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Manuel Margot 2020 Outlook: Unfulfilled Potential May Stay Untapped
5 years agoSan Diego Padres outfielder Manuel Margot has three full seasons of Major League experience under his belt but we're still waiting to see him fulfill the potential that made him a top-25 overall prospect. His defensive ability isn't the problem, it's his offense. Margot has seen his batting average decline each of the last two years, down to .234 in 2019. He hit all of 12 home runs and produced a lowly .337 xSLG that was one of the worst in the majors. If there's one positive to take away, it's an improved steal rate that resulted in 20 stolen bases and just four times caught stealing. He had previously been nabbed on the basepaths 17 times the last two seasons.
Margot still has the potential to put together a 20/20 season with a respectable average but he'll need to improve his batting eye and prove he deserves to hold onto the center field job. A revamped Padres outfield has Tommy Pham and Trent Grisham projected to play the corners while Franchy Cordero pushes Margot for time. This franchise appears to be in win-now mode, so the leash won't be long. Margot is mostly an afterthought in fantasy drafts with an ADP of 382, so feel free to ignore him outside of 14+ team leagues or NL-only formats unless you are desperate for speed.
