Virtual reality has been hailed by many as the next great technology. I enjoy playing games and watching porn, so I fully endorse that last sentence. Even if you’re not a gamer or porn “watcher”, though, the technology could have profound impacts, from how we train to how we study to how we interact with society. The technology has been around long enough to have been commercialized and allow me to conceptualize virtual pro sports leagues. Woo hoo! Momma, I finally made it to the Show. Anyways, Victor Robles of the Washington Nationals has also been hailed as a next great….not technology because that would be weird, but player. Ralph had him as the #4 prospect last season, while MLB.com had him as the numero uno prospect. Grey also wrote about him here last November. Now, there’s still uncertainty in Washington D. C. because Bryce Harper hasn’t signed yet, but it seems likely that he will be on another team, so I’m going to assume Robles is the starting center fielder. Robles is 6′ 0″ 190 pounds and bats from the right side. He has 93 plate appearances in the major leagues, with 66 of those coming last season. He hit 3 home runs and stole 3 bases. What gets me excited is that he had a strikeout rate under 20% and a walk rate of 6.1%. Not spectacular but damn good for essentially a rookie. The batting average was .288 with a manageable BABIP of .311. Robles is more of a pull hitter, but did go oppo 27% of the time. The ground ball-to-fly ball rate was a paltry 0.55. The contact rate was 80.4%, the swinging strike rate was only 9%, and he only chased 28.6% of pitches outside the strike zone. For a 21-year-old, he has a mature and disciplined approach at the plate, which is good because that accentuates his greatest asset: speed. I’ve seen times as low as 4.11 with grades of 70. Steamer has him projected for 28 steals, while Rudy’s sex robot has him at 31. For perspective, only 10 players stole at least 30 bases last season. He’s also projected to hit 13 home runs. Only seven players in all of baseball went at least 10/30 last year. Average? Check. Plate discipline? Check. Power? small check but check nonetheless. Speed? CHECK. Fantasy value? Could be the best value of the season, as he’s currently ranked as the #136 overall player according to FantasyPros. TREASURE
J. T. Realmuto is currently ranked as the #73 overall player at FantasyPros, where 13 “experts” submit their rankings. Grey went over him in the Top 20 Catchers, but I wanted to expound more because….#73!!!! W. T. F! Yes, he hit 21 home runs and stole 3 bases with a .277 average, but he’s still on the Marlins and only had 74 runs and RBI. Don’t do it to yourself. The opportunity cost of drafting Realmuto where he’s likely to go is just not worth it. TRASH
After being a staple in Pittsburgh for nine years, Andrew McCutchen is now being passed around like a blunt in a cipher. He split time between San Francisco and New York last season, and now resides in Philadelphia. At 32 years old, the end is near….he signed for how much? 3 years and $50 million to pay him through 2022? Ok, maybe the end is not so close but how about from a fantasy perspective? McCutchen is far removed from the 33 stolen base days, but he did rack up 14 last season. Rudy’s got him down for 11. Rudy’s a genius wizard so 11 it is. He hit 20 home runs last season and is projected for 26. That’s fair, especially when you consider the move to Citizens Bank Park, which is above average for home runs for right-handed batters. The walk and strikeout rates were fine (13.9% and 21.3% respectively), while the swinging strike rate was only 8.2% and the chase rate was only 19.4%. The average was down at .255, but the projection systems have him down around .263. Bottom line, he’s still a good hitter, but not great, who still has some pop and speed to deliver. He’s projected to hit third in the lineup and there could be an uptick in production and value if Bryce Harper joins the lineup. Regardless, he’s ranked #99 according to FantasyPros. Rudy has him valued as the #67 overall player. TREASURE
