February 16, 2021

Manuel Margot disappointed during the 2020 regular season with one homer and 11 RBI in 47 games, but he boosted his appeal some more in the playoffs, when he had five homers, 11 RBI and two steals in 19 games. Seeing the power return after he hit one homer during the regular season was highly encouraging. The speed was certainly there, with 12 steals in just 47 games, and the BA improved to .269 from .234 the year before. The Launch Angle dipped significantly last year during the regular season, from 14.2 to 7.5. The Exit Velocity (89.4) and Barrel% (4.1) did not impress, and the xBA was just .255. In 2019, Margot was in the Bottom 5% of the league in xSLG and xWOBA, and he did improve a bit in those regards. All those factors pointed to an approach that just did not seem to work during the regular season, but he was simply a different hitter during the playoffs, and you can be optimistic about some respectable overall production for 2021. There is a good chance that you can get the dozen or so homers you did in 2019, and the speed contributions can be quite helpful. Margot should hit fifth for the Rays, so he just has to show more of his postseason form to maintain a key spot in the lineup. Margot could be a value at an ADP of 260 for a late combination of power and speed.--Scott Engel - RotoBaller