6 years agoNew York Yankees third baseman Miguel Andujar posted a .297/.328/.527 slash line as a rookie, finishing second in the AL Rookie of the Year voting. The 24-year-old had 76 extra-base hits in 2018, rapping 47 doubles and totaling 92 RBI as well. The only downside of Andujar’s season was his patience, as he only walked 25 times in 606 plate appearances. It is very difficult to be critical of a rookie that was in the top-10 in the American League in batting average, slugging percentage, hits, total bases, doubles, and extra base hits, but a lot of the criticism starts with his defense. The young Dominican made 15 errors at the hot corner and graded out as the 7th-least valuable defensive player. While his 36% hard-hit ball rate, 20.2% line drive rate, and 81.9% contact rate all show how good of a hitter that Andujar is, his poor fielding has had him in trade rumors this offseason and could have him move off of the hot corner in the future. Situated in the middle of the Yankees lineup, and working harder on his defense and plate discipline, Andujar should not be seen as a one-season wonder. Even if his plate discipline does not improve, we are looking at a player that will approach 70 extra-base hits once again and could be a 100-RBI player. On top of everything else, there is a chance that Andujar will get 1B eligibility this season, only enhancing his value. Start considering Andujar in the 7th or 8th round.--Chris Zolli