2015 Batter Profiles: P – R

by
February 9, 2015

Jordan Pacheco

Debut: 2011 |  BirthDate: 1/30/1986 | Position: C/1B
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 262 59 1 0 22 23 .239 .276 .312 .262 -15.8 -5.4 -1.5
’14 165 39 0 0 16 10 .255 .299 .333 .283 -8.1 -5.0 -0.9
’15 103 23 1 1 8 9 .242 .286 .333 .276 -3.7 -0.7 -0.2

Profile: The Rockies, one of the worst teams in baseball, gave up on Jordan Pacheco last season. Pacheco has a sliver of chance of working his way back up the majors, thanks in part to Arizona’s public refusal to sign a catcher. Even if he arrives, Pacheco’s game doesn’t transfer very well into fantasy. That’s pretty much all there is to say about that. (Landon Jones)

Angel Pagan

Debut: 2006 |  BirthDate: 7/2/1981 | Team: Giants | Position: OF
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 305 79 5 9 30 44 .282 .334 .414 .329 7.1 -3.8 1.3
’14 413 115 3 16 27 56 .300 .342 .389 .324 9.4 -4.4 1.9
’15 552 137 7 17 45 62 .273 .326 .384 .314 5.5 -5.2 1.8

Profile: A hamstring injury and a herniated disc have limited Pagan in the last two seasons, and with him entering his age 33 season, it’s hard to envision him approaching 600 plate appearances again. But he is atop the center field depth chart for the Giants, so he will have the opportunity to top 500 PA if he can stay healthy. When healthy the last two seasons, Pagan has maintained his good plate discipline and ability to hit line drives, so he can still contribute in the batting average department. Unfortunately he has not run as much or as well as he used to, and won’t steal more than 15-20 steals even if he gets to the plate enough. Combined with a decent run total, Pagan can be a decent three-category contributor when in the lineup. That makes him worth a look in deeper mixers and NL-only leagues. (Brett Talley)

Quick Opinion: Injuries have limited Pagan the last two years, but he can still hit for average and run a bit when he’s in the lineup. At the age of 33, Pagan may just be a bit more injury prone at this point, and he’ll probably never steal 30 again. But he has value in deeper mixers and NL-only leagues.

Joe Panik

Debut: 2014 |  BirthDate: 10/30/1990 | Team: Giants | Position: 2B
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’14 287 82 1 0 18 31 .305 .343 .368 .317 4.6 1.9 1.6
’15 598 139 5 4 47 56 .255 .309 .338 .290 -7.1 2.3 1.4

Profile: Joe Panik may face unfair expectations as a former No. 1 draft pick of the Giants. He has the potential to be a nifty little baseball player, perhaps a two-hole hitter, but his ceiling is lower than you might expect due to his modest defensive skills as second base, as well as his lack of speed and power. In other words, he’s a guy that needs to hit for average to be useful. He does make a lot of contact and usually gets on base at a respectable rate, but that might be it. Panik, a left-handed hitter, held his own against southpaws during his debut, which leads to optimism over his ability to avoid strict platoons. And in other goods news for fans of this ball player, veteran Marco Scutaro’s season may be over before it started due to reoccurring injury issues meaning Panik has few, if any, threats to his playing time. (Marc Hulet)

Quick Opinion: A sophomore on a veteran-ladened team, Panik nonetheless has a fairly clear path to the everyday gig at second base. He’s not going to be a star but he could be a solid supporting cast member, and a respectable add in NL-only leagues, and a possible mixed league contributor.

Jimmy Paredes

Debut: 2011 |  BirthDate: 11/25/1988 | Team: Orioles | Position: 3B
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 135 24 1 4 10 8 .192 .231 .248 .216 -11.5 -2.4 -1.0
’14 65 18 2 4 8 12 .286 .308 .444 .330 2.0 -3.9 0.0
’15 168 39 3 5 16 16 .246 .280 .362 .283 -4.2 -1.6 -0.0

Profile: This 26-year-old utility fielder has received a few chances to carve out an expanded role, but he’s struggled with a whiff problem in the majors. With the help of a .356 batting average on balls in play, Paredes was able to hit .286/.308/.444 in 65 plate appearances last season. Regression will likely smash that bastion of positive value, but his ability to play multiple positions while displaying a little pop and speed may earn him another bench job in Baltimore.(Brad Johnson)

Quick Opinion: Paredes has yet to succeed at the major league level, but his mix of power, speed, and utility should offer him a few more chances to cut down on the whiffs.

Chris Parmelee

Debut: 2011 |  BirthDate: 2/24/1988 | Position: 1B/OF
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 333 67 8 1 24 21 .228 .309 .354 .298 -7.2 -6.3 -0.3
’14 270 64 7 0 28 27 .256 .307 .384 .308 -3.7 -5.9 -0.1
’15 1 0 0 0 0 0 .246 .318 .391 .315 -0.0 -0.0 0.0

Profile: Parmelee’s 2011 season looks more and more aberrant by the passing day, as the Twins outrighted the tweener for the second offseason in a row after another subpar season with the big club. Parmelee opted for free agency, but will most certainly have to settle for a minor-league deal to keep his career afloat. A 2006 first-round pick, Parmelee has hit .249/.317/.392 in 901 big league plate appearances spanning four seasons. That’s not enough power or patience to stick, so he’ll have to make strides somewhere to be relevant. (Brandon Warne)

Quick Opinion: Even if Parmelee surfaces in a place he can make an impact, he still faces an uphill battle. At 27, the lights aren’t completely out, but are significantly dimming.

Gerardo Parra

Debut: 2009 |  BirthDate: 5/6/1987 | Team: Brewers | Position: OF
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 663 161 10 10 48 79 .268 .323 .403 .318 -3.5 26.0 4.6
’14 574 138 9 9 40 64 .261 .308 .369 .298 -11.1 -5.4 0.1
’15 326 77 6 7 30 34 .260 .318 .381 .308 -3.0 1.1 0.9

Profile: Parra has earned a reputation as a stout defender with a slightly below average bat. While fantasy owners don’t benefit from his defensive prowess, his offensive skills do play up. When he’s given a full complement of plate appearances, he’s a good bet for double digits in home runs and stolen bases. His success rate on the base paths is terrible — career 55-for-89 — so there’s always a risk he’ll be given the red light. He features a substantial platoon split over his career, so turn to him when a right-hander is on the mound. He’ll be most valuable if he can worm his way ahead of Carlos Gomez, Ryan Braun, and Jonathan Lucroy in the lineup, but a top-of-the-order role seems unlikely. He’ll probably form something of a platoon with Khris Davis. (Brad Johnson)

Quick Opinion: Excluding defense, Parra’s fantasy value probably outstrips his real life talent. As a predictable platoon hitter with a solid supporting cast and homer friendly park, he could help as a streaming target.

Andy Parrino

Debut: 2011 |  BirthDate: 10/31/1985 | Position: SS
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 36 4 0 0 1 2 .118 .167 .176 .158 -4.4 -1.4 -0.5
’14 51 7 1 0 3 4 .152 .216 .283 .224 -3.5 1.6 -0.0
’15 1 0 0 0 0 0 .224 .291 .320 .275 -0.0 0.0 0.0

Profile: Although the Oakland middle infield is a bit of a question mark, don’t count on Andy Parrino getting too many plate appearances. The 29-year-old has never accrued even more than 150 major league PAs in a single season and lack of power and speed don’t make him a great option for fantasy owners. (David Wiers)

Tyler Pastornicky

Debut: 2012 |  BirthDate: 12/13/1989 | Position: 2B
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 33 9 0 0 0 5 .300 .323 .333 .292 0.2 -0.8 0.0
’14 47 8 0 0 2 4 .200 .304 .250 .261 -2.6 -0.9 -0.2
’15 1 0 0 0 0 0 .248 .296 .340 .284 -0.0 0.0 0.0

Profile: Pastornicky will try and vie for a backup role with the Braves once again, but will likely not get much playing time. Even if he steals some plate appearances from Alberto Callaspo at second base early in the season, top prospect Jose Peraza will be ready sooner rather than later. (Ben Duronio)

Xavier Paul

Debut: 2009 |  BirthDate: 2/25/1985 | Position: OF
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 239 51 7 0 32 24 .244 .339 .402 .327 -0.3 -5.9 0.1
’14 21 2 0 0 0 2 .100 .143 .100 .089 -3.7 0.2 -0.3
’15 1 0 0 0 0 0 .247 .305 .394 .308 -0.0 -0.0 -0.0

Profile: Paul begins the 2015 campaign with his seventh different organization since 2011. The 30-year-old journeyman outfielder will enter Spring Training as a non-roster invitee with the Phillies. It would take a plethora of injuries to get Paul a fantasy-relevant amount of playing time, and even then, the career .250/.311/.368 hitter wouldn’t likely be able to do much with it. (Scott Strandberg)

Quick Opinion: As per usual, feel free to ignore Xavier Paul for fantasy purposes. 

Ben Paulsen

Debut: 2014 |  BirthDate: 10/27/1987 | Team: Rockies | Position: 1B
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’14 66 20 4 0 10 8 .317 .348 .571 .397 1.9 0.9 0.5
’15 20 4 1 0 2 2 .244 .299 .411 .312 -0.5 -0.3 -0.0

Profile: The 27-year-old Paulsen got his first taste of big-league action in 2014, swatting four homers in just 66 plate appearances. He has some pop in his bat, averaging 17.5 home runs per year in Double-A and Triple-A. However, Paulsen also has some serious swing-and-miss tendencies, posting a strikeout rate of at least 22% in each of his last four seasons. His glove only plays at first base, so it would likely take a Justin Morneau injury to get Paulsen on the major-league roster. (Scott Strandberg)

Quick Opinion: If Morneau starts the year on the disabled list as he recovers from knee surgery, Paulsen could be a sneaky short-term option in NL-only leagues, but that’s about it.

Steve Pearce

Debut: 2007 |  BirthDate: 4/13/1983 | Team: Orioles | Position: 1B/OF
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 138 31 4 1 13 14 .261 .362 .420 .345 4.4 -1.2 0.8
’14 383 99 21 5 49 51 .293 .373 .556 .404 26.8 5.4 4.9
’15 583 138 23 6 73 77 .270 .349 .467 .358 18.4 -8.6 3.1

Profile: Steve Pearce has always hit left-handed pitching pretty well. In 2014, almost no one hit lefties better than Pearce, and absolutely no one hit them with more power. Pearce’s slugging (.704) and isolated slugging (.378) vs. lefties were tops in the league among players with 100 or more plate appearances, and his weighted offense numbers (.472 wOBA and 209 wRC+) were second only to Victor Martinez. Pearce also hit right-handers very well for the first time in his career. His final 5×5 numbers — a .293 average, 21 home runs, 51 runs, 49 runs batted, and even five steals in as many attempts in a half season’s worth of at-bats — were a revelation to fantasy owners who bought in early on the 31-year-old’s breakout. Should you buy in for 2015? Pearce stands to receive more playing time, so that’s one thing. He doesn’t appear to have been crazy lucky on balls in play in 2014. There’s the fact that he has closed up his batting stance and brought his hands closer to his chest, quickening his swing and allowing him to adjust to different pitch types, which is backed up by his pitch type values. He hit more line drives and fly balls in 2014. These all bode well. The one cause for concern is the drastic jump in his home run per fly ball rate, but he also increased his fly ball and home run distance by a significant amount (275 ft average from 2011-2013; 288 ft in 2014), so he hit the ball with more authority and wasn’t just getting lucky. He also avoids swinging at pitches out of the strike zone and, by extension, takes walks at a very good clip. It’s probably not possible for Pearce to repeat the excellent season he just had, but his breakout season passes the luck test and is corroborated anecdotally by a change in his batting stance and swing. Given more playing time in 2015, I would count on nice increases in all the counting stats (I’ll actually take the over on Steamer’s home run, run, and RBI projections), with a pedestrian but not bad batting average. (Robert J. Baumann)

Quick Opinion: Pearce’s breakout 2014 appears to be more than luck. Even if we can’t expect him to repeat his rate stats, a bigger role with the Orioles will produce significant counting stats. Calling him a top-30 outfielder is not a stretch.

Dustin Pedroia

Debut: 2006 |  BirthDate: 8/17/1983 | Team: Red Sox | Position: 2B
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 724 193 9 17 84 91 .301 .372 .415 .347 12.9 13.3 5.4
’14 609 153 7 6 53 72 .278 .337 .376 .318 -0.2 20.3 4.4
’15 620 156 10 10 67 78 .283 .352 .406 .337 8.0 13.5 4.6

Profile: Another year, another drop in the power department for Boston’s diminutive second baseman. The 31-year-old only hit seven home runs in over 600 plate appearances in 2014. He hadn’t been under that number since his 2006 cup of coffee (two homers in 98 plate appearances). Part of the reason for this slide may have been… a literal slide. Carlos Gomez plowed into Pedroia during the first week of last year’s campaign, causing the infielder to land on his left wrist. This injury apparently plagued him throughout the campaign and he eventually shut it down in September to have doctors perform a “first dorsal compartment release and a tenosynovectomy.” That does not sound pleasant. Even with the injury, Pedroia posted above-average (for him, at least) line drive rates and fly ball distance, and his desire to play through the injury still gave him top-12 value at second base by the end of the season (quantity over quality, baby!). He’ll be an incredibly tough guy to rank in 2015, with his ranking hinging on the health and strength of his arms. Let him go if someone wants to draft him among the top six or so second basemen, there’s too much risk there. If he falls towards back-end starting second base or middle infield material, however, don’t be afraid to roll the dice on finding positive value in the middle-late rounds. (Colin Zarzycki)

Quick Opinion: Dustin Pedroia hurt his arm/wrist/finger/whatever again. Dustin Pedroia’s power output continued to crash down to earth. Dustin Pedroia had surgery to fix said ailment. Don’t draft Dustin Pedroia like you would have two years ago, but if he’s healthy, maybe Dustin Pedroia isn’t such a terrible choice if you still need a middle infielder in the middle rounds.

