7 hours agoWashington Nationals shortstop C.J. Abrams must prove himself this year after early highs gave way to chilly lows and an eventual demotion last season. The dynamic talent hit 20 home runs with 31 steals and a .246/.314/.433 triple slash over 138 games, earning All-Star honors along the way. This speaks to a dazzling first half that saw him slug 15 HRs with 15 swipes and a .268 average in 89 games, providing hope of a 30/30 breakout. But Abrams lost his way in July and never recovered, hitting .203 with five HRs over the final 49 games. Abrams posted a line-drive rate north of 24 percent in April, May, and June, but that fell to 11 percent or worse in each of July, August, and September. Then a late-season demotion to Triple-A came after Abrams stayed out all night before a day game. This all followed a meteoric second half in 2023 (11 HRs, 33 SBs, .246 BA) that had us hyped. But Abrams, the sixth overall pick in the 2019 draft, had lost his 2020 development when the minor leagues were canceled. As a result, he'd barely played in 100 professional games by his MLB debut. The flashes of greatness seen at the end of '23 and the beginning of '24 are enough to keep most buying given an early NFBC ADP around pick 50, with our RotoBaller rank slightly trailing that. Most projection systems, including ATC, peg Abrams for around 18 HRs and 34 SBs with an average near .250 for drafters who believe he'll remain committed.--Nick Mariano - RotoBaller