4 years agoOnce a top-25 prospect on MLB Pipeline, outfielder Austin Hays' stock has dropped, in part, due to injuries and a poor 2018 campaign across two levels. That said, due to a solid performance during his September 2019 MLB call-up and pedigree, Hays was considered a strong sleeper candidate for 2020. Unfortunately, a rib-fracture in 2020 cost Hays a month of an already shortened season. When he did play in 2020, Hays failed to meet expectations. When all was said and done, Hays posted just a .279/.328/.393 line over 134 plate appearances with four home runs and nine RBI in 2020. Looking at his hitting metrics for 2020, they were unimpressive, putting it mildly. His overall exit velocity (87 mph), overall barrel rate (four percent), and overall hard-hit rate (31.3%) were all in the bottom 20% in all of MLB and significantly lower than his numbers for 2019. Additionally, while his overall launch angle was roughly the same as 2019, his exit velocity on FB/LD dropped significantly to 89.7 mph from 93 mph in 2019. The only real positive take away from Hays' 2020 campaign was that, for the second year in a row, he posted solid September numbers. Specifically, in September, he hit .377/.404/.585 with three HR and four RBI signifying that, perhaps, the rib injury was behind him. With a current ADP of 222, Hays is a late-round option for managers who are banking on the strong September performance and chalking up the poor overall numbers/underlying metrics to the rib issue. Hays will have an opportunity for regular playing time in 2021. That said, managers taking a chance on Hays should temper expectations and, at best, hope for .250 production with a 20 HR ceiling until we see more consistency and an ability to stay on the field.--Nick Ritrivi - RotoBaller