It’s like ESPN has taken over Razzball the last few days because it’s all Red Sox and Yankees all the time. A Yoan Moncada fantasy on Monday, Aaron Judge fantasy on Tuesday and Andrew Benintendi today. Who’s next? Tyler Austin? “Ha, Grey you crack me up with your witticisms and third person ramblings.” Thanks, Self, but you’re standing on my foot. “You’re such a klutz!” Don’t you mean, I’m such a klutz? “You tell me.” I legit got a headache during that third person conversation. No wonder homeless people are always banging their head with their hand. That shizz is exhausting. On Monday, Prospector Ralph aka Rappin’ Ralph aka The Ralper aka Red Sox Homer aka Ralph Lifshitz said he’d want Benintendi over Moncada, and I thought that was interesting but didn’t agree. Benintendi does have a more solid floor — solider? Benintendi looks less likely to be awful, whereas Moncada does have that possibility. To use a clumsy comparison of another Cuban player, Yasiel Puig looked can’t miss until he didn’t even start playoff games for Andrew Toles, who was working in a supermarket last year at this time, and Toles over Puig made sense because of how little Puig has done — or is it has-been? That’s likely people’s fears with Moncada. Those fears don’t carry as much weight with Benintendi. Not sure his ceiling is that high either, and, with rookies, I want ceiling over floor. Anyway, what can we expect of Andrew Benintendi for 2017 fantasy baseball?
Benintendi seems like a lock to start the year with the Red Sox, barring an injury or some offseason trade. There’s a chance he could platoon, but the guys taking at-bats from him against lefties won’t be either good or able to face righties. Those speed humps are LLAMAS, the lot of them. So, playing time seems locked up for at least 475 ABs, which is more abs than Billy Butler in a Brookstone massage chair. The other good stuff is Benintendi’s plate discipline is ridonk. Some guys he’s been compared to are McCutchen, David Wright, Markakis, CarGonzalez, Kinsler and Marte. No batting average drags there. Contact! Can Benintendi get a hit, boom or BABIP? More BABIP, and less boom. He strikes me as a 20-ish homer guy vs. a big bomber. Maybe he fills out in a few years and starts hitting more badonkadonks than a drunk Ben Affleck. Watching Benintendi hit made me think he could become a guy that would hit pull homers and opposite field off-the-Green Monster jobbers. Speed? Yeah, he’s got that too. You starting to see his appeal, Adnan Syed? He’s a five category performer. The speed is likely going to either come or go with the power. He fills out more and he’ll hit more homers and steal less; he stays trim, slim and light-skin and he might steal 25 bags. I’m legit concerned he turns into one of the guys I listed above and you can guess which one it is. It’s the only guy who we need to avoid from that list: the Greek God of Lame, Markakis. When Markakis first came up he hit 23 HRs, stole 18 bags and hit .300. He never hit much lower than .280 for ten years straight, but, because of his body size and non-burner speed, Markakis obviously became an average only play. That’s what I fear Benintendi could be. Not bad in the real world when you’re fighting for a job and arguing about who needs to clean the dishes, but in fantasy it’s a bit yawnstipating. I’m gonna give Benintendi the benefit of the doubt and give him the line of 79/16/68/.303/19 in 480 ABs.
