7 years agoIan Desmond was quite the disappointment in 2017. How disappointing he was likely depended on when owners drafted last season, namely before or after he suffered a broken hand in spring training. Like most players who suffer hand, wrist, or oblique injuries, once Desmond returned to the field, his power was sapped. A man who had hit no fewer than 19 home runs in each of the previous five seasons moved to the most hitter-friendly ballpark in the league and hit just seven homers. However, 2018 should be an entirely different story. Desmond will still be playing in the friendly confines of Coors, and he is primed for a bounce back. While his power was absent last year, everything else was right in line with what we would expect from the man. His .274 batting average was just above his career number. He walked 6.4% of the time and struck out 23.3% of the time while his career averages are 6.2% and 23.5%, respectively. He even stole 15 bases in 95 games, a pace that would give him 23 over a full season while he averaged 21 per season over the six prior seasons. He’s also usually quite durable, having played 150 or more games in six of the seven seasons prior to 2017. Desmond is no spring chicken at 32 years of age, but owners should aggressively draft him if he falls past the eighth round. Anyone who gets him after pick 120 should expect some serious dividends on this selection.--Billy Stonick - RotoBaller