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Texas Rangers second baseman Nick Solak is a fantasy baseball sleeper and undervalued draft target for the 2020 season. Kipp Heisterman explains why Solak could provide value at 2B this year.
The Texas Rangers finished the 2019 season with a record 0f 78-84, which was good for a third-place finish in the American League West. The finish was actually above pre-season expectations and now has the team looking to make a push forward in 2020. The Rangers have plenty of youth and have brought in the likes of Corey Kluber, Kyle Gibson, and Jordan Lyles to help bolster their starting rotation.
One area on the diamond where we could see a changing of the guard for the Rangers in 2020 is at second base. Currently, Rougned Odor is listed as the starter on the depth chart, but that could change very quickly this season. While Odor is only 26, he has had relatively down years since signing a contract extension after the 2016 season and he could be unseated by Nick Solak if his performance does not improve. Another player that could be impacted by Solak is the current centerfielder, Danny Santana. Solak has been getting a lot of work in centerfield this spring, which leads many to wonder if perhaps he could unseat Santana and force him into a utility role.
In any event, Solak looks to be moving up the depth chart in '20 and should garner plenty of at-bats. A deeper look into his metrics and Minor League numbers should help us determine what type of sleeper he could be for 2020.
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Is the Future Now in Texas?
So, who is Nick Solak? Solak is a 2016 second-round draft pick of the New York Yankees who was traded to the Rays in '18, and then moved to the Rangers in July last season. He has played a total of 33 games in the big leagues, all of which came with the Rangers last year, where he slashed .293/.393/.491 with five home runs, 17 RBI, 19 runs scored, and two stolen bases in just 116 at-bats.
In his first taste of the big leagues, Solak put up above-average power metrics in terms of barrel rate (9.2%), exit velocity (88.3 mph), and xSLG (.433). While these may not look overly impressive, they do fall in line with the type of player that he should be as he averaged 22 home runs per 162 games played in the Minors. He should also continue to add strength as he is currently just 25 years old. The power metrics should certainly increase in the future. Aside from his developing power, Solak can hit the ball all over the yard, as noted by his spray chart.
Solak also put up a ridiculous .393 on-base percentage in 2019. While this will likely be difficult to sustain given his .354 BABIP, he does have a skill set here. His average over 435 Minor League games was .294, which fell right in line with what he did at the Major League level last season. He also put up a very respectable walk rate of 11.1%, which was practically identical to his Minor League walk rate. While his strikeout rate did come in at 21.5%, it was not far off from his Minor League rate of 19.2%, and we could easily see this tick down as he grows accustomed to big-league pitching. His on-base rate is also bolstered by his patience at the plate. The chart below shows this based on his above-average zone contact and below-average chase rate.
Lastly, Solak should be able to provide speed to the Rangers and fantasy owners alike. In the Minors, Solak averaged nearly 18 stolen bases per 162 games played. He also had a sprint speed of 28.7 ft/sec, which ranked him in the 89th percentile and 86th overall in 2019.
Conclusion
Overall, Solak could provide plenty of value to fantasy owners in 2020. The biggest concern with Solak heading into the season will be his playing time, however, it appears as though the Rangers are taking measures to ensure that he gets at-bats by using him in centerfield during Spring Training. Aside from that, he should also see time at second base and could even take over if Odor struggles out of the gate as he has in past seasons. Currently, Solak is being taken at an ADP of 319 and is being taken as the 39th second baseman off the board. This means he is being taken roughly in the 26th round of 12-team mixed leagues, which is very deep into the draft, if not entirely off the board. Look to grab him with your last pick and take a wait-and-see approach with him to start the season. He should also provide solid value in dynasty and keeper leagues.
