Wil Myers not only belongs in the All-Star game, he is one of the top three first baseman in the National League. I won't put him ahead of Paul Goldschmidt or Anthony Rizzo just yet, but if you look at fantasy rankings on any site, you have no choice but to agree. Myers has long been a prized prospect, so this isn't a huge surprise. He was ranked as a top three prospect in the Royals' farm system each year from 2009-2011 by Baseball America and was the #1 prospect for the Rays after the 2012 season. Despite these high expectations, some fantasy managers are still skeptical whether his success this season will last and don't consider him worthy of keeper status. Although it seems as if he's been around forever, keep in mind that Myers is 25 years old and entering his fourth MLB season. What makes Myers so valuable and how do we know he won't revert to his disappointing form of the last couple of seasons?
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Of course we have to talk power first, because that's what you expected, isn't it? Wil Myers has 16 HR and 45 RBI, both of which place him in the top 10 among National League hitters. Broken down further, he is posting a .234 ISO, which is not only 50 points higher than his first season in San Diego, but well above league average. He is currently 30th in isolated power among all Major League batters, ranking up there with Kyle Seager, Chris Davis and Miguel Cabrera.
Needless to say, Dick Enberg was pretty happy at this point.
Myers is not selling out for power and is effectively hitting to all fields. 39% of his hits are to center field, 10th highest in the NL, compared to a 36.8% Pull%. His 13.7% HR/FB rate is not overly elevated, so the long balls should continue to leave the yard at a consistent rate. We know he gets no help from spacious Petco Park, so his power isn't the result of any fluke. In case you were wondering, he is also batting .286 with an average that keeps climbing.
Technically it's right-center, although it could also be considered left-right field when you think about it.
One under-rated aspect of Myers' game this year is his speed. We all see the highlights of tape measure home runs, but stolen bases sometimes go unnoticed if they aren't by a prolific speedster. He has 10 steals, good for eighth in the league, and has only been caught one time. Myers currently ranks first in the NL in PwrSpd rating at 12.3 and is third in SB% at 90.91%. He may not finish 30/30 this year, but 30/20 ain't too shabby either.
For some reason, whenever I hear 20/20 or 30/30 I always think of former Reds OF Eric Davis. That guy was a stud! Man, I'm getting old...
Despite playing on a sometimes anemic Padres offense that has been shutout more than any other team this season, Myers is doing just fine scoring. He is currently ninth in the NL with 46 runs scored and that number could improve if Derek Norris keeps heating up and Yangervis Solarte can actually stay healthy in the cleanup spot.
BJ has still got it! I mean Melvin. I'll never get used to that.
Obviously, Myers has no business on the waiver wire in any league at this point, although it may be hard to believe he wasn't drafted in some leagues and was a bench option in many to start the year. The idea of selling high on Myers seems ludicrous considering he is improving as the year goes on, hitting .342/.400/.785 with nine HR and 23 RBI in June alone. In redraft leagues, he will help owners across all categories the rest of the season. Rumor has it that San Diego is willing to trade anyone and everyone, so Myers could wind up in an even better fantasy situation which will further boost his value. Dynasty owners should pay the closest attention, as Myers shouldn't be overlooked in favor of younger models. Sure, A.J. Reed could be a prolific power hitter in the big leagues, but Myers already is. With wrist and knee injuries behind him, Wil Myers is finally living up to his vast potential at the ripe old age of 25. He sure looks like a keeper to me.
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