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Jeimer Candelario 2020 Outlook: Looking To Hang On With A Strong Spring
5 years agoJeimer Candelario opened the 2019 campaign as Detroit’s starting third baseman, as he was coming off a promising season in terms of power production. But he fizzled badly, bouncing between the Majors and Minors. Candelario popped 19 home runs and drove in 78 runs in 144 games in ’18, but he fell to eight and 33, respectively, in 94 games last year. He was a batting average concern in ’18 (.224), but he dropped to an even more miserable .203 in 2019. Candelario hit .320 with nine home runs and 30 RBI in 39 games at Triple-A. But he could just not replicate his previous power success at the MLB level, Candelerio’s 2019 xBA of .229 was in the bottom eight percent of the league, as was his xSLG of .364. His xWOBA of .283 was in the bottom seven percent of the league. Now Candelario will have to win a spring training battle with Dawel Lugo to see who earns the third base job in Detroit. If he cannot win out, he could be relegated to a backup corner infield role as he is also out of Minor League options. With a deserved ADP of 566.09, it is apparent you can’t have much confidence that Candelario can recapture his 2018 form. If he does earn the third base job, though, he will at least be worth some consideration in AL-only formats.
