Fantasy Baseball: 5 Buy-Low Options for Season-Long Leagues
Kyle Seager, 3B, Seattle Mariners
Kyle Seager is putting up some tasty batted-ball numbers, but he has very little success to show for it.
Entering 2017, Seager had raised him home run output for six straight seasons, culminating with a monster 2016 campaign in which he posted a .363 wOBA, 30 jacks and 10.2% walk rate -- all of which were career-best marks.
According to National Fantasy Baseball Championships average draft position data, Seager was justifiably taken as the fifth third baseman. This season has been a nightmare, though, as he's currently the 32nd-ranked player at the hot corner, per ESPN's Player Rater.
But there are some positives here.
Seager owns a respectable 35.1% hard-hit rate, and his 48.2% fly-ball rate is a career-high clip. His strikeout (16.3%) and walk (8.8%) rates are right in line with his career averages, and nothing in his swing profile stands out in a bad way.
The most glaring difference comes in his home-run-per-fly-ball rate (HR/FB).
| Season | HR/FB |
|---|---|
| 2012 | 9.8% |
| 2013 | 9.9% |
| 2014 | 12.9% |
| 2015 | 12.1% |
| 2016 | 14.6% |
| 2017 | 7.8% |
| Career Average | 11.0% |
Despite the aforementioned 35.1% hard-hit rate, which is above his career average of 33.7%, and career-high 48.3% fly-ball rate -- batted-ball numbers that should lead to more power -- Seager's home-run-per-fly-ball rate is well below what he's produced in his five previous full seasons, especially in recent years.
The lack of power has led to a measly .308 wOBA, well under his .336 career average.
Seager may be on the verge of breaking out, though. In June, he racked up a 39.6% hard-hit rate along with a massive 52.7% fly-ball rate. In spite of all that dope contact, his BABIP for the month was only .326.
Things will turn around if he keeps mashing the ball. Pursue him now before his results start aligning with his sweet batted-ball numbers.