Brayan Pena

Debut: 2005 |  BirthDate: 1/7/1982 | Team: Reds | Position: C/1B
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 243 68 4 0 22 19 .297 .315 .397 .311 -7.1 0.6 0.2
’14 372 88 5 2 26 23 .253 .291 .353 .284 -16.8 0.7 -0.6
’15 318 74 5 3 29 27 .250 .289 .355 .285 -10.1 0.3 -0.0

Profile: Brayan Pena set a career-high in plate appearances last season, despite Devin Mesoraco’s superb breakout season. That’s mostly because he was forced to start at first base for the first time in his career, and for 45 games as Joey Votto sat on the disabled list with quad injuries. He’s a good defensive catcher, but Pena offers very little in the way of average, power, or speed, and should dip back down to ~250 plate appearances in the upcoming season with Mesoraco behind the dish and a healthy Votto at first. He shouldn’t even be a backup option on your fantasy team in deep leagues. (August Fagerstrom)

Quick Opinion: Pena got a decent amount of playing time in 2014, but it sure wasn’t because of his bat. Injuries forced the Reds to give Pena 372 plate appearances, and they’d prefer not to do that again.

Carlos Pena

Debut: 2001 |  BirthDate: 5/17/1978 | Position: 1B
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 328 58 8 1 25 38 .207 .321 .346 .298 -6.9 -9.2 -0.6
’14 63 8 1 1 2 4 .136 .190 .237 .195 -8.3 0.7 -0.6
’15 1 0 0 0 0 0 .218 .318 .386 .314 -0.0 -0.0 0.0

Profile: The immortal Carlos Pena may have played his last baseball game in 2014, but he’ll still be around the game in 2015 as an analyst for the MLB Network. (Scott Spratt)

Hunter Pence

Debut: 2007 |  BirthDate: 4/13/1983 | Team: Giants | Position: OF
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 687 178 27 22 99 91 .283 .339 .483 .356 32.3 -1.9 5.5
’14 708 180 20 13 74 106 .277 .332 .445 .341 25.4 -3.4 4.7
’15 648 157 19 11 76 75 .269 .329 .434 .335 15.8 -7.7 3.0

Profile: Aside from 17 more runs scored than he had in 2014, Pence’s performance declined last year in virtually every category. He had seven fewer home runs, nine fewer steals, 25 fewer RBI, and he lost six points of his batting average. He walked a bit less, struck out a bit more, hit fewer line drives, more ground balls and infield fly balls, and made a little less contact. To be fair, he was regressing from a 2013 season that was one of his two best years. But when you see that much decline from a guy on the wrong side of 30, it’s not unreasonable to expect the decline to continue the following year. Pence is still going to be productive, and he’s been remarkably consistent and healthy for the last seven years. That consistency has value. But odds are that his draft day price won’t match his end-of-season production. Maybe his high floor is high enough to make up for that gap, but he’s unlikely to be a value. (Brett Talley)

Quick Opinion: Pence has been remarkably consistent for a number of years, but his production declined in virtually every category last year. With him being on the wrong side of 30, it’s not unreasonable to expect the decline to continue. No one could fault you for targeting Pence and his high floor, but if you’re after value, Pence isn’t likely to return any.

Cliff Pennington

Debut: 2008 |  BirthDate: 6/15/1984 | Team: Diamondbacks | Position: 2B/SS
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 299 65 1 2 18 25 .242 .310 .309 .273 -12.0 10.1 0.8
’14 201 45 2 6 10 21 .254 .340 .350 .314 0.6 7.3 1.5
’15 357 78 4 7 29 33 .245 .312 .346 .295 -7.1 1.9 0.6

Profile: It’s possible that Pennington gets more work this year with Didi Gregorious gone, but more than likely Chris Owings will get most of the work and Pennington will continue to be irrelevant. (Brett Talley)

Jhonny Peralta

Debut: 2003 |  BirthDate: 5/28/1982 | Team: Cardinals | Position: SS
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 448 124 11 3 55 50 .303 .358 .457 .356 10.2 8.3 3.6
’14 628 147 21 3 75 61 .262 .336 .443 .343 12.2 18.8 5.4
’15 572 132 14 3 64 58 .256 .323 .402 .321 1.2 6.6 2.7

Profile: Jhonny Peralta has been one of the most consistent shortstops in baseball in his career. Since his first full season in 2005, Peralta has hit at least 11 home runs every season and 20 or more in five of those 10 seasons, including 2014. he broke into the majors at a young age, so he’s still just 32 years old. There’s little reason to expect an imminent decline. Peralta offers no speed and limited RBI and run potential in the bottom third of the Cardinals’ order, but his power, decent average, and consistency makes him a solid middle infield option in standard formats. (Scott Spratt)

Quick Opinion: Peralta is as consistent a shortstop as you can find in baseball. He has hit 11 or more home runs in each of the previous 10 seasons. His lack of speed limits his upside, but his downside is also limited, which makes him a solid middle infield option in standard formats.

David Peralta

Debut: 2014 |  BirthDate: 8/14/1987 | Team: Diamondbacks | Position: OF
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’14 348 94 8 6 36 40 .286 .320 .450 .337 3.5 -3.2 1.2
’15 457 115 10 6 49 48 .270 .309 .417 .319 -1.3 -5.4 0.8

Profile: Peralta figures to split time with Ender Inciarte in left field for the Diamondbacks this year. Steamer projects him to see around 450 plate appearances in that timeshare. As a rookie last year, Peralta hit eight home runs and stole six bases in about 350 plate appearances, so there is a chance he reaches double digits in both of those categories with a little more playing time. He doesn’t walk much, but he does make enough contact to maintain a respectable batting average. If he were to have 20 HR+SB, 100 R+RBI and a .270-ish batting average, he’d be a borderline top 50 outfielder. If you think he can hit those marks, he can be your fifth outfielder in anything other than a shallow mixed league. If you don’t think he can hit those marks, he’s only an option in deeper mixed leagues and NL-only leagues. As an older former pitcher making the transition to the outfield, Peralta does not own much projectability, though. (Brett Talley)

Quick Opinion: Peralta should be on the favorable side of a left field platoon in Arizona has a chance to reach double digits in homers and steals while hitting for a decent average. If he hits those marks, he’s a borderline top 50 outfielder worth a look in anything other than shallow mixed leagues.

Juan Perez

Debut: 2013 |  BirthDate: 11/13/1986 | Team: Giants | Position: OF
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 97 23 1 2 8 8 .258 .302 .348 .288 -1.7 13.5 1.6
’14 109 17 1 0 3 13 .170 .224 .270 .225 -6.4 -0.7 -0.4
’15 108 23 2 2 10 9 .233 .274 .339 .273 -2.9 -0.3 0.0

Profile: World Series hero (with the glove) Juan Perez remains a fifth outfield option offering little at the plate or on the bases. (Drew Fairservice

Salvador Perez

Debut: 2011 |  BirthDate: 5/10/1990 | Team: Royals | Position: C
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 526 145 13 0 79 48 .292 .323 .433 .329 1.1 16.1 3.7
’14 606 150 17 1 70 57 .260 .289 .403 .303 -6.5 16.6 3.3
’15 478 123 14 1 58 52 .274 .309 .425 .321 1.5 15.7 3.6

Profile: Salvador Perez is one of the better catchers in baseball these days, but his observed offensive production has declined each season since his debut. Some of that is likely random variation up and down in batted ball luck. Moreover, the 25-year-old’s home run power in 2014 took something of a leap. However, last season was easily his worst at the plate, and it was not all bad luck. His batting average on balls in play dropped to a career-worst .278, and though some of that is likely due to bad luck, Perez is an extremely slow right-handed hitter. Even more problematic is the seeming lack of improvement when it comes to drawing walks. The lack of walks is counterbalanced by Perez’ ability to get his bat on the ball, but his strikeout rate also took a jump in 2014. Generally, pitchers have figured out that Perez will swing at anything, and his swing rate took a big jump. The lack of plate discipline obviously is hurting his walk and strikeout rates, and it might also be hurting him when he does make contact on balls he really can’t handle — his rate of pop-ups took a big leap. To put Perez’ pop-up rate in perspective, it was higher than Mike Moustakas’s in 2014. Yikes. The Royals seem dedicated to playing Perez into the ground (he played in 138 games in 2013, 150 in 2014 not counting the playoffs), so that might be taking its toll. All that being said, if he can play all those games and stay healthy, he’s valuable. There is upside given his age, but he might also get hurt, and the lack of development in his plate approach is troubling. Getting .275/.310/.430 from a catcher will help in any league, just do not treat him as anything like a fantasy superstar. (Matt Klaassen)

Quick Opinion: Just being a “top catcher” does not make a player a fantasy superstar. Salvador Perez should be drafted in every league, but a poor plate approach limits his upside, despite his age.

Hernan Perez

Debut: 2012 |  BirthDate: 3/26/1991 | Team: Tigers | Position: 2B/3B
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 71 13 0 1 5 13 .197 .217 .227 .198 -6.4 -1.1 -0.6
’14 6 1 0 0 0 1 .200 .333 .200 .263 -0.3 0.0 -0.0
’15 170 40 2 5 15 17 .251 .285 .347 .280 -4.6 0.4 0.1

Profile: Going into 2013, Hernan Perez was considered a Top 15 prospect for the Tigers based on his defensive capability and above-average speed. But now things are different. Julio Iglesias should be the Tigers’ everyday shortstop, while Dixon Machado offers more impact with the bat. (Dan Schwartz)

Shane Peterson

Debut: 2013 |  BirthDate: 2/11/1988 | Team: Brewers | Position: 1B
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 8 1 0 0 1 1 .143 .250 .143 .197 -0.9 -0.8 -0.2
’15 67 15 1 1 6 7 .247 .325 .378 .314 -0.3 -0.8 0.1

Profile: Despite turning 27 before opening day, Peterson still has the ability to hit for a high average with 10 homers and 10 steals while playing a decent corner outfield. He was noticeably affected by not making the big league club in 2013, which is the only reason he hasn’t seen extended looks yet. He’ll get that opportunity with the Brewers in 2015. (Dan Farnsworth)

Jace Peterson

Debut: 2014 |  BirthDate: 5/9/1990 | Team: Braves | Position: 2B/3B
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’14 58 6 0 2 0 3 .113 .161 .113 .123 -7.5 0.3 -0.6
’15 260 54 2 9 20 21 .230 .297 .314 .276 -7.6 0.4 0.0

Profile: At the minor-league level, Peterson continued doing in 2014 what he’d done over his previous three seasons of affiliated baseball — which is to say, make contact, produce walk rates nearly identical to his strikeout rates, and occupy a spot on the more challenging end of the defensive spectrum. A useful if not necessarily rousing skill set, it didn’t translate to the major leagues during Peterson’s first exposure to that level. Ultimately, over 382 plate appearances between Double- and Triple-A, Peterson produced walk and strikeout rates of 13.4% and 15.4%, respectively. In 58 plate appearances with the Padres, though, those numbers deteriorated considerably, coming to just 3.4% and 31.0%, respectively. An offseason trade to Atlanta (in the same deal that sent Justin Upton to San Diego) places him in the middle of an uncertain second-base situation which includes a number of options (Alberto Callaspo, Corban Joseph, Peterson himself) but no obvious solutions. That’s not the worst-case scenario for a player like Peterson, who’s been proficient at every level but the majors. (Carson Cistulli)

Quick Opinion: After having exhibited the capacity to hit and field competently at every minor-league level, it follows that Peterson probably has the skill to do that in the majors, as well. He’s likely to see some time — although certainly not an immediate starting role — at second base for Atlanta, to which club he was traded in December.

Gregorio Petit

Debut: 2008 |  BirthDate: 12/10/1984 | Position: 3B/SS
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’14 100 27 2 0 9 14 .278 .300 .423 .318 0.4 0.3 0.4
’15 1 0 0 0 0 0 .236 .276 .338 .273 -0.0 0.0 0.0

Profile: Triple-A lifer Petit has been playing at that level since 2007, but until this year, he had only logged 56 plate appearances in the majors. That fact speaks an awful lot to who the 30-year-old journeyman is as a player — he’s the kind of guy you sign to plug a hole in Triple-A, not a guy you’re planning on calling up. As fate would have it, I’ve seen a whole lot of Petit over the years. I live near Oklahoma City, where he played in 2010 as a member of the Rangers’ organization. Last year, with the team operating as a Houston affiliate, he returned for another season in OKC. With my luck, he’ll probably end up with the Dodgers, seeing as OKC will operate as LA’s Triple-A affiliate this year. (Scott Strandberg)

Quick Opinion: Gregorio Petit ownership and fantasy baseball success are mutually exclusive terms.

