6 years agoKendrys Morales has been written off as a boring, washed up veteran who is merely blocking younger talent. While that may be true in some respects, under the surface there is a little more to be excited about with Morales. Morales’ StatCast numbers bordered on elite last season, with a 92.3 MPH average exit velocity and a .522 xSLG. So why did he finish with a slightly above average 108 wRC+ last year? Other than his seven-homer streak in August, Morales barely seems to have done anything in 2018. One problem for Morales is groundballs. His 10-degree average launch angle and 45.8% groundball rate would be fine for most players, but for Morales groundballs are especially bad. It doesn’t take StatCast to tell us a 35-year-old DH with screws in his knee is slow, but in case you were wondering Morales ranked 541 out of 549 players in sprint speed last season. Furthermore, he had a .176 BABIP and -11 wRC+ on groundballs last season compared to a league average .236 BABIP and 30 wRC+. Groundballs have been demonized perhaps too harshly in the modern game thanks to teams emphasizing launch angle, but in Morales’ case, the grounders have to go. With all the young talent in Toronto’s system Morales should have a short leash for playing time in 2019. The good news is that he has an ADP of 447, so if you want him, he doesn’t cost much. There just isn’t much to be excited about with him.--Elliott Baas - RotoBaller