Preseason ADP: 64.17
The 2017 season proved to be quite the drop off in production for Rockies outfielder Carlos Gonzalez. Through 1,240 plate appearances between 2015 and 2016, the veteran slashed .285/.337/.522 with 65 homers, 197 RBI, and 174 runs scored before he managed a .262/.339/.423 triple slash with 14 homers, 57 RBI, and 72 runs scored in 534 plate appearances this year.
It's easy to see why this was a disappointing campaign for Cargo, but it actually doesn't tell the whole story. If it wasn't for a monster September, his stats would've looked way more depressing. The below table shows how his OPS, ISO, homers, RBI, runs scored, and wRC+ compare between September and the rest of the regular season.
| 2017 | PA | OPS | ISO | HR | RBI | Runs Scored | wRC+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Through August 31st | 441 | .665 | .117 | 8 | 41 | 50 | 58 |
| Since September 1st | 93 | 1.250 | .390 | 6 | 16 | 22 | 204 |
I'm just venturing a guess here, but the first five months were so infuriating that many who began the year with Cargo on their team probably weren't patient enough to benefit from that September surge. And that's for good reason -- he was a shell of the hitter he had been, especially from the perspective of counting stats.