X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Seattle Mariners Sleepers to Watch in 2021

Dylan Moore - Fantasy Baseball Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Jeremy Frank looks at potential fantasy baseball draft values and sleepers to target on the Seattle Mariners including Dylan Moore, Ty France, Marco Gonzales and Justus Sheffield.

In a division with the star-studded Angels and Astros and the ever-consistent Athletics, it's easy to overlook the Mariners and Rangers in the American League West. And while you may have good reasons to look past the Rangers, the Mariners have several intriguing fantasy players for the 2021 season that could be going a bit under-the-radar in your league.

I also like to come up with a list of players I think are overlooked coming into each season, and one thing stuck out to me more than anything else: many of them were Mariners. Seattle finished 27-33 in a shortened 2020 season, and FanGraphs has them projected for a third straight sub-.500 finish. However, I'd argue that the Mariners have significantly more upside than any other teams around their projected win total. They don't have a true star, but many of their players are more than capable-- significantly better than their lack of publicity would suggest.

If you don't know me, I'm Jeremy Frank. I run the Twitter account @MLBRandomStats where I tweet a lot about baseball stats. I'll be posting occasional articles for RotoBaller throughout the season when I have something interesting to write about. To start, here are five Seattle Mariners I really like, fantasy-wise and in general, for the 2021 MLB season.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy baseball lineup tools and resources:

 

Dylan Moore

One of my favorite under-the-radar fantasy players in the sport is Dylan Moore. Moore brings a bit of everything to the table. For one, he adds a lot of flexibility to rosters, with 10 games played at second base, left field, and right field in 2020 despite the shortened season. While he looks to be slotted in to get most of his playing time as the second baseman for the M's this season, Moore's versatility gave him starts at first base, shortstop, third base, and center field in 2020, in addition to his main three positions.

Depending on your positional eligibility minimums, don't be surprised if Moore adds another position or two if the Mariners need him to move around. Moore was also one of just three American League players to rank in the top 30 percent in the MLB in expected wOBA, average exit velocity, and sprint speed. (Mike Trout and Teoscar Hernandez were the two others.) While the 138 wRC+ may seem like a small season fluke, he only slightly overperformed his solid .354 xwOBA. In addition, Moore stole 12 bases in 38 games last year, or a rate of 45 per 600 plate appearances.

Like I mentioned, Dylan Moore is one of my favorite under-the-radar guys going into this year. At an ADP of 155 and auction value of $7, he is one of the few guys you'll be able to find with a good bat, stolen base upside, and positional versatility in the middle rounds of your draft.

 

Ty France

Like Moore, France looks primed for a favorable lineup spot in the Mariners order-- and for good reason. In 43 games between the Padres and Mariners last year, the third baseman slashed .305/.368/.468. His expected batting average ranked in the top 15 percent of all MLB players, and his expected slugging was in the top quarter. Of all 203 players with 150+ PA in 2020, France ranked third in line drive rate at 30.8%, just behind only Jose Iglesias and Freddie Freeman.

His spring training OPS is Bonds-like, right around the 1.400 mark, with more homers in a few dozen spring plate appearances (5 in 41 PA) than he did all of last regular season (4 in 155 PA). He'll likely be the Mariners DH to start the season, but should have second base eligibility, and maybe third base, depending on the league. At a 303 ADP and $1 auction, France is a late-round steal if you can get him. Also, I feel obligated to mention his obscene .399/.477/.770 slash line with 27 HR and 89 RBI in 76 AAA games in 2019. Yeah, ballpark, but still.

 

Marco Gonzales

Sure, it was a shortened season, but no qualified pitcher in the last 120 years has ever posted a K/BB better than the 9.14 Gonzales had in 2020 while also allowing a lower slugging percentage than the .361 that the Mariners southpaw allowed. Yes, he has flaws: he doesn't get as many swings and misses as you'd hope, and his fastball velocity barely touches 90 on a good day; however, Gonzales limits hard contact (86.4 mph average exit velocity was in the 83rd percentile in 2020) and has elite control to go along with it.

