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Amed Rosario 2020 Outlook: Improvements in Exit Velocity
5 years agoNew York Mets' shortstop Amed Rosario is coming off an improved sophomore year, where he slashed .287/.323/.432 with 75 R, 15 HR, 72 RBI, and 19 SB. Rosario had a strong second half, posting a .319/.351/.453 slash with 37 R, 6 HR, 30 RBI, and 9 SB. He was able to generate harder contact this past season, increasing his Hard% from 32.1% to 39.1% as well as his Average Exit Velocity from 87.3 MPH to 89.2 MPH. This is a player with prospect pedigree, so it's intriguing to see these improvements in his second full season in the big leagues. For Rosario to build on his 2019, we need to see him hit higher in the order to improve his counting stats - he had a combined 333 plate appearances hitting in the seventh slot or lower. Entering his age-24 season, the former top prospect has 20/20 upside with strong contact skills, making him a solid option in AVG leagues - his poor walk rate limits his upside in OBP formats. Rosario is currently being drafted at 133 ADP, behind veteran shortstop Elvis Andrus, a similar player with a solid combination of power and speed. While Rosario is the riskier choice, he definitely has a higher upside due to his prospect pedigree and strong second-half finish.
