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Scene Change - Four Hitters On New Teams

Edwin Encarnacion
What Appears In This Article? hide

For those fantasy baseball players who don't follow and analyze every offseason move that occurs between October and March, catching up on those changes is a vital part of draft preparation. Below I'll quickly outline the four hitters who will likely have the most fantasy relevance for different teams in 2017.

There doesn't figure to be a massive positive or negative shift in production for any of the below sluggers, but with new home ballparks, new teammates surrounding them, and potentially new roles, we should touch on these situations in order to accurately position them on our draft boards.

These players are being drafted relatively high, so you'll want to make sure you know what you're getting if you roll with any of these players in your late March drafts. Let's get to it.

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Four Hitters on New Teams

Edwin Encarnacion (1B, CLE)

Let's not bury the lead, Encarnacion is easily the highest profile hitter switching teams this season. Moving from the middle of the lethal Blue Jays lineup, he'll try to produce just as well in Cleveland alongside hitters like Fransico Lindor, Carlos Santana, and Jason Kipnis. Assuming Michael Brantley can stay healthy, this lineup could turn out to be one of the best in baseball. Speaking of health, if the Indians can keep their pitchers on the right side of the injury bug, they could be looking at a deep playoff run.

Encarnacion has played over 140 games in four out of the last five seasons, and he hit 36 or more homers in all four of those healthy years. That impressive display of power matched with his above-average contact skills for a power-hitting DH makes him an elite talent in all fantasy formats. Will this be the year that age catches up with the 34-year-old? Maybe. But there haven't been any warning signs yet, so feel confident in using your late second or early third round pick on E5.

 

Ian Desmond (1B, COL)

A former shortstop who switched to outfield last year in Texas, Desmond will move to the friendly confines of Coors Field and man first base assuming all goes well defensively. It's tough to say whether or not this move helps him in terms of surrounding talent, but we can sure bank on an extra home run or two assuming he stays healthy.

Oh yeah, about that health thing... Desmond recently had surgery to repair a broken hand. All signs point to him being ready by mid-April though. So, as long as we don't get any setback news, you should draft Desmond as if he were healthy. If everyone else is shying away due to that injury designation next to his name on draft day, you should take a mid-round flyer on a guy who could potentially hit 25 home runs, steal 25 bases, and hit for a solid average on a team that will score a bunch of runs.

 

Dexter Fowler (OF, STL)

Not much will change with Fowler, really. He stays in the same division, and will likely remain a leadoff hitter, but now he will wear red instead of blue. Sure, the lineup for St. Louis isn't quite as deadly as the death trap that is the heart of the Cubs batting order. However, the Cardinals have some young talent and always seem to score runs somehow.

Fowler doesn't particularly excel in any one category for roto or category leagues, but he won't hurt you in any either. And if OBP counts for something, as it does in points leagues, you can lock Fowler into a solid .370 figure with upside. He can be a fine addition to your team as a third or fourth outfielder to provide balance and consistency. He has never been a fantasy stud and moving to St. Louis won't do much to affect that.

 

Adam Eaton (OF, WAS)

Lastly, we have possibly the most uninteresting, predictable player in the draft pool. Well, that was until he joined a dangerous offense that will surely top all of the ones mentioned above. After the departure of Ortiz, there's word that the Nationals might have the league's most feared lineup. Some young, talented hitters in Fenway might have something to say about that, but the point is that Adam Eaton is entering a great role at the right time in his career.

Eaton has been extremely healthy and consistent the past two seasons, demonstrating consistent 15-ish HR power and similar production in steals. He flirts with a .300 batting average, and will likely score 100 runs easily if he can stay healthy in the leadoff spot in front of Trea Turner, Bryce Harper, and Daniel Murphy. Like Fowler, Eaton is not someone you want to reach for as your second outfielder, but anything after that is solid value for a guy who has massive upside in his new threads this season.




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