6 years agoTexas Rangers second baseman Rougned Odor is entering his sixth MLB season at just 24 years old. He had a down year in 2018, slashing .253/.326/.424 with 18 home runs, 63 RBI, 76 runs scored, and 12 steals in 535 plate appearances. Though he’s never been a solid contributor in the batting average or on-base percentage categories, he has displayed the coveted power-speed combination as recently as 2017 (30 home runs and 15 steals) and 2016 (33 home runs and 14 steals). His underlying metrics don’t inspire confidence that his average and on-base percentage will improve, as a 0.34 BB/K ratio, 23.7% strikeout rate, and a career .248/.295/.440 slash line all qualify as subpar. However, Odor posted a career-best 19.5% line drive rate in 2018, easily surpassing his career average of 16.6%. He also posted a low 13.6% HR/FB ratio, compared to 17% in 2016 and 16% in 2017 (when he posted 30+ homers). This gives Odor a great chance to at least approach his 2016 and 2017 form. Don’t forget that Arlington Park remains a premium spot for fantasy production, ranking second in expected runs scored and sixth in expected home runs in 2018. Projection site Steamer has Odor pegged for a .249/.307/.453 slash line in 2019, adding 28 home runs, 86 RBI, 79 runs scored, and 16 steals. RotoBaller has him ranked at 115th overall, while he’s being drafted at pick 128 (2B10) in early drafts. That is a good spot for the young Venezuelan, though one could easily reach for him earlier due to his rare 30/15 HR/SB upside.--Kyle Ringstad - RotoBaller
Source: Pro Baseball Reference