Jeimer Candelario 2021 Fantasy Outlook: Don't Overpay For A Repeat
4 years agoDetroit Tigers corner infielder Jeimer Candelario had his 2020 season cut short due to a back strain, but not before he managed to show signs that he can be a useful fantasy player moving forward. In 52 games, Candelario had a .297/.369/.503 slash line while hitting seven homers, scoring 30 runs and tallying 29 RBI. Candelario's career batting average is .235, so you'd be forgiven for thinking last year was a fluke, especially as he had a .372 BABIP. But Candelario didn't rely solely on luck for his gains, as there were significant improvements in his line-drive rate (35.3%). and he barreled more balls than ever before (10.3%). While Candelario has always displayed a good eye at the plate, as demonstrated by his career 10.5% walk rate, he was more aggressive with pitches in the strike zone with a 5.5% increase on his career zone-swing rate (67.5%). Providing he does continue this trend, Candelario's 2021 batting average should fall somewhere in between his .235 career mark and .297 2020 average. The power gains should also stick somewhat, but it's hard to see a way for Candelario to repeat his 2020 numbers, which makes his current ADP of around 242 reasonable. There's limited upside to finding value by drafting Candelario, but he's a solid corner infielder who won't hurt your ratios at his price point.