to see if it fit. Well, turns out the majors were not the right size, and he now has a .221/.312/.418 slash across two seasons in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League. His contact issues in the minors — issues which grew with each promotion — have manifested themselves in the majors with a 37.9% strikeout rate. His 38.8% strikeout rate in 2014 was bad enough to lead the majors, minimum 250 plate appearances. Were Javier Baez not striking out at a 41% rate, Olt’s discipline issues would be the worst of any position player with just 80 plate appearances. Olt has also flexed a some power, both in the minors and his brief major league career. His 12 homers in 2014 prorate out to about 28 homers in a full season, but given the Cubs’ crowded infield situation, Olt is unlikely to get a full MLB season. Even with Luis Valbuena traded to Houston, Super Prospect Kris Bryant is thundering over the horizon, poised to take the job away by mid season. In other words: The obstacles to Olt’s fantasy relevance go deeper than his contact issues. (Bradley Woodrum)

Quick Opinion: Olt has struggled in Triple-A; he has flatlined in the majors; and he has to wrest the starting job at third in Chicago. In other words, Mike Olt is between a rock and a Kris Bryant, and he has one last chance to be fantasy relevant in the limited time it will take Bryant to be ready.

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
’13 600 160 30 4 103 84 .309 .395 .564 .400 30.9 -15.5 3.8
’14 602 136 35 0 104 59 .263 .355 .517 .369 17.0 -14.2 2.4
’15 601 144 26 1 91 84 .277 .366 .496 .368 17.7 -16.1 2.3

Profile: On the heels of a ridiculous 2013 postseason, the “David Ortiz is finished” columns may have been at their lowest point in years headed into 2014. And Big Papi continued to hit the ball, posting his 14th consecutive season with an isolated slugging percentage north of .200 (technically, all seasons have been north of .224). One might see the 40-point drop in batting average and say “regression!” although given that both his walk and strikeout rates remained within 1% of his 2013 marks, the regression in batting average on balls in play seems to be the most likely culprit there. Ortiz’s swing and contact rates seem in line with what they have been in previous years, implying he’s not chasing and/or swinging through more pitches as he approaches “over the hill” status. “Over the hill” in real years, not baseball, obviously. There are some negatives like a downturn in line drive rate and the fact that he is grounding out into shifts with more regularity, but it remains tough to write the big guy off. You always have to bake the potential for a “fall off the cliff” type season once a slugger gets into his mid-to-late thirties, but Ortiz should still provide some value in the middle rounds. He’ll get a bump up if your league gives him first base eligibility based on his five starts there last year. (Colin Zarzycki)

Quick Opinion: David Ortiz continues to beat Grimmy down with something that he is getting from the Prescott Group. Boston’s ageless slugger saw his slash line fall due to batted ball luck regression, but most other peripherals are roughly in line with previous years. It’s more likely he’ll decline than not, but there are few signs pointing to this being the year he finally is toast. Draft him if you need power/on-base help if he falls far enough.

Lyle Overbay

Debut: 2001 |  BirthDate: 1/28/1977 | Position: 1B
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 486 107 14 2 59 43 .240 .295 .393 .303 -9.2 -7.2 -0.0
’14 296 60 4 2 35 24 .233 .328 .333 .300 -3.0 -7.4 -0.2
’15 329 67 6 2 31 31 .228 .303 .350 .292 -6.8 -8.0 -0.5

Profile: Back in October, Overbay said that he was 99.9% sure that he was retiring. He still hasn’t officially made up his mind, but the 37-year-old first baseman hasn’t signed with anyone either. All signs still point to retirement, and even if he decides to give it another go, Overbay was just plain awful in Milwaukee last year. (Scott Strandberg)

Quick Opinion: Overbay will likely never play baseball again. If he does, keep in mind that his weighted offense hasn’t been above league-average since 2010.

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
’14 332 81 6 8 26 34 .261 .300 .406 .311 -1.7 8.7 1.8
’15 410 97 8 9 38 39 .251 .283 .378 .291 -9.5 6.0 0.9

Profile: With Didi Gregorious out of Arizona, Owings will get a chance to be the primary shortstop in the desert. Owings has a little pop and a little speed that should allow him to reach double digits in both homers and steals with regular playing time. That alone makes him worth a look in mixed leagues at his position. He also has some speed and an ability to hit line drives, so it’s possible he’s got a higher-than-normal batting average on balls in play in him, which could allow him to hit better than the .266 he has hit so far in his career. He does swing a bit too much on pitches outside the zone, so that will work against his batting average. But if he can cut down on those unnecessary swings, that too gives him some upside with his batting average. Brandon Crawford hit .246 with 10 homers and five steals last year and was our 13th ranked shortstop at the end of the year. So there’s no reason that Owings can’t be a top 12 shortstop. (Brett Talley)

Quick Opinion: Owings will be the primary shortstop in Arizona this year with Didi Gregorious gone. He’s got a little pop and a little speed that should allow him to reach double-digit steals and homers. That alone makes him worth mixed league consideration at his position.

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
’14 612 152 23 3 85 72 .269 .317 .455 .338 10.3 4.9 3.7
’15 615 144 22 4 77 66 .255 .304 .434 .324 3.6 5.6 3.0

Profile: Marcell Ozuna established himself as a big league regular in 2014, although it went almost unnoticed in the media void that is Miami baseball (unless your name is Giancarlo, that is). The Dominican native slugged 23 home runs and drove in 81 runs. The downsides to his game, though, are the massive strikeout rates and low walk totals, which lead to modest on-base numbers. Even if Ozuna struggles out of the gate in 2015, the lack of outfield depth — there are only three outfielders on the 40-man roster — suggests the starting center-field gig is his to run with. It at least bears mentioning that the young outfielder showed significantly more power at home than he did on the road, although a single season’s worth of data isn’t large enough to make any definitely conclusions. He’s a great power source in NL-only leagues and is a respectable choice in mixed leagues, especially when you consider he’ll have the protection from Stanton for a full year. (Marc Hulet)

Quick Opinion: Ozuna doesn’t fall into the elite outfielder category, at least not yet, but he’s a solid option when you’re looking to round out your roster with some power (and don’t mind the high strikeouts and low on-base average).





 

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