Thomas Pham

Debut: 2014 |  BirthDate: 3/8/1988 | Team: Cardinals | Position: OF
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’14 2 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000 .000 -0.5 -0.0 -0.0
’15 1 0 0 0 0 0 .254 .314 .382 .310 -0.0 -0.0 0.0

Profile: Pham has been kicking around in the Cardinals’ minor-league system since 2006. He got his first taste of major-league action last year, striking out in both of his plate appearances. That result wasn’t very surprising at all, because Pham strikes out constantly. He’s a career .253/.336/.408 hitter in the minors, with a 24.9% strikeout rate. (Scott Strandberg)

Quick Opinion: Thomas Pham will not likely play a role in fantasy baseball, in this year or any other year that follows it.

Josh Phegley

Debut: 2013 |  BirthDate: 2/12/1988 | Team: Athletics | Position: C
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 213 42 4 2 22 14 .206 .223 .299 .229 -15.4 3.7 -0.5
’14 38 8 3 0 7 4 .216 .211 .514 .306 -0.5 1.0 0.2
’15 178 40 5 1 20 19 .241 .283 .395 .299 -1.5 3.1 0.8

Profile: It’s unclear if Phegley is a Quad-A player, or if he just hasn’t had enough at-bats in the majors to prove he belongs. He was a bit of a late-bloomer, breaking out at 25 years old. He’ll turn 27 in February, and won’t have much longer to show he’s a major leaguer. The A’s will attempt to figure that out, as the team picked him up as part of the Jeff Samardzija deal. A few weeks later, the club dealt Derek Norris, leaving a sizable hole behind the plate. The A’s have had success with castoffs like Phegley in the past, so he could stumble into a fair amount of playing time in 2015. He’s not a big walker, but he’s shown solid power in the minors. Whether he can hit in the majors is still up for debate, but his path to playing time is pretty clear after Oakland traded away Norris and John Jaso. (Chris Cwik)

Quick Opinion: Phegley is unproven at the majors, but it looks like he might actually get a shot this season. The A’s have had success with castoffs like Phegley in the past, but whether he can actually hit in the majors is anyone’s guess.

Cord Phelps

Debut: 2011 |  BirthDate: 1/23/1987 | Position: PH/PR
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 9 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000 .000 -2.2 -1.8 -0.4
’14 3 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000 .000 -0.7 0.0 -0.1
’15 1 0 0 0 0 0 .246 .315 .375 .308 -0.0 -0.0 0.0

Profile: A quad-A type player that has been consistently above average in Triple-A since 2010 while playing every position but catcher (including pitching last year), Phelps has never been given a real shot in the majors. The Phillies signed him to a minor league deal with an invitation to spring training, and he probably has a chance to make the team as a super utility player. There’s even a possibility that he challenges Grady Sizemore for time in right field, or Cody Asche for time at third base. Phelps has a good approach at the plate, walking quite a bit (11.8% walk rate) while not striking out much (17.1% strikeout rate), and has shown some decent power (.171 isolated slugging) during his four stints in Triple-A. However, without a path to regular or at least platoon playing time, he’s not going to be of much use to fantasy owners. If things go his way in spring training, and he seems to be in line for significant time, he could be a great candidate for a bench spot in deeper mixed or NL-Only leagues, as he might be eligible at first, second, third, short, and/or outfield, depending on your league’s requirements. (Robert J. Baumann)

Quick Opinion: Things will have to break right for Cord Phelps to be fantasy relevant in 2015, but if playing time and multi-position eligibility are bestowed upon him, he’ll become an interesting flyer.

Brandon Phillips

Debut: 2002 |  BirthDate: 6/28/1981 | Team: Reds | Position: 2B
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 666 158 18 5 103 80 .261 .310 .396 .307 -7.0 10.9 2.6
’14 499 123 8 2 51 44 .266 .306 .372 .300 -8.3 9.9 1.8
’15 535 128 12 4 55 53 .259 .306 .385 .305 -5.4 10.1 2.3

Profile: In 2006, Phillips began an eight-year stretch in which he averaged 20 home runs, 19 stolen bases, 83 knocked in and 86 runs scored a season, all while compiling a .766 on-base plus slugging percentage, numbers that made him a highly valuable second baseman. But despite establishing a new career high with 103 RBIs in 2013, there were ominous signs that a decline was on the way: his slugging percentage dipped below .400 for the first time in his career and the stolen bases dried up, problems that would continue into his next season. Some of the blame in 2014 can be attributed to a torn ligament in his left thumb that cost him five weeks, and a supporting cast that lost Shin-Soo Choo to free agency and Joey Votto to a quadriceps injury, not Jay Bruce’s bat to wherever it went. But Phillips was more than just a victim of circumstance; his average batted ball distance plunged more than 10 feet from his career norm, which explains a sharp decrease in the frequency in which his fly balls turned into home runs. On top of that, his contact rate slipped under 80% for the second year in a row, and his swinging strike percentage rose for the third straight year. For Phillips, who turns 34 in June, age seems to be quickly catching up to him, and despite playing in a hitter-friendly park, there are too many troubling indicators to ignore what’s become a clear period of decline for the three-time all-star. (Karl de Vries)

Quick Opinion: As second base has become deeper in recent years, Phillips shouldn’t be depended upon as more than a low-end option in mixed leagues.

A.J. Pierzynski

Debut: 1998 |  BirthDate: 12/30/1976 | Team: Braves | Position: C
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 529 137 17 1 70 48 .272 .297 .425 .313 -9.0 6.6 1.6
’14 362 85 5 0 37 25 .251 .288 .337 .277 -14.3 -0.9 -0.4
’15 188 43 4 1 19 16 .244 .281 .360 .282 -5.7 3.3 0.3

Profile: Pierzynski’s run with the Red Sox went about as poorly as one could imagine. It wasn’t just that he hit only .254/.286/.348 and had thrown out just 19% of opposing base thieves. Once again, work ethic and attitude issues plagued him as his handling of the Red Sox staff came under fire. With the Red Sox a sinking ship for most of the season, Pierzynski found himself out of a job at midseason. Eventually, a St. Louis Cardinals squad missing Yadier Molina came calling, and handed a broken-down Pierzynski 88 more essentially fruitless plate appearances. The Braves gave him a one-year deal this offseason for $2 million, and he’ll likely serve as some sort of mentor for young Christian Bethancourt — if he lasts the whole season. (Brandon Warne)

Quick Opinion: Pierzynski’s narrow margin for error ran out in Boston, and at 38 he looks completely cooked.

Kevin Pillar

Debut: 2013 |  BirthDate: 1/4/1989 | Team: Blue Jays | Position: OF
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 110 21 3 0 13 11 .206 .250 .333 .259 -5.6 1.8 -0.0
’14 122 31 2 1 7 19 .267 .295 .397 .304 -0.8 2.2 0.6
’15 427 106 8 14 47 47 .266 .301 .398 .308 -2.9 -2.4 0.9

Profile: Kevin Pillar has been lurking for a little while on the fringes of the Blue Jays’ outfield situation. And now that Colby Rasmus and Anthony Gose are gone, well, he’s still on the fringe behind Michael Saunders and Dalton Pompey. Saunders was actually pretty decent in limited playing time for Seattle in 2014, and Pompey is a pretty promising youngster. Still, Saunders has never been especially impressive over nearly 2000 major league plate appearances, and Pompey is pretty raw. In other words, the opportunity may present itself for Pillar to step into some playing time. He did smack the ball around pretty well in Triple-A the previous two seasons, although his numbers in brief visits to the majors were pretty lousy. Pillar might even get some playing time in a platoon with Saunders. Even so, do not expect much. His walk rates were pretty lousy in the majors and high minors, and his power and contact skills are not enough to offset it. Pillar is 25, which does in itself indicate some upside here. If one squints hard enough, one can imagine him as a 10 home run, 20 steal player, but that requires squinting, a pair of reading glasses, and a lucky rabbit’s foot. Low-end outfield depth in deep Al-only leagues assuming he is slated for playing time. (Matt Klaassen)

Quick Opinion: Pillar might get a shot at playing time for the Jays this year in a platoon or fourth outfield role, but he does not stand out among those sorts of players. He is outfield depth in deep leagues at best. 

Josmil Pinto

Debut: 2013 |  BirthDate: 3/31/1989 | Team: Twins | Position: C/DH
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 83 26 4 0 12 10 .342 .398 .566 .418 6.5 -0.8 0.9
’14 197 37 7 0 18 25 .219 .315 .391 .315 -1.0 -4.4 0.1
’15 355 79 10 2 39 39 .248 .319 .400 .319 1.2 -3.6 1.0

Profile: It’s clear the Twins don’t think much of Pinto as a catcher. Although for some reason he hasn’t been able to find himself getting consistent plate appearances in the major leagues even though the Twins have had a gaping hole at designated hitter for most of that period, too. After Kendrys Morales was dealt to Seattle, Kennys Vargas got the first crack at those plate appearances and fared relatively well, leaving Pinto to rot in Rochester, where he hit .279/.376/.457. Coming into his age-26 season, Pinto will most certainly crack the big-league roster, but might be hard pressed to find time behind Kurt Suzuki behind the plate and Vargas at DH. These kinds of things usually work themselves out — Suzuki is no great shakes offensively — but the Twins haven’t always been on the right side of these sort of things, either (see: Ortiz, D). (Brandon Warne)

Quick Opinion: Pinto is a fascinating player this year in fantasy baseball. One slip from Suzuki or Vargas — and look at them, this isn’t much of a reach — could spring an avalanche of playing time for the mashing Venezuelan. At a buck or a back-end draft choice in deep drafts, you could do worse for a flier.

Jose Pirela

Debut: 2014 |  BirthDate: 11/21/1989 | Team: Yankees | Position: 2B/DH
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’14 25 8 0 0 3 6 .333 .360 .542 .388 1.3 0.5 0.3
’15 99 23 2 2 10 10 .248 .296 .371 .296 -1.6 0.6 0.2

Profile: After the Yankees traded Martin Prado over the offseason, there was a time when both Pirela and Rob Refsnyder were considered candidates to fill second base for the Yankees in 2015. Now that the team has signed Stephen Drew, that seems less likely, although given Drew’s recent uselessness — he slashed just .162/.237/.299 in 85 games between the Red Sox and Yankees last season — it’s possible that the Bombers might take another look at Plan A after all. Pirela, 25, hit .305/.351/.441 in Triple-A last year, smacking 10 homers and stealing 15 bases. He’s stolen as many as 30 bases in a season, back in 2010 while playing in the Florida State League, and has shown good discipline at the plate, managing a 13.8% strikeout rate over his minor league career. Like Refsnyder, there are questions about Pirela’s glove (he’s a former outfielder), which could impact his viability for a job at second base, and there’s a chance he’s behind Refsnyder on the team’s second base depth chart. If so, that could mean his 2015 is filled with mostly bench duty, nixing any potential fantasy value. (Karl de Vries)

Quick Opinion: Pirela doesn’t have a significant ceiling and is extremely raw, though if he were to get regular at-bats in Yankee Stadium, he could prove to be an interesting middle infield option in deeper leagues.

Trevor Plouffe

Debut: 2010 |  BirthDate: 6/15/1986 | Team: Twins | Position: 3B
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 522 121 14 2 52 44 .254 .309 .392 .309 -8.0 -6.6 0.3
’14 582 134 14 2 80 69 .258 .328 .423 .331 5.5 7.8 3.5
’15 514 114 16 2 60 57 .248 .315 .412 .322 2.0 -5.8 1.4

Profile: Last year I wrote “The sun hasn’t set on Plouffe, at least not yet. Check back a year from now though, and one might find a drastically different story.” That appears to have come to fruition. The whole season sort of flew under the radar, but Plouffe turned into quite a nice third baseman for the Twins in 2014. He poked 40 doubles, hit 14 homers, and set career bests in walk rate and strikeout rate — all while finally playing a decent third base. Plouffe broke his forearm during the last week of the season, but is apparently all systems go now. It was long believed that Plouffe was keeping third base warm for Miguel Sano, and while that may still be true, it’s going to be much tougher than previously expected for the young slugger. Not only was Sano out all last season with Tommy John surgery, but there have been whispers of a position change for him in the past few months as well. While that seems unlikely, it still shows that the Twins are committed to seeing exactly what Plouffe can do for them in 2015, and perhaps longer. With offense stunted leaguewide, Plouffe’s .331 weighted on-base average ranked 11th among qualified third basemen, ahead of the following players: Pablo Sandoval, Evan Longoria, Chase Headley, David Freese, David Wright and Xander Bogaerts. That’s a pretty good list. (Brandon Warne)

Quick Opinion: Plouffe continued to pummel balls he pulled, but also learned to go the other way, take a walk, and play some defense. This rounding into form seems to suggest that he’s taking the next step to becoming a long-term solution for the Twins. He’s a legitimate third base target, especially in leagues that use slugging percentage. If you miss out on your top-tier third baseman, give Plouffe a look. 

