X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Barrel Leaders - Statcast 2018 Year-In-Review

In This Article hide

The 2018 MLB season was full of memorable moments and rife with power. It's unexpected to see that there was a noticeable dip in power numbers, despite the 5,585 home runs hit by Major League players. In 2017, that figure was up at 6,105 HR.

Homers make the highlight reels but don't tell the whole story of a hitter's prowess though. With Statcast, we can look into a player's detailed performance to analyze who crushed the ball regularly, regardless of the end result. The names on this leaderboard could be up-and-coming stars or players who may never get the chance to achieve stardom based on other factors.

Some of the names are obvious, so we won't delve into the reason Mookie Betts, J.D. Martinez, or Mike Trout made the top 10. Instead, let's focus on the biggest risers and surprises of the past season, according to Statcast and its most telling offensive stat for sluggers, Barrels. Our threshold for qualifiers is 150 Batted Ball Events in the 2018 season.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy baseball lineup tools and weekly lineup resources:

 

Barrels Risers

Ryan Zimmerman (1B, WAS) - 9.9 Brls/PA% (4th)

Despite a litany of injuries yet again, Zimmerman was somewhat effective when on the field. He slugged an adequate .486, which was still a far cry from 2017 when he slugged .573 and jacked 36 HR. His 16.5% HR/FB dropped back to a reasonable number and his 7.1° launch angle is lower than any other batter in the top 30 other than Christian Yelich, which explains why he finished with 13 HR despite a high barrel rate. Zimmerman can still hit the ball hard, but he will be 34 years old entering next season and will not match the good fortune he enjoyed last year even if he continues to make solid contact.

Shohei Ohtani (DH, LAA) - 9.8 Brls/PA% (6th)

Is it possible that Ohtani is still being undervalued? His value as a hitter is undermined by a lack of consistent at-bats due to his "other career" as an ace starter. Ohtani registered 326 at-bats in his rookie campaign and hit 22 HR with an average distance of 413 feet, tied for 14th-best in the league and better than Joey Gallo, Khris Davis or Giancarlo Stanton among others. Ohtani slugged an outstanding .563 but also posted a 29.7% HR/FB rate that is sure to dip in 2019. Recovery from his recent Tommy John surgery will keep him off the mound next year. It's unclear when or how he will be used as a designated hitter but it's possible he could fly under the radar again given how good he was at the plate even after suffering the injury. In September alone, Ohtani hit .310 with seven HR and 18 RBI.

Randal Grichuk (OF, TOR) - 9.5 Brls/PA% (7th)

We knew Grichuk had power, as he displayed it in his first four seasons with St. Louis. He didn't do it consistently enough, suffering through massive slumps and bouncing back and forth from the minors. While Grichuk didn't exactly make strides in his average (.245) or walk rate (5.8%), he did cut four points from his strikeout percentage (26.4%). Grichuk barreled the ball at a high rate all year, combined with a high-enough 18.5° launch angle to be a productive fantasy asset with 25 HR, although that resulted in only 61 RBI. A move to the cleanup spot in the last month of the season seemed to help his counts stats a bit, so keep an eye on how he figures into the team's plans coming out of Spring Training next year to see if his all-around fantasy value can improve.

Teoscar Hernandez (OF, TOR) - 9.4 Brls/PA% (9th)

If you read my weekly Statcast Risers piece for Hitters, you'll recall Hernandez making several appearances. We shouldn't be surprised any longer that he's a Statcast darling, having barreled the ball at a higher rate than all but eight qualified batters. He's still got some work to do on plate discipline, particularly a 31% K-rate and a miserable 42% O-Contact%. Still, at age 26 he will be entering his second full season in the majors and with the Blue Jays. He's got room to grow into his power and should be given the opportunity on a rebuilding Blue Jays team.

Max Muncy (1B/3B, LAD) - 9.4 Brls/PA% (10th)

It didn't take long for Muncy to announce himself as the biggest breakout of the year. By the All-Star break he had crushed 22 HR en route to an appearance in the Home Run Derby and was a mainstay in the Dodgers lineup. He didn't suffer any negative splits and managed to play his way out of a second-half slump to rebound nicely toward the end of the season. He finished in a tie with Teoscar Hernandez for 29th in hard hit rate at 45.9%, showing the importance of launch angle in turning those batted balls into fly balls, 29% of which left the park. There will obviously be some regression for Muncy but this season was an impressive one nonetheless.

