RADIO
BALLER MOVE: Target in middle rounds
CURRENT ADP: 189
ANALYSIS: Despite a strikeout rate north of 30 percent, Grichuk managed to hit .276 last season. Paired with 17 homers, 96 R+RBI, and four steals in just 350 plate appearances, that made him a pretty nifty in-season pickup for many fantasy owners. Normally, a middling walk rate and a high BABIP would give me pause, but Grichuk’s batted ball data suggests that regression won’t hit as hard as we might otherwise expect. Simply put, he crushes the ball. Pick your metric – hard hit rate, line drive rate, exit velocity – and Grichuk grades out as excellent. He also posted much better whiff rates in the minors, so it’s not crazy to think he’ll improve there. Grichuk might have some SB upside as well; he stole 33 bases over his three full minor league seasons.
With Jason Heyward bolting for the Cubs in free agency, Grichuk should be the Opening Day starter in center field. He'll be a liability in the batting average department until and unless the strikeouts come down, but a 20/10 season is pretty solid value at his current price tag.
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