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Franmil Reyes 2019 Outlook: Powerful Outfielder Looks To Build On 30-Homer Pop
6 years agoSan Diego Padres outfielder Franmil Reyes turned 87 games and 285 plate appearances with the Padres into 16 homers and a solid .280/.340/.498 triple slash after bashing 16 homers with a .324 average and 1.042 OPS in 250 plate appearances at Triple-A prior to his promotion. This was extremely impressive as a 22-year-old rookie, but his 28.1% strikeout rate and low 81% zone-contact rate means he needs the 44.2% hard-hit rate to produce. And even then, his 29.6% HR/FB rate is a regression candidate that’ll probably settle closer to 20% in ‘19. In his corner is a 92.3 MPH average exit velocity, good for 17th out of 390 hitters with at least 100 batted balls. What helps those looking to find fantasy value is that he mustered only 31 RBI on those 16 dingers -- a rate that he’s sure to exceed in ‘19, especially as fellow young bats such as Franchy Cordero, Francisco Mejia and Luis Urias continue to grow. Steamer projects Reyes for 28 homers and 149 R+RBI with a .251/.320/.458 slash in 594 PAs, which would provide solid fifth-outfielder value that aligns with our staff ranking as the 58th outfielder off the board.
