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Starling Marte Wants To Put 2017 Behind Him
7 years agoStarling Marte is coming off a tumultuous 2017 season. The Pirates outfielder played in only 77 games due to an 80-game PED suspension, a huge disappointment to fantasy owners who used a high draft pick on him. Marte was fairly productive when he was on the field, however, hitting .275/.333/.379 with 7 home runs, 31 RBI, 48 runs scored, and 21 steals. With a full season ahead of him in 2018, he's back in the discussion as a top outfielder. Since SBs are declining across baseball, Marte is a valuable asset in the speed department. However, it may be worth tempering your expectations when it comes to other categories. Marte no longer has Andrew McCutchen hitting behind him, further weakening a lineup that finished 28th in runs last year. Meanwhile, his 40-point dip in batting average presents a concern since it came with a 5 mph decrease in average exit velocity. That doesn't bode well for his power output, either. Steals are the main draw and should make Marte a fifth- or sixth-round draft pick at worst. If he hits the ball with more authority in 2018, he'll re-emerge as a top-15 outfielder.
