RADIO
With 85 games under his MLB belt and still just 24 years old, newly acquired right-handed-hitting Marcus Semien could provide a lot of value to the Oakland Athletics and fantasy owners alike this season. The former White Sox second baseman should see an ample amount of playing time in Oakland, while possibly maintaining eligibility at every infield position other than first base. I see a lot of potential fantasy value in Semien, especially with his average draft position in the mid-260s right now.
There are a number of reasons fantasy owners shouldn't sleep on a guy like Semien this season. For starters, Semien will see consistent playing time (unlike during his tenure with the White Sox), not only due to his position versatility, but also because of Oakland's glaring need for middle infield help and speed at either end of the batting order and on the base paths. In Oakland, Semien should settle in as their second baseman. In your fantasy league, he should maintain eligibility at SS and possibly 3B also, which will give him nice value as a middle infield or bench option for your lineup.
Semien's stolen base numbers don't exactly jump off the page, but his major league sample size is very small. In 2013 at the Double-A level, he managed to swipe 20 bags in just 105 games, and throughout his minor league career, he has maintained a very respectable stolen base percentage. In other words, if Bob Melvin wants to get more aggressive on the base paths, he's got a man in Semien to do just that.
In terms of plate discipline, it may have been Semien's alarming strikeout rate at the MLB level that caused White Sox brass to sour on him early-- far too early, if you ask me. In the 85 games he's played, his slash line is just .240/.293/.380. In his 255 plate appearance in 2014, he struck out at a 27.5% clip! Those are forgettable numbers, but far too small of a sample size to condemn a 24-year-old with multiple tools as a "bust".
A deeper look at the plate discipline metrics reveals reasons for optimism. At the Double-A and Triple-A levels, Semien never once had a season with a strikeout rate above 16%, and he made good progress at the MLB level from 2013 to 2014, swinging at fewer pitches and improving his contact rate on pitches outside the zone. In other words, he seldom swung at bad pitches, but when he did, he was making contact. In addition to that, 57 of Semien's 80 strikeouts came in the first half of the season.
Semien makes his living off of line drives. With all of the real estate and BIG gaps in O.co's outfield, I think he has the opportunity for a lot of doubles. He should cross the plate a ton as the lineup behind him is stacked with guys who make solid contact. One other interesting note is that Semien's career splits favor left-handed hitting by nearly .50 points. If you can afford a roster spot for a platoon player on your fantasy team, insert him against left-handed pitchers as often as possible.
In Summary
Semien has a great opportunity to exceed his draft value for 2015. His projections are a bit too modest, but projection systems sometimes are for young players without track records. Semien has a clear path to playing time and should play enough games to steal at least 15 bases, hit for a solid average and be above-average in runs scored, thanks to lineup and park factors. If he's available late in your draft, don't be hesitant to stash him on your team as a nice middle infielder.
