RADIO
BALLER MOVE: Target ~180
CURRENT ADP: 204
ANALYSIS: In 2014, Jonathan Schoop was thrown into the fire as the Orioles made a deep postseason run, getting swept by the Kansas City Royals in the ALCS. His first near-full regular season yielded 16 home runs and 45 RBI in 137 games, but also a .209 batting average.
In 2015, Schoop came close to reproducing his 2014 numbers in almost half the amount of time. It took him just 86 games to collect 15 HR and 39 RBI. Injuries to his knee and hand cut into the season, but he was on pace for close to 30 HR.
His 24.6% strikeout rate indicates that he may be an all-or-nothing kind of offensive player, but a .788 OPS, a .203 ISO, a 34.5% Hard% and a 17.4 HR/FB ratio show that he can get by with his power. Camden Yards is a hitter’s dream, and Schoop has shown the ability to use the whole field-- he only pulled 43.2% of his balls in 2015.
The Orioles have a deep lineup filled with strong sources of power, and Schoop should continue to be a part of that. His power alone makes him valuable in mixed leagues.
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