4 Veteran Middle Infielders Worth Targeting in Fantasy Baseball
Asdrubal Cabrera, SS, and Neil Walker, 2B, New York Mets
There are so mainly similarities with the New York Mets' double play combo that we might as well review the pair together.
Both Neil Walker and Asdrubal Cabrera are entering their age-31 season. Both are switch hitters who clubbed exactly 23 home runs last year during their first campaigns with New York. Both struck out more than 18 percent of the time while posting identical .194 ISOs. Even their batting average was nearly the same, with Walker owning a slight .282 to .280 advantage. Unfortunately, both are also somewhat fragile.
In seven seasons as a full-timer, Walker has played in more than 150 games just twice. Last season ended in late August when he could no longer play through a herniated disc. Walker suffered the same back issue in 2012. That was managed with six weeks of physical therapy while this most recent development was dealt with via surgery and a three month recovery. The Mets were comfortable enough with Walker's back that he was offered -- and accepted -- a one-year, $17.2 million qualifying offer during the offseason.
Cabrera has only played in more than 150 games once and has been placed on the disabled list in six different seasons since 2009. To his credit, Cabrera returned on August 19th from a strained patella tendon -- following a minimal stint on the disabled list to rest the knee -- to hit .345 with a 1.041 OPS, 10 home runs and a dozen other extra-base hits in 41 games to close out 2016.
Both Walker and Cabrera are going around 20th at their respective positions in NFBC drafts, and they can be found in similar spots on FantasyPros. Among all players, Walker is going around pick 250 while Cabrera is called on close to 20 spots later.
With so many similarities between the two, it's fair have similar expectations for Walker and Cabrera. Repeating a .280-something batting average is unlikely, however, given their career averages are each nearly 10 points lower. Steamer has Walker hitting .261 with 20 jacks and 66 RBI's while the projection system pegs Cabrera to hit .250 with 16 long balls and 59 RBI's.
Manning thin positions up the middle, if they stay healthy, both Mets middle infielders can be use fantasy assets in 2017.
