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Of all the new players GM Jerry Dipoto has brought in, Mitch Haniger may just be the one with the most upside.
Jean Segura, Jarrod Dyson, Drew Smyly; these are just a handful of the guys that Dipoto has added to the Mariners roster just this season alone. One that may have been overlooked at the time is young outfielder Mitch Haniger, who came to the Mariners via trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks as part of the Jean Segura deal.
Although he didn't make a huge impact at the end of last season, hitting .229 in 109 at-bats with the D-Backs, the talent is certainly there, making Haniger someone to watch early on in 2017.
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Mitch Haniger: Undervalued Draft Target?
Even though he originally seemed like a bit of an after thought, Haniger seemed to be a part of Dipoto's plans all along. Heading into Spring Training, Haniger was rumored to be in line to be the Mariners new starting right fielder. Although there is still the potential for a platoon with Ben Gamel, Haniger has shown plenty of signs that he may be exactly what the Mariners have been looking for.
After spending his first few seasons finding his way in the minor leagues, Haniger soon found himself in Triple-A last season. In just 74 games, Haniger put up impressive numbers batting .341 with 20 HRs, 64 RBI and an impressive 12.5% walk rate.
Once called up to the Majors, Haniger did regress a little bit. In 34 games he slashed .229/.309/.404 with 5 HRs and a 22% K rate. There were a few signs that Haniger's stats were due to a bit of bad luck, though. His BABIP, for instance, was only .256 and his hard contact rate was a respectable 37.3%. To put that into perspective, Nelson Cruz had a hard contact rate of 36.4%. A high hard contact rate plus a low BABIP means Haniger spent a lot of time hitting the ball really hard right at the opposing fielders. This also means that, given a full season of at bats, Haniger should have much better luck and his numbers should even out a bit more.
This spring, Haniger has shown that his hitting ability can transfer to the Major League level. Through 65 AB Haniger is hitting an impressive .400 with a team-leading 13 extra base hits. Spring Training success may not always transfer over to the regular season, but it does give us a glimpse into just how good things can end up being.
Although Haniger doesn't project to be a middle of the order guy in Seattle, he does still have the potential to put up great numbers. According to Rotochamp, Haniger is projected to be the Mariners number six hitter, slotting him right behind sluggers Nelson Cruz and Kyle Seager. With career OBP of .338 and .334 it seems as though Haniger will have no issues having runners on base ahead of him.
Plus, his arms are like tree trunks. The power his arms generate alone will be enough to get fans and fantasy players excited. Last season, every one of his five HR traveled over 400 feet with the longest going an impressive 442 feet against the Colorado Rockies. The average "true distance" of home runs, which can now be tracked and catalogued, is a fairly reliable predictor of power. Although his five homers as a rookie are an admittedly small sample size, Haniger's average distance of 420 feet would have tied him with Trevor Story for third in the majors. In other words, the power looks like it's legit.
For this upcoming season, Fangraphs "ZiPS" projections for Haniger have him batting .237 with 18 HR and 57 RBI. Personally, I see him falling more in to the .260/20/70 range. Haniger's ability to make solid contact combined with a season's worth of AB should help him make strides towards becoming a household name in Seattle and a serviceable outfield option for your fantasy roster.
If you have yet to hold your draft, Haniger is a name to remember in the later rounds. His current ADP according to NFBC data is 323 overall, making him the 79th outfielder on the board. He is easily worth a $1 bid in auction leagues as well. AL-only owners might not want to consider him as a starter just yet, but if he's the first OF on your bench, you could be holding onto a star in the making.