Tyler Austin (1B, MIN) - 9.0 Brls/PA% (12th)

Another prime-age (27) breakout of sorts, Austin finally stayed healthy enough to be productive when given the chance in pinstripes. Austin posted eight HR and 23 RBI in 34 games for the Yankees before being banished to Siberia... er, Minnesota in the Lance Lynn deal. Perhaps the .223 average and 40.2% K% had something to do with it. He went on to post eerily similar numbers in 35 games as a Twin, bashing nine HR and driving in 24 runs with a .236 average, although he did improve his plate discipline quite a bit in the final month. Austin is an intriguing sleeper heading into next season, as he should be given the chance to hold down a spot in the middle of the Twins lineup if he performs well in spring.

Chad Pinder (SS/OF, OAK) - 9.0 Brls/PA% (13th)

With just 333 MLB at-bats on his resume, Pinder entered the 2018 season as a utility player who would bide time behind Franklin Barreto and Marcus Semien at shortstop and fill in occasionally in the outfield. Instead, Pinder made the most of his limited playing time by posting a .178 ISO behind a strong 46.2% hard hit rate and 14.2 Barrels per Batted Ball Event. He was more effective against lefties in terms of average but showed power against both sides. Pinder was useful as a spot play but may not figure into the A's starting lineup any more than he did last year. On a team that is always looking toward youth, he may still be stuck watching Semien hold down SS while players like Ramon Laureano and Dustin Fowler infiltrate the outfield positions.




