RADIO
Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Kenta Maeda is a 2020 fantasy baseball draft value. His ADP is undervalued, making him a potential draft bargain and late-round sleeper to target.
BALLER MOVE: Target ~135
CURRENT ADP: ~150 overall
ANALYSIS: Kenta Maeda had a successful season in 2019, and the future might be even brighter with the Minnesota Twins. Maeda started 2019 in the rotation, but he was moved to the bullpen in September. The timing of the move is questionable, but the Dodgers have always played musical rotation spots with their starters.
On the whole, Maeda finished the year with a 4.04 ERA (3.95 FIP) and a 27.1% K-rate, buoyed by a 33.9% strikeout rate in the bullpen. He also adjusted his repertoire usage during 2019. Maeda threw his four-seam fastball (37.4%) less often than previous seasons, preferring the slider (30.8%) and change-up (23.8%) more than usual. The move to the bullpen led to "slider city," as Maeda slung it nearly 60% of the time. The result was a career-best Chase (34.8%) and Swinging Strike (14.6%) rates in 2019.
Maeda will start 2020 in the Twins rotation, and his consistent velocity (92 mph) provides reassurance of a repeat performance. Maeda will see his innings rise and also benefits from wonderful offensive support. With a dedicated spot in the rotation and a strong schedule, Maeda's value has skyrocketed, but it's hard to see pitchers like Max Fried being taken 15 spots ahead of him.
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