James McCann 2021 Player Outlook: Cheap Source Of Power At A Thin Position
4 years agoCatcher James McCann followed up his breakout 2019 campaign with another solid performance in 2020. In Just 111 plate appearances with the White Sox, McCann posted a .289/.360/.536 line to go with seven home runs and 15 RBI. Although it was a small sample size, McCann's 2020 HR/PA was .063, a rate that was 66.8% higher than his .038 HR/PA from 2019 when he blasted 18 HR. While it is unlikely that McCann would have kept up that pace over the course of a full season, it still bodes well for the likelihood that he can match his 18 HR performance from 2019 this upcoming season. Other factors that lend support to a 2019 repeat include a huge uptick in overall launch angle in 2020 (15 degrees from 10.8 degrees in 2019), and 2020 barrel and hard-hit rates that were close to or higher than his 2019 totals. Additionally, McCann posted an exit velocity on FB/LD of 94.7 mph in 2020 which was in line with that of Dominic Smith, Max Muncy, and Wil Myers. While his xBA of .258 didn't quite support his .289 average, McCann should, nevertheless, be a good source of cheap HRs and RBI at the catcher position in 2021, despite a likely regression in batting average. Now that he is out of a time-share with Yasmani Grandal in Chicago and the primary catcher for the Mets assured of regular playing time in another great lineup, McCann makes for a very solid catcher selection in the later rounds. With a current ADP of 195, managers could do a lot worse than drafting McCann as a starting backstop or top backup catcher in all formats.