His 3.10 ERA from 2020 was probably an overperformance, but FIP has him at 3.32, and Statcast's xERA has him at 3.76. He's one of sixteen pitchers to qualify for the ERA title in each of the last three seasons, and he beat the league average ERA and FIP in all three. He's not Kyle Hendricks, but he has shown to be a consistent innings-eater who should help your team more than he hurts it. Available in the 14th or 15th round in most 12-teamers, Gonzales is a solid option for teams that need reliable starting pitching, which I assume is pretty much all of them.

 

Yusei Kikuchi

If you just looked at the back of his baseball card, Kikuchi would seem undraftable in most fantasy leagues. As a 28-year-old rookie, the Japanese southpaw went 6-11 with a 5.46 ERA and just 116 strikeouts in 161.2 innings pitched. In a shortened sophomore year, Kikuchi went 2-4 with a 5.17 ERA. However, unlike his rookie year, he showed some flashes of what the Mariners hoped he would become when they signed him.

The left-hander struck out 47 guys in 47 innings, or a K/9 of exactly nine, and only allowed three home runs (0.6 HR/9) after surrendering 2.0 HR/9 in his first season. While ERA didn't recognize his improvement, nearly every other metric did. His FIP dropped from 5.71 to 3.30, his xERA (Statcast) dropped from 5.24 to 3.37, and he ranked in the top third of the league in xwOBA, opponent barrel rate, and whiff rate after ranking in the bottom third of the league in all three metrics a year prior. He stopped throwing his worst pitch, a curveball, instead throwing a much more effective cutter for the first time in the Majors.

His biggest improvement, I'd argue, was his ability to keep guys from putting the ball in the air; his opponents' average launch angle dropped from 12.3 degrees to 4.3 degrees, his ground ball rate increased from 44.8% to 52.8%, and his fly ball rate decreased from 21.9% to 16.5%. Kikuchi's ERA was bad in his rookie year because he couldn't strike guys out and he gave up homers more than just about anyone in the league; in his sophomore year, he increased his strikeout rate big time, got more grounders allowed significantly fewer homers, and his ERA was still bad. Don't expect that to continue.

If Kikuchi is able to keep the improvements he made going into last year, the rest of his stats will eventually follow with a bigger sample. His ADP is in the 110s, but depending on your league, it's possible he's around much later due to his ugly traditional stats in his only two MLB seasons.

 

Justus Sheffield

My runner-up for the American League Rookie of the Year (behind his teammate Kyle Lewis), Sheffield was massively overlooked by the voters, not getting even a third-place vote from any of the 30 writers. After a couple of sub-par starts at the beginning of the season, Sheffield tore it up over his last eight, going 4-1 with a 2.64 ERA in 47.2 IP.

The left-hander pitched at least five innings and allowed two or fewer runs in seven of those eight starts. His Statcast metrics leave some to be desired, and it's why he won't be an extremely high pick in this year's draft, but his expected wOBA, expected SLG, and walk rate were all at least average. He allowed just two home runs in 2020, to Anderson Tejada and Jo Adell of all players, and backed that up by finishing in the top 11 percent of the league in barrel rate.

Of the five, I think Sheffield is the biggest risk, but he could present some nice upside if he can get his strikeout numbers to where they were in the minors. His ADP is 108.3, which might be a bit early, but Sheffield is a really solid middle-round pick with good upside if you're willing to take a slight gamble on him.

The Mariners might still be a year or two from competing for a division title, but they do have valuable pieces right now that could be steals for your fantasy team. Moore is my personal favorite, but the other three could provide excellent bang for your buck if and when they fall to a favorable position in your draft.



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy baseball app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, sleepers, prospects & more. All free!



