January 24, 2020

Renato Nunez’s 2019 looked a lot like his 2018: a mediocre approach at the plate with lots of power potential. In his first full season, the 25-year-old smacked 31 home runs and hit .244 with 72 runs and 90 RBI. Moreover, Nunez’s advanced stats give fantasy managers reason to believe in his power. For starters, he hit the magical 114 MPH mark for top-exit velocity, and he averaged a healthy 94 MPH on line drives and fly balls. Combine that with his home park in Baltimore along with his tendency to lift the ball, and if Nunez plays 150 games again, he should come close to his 2018 numbers. Similarly, Nunez generated 7.2 Brls/PA and was tied for 43rd overall with exactly 43 barrels total. That’s the good news. The bad news was that despite those numbers he still only managed a .331 xwOBA, which suggests that despite being able to hit the ball incredibly hard, Nunez suffered from quite a bit of bad contact as well. Those elements explain why Nunez’s ADP is currently sitting at 272. There’s no obvious reason to expect significant growth from Nunez, but at his current price, he’ll almost certainly return positive value. The power won’t disappear, and he’s virtually guaranteed a spot as the Orioles DH or first baseman. Based on those factors, Nunez should provide something near 28 home runs, 72 runs, 85 RBI, and a .245 BA.--David Emerick