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Puka Nacua14 mins ago

Expected To Play
JuJu Smith-Schuster17 mins ago

Juju Smith-Schuster Ruled Out For Week 9
Bryce Young20 mins ago

Panthers Not Considering Moving Bryce Young
Cooper Kupp41 mins ago

Rams Not Expected To Move Cooper Kupp
Davante Adams47 mins ago

Jets Not Expected To Move Garrett Wilson, Davante Adams
Drake Maye53 mins ago

Clears Concussion Protocol, Will Play In Week 9
Robbie Ray1 hour ago

Doesn't Opt Out Of Contract, Stays With Giants
Tee Higgins1 hour ago

Bengals Not Looking To Trade Tee Higgins
1 hour ago

Yankees Could Make Play For Pete Alonso This Offseason
Jaylen Brown1 hour ago

Won't Play On Saturday Night
Sean Manaea1 hour ago

Opts Out Of Contract, Becomes Free Agent
Cody Bellinger2 hours ago

Picks Up $27.5 Million Player Option With Cubs
Gerrit Cole2 hours ago

Opts Out Of Contract With Yankees
Rhys Hoskins4 hours ago

Staying In Milwaukee
5 hours ago

Seattle Declines Club Option On Jorge Polanco
Luke Weaver5 hours ago

Returning To New York
Josh Downs5 hours ago

Cleared To Play In Week 9
Eugenio Suárez5 hours ago

Arizona Picks Up Club Option On Eugenio Suarez
Michael Pittman Jr.5 hours ago

Will Play In Week 9
DK Metcalf5 hours ago

Has Strong Chance To Return In Week 11
Nikolaj Ehlers6 hours ago

Totals Four Points Versus Blue Jackets
Igor Shesterkin7 hours ago

Stops 40 Shots Versus Senators
Aleksander Barkov7 hours ago

Amasses Four Points In Finland
Dan Vladar7 hours ago

Shuts Out Devils Friday Night
Adam Pelech7 hours ago

Makes Early Exit Versus Sabres
Mike Reilly7 hours ago

Exits Friday's Action With Injury
NHL7 hours ago

Nathan Bastian Suffers Jaw Injury On Friday
Jordan Clarkson15 hours ago

Out At Least A Week
Kyle Kuzma15 hours ago

Out Again On Saturday
Jamal Murray15 hours ago

Won't Return On Friday Night
Giannis Antetokounmpo15 hours ago

Anticipated To Play Versus Cleveland
Puka Nacua16 hours ago

Has A Shot To Play In Week 9
Jordan Love17 hours ago

Tracking To Play In Week 9
Stephen Curry19 hours ago

Unavailable Saturday
Yves Missi19 hours ago

Expected To Take The Court Friday
Karl-Anthony Towns19 hours ago

Available On Friday
Eric Comrie20 hours ago

Faces Blue Jackets Friday
Daniel Theis20 hours ago

Likely To Suit Up Friday
David Savard20 hours ago

Sits Out Practice For Maintenance Purposes
De'Anthony Melton20 hours ago

Unavailable Saturday
Jordan Hawkins20 hours ago

Expected To Play Friday
Alexander Romanov20 hours ago

Ready To Play Friday
Al Horford20 hours ago

Resting Against Charlotte
Evgeni Malkin20 hours ago

Takes Maintenance Day On Friday
Andrew Wiggins20 hours ago

Probable For Saturday's Matchup With Houston
Rose Namajunas20 hours ago

An Underdog At UFC Edmonton
D'Angelo Russell20 hours ago

Will Suit Up Versus Toronto
Devon Levi20 hours ago

Returns To Sabres Crease
Clayton Kershaw20 hours ago

To Undergo Two Surgeries
Anthony Davis20 hours ago

Available Against Toronto
Erin Blanchfield20 hours ago

Returns At UFC Edmonton
Brandon Lowe20 hours ago

Rays Pick Up Club Option On Brandon Lowe
Ryan Hartman20 hours ago

Rejoins Wild Lineup Friday
Zach LaVine20 hours ago

Will Play Against Brooklyn
20 hours ago

Nick Martinez Headed To Free Agency
Erik Cernak20 hours ago

Available On Friday
Marc-Andre Barriault20 hours ago

Dustin Stoltzfus Set To Face Marc-Andre Barriault At UFC Edmonton
Brent Suter20 hours ago

Inks Extension With Cincinnati
Immanuel Quickley20 hours ago

Out Again On Friday Night
CJ McCollum20 hours ago

Out At Least Two Weeks
21 hours ago

Yankees, Mets Among Teams In Battle For Juan Soto
Anthony Black21 hours ago

Starting Versus Cleveland
Franz Wagner21 hours ago

Cleared For Friday Night
Herbert Jones21 hours ago

To Miss A Significant Amount Of Time With Shoulder Injury
Marc-Andre Barriault21 hours ago

A Favorite At UFC Edmonton
Blake Snell21 hours ago

Opts Out Of Deal With San Francisco
Josh Jacobs21 hours ago

Questionable For Sunday
Drake Maye22 hours ago

Questionable For Week 9
Tyler Boyd22 hours ago

Tony Pollard, Tyler Boyd Listed As Questionable
Tyjae Spears22 hours ago

Ruled Out For Week 9
Calvin Ridley22 hours ago

Off The Injury Report
Trevin Giles22 hours ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Noah Fant22 hours ago

Ruled Out For Week 9
Brian Robinson Jr.22 hours ago

Questionable For Week 9
Mike Malott22 hours ago

Opens Up UFC Edmonton Main Card
Dallas Goedert22 hours ago

Ruled Out For Week 9
DK Metcalf22 hours ago

Ruled Out For Week 9
Zach Benson23 hours ago

Could Play Next Week
Jani Hakanpaa23 hours ago

And Connor Dewar Sent On Conditioning Stint
Dmitri Voronkov23 hours ago

Ready For Season Debut Friday
Mathew Barzal23 hours ago

Getting Tests Done For Upper-Body Injury
Vladimir Tarasenko23 hours ago

Ready To Go For Saturday
Mark Stone23 hours ago

Misses Practice Due To Birth Of Child
Tomás Nosek1 day ago

Tomas Nosek Ready For Panthers Debut On Friday
1 day ago

Royals Decline Option On Adam Frazier
1 day ago

Manuel Margot, Kyle Farmer Headed To Free Agency
1 day ago

Milwaukee Declines Option On Wade Miley
Lucas Giolito1 day ago

Staying In Boston
Chris Stratton1 day ago

Hunter Renfroe, Chris Stratton Returning To Kansas City
Jordan Montgomery1 day ago