More Fantasy Baseball Advice




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Close To 30-Point Triple-Double In Game 1 Loss
Nikola Jokić

Nikola Jokic Opens Conference Semifinals With Monster Effort
OG Anunoby

Leads Knicks Comeback Monday Night
Jalen Brunson

Bags 29 Points With Five Triples
Jaylen Brown

Nets 23 Points In Game 1 Loss
Jayson Tatum

Fills Stat Sheet On Poor Shooting Night
Sam Hauser

Injures Right Ankle Monday
William Eklund

Undergoes Wrist Surgery
Carter Verhaeghe

Delivers Two Assists In Losing Effort
Brad Marchand

Records Second Consecutive Multi-Point Game
Matthew Knies

Pots Game-Winner Monday Night
Max Pacioretty

Records Two Assists In Game 1 Victory
William Nylander

Shines In Game 1 With Three Points
Anthony Stolarz

Taken To Hospital Monday
Baltimore Ravens

Ravens Add 17 Undrafted Rookie Free Agents
Kansas City Chiefs

Chiefs Sign 16 Undrafted Rookie Free Agents
Freddie Freeman

Hits 350th Career Home Run Monday
Tulu Griffin

Packers Release Tulu Griffin
Cole Ragans

Fans 11 In Dominant Start Monday
Josiah Deguara

Cardinals Sign Josiah Deguara
Jimmie Ward

Out Of Walking Boot And Running
Kristaps Porzingis

Questionable To Return To Game 1
Cleveland Cavaliers

Kenny Atkinson Named NBA Coach Of The Year
Teoscar Hernández

Teoscar Hernandez Injures Hamstring On Monday
MLB

Nationals-Guardians Postponed On Monday
Gary Payton II

Still Battling Illness, Questionable For Tuesday
De'Andre Hunter

Questionable To Play Tuesday
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. Will Begin Rehab Assignment In May
Evan Mobley

