Josh Harrison had a career year in 2014 but failed to replicate that success in 2015. Missing six weeks of action in 2015 due to a thumb injury, the Pirates utility man saw his HRs drop from 13 to four. Going 18/25 in SB attempts in 2014, Harrison went a meager 10/18 on the base paths last season. It was expected for Harrison’s power to regress after his banner 2014, but the lack of SBs in 2015 further diminished his value.
Turning 29 in July, Harrison will qualify as a 3B, 2B, and OF in most leagues. He is projected to start at 2B and bat second in 2016. Despite his disappointing 2015, he still hit .287 and maintained a similar BB% and K% to that of his breakout 2014. His average fly ball distance in 2015 was 276 feet, only two feet less than his 2014 average. Though it’s unlikely Harrison will match the 13 HRs he belted in 2014, seven HRs to go along with 12 stolen bases is a reasonable expectation for 2016. If Harrison can log a full season and hit close to .300, he should rack up plenty of runs and provide solid MI production.
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