Staying In Arizona
Brendson Ribeiro2 days ago

Searching For 1st UFC Win At UFC Edmonton
Caio Machado2 days ago

Drops Down To Light Heavyweight At UFC Edmonton
Jhonata Diniz2 days ago

Gets Big Step-Up At UFC Edmonton
Derrick Lewis2 days ago

Faces An Unranked Heavyweight At UFC Edmonton
Amir Albazi2 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Edmonton
Brandon Moreno2 days ago

Ends Layoff At UFC Edmonton
Chase Elliott5 days ago

Comes Up Short at Homestead
William Byron5 days ago

Rallies to Sixth at Homestead
Kyle Larson5 days ago

Tire Issue at Homestead Could Doom Kyle Larson's Championship Hopes
Tyler Reddick5 days ago

Charges To A Thrilling Victory At Homestead
Ryan Blaney5 days ago

Loses At Homestead On The Final Corner To Tyler Reddick
Christopher Bell5 days ago

Quietly Nabs A Top-5 Finish At Homestead
Khamzat Chimaev5 days ago

Remains Undefeated
Robert Whittaker5 days ago

Gets Submitted At UFC 308
Aleksandar Rakic5 days ago

Drops Decision At UFC 308
Armen Petrosyan5 days ago

Knocked Out At UFC 308
Shara Magomedov5 days ago

Gets Highlight-Reel Knockout Win At UFC 308
Joey Logano5 days ago

Intentionally Sleepwalked Through Homestead to Focus on Phoenix
Denny Hamlin5 days ago

Advances to Championship 4 as Owner but Not as Driver
Dan Ige6 days ago

Loses Second-Straight Fight At UFC 308
Lerone Murphy6 days ago

Remains Undefeated At UFC 308
Magomed Ankalaev6 days ago

Wins Lackluster Decision Win At UFC 308
Max Holloway6 days ago

Gets Knocked Out For First Time At UFC 308

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
Keon Coleman - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Key Starters and Tough Calls - Week 9 Lineup Spotlights for Fantasy Football Include Ladd McConkey, Keon Coleman, Joe Flacco

Scott Engel’s Lineup Spotlights are an essential weekly feature on RotoBaller.com for the 2024 fantasy football season. Every week, he focuses on players to choose as starting options when you are dealing with tight lineup decisions. The lineup picks included in this rundown are based on Scott’s Premium Weekly Lineup Rankings, available as part of the RotoBaller […]


Ladd McConkey - Fantasy Football Rankings, Rookies, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Wide Receiver Matchups to Target in Week 9 - Terry McLaurin, Chris Olave, Ladd McConkey, Jakobi Meyers

Welcome to WR Matchups to Target for Week 9. Last week’s picks yielded one “in the money” pick (3x multiplier on DraftKings salary) in Keon Coleman, giving us 11 such picks over the first eight weeks of the season. Each week, we will use matchup data from PFF to determine which wide receivers to target […]


Brian Thomas Jr - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Who Should I Start? Sunday Fantasy Football Lineup Decisions for Week 9 (2024) - Diontae Johnson, Keon Coleman, Jalen Tolbert, Brian Thomas, Jakobi Myers, Brian Robinson, Keenan Allen, Tee Higgins, Bo Nix

It's almost time for Sunday football. Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Set your optimal fantasy football lineups for Sunday football and Week 9 of the 2024 NFL season. Our free Who Should I Start? tool will help make your fantasy football lineup decisions. Compare up to four NFL players, and we tell […]


Bryce Young - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

High-Upside Bench Stashes: Weekend Waiver Wire Adds for Week 9 Includes Jalen Coker, Troy Franklin, Jaylen Wright, Erick All Jr., Kimani Vidal, Blake Corum

Mastering the waiver wire is a crucial skill that can lead you to a fantasy football championship. It's not just about strategically placing your FAAB budget on specific players but also about knowing when to stash players. This dual strategy keeps you engaged and focused on your ultimate goal of winning a fantasy championship. As […]


Video: Week 9 Booms, Sleepers, and Streamers - 2024 Fantasy Football Start 'Em Analysis

Let's go, RotoBallers! We are back and dropping fire content for the weekend ahead with our top Week 9 booms, sleepers, and streamers! NFL Network and RotoBaller contributor LaQuan Jones gives in-depth fantasy football advice, breaking down some of his high-upside, sleeper, and value plays as we head into Week 9 of the new fantasy […]