Iffy For Tuesday's Action
Darius Garland

In Danger Of Missing Another Game
Jesper Bratt

To Undergo Shoulder Surgery
Luke Hughes

Recovering From Shoulder Surgery
Eric Robinson

Returns To Practice Monday
Sergei Bobrovsky

Looks To Continue Domination Against Maple Leafs
Justin Tucker

Released By Baltimore
Anthony Stolarz

Faces Former Team In Round 2
Mitchell Marner

Good To Go Monday
Jackson Merrill

Now Set To Return On Tuesday
Tyrion Davis-Price

Waived By Eagles
Yordan Alvarez

Placed On Injured List
Jalen Milroe

Working On Lower-Half Mechanics To Improve Accuracy
Shota Imanaga

Goes On 15-Day Injured List
Britain Covey

Signs With Rams
Deiveson Figueiredo

Loses Back-To-Back Fights
Cory Sandhagen

Gets Back In The Win Column
Reinier de Ridder

Extends His Win Streak To Four
Matthew Stafford

To Earn $44 Million In 2025
Bo Nickal

Suffers His First Loss At UFC Des Moines
Santiago Ponzinibbio

Suffers TKO Loss At UFC Des Moines
Royce Lewis

Reinstated From 10-Day Injured List
Daniel Rodriguez

Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Daniel Marcos

Undefeated No More
Montel Jackson

Extends His Win Streak
Serhiy Sidey

Gets Decision Win At UFC Des Moines
Jeremy Stephens

Unsuccessful In His UFC Return
Mason Jones

Wins Decision At UFC Des Moines
Giles Jackson

Eagles Sign Receiver Giles Jackson
Justin Tucker

Has Been Working Out At Team Facilities
Zay Flowers

Avoids Surgery On His Knee
Willy Adames

Goes Yard Twice In Win
Washington Commanders

Washington D.C. To Host 2027 NFL Draft
Josh Simmons

Signs Four-Year Rookie Deal
Tank Dell

Expected To Miss 2025 Season
Joey Logano

Steals The Victory At Texas On Sunday
Nolan McLean

Promoted To Triple-A
Kyle Larson

Strong Performance Ends With A Top-Five Finish At Texas
Ricky Stenhouse Jr

. Quietly Obtains A New Career-Best Finish At Texas
Josh Berry

Spins His Way To A Poor Result At Texas
Trey Sweeney

Has A Career Day At The Plate
Austin Riley

Blasts Two Home Runs On Sunday
Pavel Buchnevich

Collects An Assist In Game 7 Loss
Jordan Kyrou

Nets Early Goal In Game 7
Cole Perfetti

Pots Two Goals In Game 7 Win
Neal Pionk

Has Three Assists In Game 7 Victory
Kyle Connor

Records Three Assists In Game 7 Comeback
Adam Lowry

Completes Jets Comeback Sunday
Josh Morrissey

To Be Re-Evaluated Monday
Ross Chastain

Picks Up Second-Place Finish
Carson Hocevar

Bad Pit Strategy And Late-Race Crash Spoil Carson Hocevar's Top-10 Run
Erik Jones

Improbably Finishes Fifth Despite Speeding Penalty
Michael McDowell

Despite Crashing Out At Texas, Michael McDowell Surprisingly Fights For The Win
John Hunter Nemechek

Brilliant Pit Strategy Lifts John Hunter Nemechek To Eighth Place
Ty Jerome

Scores 21 Points Off The Bench On Sunday
Jarrett Allen

Scores 12 Points In Game 1
Pascal Siakam

Drops 17 Points In Win Over Cleveland
Kerry Carpenter

Tallies Four Hits, Drives In Five
Myles Turner

Has A Productive Showing In Game 1
Masyn Winn

Exits With Ankle Sprain
Andrew Nembhard

Leads Indiana In Scoring In Game 1
Tyrese Haliburton

Guides Indiana To A Win On Sunday
Evan Mobley

Nabs A Double-Double In Game 1
Donovan Mitchell

Can't Lead Cleveland To A Win On Sunday
Ryan Blaney

Frustrated After Fumbling Away Potential Win At Texas
Brad Keselowski

Woeful Season Continues With Wreck At Texas
Maikel Garcia

Homers Twice In Victory
Jackson Holliday

Blasts Two Homers
Randy Arozarena

Exits Early On Sunday
Shota Imanaga

Suffers Hamstring Strain
Joel Eriksson Ek

To Have Surgery Next Week
Tanner Bibee

Makes Early Exit On Sunday Due To Cramping
Shota Imanaga

Exits Early On Sunday
Emery Jones Jr.

Might Be Out Until Training Camp
Kyren Williams

Hungry For More
Omarion Hampton

Thinks Chargers Can Have Dominant Backfield
Kyle Pitts

Falcons Offensive Coordinator Expects Big Jump From Kyle Pitts
Blake Lynch

Chiefs Waive BJ Thompson, Release Blake Lynch
Kyle Larson

Has One Of The Best Cars In The Field At Texas
William Byron

Will Be Tough To Beat At Texas
Chase Elliott

A Slam-Dunk DFS Pick At Texas
Austin Cindric

Could Austin Cindric Legitimately Contend At Texas This Weekend?
Ryan Blaney

Is Worth Rostering For Texas DFS Lineups On Sunday
Joey Logano

Struggling To Find Speed At Texas
Tyler Reddick

Should Be Highly Considered For DFS At Texas This Week
Daniel Suarez

Has Been One Of The Best At Texas In Next Gen Car
Denny Hamlin

Might Have Another Quality Texas Start This Week
AJ Allmendinger

Has Shown Speed At Texas This Weekend
Deiveson Figueiredo

Returns To Action
Cory Sandhagen

Set For UFC Des Moines Main Event
Bo Nickal

Set For Co-Main Event
Reinier de Ridder

An Underdog At UFC Des Moines
Daniel Rodriguez

Looks To Win Second Consecutive Fight
Santiago Ponzinibbio

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Daniel Marcos

Looks To Remain Undefeated
Montel Jackson

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Cameron Smotherman

Set For His Second UFC Bout
Serhiy Sidey

A Favorite At UFC Des Moines
Nicolai Hojgaard

Looking To Build Off Last Week's Runner-Up Finish
Gary Woodland

Could See Success At CJ CUP
Cam Davis

Making First Appearance At TPC Craig Ranch
Sam Burns

Could Be Due For A Great Week At TPC Craig Ranch
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF