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Alex Verdugo 2021 Outlook: Can Power Catch Up to Hit Tool?
4 years agoBoston Red Sox outfielder Alex Verdugo found himself in the unenviable position of being dealt from the eventual World Series champion Dodgers to a last-place team just before the season began. While Verdugo is no Mookie Betts, he will be once again be counted on to man center field and likely bat leadoff for a team that still has a talented lineup despite its terrible season.
Verdugo was a prized prospect in the Dodgers' stacked farm system based mainly on his hit tool that allowed him to hit .314 and .329 in two seasons at Triple-A, followed by a .294 average with the Dodgers in 2019 and .308 in a short 2020. A high batting average should be in store and he provides run-scoring potential hitting ahead of Xander Bogaerts, Rafael Devers, and J.D. Martinez but the question is whether his power will develop enough to make him a fantasy factor. He looked primed to take a step forward with 12 home runs in 343 at-bats in 2019 but hit just six HR in 201 AB in Boston. A low fly-ball rate coupled with hard-hit rate under 40% isn't a recipe for success in the power realm so expectations should be tempered. Verdugo should play as a relatively safe OF3 as long as a breakout isn't expected.