Gregory Polanco

Debut: 2014 |  BirthDate: 9/14/1991 | Team: Pirates | Position: OF
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’14 312 65 7 14 33 50 .235 .307 .343 .293 -1.0 -6.4 0.2
’15 566 128 14 23 54 64 .250 .310 .382 .307 -0.8 -7.3 1.0

Profile: Gregory Polanco split the 2014 season between Triple-A and the Majors but never really found his footing in The Show. The good news is that he showed flashes of everything that made him one of the top prospects in the minors, including a nice swing, developing power and above-average base running. Now, all he needs to do to realize his full potential is hit southpaws (.727 OPS vs righties, .466 vs lefties) and perform better on the road (.722 OPS at home vs .582 on the road). In time, the 23-year-old outfielder has the skill to develop into a 20-20 hitter with a .280+ batting average. The Pirates boast one of the most explosive outfields in baseball and Polanco is intriguing both as a dynasty player, as well as a potential mixed league, breakout sleeper. (Marc Hulet)

Quick Opinion: Polanco’s freshman season didn’t go quite as hoped, as he struggled to produce a consistent attack at the plate. However, he remains loaded with talent and should benefit from hitting along side fellow outfielders Andrew McCutchen and Starling Marte. He has breakout potential for 2015.

Jorge Polanco

Debut: 2014 |  BirthDate: 7/5/1993 | Team: Twins | Position: SS
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’14 8 2 0 0 3 2 .333 .500 .833 .537 0.9 0.6 0.2
’15 33 7 0 1 3 3 .236 .284 .330 .274 -1.0 0.4 0.0

Profile: Polanco is easy to like as you can project all five tools to be at least average, though his line drive hitting approach may not get to all his raw power. He’s only an average runner now and power isn’t a big part of his game, though he could grow into 12-15 homer power in time. The calling card here is an advanced, smooth stroke from both sides. Polanco will spend much of 2015 in the upper levels, but should get at least another cup of coffee in 2015 like he did at the end of 2014. Brian Dozier‘s emergence may push Polanco into more of a utility role or even an audition at shortstop. His eventual upside is a .280/.350/.425 slash line. (Kiley McDaniel)

Quick Opinion: Polanco has a smooth stroke, and reached the majors briefly last season. Polanco will likely settle in as a utility player if he breaks camp with the big league club.

A.J. Pollock

Debut: 2012 |  BirthDate: 12/5/1987 | Team: Diamondbacks | Position: OF
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 482 119 8 12 38 64 .269 .322 .409 .321 0.6 18.5 3.6
’14 287 80 7 14 24 41 .302 .353 .498 .372 13.4 8.0 3.3
’15 543 130 9 16 50 57 .262 .313 .395 .313 -3.3 6.7 2.1

Profile: There was some concern entering 2014 that Pollock would be part of a platoon, but he was the every day center fielder when healthy. Unfortunately he wasn’t healthy all year. He got hit by a pitch on the last day of May that broke his hand and he was out until September. But in each of the three months in which he was healthy, he had just shy of 90 plate appearances. And he was good in the three months he was healthy, surprisingly good. In just 275 PA he hit seven home runs and stole 14 bases. Had he not been hit by the pitch, he was on pace for 14/28. He also hit .302 although that was buoyed by some luck on balls in play. His .344 batting average on balls in play is likely to regress, but he does have some speed, which could help him sustain a higher-than-normal BABIP. Another concern is that the increased power he displayed in April/May was not there when he returned in September. That’s not a shock given his broken hand, since those injuries tend to sap power. Hopefully the offseason has allowed him to heal and his power returns, because it’s a big part of what makes him a potential fantasy value. If he could hit 10 homers and steal 20 bags with decent batting average, he would outperform his draft day price that will surely be depressed by last season’s injury. He’s worth a late round pick in anything but the shallowest of mixed leagues. (Brett Talley)

Quick Opinion: Pollock’s 2014 season was derailed by broken hand that cost him June, July and August. But prior to the injury, Pollock was having himself a mini-breakout. There is some concern that the effects of that broken hand may linger and sap the added power that was part of that breakout. But if Pollock can pick up where he left off, he could be a big value as last year’s injury likely depresses his draft day price.

Buster Posey

Debut: 2009 |  BirthDate: 3/27/1987 | Team: Giants | Position: C
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 595 153 15 2 72 61 .294 .371 .450 .357 18.6 8.2 4.8
’14 605 170 22 0 89 72 .311 .364 .490 .371 26.8 7.0 5.7
’15 565 150 19 1 75 69 .299 .368 .476 .368 24.8 14.4 6.1

Profile: Aside from the second half of 2013, Posey has been the best fantasy catcher for three years running. His poor performance post All-Star break two years ago was blamed on the rigors of catching. Posey did top 1,000 innings behind the plate in 2013, so it’s possible he was just overworked. But he caught 900+ innings in the year prior and the year after, so it’s possible something else was going on. Either way, Posey didn’t suffer from a second half slump last year and finished the year as the most productive fantasy catcher. At some point age will catch up with him, but he’s still well on the right side of 30, and there’s really nothing indicating that he’s in line for regression. If you don’t adhere to the “wait on catcher” theory, your best bet in the early rounds at the position is Posey. (Brett Talley)

Quick Opinion: The Giants lightened Posey’s load behind the plate last year, and he managed to avoid a second half slump like the one he had in 2013. He’s still on the right side of 30, and there are no real signs that regression is imminent. If you don’t like to wait on catcher, there’s no safer bet at the position in the early rounds than Posey.

Martin Prado

Debut: 2006 |  BirthDate: 10/27/1983 | Team: Marlins | Position: 3B
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 664 172 14 3 82 70 .282 .333 .417 .328 -2.0 4.1 2.4
’14 573 151 12 3 58 62 .282 .321 .412 .324 1.3 5.3 2.6
’15 633 158 11 5 63 67 .274 .326 .401 .321 2.0 3.0 2.6

Profile: Prado re-invigorated himself after the Diamondbacks traded him to the Yankees last season. Before you decide to move him up the draft board due to Yankee Stadium, recall that he was then swapped to Miami — the place where power dies. What you’ll probably get from Prado as a fantasy owner is a decent average, versatility, and some runs scored (assuming he hits ahead of Giancarlo Stanton). What may be entirely absent is the power and speed that made him a useful fantasy player in the past. It’s been two seasons since he swiped more than three bases, and it wouldn’t be surprising if he failed to eclipse 10 home runs in his new home. (Brad Johnson)

Quick Opinion: Prado-the-Marlin is considerably less exciting than Prado-the-Yankee. ‘Tis a shame because his position flexibility is useful.

Alex Presley

Debut: 2010 |  BirthDate: 7/25/1985 | Team: Astros | Position: OF
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 195 51 3 1 15 17 .276 .313 .373 .304 -2.4 -5.0 -0.1
’14 271 62 6 5 19 22 .244 .281 .346 .280 -7.0 -3.1 -0.1
’15 84 20 2 2 8 9 .260 .311 .392 .311 -0.1 -1.1 0.2

Profile: A backup on a bad team, Alex Presley has no place on your fantasy radar. If you go back in time to 2011, than maybe you’ll hear a blip. (Zach Sanders)

Jurickson Profar

Debut: 2012 |  BirthDate: 2/20/1993 | Team: Rangers | Position: 2B
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 324 67 6 2 26 30 .234 .308 .336 .291 -11.5 -2.9 -0.4
’15 284 61 6 6 29 32 .244 .317 .380 .311 -2.4 1.5 0.9

Profile: Profar missed the entire 2014 season with a torn right shoulder muscle, but he avoided surgery and is now expected to open the 2015 season in the minors. The presence of Rougned Odor at second base has allowed the Rangers not to rush Profar until he proves his health. At this point, it appears that Profar’s top prospect status was built mostly on projection, rather than actual on-field performance. He does possess some power and speed, but more along the lines of 15/15 upside, with his power perhaps continuing to grow down the line. His walk and strikeout rates are positive indicators, as they suggest a hitter who has excellent strike zone judgement. Never a high batting average on balls in play guy, he’ll be relying on his good minor league strikeout rates translating to the majors in order to be an asset in batting average. Since we cannot be sure how he is going to recover from injury or when he will even make his 2015 debut with the Rangers, he’s just a speculate reserve pick in AL-Only leagues. (Mike Podhorzer)

Quick Opinion: A shoulder injury kept Profar on the sidelines all season, which means we’ll have to wait until some time in 2015 to benefit from his power/speed combination. He possesses some solid underlying skills, but hasn’t quite performed up to the level of his prospect status just yet, so even if healthy, temper expectations.

Yasiel Puig

Debut: 2013 |  BirthDate: 12/7/1990 | Team: Dodgers | Position: OF
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 432 122 19 11 42 66 .319 .391 .534 .398 24.9 -0.7 4.0
’14 640 165 16 11 69 92 .296 .382 .480 .379 33.5 -5.7 5.1
’15 619 159 22 13 74 87 .294 .373 .495 .379 31.2 -3.4 5.1

Profile: Was Yasiel Puig’s second season a success or a disappointment? It depends on how you look at it. In nearly 200 additional plate appearances, he hit three fewer homers, stole the same amount of bases, and saw a drop-off in each of the three triple-slash stats. On the other hand, he walked more while striking out less, and are we really complaining about a 147 weighted runs created plus? Hampered by several nagging injuries down the stretch and weighed down by a very visible strikeout streak in the NLDS, there’s a narrative that Puig had a lousy second half, but that was almost entirely due to a brutal August — he did, after all, hit .284/.376/.432 in September. If we’ve learned anything about Puig, it’s that he’s unlikely to be the 40-homer guy his physique suggests he will be, but he’s cemented his place as one of the ten best hitters in baseball, and he’s only just entering his age-24 season. (Mike Petriello)

Quick Opinion: Puig’s second season wasn’t as impressive in terms of raw counting stats, but his improvement in plate discipline puts him in position for a huge 2015, one that cements him as the superstar that fits the reputation he’s collected.

Albert Pujols

Debut: 2001 |  BirthDate: 1/16/1980 | Team: Angels | Position: 1B/DH
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 443 101 17 1 64 49 .258 .330 .437 .329 2.9 -10.6 0.7
’14 695 172 28 5 105 89 .272 .324 .466 .340 14.6 -7.0 3.3
’15 613 149 26 4 87 78 .269 .330 .466 .344 15.0 -7.7 3.0

Profile: Watch Pujols play and you’ll see a shadow of the former star. That shadow still has the ability to outhit most professional players, though. He lost the last two offseasons to injuries, meaning he was unable to prepare for 2013 and 2014. He was healthy last year, which means he should have a healthy offseason too. That could be good news for fantasy owners. In his prime, Pujols delivered batting average, power, and even some stolen bases. While a .300 isolated slugging percentage is probably out of the question, a late career renaissance is possible for the 35-year-old. Perhaps he can improve upon the low batting averages on balls in play and sub-.200 ISOs of the last two seasons. Or maybe he’ll just continue his slow decline. Unless his production tanks, as it did in his injury riddled 2013, Pujols is a safe bet for a solid fantasy season. (Brad Johnson)

Quick Opinion: He ain’t what he used to be, but there’s a glimmer of hope for a rebound from Pujols. Even without a positive spin, he should be a solid run producer in a lineup with Mike Trout.

Nick Punto

Debut: 2001 |  BirthDate: 11/8/1977 | Position: 2B
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 335 75 2 3 21 34 .255 .328 .327 .296 -2.8 9.8 1.8
’14 224 41 2 3 14 21 .207 .296 .293 .271 -7.8 2.0 0.2
’15 1 0 0 0 0 0 .223 .302 .301 .275 -0.0 0.0 0.0

Profile: Despite his age, Nick Punto continues to find himself on major league rosters. The 37-year-old has owned a league average bat just once in the past four years; just once in his career for that matter. Given his offensive shortcomings — even when factoring in his double digit walk rate — it is hard to imagine Punto posting a fantasy relevant season. (David Wiers)

Carlos Quentin

Debut: 2006 |  BirthDate: 8/28/1982 | Team: Padres | Position: OF
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 320 76 13 0 44 42 .275 .363 .493 .372 15.2 -5.2 2.1
’14 155 23 4 0 18 9 .177 .284 .315 .274 -7.2 -6.3 -1.0
’15 144 30 5 0 17 16 .236 .321 .415 .327 1.7 -4.1 0.2

Profile: As of this writing, Carlos Quentin is still a member of the Padres. But that’s going to have to change if he’s going to have any value at all — he’s unlikely to steal too many plate appearances from Justin Upton, Matt Kemp and Wil Myers. Even forgetting the people in front of him on the depth chart, Quentin hasn’t been healthy enough to top 350 plate appearances in the last three seasons. If he gets traded to an American League team where he can get some regular work in the outfield and at DH, he probably still has enough pop in his bat to hit 15-20 home runs. But as things stand now, he has no value. (Brett Talley)

Quick Opinion: With the Padres making three big acquisitions in the outfield, Quentin doesn’t appear to have a place on this team. If he were to get traded to a situation where he could get regular work, he might have enough pop left to hit 15+ home runs.

Omar Quintanilla

Debut: 2005 |  BirthDate: 10/24/1981 | Position: SS
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 359 70 2 2 21 28 .222 .306 .283 .262 -12.2 -0.7 -0.2
’14 31 6 0 0 3 2 .207 .258 .241 .230 -2.2 -2.0 -0.4
’15 1 0 0 0 0 0 .222 .283 .315 .267 -0.0 -0.0 -0.0

Profile: Omar Quintanilla remains middle infield depth, but he wasn’t even an asset defensively in 2014. (Dan Schwartz)

Ryan Raburn

Debut: 2004 |  BirthDate: 4/17/1981 | Team: Indians | Position: DH/OF
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 277 66 16 0 55 40 .272 .357 .543 .389 16.1 -2.6 2.4
’14 212 39 4 0 22 18 .200 .250 .297 .244 -12.0 -5.1 -1.1
’15 147 31 4 1 16 15 .230 .289 .380 .296 -1.6 -2.9 0.0

Profile: The most memorable moment from Ryan Raburn’s 2014 season was his lawn dart in left field, which says a lot about the 34-year-old outfielder’s production. Raburn enjoyed what appeared to be a career resurgence in Cleveland the year prior, netting him a three-year, $10 million extension that the Indians now regret. He quickly regressed back to his woeful 2012 Detroit self in 2014, resembling in no way the lefty-masher who belted 16 homers in just 277 plate appearances a year prior. The Indians added Brandon Moss in the offseason, giving them Moss, David Murphy, Nick Swisher and Zach Walters to split time between right field and designated hitter, leaving no room for Raburn. If Raburn had some playing time, you could look through rose-colored glasses and see hope for a potential rebound, but without the opportunity he isn’t worth a look until he earns one. (August Fagerstrom)

Quick Opinion: 2014 Ryan Raburn reverted back to 2012 Ryan Raburn, who was putting up historically bad numbers. Despite his recent contract extension, a crowded Indians roster leaves little opportunities for Raburn to mount another comeback. He’s likely nearing the end of the road.

Hanley Ramirez

Debut: 2005 |  BirthDate: 12/23/1983 | Team: Red Sox | Position: SS
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 336 105 20 10 57 62 .345 .402 .638 .442 33.3 3.3 5.0
’14 512 127 13 14 71 64 .283 .369 .448 .362 21.8 -6.1 3.4
’15 602 154 20 13 83 82 .291 .365 .474 .368 22.9 -6.4 3.9

Profile: Hanley Ramirez couldn’t sustain the pace of his massively successful 2013, but that was also never going to happen, because his 2013 lasted only 86 games and looked nothing like the rest of his career. Still, his 135 weighted runs created plus was almost exactly his career average, even if the death of offense in baseball made his slash line look “down,” and he managed to play through enough nagging injuries to get to 512 plate appearances. Though the days of 50+ steals are gone and never coming back, that performance still made him the best non-Troy Tulowitzki offensive shortstop in baseball. We won’t be able to say that again, however, because Ramirez is off to Boston and left field, unlikely to ever play short again. One more year of eligibility there will boost his value, but in dynasty leagues it’s probably time to trade him, if it wasn’t already. (Mike Petriello)

Quick Opinion: Will playing left field keep Hanley Ramirez healthier? Will having the Green Monster to pound doubles off of make him a better hitter? One or both would be useful, because it won’t be as easy for Ramirez to stand out among left fielders as it was among shortstops.

Jose Ramirez

Debut: 2013 |  BirthDate: 9/17/1992 | Team: Indians | Position: SS
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 14 4 0 0 0 5 .333 .429 .500 .404 0.7 0.5 0.2
’14 266 62 2 10 17 27 .262 .300 .346 .288 -2.4 10.7 1.8
’15 460 107 5 20 40 48 .252 .297 .344 .285 -8.6 8.4 1.6

Profile: After a cup of coffee in 2013, the diminutive middle infielder from the Dominican Republic got his first extended stay in the major leagues serving as a stop-gap option at shortstop when the Indians traded regular starter Asdrubal Cabrera. He’ll be the Opening Day starter for the club in 2015, but again only as a stop-gap option, keeping the seat warm for the arrival of top prospect Francisco Lindor. It’s likely that Lindor makes his debut sometime around mid-season, but if Ramirez exceeds expectations and/or Lindor scuffles in Triple-A, Ramirez could easily hold onto the job until September or later. Still, there’s not much to see with the bat. His best skill at the plate is his bunting ability — he led the majors with 13 sacrifices in 2014 despite coming to the plate less than 300 times. Where Ramirez has value is what he does once he gets on the bases, which is run. If he sticks at shortstop for the majority of the season and gets on base enough, he could rack up 30 or more steals, but that’s a lot of ifs. (August Fagerstrom)

Quick Opinion: Ramirez did what was asked of him in his 2013 debut and, as a result, is now being asked to be the Indians Opening Day shortstop. Francisco Lindor’s potential July arrival certainly hurts Ramirez’s draft day stock — as does his limited upside with the bat. But if Ramirez sticks, he could serve as a cheap source of steals in deeper leagues.

Aramis Ramirez

Debut: 1998 |  BirthDate: 6/25/1978 | Team: Brewers | Position: 3B
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 351 86 12 0 49 43 .283 .370 .461 .366 7.1 -5.0 1.3
’14 531 141 15 3 66 47 .285 .330 .427 .334 2.3 1.3 2.1
’15 527 128 17 2 66 58 .266 .324 .431 .332 1.3 -2.0 1.6

Profile: He may be entering his age-37 season, but Aramis Ramirez is still producing at a high level — when he’s on the field. Ramirez has played in 225 games over the past two seasons, but 133 of those came in 2014. It’s hard to see a scenario in which Ramirez makes it through 2015 without needing at least a 15-day DL stint, but even then, he’s worth having around. He clearly isn’t the 30 homer guy he was in his prime, but he’s a pretty safe bet to club 15 dingers while hitting about .280; it’s nothing sexy, but it does make for a top-15 third baseman. With Ryan Braun hopefully back to full health and help from the newly acquired Adam Lind, Aramis will have plenty of chances to drive in runs and cross the plate in Milwaukee, something he struggled with last season when he scored just 47 times. Ramirez won’t get you excited on draft day, but can provide great value in the middle to later rounds if you’re expectations are reasonable. Paying $5-7 for Aramis is standard mixed leagues is recommended, and that price should stay about the same in OBP formats. (Zach Sanders)

Quick Opinion: Aramis is no longer a sexy third baseman heading into his age-37 season, but he can provide great value later in drafts. Look for about 15 homers and a .280 average from the Brewer in 2015.

Alexei Ramirez

Debut: 2008 |  BirthDate: 9/22/1981 | Team: White Sox | Position: SS
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 674 181 6 30 48 68 .284 .313 .380 .304 -6.1 12.7 3.1
’14 657 170 15 21 74 82 .273 .305 .408 .314 2.4 6.4 3.3
’15 634 158 11 17 63 67 .265 .300 .379 .300 -7.4 8.2 2.3

Profile: Ramirez has really altered his playing style the past couple of years. Early in his career, Ramirez showed solid pop and a few steals here or there. Now, he’s swiped at least 20 bags in each of the last three seasons. After hitting just 15 home runs in 2012 and 2013 combined, Ramirez saw a return to his strong power numbers, bashing 15 dingers in 2014. He’ll be 33 years old heading into the season, so it’s tough to say whether the power will stay. Ramirez does not walk, so his ability to get on base is entirely dependent on his batting average. He’s played at least 156 games in each of the last five years, so you know he’ll be on the field. That’s actually a big part of his appeal, which makes him somewhat useful, but not at all exciting. (Chris Cwik)

Quick Opinion: Ramirez will likely settle in as a lower-tier option at shortstop. His numbers will be solid, but unspectacular. That’s pretty much what the position has become at this point.

Wilson Ramos

Debut: 2010 |  BirthDate: 8/10/1987 | Team: Nationals | Position: C
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 303 78 16 0 59 29 .272 .307 .470 .337 0.9 6.2 1.7
’14 361 91 11 0 47 32 .267 .299 .399 .306 -3.0 10.6 2.0
’15 428 106 16 1 55 46 .269 .316 .438 .330 3.8 10.6 3.0

Profile: If he could just stay healthy, Ramos would likely turn in a fantastic fantasy season. In part time play, he’s managed to smash 16 and 11 home runs the past two seasons. Problem is, injuries seem to find the guy all the time. His legs are typically to blame. Since 2013, Ramos has had two knee surgeries and recurring hamstring strains in both his left and right legs. The bigger issue last season was a broken hamate, which seems like bad luck, but given his history, is discouraging. The good thing is, Ramos seems to bounce back from these injuries without seeing a big decline in the performance. The bad thing is, the next injury always seems to be right around the corner. The potential remains high, but so does the potential for injury. (Chris Cwik)

Quick Opinion: Ramos’ bat is capable of excellent performance, but he can’t stay on the field enough to put everything together. He should add solid power when he’s in the lineup.

Colby Rasmus

Debut: 2009 |  BirthDate: 8/11/1986 | Team: Astros | Position: OF
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 458 115 22 0 66 57 .276 .338 .501 .365 16.2 12.9 4.8
’14 376 78 18 4 40 45 .225 .287 .448 .321 2.2 -8.8 0.6
’15 569 118 23 4 68 65 .232 .300 .422 .318 3.1 -3.1 2.0

Profile: There is no telling what lurks inside the enigmatic Colby Rasmus. As promising as his prodigious power might be, there are too many lost years on his resume to make any bold proclamations about how he might look next season. We know a few things for sure about Rasmus’ game: he has big time power and problems putting the bat on the ball. He misses time with one ailment or another every year, and he managed to get himself benched by a playoff contender during his free agent walk year. Where does he go from here? Does he continue on as a left-handed version of B.J. Upton, striking out more and more with diminishing power returns? Does he produce to his projections, slugging just enough to provide league-average offense in a position in dire need of some pop? Believe in the latter. Rasmus is a flawed player and the five tool dreams of the past are dead, but he can still put up a .250/.300/.450 type season for a club in need. A .276/.338/.501 season with 22 home runs is not far in the rear view, in the right situation (Houston could be that) he can certainly get close to those levels once again. (Drew Fairservice)

Quick Opinion: The puzzling outfielder may never realize his full potential but Colby Rasmus’ power and defense will play as long as you can live with the strikeouts and injuries.

J.T. Realmuto

Debut: 2014 |  BirthDate: 3/18/1991 | Team: Marlins | Position: C
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’14 30 7 0 0 9 4 .241 .267 .345 .269 -0.8 0.6 0.1
’15 92 20 1 2 8 8 .234 .288 .345 .283 -2.4 1.8 0.2

Profile: Realmuto posted solid numbers across the board in Double-A before earning a September call-up. As he’s aged, he’s become better at making contact, showing occasional power. After switching to catcher upon becoming a pro, his bat has slowly developed, but progress has been made. Realmuto’s power is present, but there isn’t a ton there — he could scrape double digits in a full season of work, but expecting anything more seems to bullish. His average could be a hinderance, considering he’s only hit above .280 twice on his road to the majors, but a .250 average isn’t quite as painful to endure as it used to be. (Landon Jones)

Quick Opinion: As it stands, the catching situation in Miami seems to be locked up with Jarrod Saltalamacchia in town, but Realmuto could be an interesting name to monitor in deeper leagues if anything happens to Salty.

Anthony Recker

Debut: 2011 |  BirthDate: 8/29/1983 | Team: Mets | Position: C
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 151 29 6 0 19 17 .215 .280 .400 .295 -1.9 1.3 0.4
’14 189 35 7 1 27 18 .201 .246 .374 .273 -5.2 6.7 0.8
’15 75 14 2 1 7 7 .208 .275 .356 .282 -1.6 0.9 0.2

Profile: Anthony Recker was an asset defensively for the Mets last year, but cannot be considered for your fantasy teams. He strikes out too much, doesn’t walk enough and last year had a 54%+ flyball rate, which killed his batting average on balls in play. Recker does have power – he homered in four out of six games in September, but he will not get enough at bats to help you, with Travis d’Arnaud and the impending arrival of Kevin Plawecki blocking his way. (Dan Schwartz)

Josh Reddick

Debut: 2009 |  BirthDate: 2/19/1987 | Team: Athletics | Position: OF
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 441 87 12 9 56 54 .226 .307 .379 .303 -0.9 11.3 2.7
’14 396 96 12 1 54 53 .264 .316 .446 .334 8.3 0.4 2.3
’15 508 112 17 5 63 59 .247 .315 .429 .327 7.4 2.1 2.8

Profile: Although Josh Reddick managed a mere 12 home runs for the second year in a row after his 32 home run breakout in 2012, there remains plenty of good news for the outfielder. Like many of his Oakland teammates, Reddick was mostly inserted into the lineup when holding the platoon advantage against the opposing starter. All 12 of his home runs came against right-handed pitchers and he posted a monster 40% above league average offensive line when facing a righty. In fact, his .519 slugging against righties ranked 21st-best in baseball last season, minimum 250 plate appearances. The other side of the coin is that Reddick was below average when facing a southpaw on the mound. Even accounting for his shortcomings against same-handed pitchers, Reddick managed to trim his strikeout rate down to 15.9%, the lowest of his career. He tied his second lowest whiff rate at 8.5% and if he can continue to limit the whiffs and strikeouts, Reddick figures to become a very prominent fantasy platoon option. Last year, we saw Reddick have his name written up and down the lineup card — he hit everywhere other than leadoff and third at some point — but look for him to be more steady in the middle of the lineup in 2015. Without Brandon Moss and Yoenis Cespedes, the A’s will be counting on Reddick more than ever. As long as he is facing a righty, he can certainly deliver. (David Wiers)

Quick Opinion: Reddick figures to be a pillar of the A’s lineup when facing a right-handed pitcher — he obliterates righties. Even in a limited or platoon role, count on him to bring a good amount of fantasy value.

Nolan Reimold

Debut: 2009 |  BirthDate: 10/12/1983 | Position: DH/OF
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 140 25 5 0 12 17 .195 .250 .336 .253 -7.2 -4.7 -0.8
’14 78 16 3 1 13 5 .232 .282 .435 .309 -0.2 -2.7 -0.0
’15 1 0 0 0 0 0 .215 .279 .362 .285 -0.0 -0.0 -0.0

Profile: The Orioles finally cut ties with Reimold in 2014 after they weren’t satisfied with his recovery from injury (or perhaps it was just a roster crunch). He mashed in a brief rehab stint with Baltimore, but struggled in Toronto and Phoenix. The main issue was a 16.5% swinging strike rate, roughly double his previous career average. He showed some power, which could mean the once promising hitter is still somewhere within that mostly-broken 31-year-old shell. (Brad Johnson)

Quick Opinion: Reimold was sent packing by the Orioles last season, and a doubling of his whiff rate led the Blue Jays and Diamondbacks to also cut ties with him.

Anthony Rendon

Debut: 2013 |  BirthDate: 6/6/1990 | Team: Nationals | Position: 3B
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 394 93 7 1 35 40 .265 .329 .396 .318 0.9 1.1 1.5
’14 683 176 21 17 83 111 .287 .351 .473 .361 30.7 9.2 6.6
’15 642 159 19 11 72 84 .279 .350 .454 .354 19.8 6.8 5.0

Profile: My favorite position player sleeper from last year really paid dividends, but now it’s time for a sophomore effort. With the prices up, the stakes are raised. Can Rendon stay healthy all year again? The steals were a surprise, will he steal 15+ again? The bet here is that the team wants Rendon to stay healthy and drive in runs, and that in that effort, they ask him to refrain from taking off for second base. The good news is that the 24-year-old Nationals infielder might have a little power between him and his peak output, so paying full price might still make sense. This was a top draft pick with the love of scouts and only question mark on his ledger coming up, so this was no fluke season. Other than the steals, this production looks sustainable. (Eno Sarris)

Quick Opinion: The Nationals’ best bat on the infield is only 24, so there might even be a little growth left. That said, there’s still a bit of a question about his health and his ability to steal bags that should probably keep him out of a mixed league top 10 in terms of investment on draft day this year. Otherwise, giddyap.

Ben Revere

Debut: 2010 |  BirthDate: 5/3/1988 | Team: Phillies | Position: OF
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 336 96 0 22 17 37 .305 .338 .352 .307 -0.3 -1.1 0.9
’14 626 184 2 49 28 71 .306 .325 .361 .304 4.3 -4.4 2.0
’15 620 164 3 36 42 62 .283 .316 .347 .295 -6.2 -3.3 1.0

Profile: There’s no mystery to Ben Revere. He has essentially solved pitchers of the same handedness for this stage of his career and produces some live drives and a ton of ground balls in order to hit for average (.294 or better in each of the last three seasons), even as league-wide hitting has declined. He runs (101 stolen bases in 126 attempts, same period; fourth in majors with 49 in 2014). He doesn’t take free passes (5.2% to 4.8% to 2.1% from 2012 to 2014) and therefore is highly unlikely to approach 100 runs scored, even if the rest of his statistical lineup is good. Drive in runs? Forget it. Hit home runs? Ha! Thankfully, for fantasy purposes, his team seems to be committed to him in center field. Revere has more than enough athleticism to salvage his defensive value, which has nosedived thanks in part to his poor judgment and bad routes, at least. Whether that happens matters little in rotisserie and head-to-head circles in the short term, though. He’s a much more valuable player in fantasy than real life and is, basically, at peak performance age. Health isn’t a major concern, but he did have relatively minor offseason ankle surgery. He, thus, comes with the usual two-category-player caveat, all eggs in one basket and such. Coming off a high-earnings year, he’ll be costly, thanks to the likely less discerning crowd. (Nicholas Minnix)

Quick Opinion: Revere has abilities to hit for average and run that are well above-average, making him a very useful player in fantasy leagues. He’s also a limited one coming off a high-earnings campaign, and the year-to-year price index for such a type seems to fluctuate much more than is justifiable.

Jose Reyes

Debut: 2003 |  BirthDate: 6/11/1983 | Team: Blue Jays | Position: SS
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 419 113 10 15 37 58 .296 .353 .427 .343 7.3 -1.3 2.1
’14 655 175 9 30 51 94 .287 .328 .398 .321 8.8 -0.1 3.3
’15 640 165 11 22 59 85 .284 .335 .410 .328 7.0 -0.7 3.0

Profile: As far as shortstops go, Jose Reyes is among the best of a bad bunch. Easy as it is to worry about his production slipping to barely above league average, that still makes him a valuable commodity among his peers in the middle of the diamond. The only thing that changed is the distance between himself and the top tier of shortstop talent. Reyes still hits for a high average (.287 in 2014) but he lacks a little bit of extra base pop and a little bit of patience. Missing a few walks is fine — Reyes swung the bat more freely last season but hardly turned into a hack-and-hope slap hitter. It’s the lack of triples for Reyes that suggest something is amiss. Only one active player has more career triples than Reyes, but the Blue Jays shortstop has just four over two years in Toronto (he averaged 13 per year over the previous three seasons.) Those extra bases drag down his power numbers and make him just that much less effective. Still a dangerous base stealer, Reyes swiped 30 bags even as he wore down on the hard Rogers Centre playing surface. If the team can manage his workload and keep him on the field for 150 games, perhaps old Reyes shines one more time in 2015. (Drew Fairservice)

Quick Opinion: Creeping up in years and feeling the effects of a rough playing surface, Jose Reyes remains one of the best offensive shortstops in the game.

Mark Reynolds

Debut: 2007 |  BirthDate: 8/3/1983 | Team: Cardinals | Position: 1B/3B
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 504 98 21 3 67 55 .220 .306 .393 .310 -3.4 -10.4 0.3
’14 433 74 22 5 45 47 .196 .287 .394 .302 -5.0 7.1 1.6
’15 188 35 8 2 22 20 .214 .308 .397 .314 -0.3 -4.1 0.1

Profile: In his power prime from 2009-2011, Mark Reynolds hit 113 home runs, an average of 38 per season. That power has eroded in recent seasons. Despite nearly 500 plate appearances per season over the last three, Reynolds has averaged just 22 home runs per season in that time. Meanwhile, 2014 may have been the last season Reynolds earned a full-time job. This offseason, he joined the Cardinals, who are set with Matt Carpenter and Matt Adams in the corner spots. Both Carpenter and Adams are left-handed hitters, which makes the right-handed Reynolds a likely starter against difficult lefties. However, Reynolds has not shown dramatic splits in his career, so there is no reason to expect his performance per plate appearance will improve dramatically in a reduced role. And now that his power totals have declined, his likely .220 or worse batting average becomes that much harder to swallow. (Scott Spratt)

Quick Opinion: In his prime, Reynolds routinely hit 30 or more home runs per season. His recent power decline, a terrible batting average, and a likely reserve role with the Cardinals in 2015 renders him undraftable in fantasy.

Alex Rios

Debut: 2004 |  BirthDate: 2/18/1981 | Team: Royals | Position: OF
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 662 171 18 42 81 83 .278 .324 .432 .330 10.5 -3.3 3.1
’14 521 138 4 17 54 54 .280 .311 .398 .309 -4.4 -10.9 0.2
’15 526 130 10 17 58 55 .265 .303 .398 .308 -1.7 -10.1 0.6

Profile: The roller coaster career that Rios has experienced sees no end. The 33-year-old former power and speed threat became just a speed threat as his power evaporated. His pitiful 2.9% home run per fly ball rate was 12th-worst among qualified batters. He also posted his lowest fly ball rate since 2005 and highest strikeout rate since 2006. Unfortunately, things aren’t looking much better for 2015, as he signed with the Royals and now moves to a much less power-friendly home park. And since he has been just about average defensively in right field over the last couple of seasons, he could be frequently replaced in the late innings by Jarrod Dyson, which will cut into his at-bat total. The one positive is that the team likes to run, as they led baseball in stolen base attempts. So Rios should again flirt with the 20 steal plateau as he seemingly hasn’t lost a step just yet. The power can’t be completely gone, but his chances of rebounding to near the 20 homer level have been severely dampened. That said, he should still carve out some mixed league value. (Mike Podhorzer)

Quick Opinion: Rios’ chances of enjoying a power rebound have been reduced after he signed with the Royals, but his stolen base output should be safe. He clearly has less to offer fantasy owners now than he had in previous seasons, but the potential for 10+ homers and 20+ steals is still valuable in mixed leagues.

Rene Rivera

Debut: 2001 |  BirthDate: 7/31/1983 | Team: Rays | Position: C
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 71 17 0 0 7 4 .254 .268 .328 .252 -4.3 6.0 0.4
’14 329 74 11 0 44 27 .252 .319 .432 .329 2.9 14.4 3.0
’15 401 85 9 1 40 39 .231 .288 .362 .288 -6.4 11.3 2.0

Profile: Without even looking at the pitch framing numbers, it’s safe to assume that Rivera is a good framer since the Rays acquired him to take Jose Molina’s place. But pitch framing doesn’t help fantasy owners, and Rivera is a 31-year old catcher with fewer than 750 career plate apearances. He did hit 11 home runs in Petco last year, so maybe he has a little pop, but it’s not like he’s moving to a much more favorable ballpark. It’s possible he has some value in AL-only leagues, but that’s about it. (Brett Talley)

Quick Opinion: Rivera is a good pitch framer, but there’s a reason he didn’t get regular playing time prior to turning 30. He just doesn’t have much of a bat, though he might have enough power to be usable in AL-only leagues.

Anthony Rizzo

Debut: 2011 |  BirthDate: 8/8/1989 | Team: Cubs | Position: 1B
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 690 141 23 6 80 71 .233 .323 .419 .325 -0.4 -3.9 1.7
’14 616 150 32 5 78 89 .286 .386 .527 .397 36.4 -3.8 5.6
’15 655 153 32 6 94 89 .271 .360 .503 .376 27.2 -3.4 4.7

Profile: “Just a little boost, and Rizzo’s within a chip shot and a ducksnort of .280 and 30 homers.” That’s how last year’s forward-looking player capsule on Anthony Rizzo ended. Rizzo hit .286 with 32 homers, so technically, the author (me) was wrong. But it’s obvious, at least now, that the Cubs first baseman is strong with the plate discipline, can make contact better than your average big leaguer, and can hang with any regular first baseman in the power department. Considering he’s only 25 years old, and that Cubs lineup is set to get better around him, there’s actually still room for growth. Why shouldn’t a guy that hits .280+ with 30+ homers and an on-base percentage near .400 drive in 100 runners and score a bunch more? Last year, with those numbers, he drove in 89 and scored 78. Give him thirty more runs and RBI combined this past season, and he would have been the fourth-best first baseman in fantasy baseball. And the three above him are all significantly older, with one — Victor Martinez — offering significant risk for regression. Rizzo is worth a hefty investment this year, considering he could grow in all categories along with this team and should end up a top-three first baseman when the dust settles on 2015. (Eno Sarris)

Quick Opinion: The best thing about Anthony Rizzo’s best season is that he did it at 25 years old and his statistically history pointed to this breakout. He has room to grow — and the team around him looks like it’s improving — and the work was believable, so treat him like a top-three first baseman in the league this coming year. Rock solid.

Ryan Roberts

Debut: 2006 |  BirthDate: 9/19/1980 | Position: 3B
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 173 40 5 0 17 15 .247 .295 .377 .298 -3.4 -0.7 0.2
’14 22 2 0 0 0 1 .105 .227 .105 .175 -2.6 0.3 -0.2
’15 88 19 2 1 8 9 .236 .298 .355 .292 -1.7 -0.1 0.1

Profile: Once upon a time, Ryan Roberts hit 19 home runs in a single major league season. That was 2011. In the three seasons since, he has hit just 17 homers. Last season, he hit zero, which wasn’t all that surprising, seeing as how he only tallied 22 plate appearances with the Red Sox before being cut loose. He lumbered along faithfully in Boston’s minor league system with Triple-A Pawtucket, hitting .277/.337/.442. But when the Red Sox needed a third baseman following an injury to Will Middlebrooks, they chose to sign Stephen Drew (and move Xander Bogaerts to third base) instead of giving Roberts a job back. The wisdom of such a move was questionable at the time, and in retrospect seems even more so, since Drew hit like an overmatched 10-year-old in his first season of Little League. Still, it is an eloquent demonstration of just how far Roberts’ star has fallen. He signed a minor league deal with the Royals this offseason, but he doesn’t figure to break camp with the defending American League champions unless Omar Infante’s injuries are worse than he’s been letting on. If they are — and they might be — that’s not a bad situation for Roberts to find himself in. But in all likelihood, Roberts is destined for another year of minor league ball. (Paul Swydan)

Quick Opinion: Ryan Roberts doesn’t figure to gain much steady playing time from this point forward, but there are teams still willing to have him in their minor league system, and at age 34 that’s not too shabby.

Brian Roberts

Debut: 2001 |  BirthDate: 10/9/1977 | Position: 2B
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 296 66 8 3 39 33 .249 .312 .392 .309 -2.6 1.3 0.9
’14 348 75 5 7 21 40 .237 .300 .360 .294 -5.7 -4.0 0.2
’15 1 0 0 0 0 0 .239 .298 .350 .290 -0.0 -0.0 0.0

Profile: The 37-year-old Roberts called it quits in October, ending a 14-year career that was marked by the highs of two all-star selections but also the frustration of six disabled list trips and a barrage of injuries that derailed the second half of his career. The reasons for his retirement are understandable: since 2009, his last full season, Roberts has averaged just 57 games, and despite making 348 plate appearances for the Yankees in 2014, his most in those five years, he produced a measly .659 on-base plus slugging percentage. That wasn’t enough production for a team whose second base output ranked well below league average, and Roberts was released in early August. He deserves to be remembered as one of the top second basemen of the ’00s; from 2003 to 2009, only Chase Utley had more wins above replacement at the position. (Karl de Vries)

Quick Opinion: Brian Roberts once hit .290 with 12 homers and 50 stolen bases! There was a six-year stretch where the second baseman was fantasy stalwart. Now he’s retired and we can only remember his fleeting greatness. 

Daniel Robertson

Debut: 2014 |  BirthDate: 9/30/1985 | Team: Angels | Position: OF
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’14 197 48 0 6 21 23 .271 .333 .333 .301 -4.1 -0.4 0.2
’15 1 0 0 0 0 0 .244 .310 .328 .288 -0.0 -0.0 -0.0

Profile: If you’re reading this profile, you’re either looking for the Oakland Athletics’ top (shortstop) prospect of the same name… or your fantasy season is going horribly wrong. Daniel Robertson, a 28-year-old rookie in 2014, benefitted from the Rangers’ almost unprecedented string of injuries to its projected 25-man roster. He might hit for a respectable average with a stolen base here and there, but he has no power to speak of, and his defensive skills aren’t strong enough to earn him time on the glove alone. Traded to the Angels in the off-season — a club with more outfield depth than the Rangers — Robertson has his work cut out for him to try and land a 25-man roster spot to open the 2015 season. (Marc Hulet)

Quick Opinion: You might get a week or two of production out of Robertson in 2015 but don’t expect anything more than that. Even then, it will come in the form of a hollow batting average and a stolen base or two.

Shane Robinson

Debut: 2009 |  BirthDate: 10/30/1984 | Position: OF
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 171 36 2 5 16 22 .250 .345 .319 .303 -0.6 3.3 0.8
’14 66 9 0 0 4 3 .150 .227 .200 .201 -5.8 0.3 -0.4
’15 1 0 0 0 0 0 .251 .321 .351 .301 -0.0 -0.0 0.0

Profile: After spending the entirety of his nine-year career in the Cardinals’ organization, Robinson finds himself with the Twins for Spring Training this year, as a non-roster invitee. The 30-year-old is a career .231/.303/.308 hitter in 452 major-league plate appearances, and if he ends up getting meaningful playing time in 2015, then something must have gone terribly wrong in Minnesota. (Scott Strandberg)

Quick Opinion: He’s just organizational depth, nothing more.

Alex Rodriguez

Debut: 1994 |  BirthDate: 7/27/1975 | Team: Yankees | Position: 3B/SS
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 181 38 7 4 19 21 .244 .348 .423 .342 -0.1 -1.4 0.5
’15 389 81 11 5 43 43 .235 .316 .382 .311 -3.3 -8.9 0.0

Profile: A-Rod is going to be better than people expect in 2015. With the time to put his hip issues behind him and a lot of people to anger by playing well, Rodriguez has some positives going for him coming into the season. As of the end of 2013, he hadn’t lost the swing that made him the best player on the planet, and he’s still strong enough to drive balls out of the park even when he’s fooled. It’s going to take a lot of at bats to get his timing back, but it’s not improbable he hits .270+ with 20 homers if he gets the opportunity, with New York or someone else. Subjectively, what would make people dislike A-Rod more than him coming back and putting up legitimate numbers? If he’s been trustworthy in any realm, it’s been in his ability to make people hate him. Sign me up for a flier on him this year. (Dan Farnsworth)

Quick Opinion: No expectations on the former best player in the game with the time to get healthy…what could be wrong with that? Look for him to be a surprisingly productive hitter in 2015.

Sean Rodriguez

Debut: 2008 |  BirthDate: 4/26/1985 | Team: Pirates | Position: 2B
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 222 48 5 1 23 21 .246 .320 .385 .313 0.4 2.8 1.1
’14 259 50 12 2 41 30 .211 .258 .443 .305 -0.8 -9.2 -0.2
’15 134 29 3 2 14 13 .237 .294 .381 .299 -1.2 -0.2 0.3

Profile: Rodriguez has played every position besides pitcher and catcher. That makes him an asset to major-league clubs. He did show some power last year, but that could be a result of a career-high home run rate. He’s probably not a fantasy asset even if he stumbles into an everyday role, however. (Chris Cwik)

Jason Rogers

Debut: 2014 |  BirthDate: 3/13/1988 | Team: Brewers | Position: 1B
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’14 10 1 0 0 0 0 .111 .200 .222 .197 -0.9 -1.1 -0.2
’15 166 36 5 1 18 17 .240 .301 .387 .306 -1.8 -3.1 -0.0

Profile: Rogers has put up good numbers all through the minor leagues, earning a brief cup of coffee in the majors last year. In the last two years, he hit a combined 40 homers between Double-A and Triple-A, and while he’s never been considered a big-time prospect, you can’t just completely shrug off a guy with a career .287/.367/.457 slash in the minors. Coming into his age-27 season, Rogers can play both corner infield spots, as well as left field. He would likely need an injury to either Aramis Ramirez or Adam Lind to make his way back to the majors, and even then he’d be behind Luis Jimenez in the Brewers’ pecking order. (Scott Strandberg)

Quick Opinion: If the Brewers end up decimated by injuries, Rogers could be an interesting guy. Unfortunately, that’s about the only way he’s going to get a chance.

Miguel Rojas

Debut: 2014 |  BirthDate: 2/24/1989 | Team: Marlins | Position: SS
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’14 162 27 1 0 9 16 .181 .242 .221 .213 -10.5 10.3 0.5
’15 67 13 1 1 5 5 .218 .266 .285 .248 -3.5 0.7 -0.1

Profile: Miguel Rojas was signed as a minor league free agent by the Dodgers prior to 2013 with a reputation as a glove-first, zero-bat player. When pressed into service due to injuries in 2014, he did nothing to change that perception, thanks to a weighted offense that was 66% (!) worse than league average. He might stick around for a while as a reserve, but his lack of offensive skills will prevent him from full-time work. (Mike Petriello)

Jimmy Rollins

Debut: 2000 |  BirthDate: 11/27/1978 | Team: Dodgers | Position: SS
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 666 151 6 22 39 65 .252 .318 .348 .295 -8.5 4.1 1.7
’14 609 131 17 28 55 78 .243 .323 .394 .319 5.2 9.5 3.6
’15 628 133 13 20 53 72 .237 .306 .358 .296 -5.7 9.8 2.5

Profile: Jimmy Rollins, 36, batted .252 with only six bombs and 22 stolen bases in 2013, but he rebounded to hit .243 with 17 home runs and 28 stolen bases last season, and recent years indicate that double-digit round-tripper power is still the norm. Granted, that’ll be a tad tougher to maintain with his trade of Citizens Bank Park and the NL East for Dodger Stadium and the NL West. The days of 30-plus steals are gone, as well, though, and 25-plus may not be far behind. Age-related decline also mitigates optimism about his rise in walk rate in the last six years (at least 8.9% in each). His strikeout rate has recently surged toward league average (9.4% to 13.7% to 14.0% to 16.4%), too. Although he’s improved on his second-worst pop-up percentage in the league in 2012 (nearly 8%), he’s still bottom-20 rates among qualifiers. Such frequent easy outs put J-Roll about as far from a chance at positive regression toward league-wide batting average on balls in play as one can get. Basically, fantasy owners make tradeoffs when they own the switch-hitting shortstop: He’s a possible to probable detriment in average or on-base percentage, with team-related stats (runs and RBI) questionable; but he’s a possible to probable helper in the stuff that’s toughest to get (HR and SB), especially at his position. At this stage of his career, the latter has become less reliable. Last season shouldn’t have placed Rollins back in the top half of mixed-league shortstops, but he could again be a starting option in those formats. (Nicholas Minnix)

Quick Opinion: Rollins provides the prospect of two things (roughly average power and above-average speed in mixed leagues) tough to find at short. He doesn’t receive high grades for reliability, however, especially at his age, so he’s more of a low-end starter or high-end middle infielder in mixed leagues.

Stefen Romero

Debut: 2014 |  BirthDate: 10/17/1988 | Team: Mariners | Position: OF
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’14 190 34 3 0 11 19 .192 .234 .299 .239 -12.3 -5.0 -1.2
’15 1 0 0 0 0 0 .242 .281 .388 .295 -0.0 -0.0 0.0

Profile: Stefen Romero joins the plethora of Seattle Mariner second base prospects who have been converted to other positions because of depth chart concerns. First it was the presence of Dustin Ackley, who, of course, gave way to Robinson Cano. Now well down the chain of command at the “4”, Stefen Romero has struggled both with his glove and his bat as a platoon member in right field. Romero showed enough promise at Double-A as a second baseman, slashing .347/.392/.620 over 240 plate appearances, and he also hit well in Triple-A as he bounced between Tacoma and Seattle in 2014. But as a major leaguer, he’s managed just a .192/.234/.299 slash line with a 25.2% strikeout rate, a paltry 2.1% walk rate and a .107 isolated slugging percentage in almost 200 plate appearances. The club is probably best suited returning him to an infield position at Triple-A to raise his stock, but with the presence of Justin Ruggiano as the right-handed version of a right field platoon, you shouldn’t expect to see much of Romero in Seattle unless disaster strikes. If you’re a prospect maven, see how Seattle chooses to use him in Tacoma — it’s not out of the realm of possibility he could contribute as a second baseman or third baseman for another team, but don’t hold your breath. (Michael Barr)

Quick Opinion: Stefen Romero is well back in the depth charts at any conceivable position as a Seattle Mariner. His best shot at major league service is a trade, and even then, his bat is pretty suspect.

Andrew Romine

Debut: 2010 |  BirthDate: 12/24/1985 | Team: Tigers | Position: SS
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 123 28 0 1 10 9 .259 .308 .287 .270 -2.7 2.3 0.4
’14 273 57 2 12 12 30 .227 .279 .275 .253 -9.8 1.2 0.0
’15 232 50 2 7 18 22 .236 .291 .304 .269 -8.0 2.7 0.2

Profile: Over four seasons, the Angels gave Romine a total of 174 plate appearances. Well, the Tigers decided to up the ante and give him 100 more PA in one season alone. The final results could have been worse. He has never shown the ability to hit for power and he didn’t for the Tigers (two homers and a .048 isolated slugging percentage). While he has put up an average over .280 the last three seasons at Triple-A, he only hit for .227 in the majors. His positive contribution came from his 12 stolen bases. It looks like he will get some plate appearances in 2015, as he is currently slated to be the Tigers’ utility infielder. He is unrosterable at this point but could be a small source of steals if he pushed into a starting role because of injuries. (Jeff Zimmerman)

Quick Opinion: Andrew Romine somehow played in 94 MLB games in 2014 and showed some fantasy usefulness by stealing 12 bases. That is where his talent display ended, with little chance for a 2015 repeat.

Adam Rosales

Debut: 2008 |  BirthDate: 5/20/1983 | Team: Rangers | Position: 1B
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 166 28 5 0 12 15 .190 .259 .327 .261 -6.4 -0.5 -0.2
’14 181 43 4 4 19 20 .262 .328 .378 .318 -0.1 2.8 0.9
’15 126 27 3 1 12 13 .240 .298 .360 .294 -2.8 -0.3 0.1

Profile: Given the battles the Rangers and Athletics have had over poor Adam Rosales in the past, one would imagine, now that the Rangers have non-tendered him (rendering him a free agent), that a massive bidding war would be at hand. As of this writing, the bidding war seems to have been, well, secretive, and Rosales has not found a team. Rosales had his charms a few years ago, and looked like he might be something close to a league average hitter. Given that he could nominally play all the infield positions, that was very valuable. But his limited major league playing time after 2010 has revealed mostly doubt that he could be that player. At this point, he is just another utility infielder in his thirties, and if he does find a home on a major league roster, is pretty much interchangeable with any other of his ilk that is commonly found on the waiver wire in most leagues. (Matt Klaassen)

Quick Opinion: After all the crazy waiver madness between Texas and Oakland, Adam Rosales is now a free agent utility infielder with nothing to set his skills apart from the rest of the waiver wire fodder.

Wilin Rosario

Debut: 2011 |  BirthDate: 2/23/1989 | Team: Rockies | Position: C
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 466 131 21 4 79 63 .292 .315 .486 .348 3.8 1.7 2.1
’14 410 102 13 1 54 46 .267 .305 .435 .319 -8.2 2.0 0.7
’15 304 79 14 2 45 37 .278 .316 .488 .349 2.0 -1.0 1.1

Profile: Rosario stunk it up in 2014 relative to the expectations many had for him coming into the season. His power dropped off from elite levels for the position to the point where questions arose regarding its playability outside of Coors Field. He also showed some nasty platoon splits — his often-too-long swing gave him trouble against same-sided hurlers. Still, he has a better swing than most of the high power, low contact catchers floating around, with youth well on his side. He may not even be a catcher by this time next year, but he has enough ability with the bat to be a solid contributor if he can make some adjustments. You can chalk most of last season’s disappointment to inconsistent playing time dealing with injuries, but 2015 might just be a period of development for Rosario. He’s already shown he can mash lefties and shouldn’t catch full-time, so the hitting adjustments will have to come swift and early if he’s going to put together more than a part-time/platoon season of at bats. Even with the question marks, he is a decent bet to return to his 2012-13 numbers when he batted a combined .282 with 49 home runs in 892 plate appearances. (Dan Farnsworth)

Quick Opinion: 2014 brought up some major concerns for Rosario’s viability as a major league starter, but his bat will find its way into the lineup often enough to make a difference.

David Ross

Debut: 2002 |  BirthDate: 3/19/1977 | Team: Cubs | Position: C
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 116 22 4 1 10 11 .216 .298 .382 .304 -1.6 5.8 0.9
’14 171 28 7 0 15 16 .184 .260 .368 .278 -5.5 2.2 0.2
’15 90 17 3 1 9 8 .206 .277 .350 .280 -3.0 2.1 0.2

Profile: The most memorable thing to me about David Ross this past year was the plantar fasciitis that severely hobbled him throughout the second half. Already a statue before the injury, you couldn’t help but wonder if Ross would move faster with one of those one-legged wheelie cart things to help him mozie around the bases. The injury doesn’t really show up in his numbers — Ross has never been a full-time player, and his baserunning value was in line with his previous seasons. In fact, it was a little bit better than most of his previous seasons, 2013 notwithstanding. His slugging percentage and isolated power didn’t drop much, and his average batted ball distance only dropped by five feet (185′ to 180′, according to Baseball Heat Maps). There’s obviously a chance the injury could bother him again in 2015 and beyond, but the Cubs felt comfortable signing him to a two-year deal, so for the time being let’s assume he’ll be fine. Now, most leagues don’t require you to have a backup catcher, so simply by way of his job description, Ross is not someone you would normally target for your league. But if you’re in a deep league where you need to employ two catchers, you could do worse than Ross. Just as long as that league doesn’t count batting average as one of its categories. (Paul Swydan)

Quick Opinion: David Ross is a backup catcher who doesn’t hit for average, so unless you’re in a deep league that doesn’t count batting average, he’s not someone you should target at all.

Cody Ross

Debut: 2003 |  BirthDate: 12/23/1980 | Team: Diamondbacks | Position: OF
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 351 88 8 3 38 33 .278 .331 .413 .326 -2.2 8.9 1.8
’14 219 51 2 0 15 15 .252 .306 .322 .284 -6.1 -11.7 -1.2
’15 287 66 7 2 31 29 .252 .312 .395 .313 -2.3 -5.9 0.0

Profile: It would appear that the days of Ross being a relevant fantasy player are over. There was some hope that he could return to 2012 form after a disappointing 2013 season in which he was plagued by injuries. But Ross only got 219 plate appearances last year, and he didn’t miss too much time because of injury. He missed the first couple weeks of the season and was out for August, but he was only on pace to get about 300 PA had he been healthy all year. He’s definitely fifth among outfielders on Arizona’s depth chart, so you can’t expect more than 300 PA from him. If a rash of injuries led to more regular work for Ross, he could maybe give you decent average and a little pop. But that’s not really worth anything outside of an NL-only league. (Brett Talley)

Quick Opinion: Ross is a fifth outfielder at this point in his career and is unlikely to have much value unless forced into a more regular role because of injuries to others. Even with regular work, Ross is just an NL-only play.

Ryan Rua

Debut: 2014 |  BirthDate: 3/11/1990 | Team: Rangers | Position: 1B/OF
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’14 109 31 2 1 14 11 .295 .321 .419 .327 1.1 1.2 0.6
’15 269 60 7 2 30 28 .242 .295 .383 .301 -4.2 -4.2 0.0

Profile: On the surface, Ryan Rua is just another fringe prospect entering his mid-20s without an obvious path to playing time or even a position. And it might be enough to leave it at that. Rua might be worth a bit more of a look, though. While the Rangers are pretty set at second and third (the positions Rua played most in the minors), left field and DH might have playing time available in a reserve role. Rua’s (forced?) versatility makes him a bench option. He has hit for decent power the last couple of seasons in the minors. Let’s not go crazy, there is not much playing time available realistically. He’s probably something like a .250/.300/.390 hitter even if he does get the chance. But given his age and minor league performance, if Rua makes the roster, he has a bit of potential most of these 25th-man types do not. (Matt Klaassen)

Quick Opinion: Hitters on the end of the bench generally are not draft day targets, and Rua is not really an exception. However, if your league is deep enough that those players get drafted, Rua has a bit of potential that makes him worth more than most of his ilk.

Darin Ruf

Debut: 2012 |  BirthDate: 7/28/1986 | Team: Phillies | Position: 1B/OF
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 293 62 14 0 30 36 .247 .348 .458 .354 5.5 -12.9 0.1
’14 117 24 3 0 8 13 .235 .310 .402 .316 -0.2 0.5 0.4
’15 251 52 8 1 27 25 .233 .306 .390 .310 -1.7 -5.6 0.0

Profile: Darin Ruf was a late bloomer in terms of power but has displayed it at a better-than-league-average rate (.215 isolated slugging in 447 major league plate appearances), albeit in no more than a season’s worth of time. The 28-year-old right-handed batter probably strikes out too often (30.2% of the time so far) to be a regular, and there are no signs of improvement in his propensity to swing and miss. He’s really been no worse against righties in terms of results, but minor league numbers and indicators suggest that won’t last. All that puts him in a precarious place, obviously. In Philadelphia, he figures to be someone’s foil in left field or at first base, even if the club finds a way to unload Ryan Howard. (Although, in that scenario and in the short term, first base might be Ruf’s.) Until Maikel Franco arrives, at least, Ruf is likely the best Philly has for these jobs, so more than right-handed platoon mate’s playing time is likely. Still, he’s basically a $1 type or reserve in deep NL-only leagues, with just a touch of upside; it’s possible that he returns a profit if he lucks into some extra playing and goes on a hot streak. (Nicholas Minnix)

Quick Opinion: Ruf, whose power blossomed late on the farm, has displayed a good bit of it in the bigs and, with unexpected PT and a hot streak, could be profitable. He strikes out too often in general and is a potentially greater liability against righties, though, so he’s basically a fringe NL-only commodity.

Justin Ruggiano

Debut: 2007 |  BirthDate: 4/12/1982 | Team: Mariners | Position: OF
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 472 94 18 15 50 49 .222 .298 .396 .307 -2.3 -3.5 0.9
’14 250 63 6 2 28 29 .281 .337 .429 .337 2.4 -5.9 0.4
’15 350 75 10 7 37 38 .239 .303 .386 .306 -1.3 -4.7 0.6

Profile: Ruggiano’s first full season as a lefty masher went about as well as he could have hoped. He finished with a strong .281/.337/.429 slash to accompany his six homers. He even hit righties well too, sporting weighted offense that was three percent better than league average against northpaws and a 129 wRC+ against southerners. The Mariners will likely platoon Ruggiano with right fielder Seth Smith, though Ruggiano’s weak arm might fit better into left field. Given his career of success against lefties, there’s little reason to think Ruggiano won’t again acquit himself well with the bat across 200 or 300 plate appearances. If that’s a thing your fantasy team needs, then sure, stash ol’ Ruggs away on your bench and plop him into the lineup whenever a lefty squares against him. But don’t be disappointed if his offensive production against righties (and overall) is less than inspired. (Bradley Woodrum)

Quick Opinion: Ruggiano has positioned himself for a late-career run as a right-handed platoon mate. Few fantasy owners will find that useful, but his career 128 wRC+ against lefties makes him a viable right-handed bat if you don’t care that he’ll only get part time appearances.

Carlos Ruiz

Debut: 2006 |  BirthDate: 1/22/1979 | Team: Phillies | Position: C
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 341 83 5 1 37 30 .268 .320 .368 .303 -3.1 6.2 1.4
’14 445 96 6 4 31 43 .252 .347 .370 .323 1.2 14.8 3.2
’15 436 100 8 4 41 41 .260 .335 .384 .320 -0.2 11.4 2.7

Profile: It’s clear that Carlos Ruiz’s 2012 power output (16 home runs, .215 isolated slugging) is an outlier in his major league ledger. Hey, perhaps the 36-year-old will experience some sort of late-career spike in the skill category, pushing him toward that kind of total again. He may need it to happen in order to remain mixed-league relevant, because his very good control of the strike zone (0.87 walks per strikeout lifetime, 0.77 last season) and contact ability (87.7% contact rate career, 84.9% last year) probably aren’t enough to keep his batting average in the “useful” bin in fantasy leagues for much longer. Catchers are more at risk for injuries than other position players, but not a year goes by that Ruiz doesn’t miss time; he was absent for about a month in 2014 because of a – look out – a concussion. The good news is that he remains a standout defensively, his playing time isn’t at risk as long as he’s healthy, and his attributes should help him to produce a fantasy-league-average on base percentage – at least for catchers, perhaps the whole lot of players. He’s a fringe commodity in mixed leagues and a semi-reliable one in NL-only formats. (Nicholas Minnix)

Quick Opinion: Ruiz’s days as a positive in batting average are numbered, and he’s no lock to reach 400 plate appearances, but he should still be kind of useful in OBP leagues. Without a power surge – hey, it could happen … just don’t hold your breath – he’s likely to ride a mixed league’s catcher carousel and be a middling or low-end NL-only asset.

Josh Rutledge

Debut: 2012 |  BirthDate: 4/21/1989 | Team: Angels | Position: SS
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 314 67 7 12 19 45 .235 .294 .337 .281 -11.1 -3.2 -0.5
’14 342 83 4 2 33 44 .269 .323 .405 .322 -5.8 -12.7 -0.9
’15 537 119 9 9 50 56 .241 .291 .358 .289 -6.7 -1.0 1.1

Profile: After moving on from Howie Kendrick this Winter, the Angels acquired Rockies’ infielder Josh Rutledge in exchange for reliever Jairo Diaz. Rutledge looks to be in line for the starting gig at the cornerstone in Anaheim and is projected to see more than 500 plate appearances for the first time in his major league career. He’ll carry both second base and shortstop eligibility heading into the 2015 season, but that may be the most exciting thing to say about the 26-year-old. Rutledge is a career .259/.308/.403 hitter with 19 homers and 21 stolen bases, so with a full complement of at-bats as an Angel, a .260 10/10 season should be attainable. Hopefully he can learn how to take a few more walks (career 5.5% walk rate) and strikeout a bit less (career 21.4% strikeout rate) because both are below average rates for batters and should scare away mixed league points league owners. (Alan Harrison)

Quick Opinion: Rutledge appears to be in store for a full complement of at-bats in 2015, making him an intriguing AL-Only and deep mixed league option considering he carries dual position eligibility up the middle on the infield.

Brendan Ryan

Debut: 2007 |  BirthDate: 3/26/1982 | Team: Yankees | Position: 2B/SS
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 349 63 4 4 22 30 .197 .255 .273 .238 -22.6 6.3 -0.5
’14 124 19 0 0 8 5 .167 .211 .202 .190 -13.2 2.9 -0.7
’15 333 62 3 6 24 29 .206 .267 .280 .249 -17.3 7.2 0.1

Profile: Ryan, who served as Derek Jeter’s backup at shortstop for 49 games last year, has been floated as a possible platoon mate to Didi Gregorius for 2015. If that scenario were to come true, that could give him some value in AL-only formats, except that a) Ryan has a measly .274 weighted on-base average for his career, and b) against lefties, he’s hit just .245. Another possibility for playing time could come at second base in case the Yankees don’t make a trade or the Jose Pirela/Rob Refsnyder competition in spring training doesn’t bear fruit, but in general, it seems unlikely that Ryan will be of any use in fantasy for the upcoming season. (Karl de Vries)

Quick Opinion: There’s not a ton of room in fantasy baseball for a right-handed platoon bat that’s known for his defense, even at a tough position. 





 

3 Responses to “2015 Batter Profiles: P – R”

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  1. Chris says:
    March 23, 2015 at 12:31 pm
    FanGraphs Supporting Member

    Where’s Joc Pederson?

  2. bettingresource.com says:
    March 24, 2015 at 10:32 pm

    Yes, where is pederson?

  3. bettingresource.com says:
    March 24, 2015 at 10:34 pm

    80-20-70-20 .280 for Pederson in 2015. He will be a first rounder in 2016 will improve his numbers.