RADIO
Current ADP: 169
Rankings Status: Undervalued
Analysis: In the first half of 2014, Brandon Moss ranked T-5th in the majors with 21 HR and ranked 6th overall with 66 RBI. His numbers fell tremendously in the second half, but it was revealed in September that he was dealing with a hip injury for most of the season. The hip required surgery this past offseason and it is safe to assume the injury was a major reason behind his severe drop in production as the season progressed.
Moss still managed his second straight season of at least 25 HR and 80 RBI for the A's in 2014. After an offseason trade sent him to Cleveland, those numbers should see an uptick thanks to the move from O.co Coliseum to Progressive Field. Moss bats from the left side and from 2013-2014, O.co Coliseum ranks 22nd among all MLB parks in HR per at-bat by left-handed batters while Progressive Field ranks 12th in the category.
While owners will be drafting Moss for his power production rather than his AVG, he is a much better hitter than what his .234 AVG in 2014 advertises. He hit .256 in 2013 and was hitting .268 in the first half of last season before the busted hip really started to become a problem. He is a highly-disciplined hitter, upping his walk rate to 11.6% in 2014 after walking in 9.9% of his plate appearances in 2013. Considering his increasing walk rate, a healthy Moss should be able to improve his OBP next season (.334 OBP in 2014), perhaps coming closer to his first half .349 OBP or the .358 mark he set in 2012.
In the past three seasons, Moss averages one home run per 15.93 at-bats, which is ninth best in the majors during that span. Now that he is fully recovered from the hip injury that plagued his 2014 season, and with power numbers shrinking across baseball, this is a consistent power hitter to try to snag in the mid to late rounds of drafts. Being eligible to play 1B and OF makes Moss an even more attractive option for owners who seek versatility in their lineup. With the hip injury now behind him and a secure spot batting 5th in their lineup, Moss is a good bet to at least reach 30 HR and 90 RBI for the Indians in 2015.
