Fantasy Baseball: 9 Spring Training Position Battles With Big Implications
St. Louis Cardinals' Infield
Speaking of gobs of taters, Jedd Gyorko hit a bunch of 'em last year, but his role is far from confirmed for opening day. A big spring training could change that and turn him into a fantasy darling yet again.
Right now, Roster Resource projects a starting infield of Matt Carpenter, Kolten Wong, Aledmys Diaz, and Gyorko with Jhonny Peralta on the bench. Carpenter and Diaz are likely locks to start, so let's take them out of the equation. That leaves you with three guys -- Gyorko, Wong, and Peralta -- competing for two spots. How do their peripherals from last year compare?
| In 2016 Season | Walk Rate | Strikeout Rate | Hard-Hit Rate | Fly-Ball Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jedd Gyorko | 8.4% | 21.9% | 34.8% | 40.3% |
| Kolten Wong | 9.4% | 14.4% | 25.9% | 34.1% |
| Jhonny Peralta | 6.4% | 17.9% | 32.2% | 35.2% |
Wong had the best plate-discipline stats, and Gyorko lapped the rest in his batted balls. Peralta was coming off of an injury, but he seems to fall behind the pack, giving Gyorko a solid chance at snagging a job.
So let's say for a second that Gyorko is the opening-day starter at third base. What's his value in that scenario?
In just 438 plate appearances last year, Gyorko hit 30 home runs with 58 runs scored, 59 RBI's, and a .243 batting average. A starting job would inflate all of the composite stats (especially given some of the bats hitting ahead of him in the order), but that batting average is a bit worrisome. Is it enough to push us away from Gyorko even if he's starting?
It probably shouldn't be. That low average for Gyorko came despite a 21.9% strikeout rate, which is just slightly above the league average. He had a .244 batting average on balls in play (BABIP), well below his career mark of .277 prior to that. Sure, this is partially because his fly-ball rate skipped up to a career high, but there's also some bad luck there. Steamer projections currently have him pegged for a .276 BABIP, which would help in the average department.
If you give Gyorko extra volume and a boost in his batting average, he's a solid, well-rounded asset who's coming off the board with an ADP of 228. If he wins a job -- something that seems more likely than not based on 2016 -- that could come down a good chunk, meaning it's worthwhile to buy Gyorko while the price is low.