Josh Downs - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Buy Low, Sell High Week 9 Fantasy Football Trade Value Recommendations - Josh Downs, Chris Olave, Cedric Tillman, more

Welcome to Week 9 of the NFL season! We’re deep into the grind where every decision counts more than ever. With injuries piling up and bye weeks affecting lineups, knowing when to buy low or sell high can be the key to revitalizing your team. Whether riding high after a win or looking to bounce […]


Jameis Winston - NFL DFS Picks, Waiver Wire, Fantasy Football Rankings

Week 9 Superflex 2QB Rankings for Fantasy Football: Updates for Jameis Winston, Joe Flacco, Matthew Stafford, Daniel Jones, Trevor Lawrence, Drake Maye

With quarterbacks beginning to get benched or banged up, some backup quarterbacks are entering lineups and have become viable in Superflex and two-QB leagues. Our Week 9 fantasy football Superflex rankings (2QB) for 2024 are here to help you close start-or-sit calls between comparable options. Below, you can see where RotoBaller has key Superflex options […]


Bucky Irving - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Dynasty Fantasy Football Rankings (2024) - Week 9 Updates Include Rhamondre Stevenson, Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Bucky Irving

Incredibly, Week 9 has already kicked off, and Thursday's game is already in the books. It's time to start reviewing your dynasty leagues to decide whether to make a run for the championship or sell off for next year. There were some big trades in the NFL recently, with DeAndre Hopkins heading to Kansas City […]


Chris Olave - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Week 9 PPR Rankings for Fantasy Football: Overall Updates Include Marvin Harrison, Chris Olave, Amari Cooper, Jayden Reed, Rachaad White, Nick Chubb

The Week 9 slate brings a must-win situation to many fantasy managers, so it's time to lock in and set optimal fantasy football lineups. Below, you'll see our NFL team's updated Week 9 fantasy football PPR rankings for 2024. Let's see where key players like Cooper Kupp, T.J. Hockenson, Jaylen Waddle, Tank Bigsby, Jalen McMillan, […]


Josh Downs - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Week 9 FLEX Rankings for Fantasy Football (RB, WR, TE) - Updates Include Jalen McMillan, Xavier Worthy, Calvin Ridley, Josh Downs, Kareem Hunt, DJ Moore

The fantasy football playoffs will be here before we know it, so if you need a few wins to secure your spot and are looking for lineup advice, you have come to the right place. We're here to help with our NFL team's updated Week 9 fantasy football FLEX rankings for 2024. Comparing two flex […]


Chase Brown - Fantasy Football Rankings, Waiver Wire Pickups, Draft Sleepers

Week 9 Running Back Rankings for Fantasy Football: RB Updates Include Tank Bigsby, Chuba Hubbard, Tyrone Tracy, Chase Brown, Rico Dowdle, JK Dobbins

The running back position has seemingly been the most consistent in fantasy football this season, but things can change in a hurry, so it's important to set optimal lineups each week. Let's get to crucial start-or-sit decisions with help from our updated Week 9 fantasy football running back rankings for 2024. Where do key RBs […]


Cedric Tillman - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Week 9 Wide Receiver Rankings for Fantasy Football: WR Updates Include Cedric Tillman, Darnell Mooney, Khalil Shakir, Romeo Doubs, Jaylen Waddle, more

Ahead of the Week 9 NFL slate, the wide receiver position is the deepest in fantasy football, but that can lead to troubling start-or-sit decisions, especially when comparing two flex-level WR options. We're here to assist with our NFL team's updated Week 9 fantasy football wide receiver rankings for 2024. Let's dive into the rankings […]


Cole Kmet - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL injury News

Week 9 Tight End Rankings for Fantasy Football: TE Updates Include Cade Otton, Cole Kmet, Kyle Pitts, Evan Engram, David Njoku, Tucker Kraft, Sam LaPorta

Tight ends showed out last week on National Tight End Day, so hopefully, the momentum continues for the tough position to analyze and navigate. Below, you'll see our NFL team's updated Week 9 fantasy football tight end rankings for 2024 to help you make tough start-or-sit decisions. Let's dig into the rankings to find out […]