Controlling The Strikeouts Will Be Key For Addison Russell

Now that the Cubs have traded Starlin Castro away, Addison Russell has been given the starting shortstop position, which he should carry all season. Last year, Russell was called up at the end of April and struggled at the plate. He finished with a .242 BA, striking out 149 times to only 115 hits. The strikeouts are concerning, as he did so 97 times just after going down 0-1 in the count, but that may be changing this year. Russell’s 4.12 pitches per plate appearance ranked seventh in the NL last season. He makes the pitchers work, and if he can continue that trend, his sophomore season in Chicago should see better adjustments in the middle of plate appearances. He also has good power, closing out the final two months of the season with seven HR, 28 RBI and 11 2B. Of course, this is coming from primarily hitting in the ninth spot of the order, making his totals even more impressive. Addison Russell is only 22 years old. His first full season at his starting position should pay dividends. Look for him to lower the strikeouts and turn some of those into more hits. Fantasy baseball owners should expect him to be a top 10 starting shortstop option. Our guys currently have him positioned as such, ranking him 10th, just behind Jung-Ho Kang and ahead of Brad Miller. If he keeps the pitches per plate appearance high, and keeps the strikeouts lowered, Russell may reward you with great upside.