X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

MLB Hitter Studs and Duds - Advanced Metrics Leaders for BWS (Week 22)

Alejandro Kirk, Fantasy Baseball Catcher

Statcast batter leaders in Week 22 of the 2022 MLB season according to BWS. Pierre Camus evaluates hitters who could be fantasy baseball adds or drops according to advanced sabermetrics.

Not long ago, Jordan Rosenblum analyzed a metric called BWS (Barrels, Walks, Strikeouts). As he stated, "A focus on just three metrics: barrels, walks, and strikeouts, cuts through the noise to get at a hitter’s true talent level." Of course, he went deeper and created his own weighted version using historical data to compare against current-year performers.

I'll go the simpler route by taking Barrels + Walks and subtracting Strikeouts then dividing by Plate Appearances. What appears will be a list of the top-25 hitters who have consistently hit the ball hard while maintaining strong plate discipline. Most will be All-Stars and fantasy studs but a few names look like they just don't belong. We'll break down the results in the space below.

Don't miss the rest of our Statcast analysis for fantasy baseball, including weekly Statcast Pitcher Studs and Duds.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy baseball lineup tools and resources:

 

BWS Leaders

Player PA K BB Brl BWS
Aaron Judge 568 146 79 87 165.7
Juan Soto 548 75 115 44 158.9
Yordan Alvarez 452 88 64 58 121.8
Christian Walker 541 99 63 48 110.8
Alex Bregman 544 68 73 31 103.9
Freddie Freeman 588 86 61 41 101.9
Jesse Winker 485 89 74 26 99.8
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. 568 91 49 50 98.8
Josh Bell 557 85 68 30 97.8
Corey Seager 556 83 51 46 96.9
Kyle Tucker 498 78 52 36 87.8
Yandy Diaz 492 50 70 17 86.9
DJ LeMahieu 518 70 65 21 85.9
Will Smith 476 78 49 37 85.8
Jose Altuve 497 74 53 31 83.9
Carlos Santana 406 61 61 23 83.8
Jose Ramirez 547 58 51 28 78.9
Nolan Arenado 522 65 43 36 78.9
Alejandro Kirk 442 47 52 25 76.9
Max Kepler 432 62 49 23 71.9
Adley Rutschman 346 60 47 20 66.8
Bryce Harper 309 55 33 30 62.8
Luis Arraez 500 38 46 15 60.9
Michael Brantley 277 30 31 13 43.9
Vinnie Pasquantino 200 27 22 16 37.9

 

Notable Players

Christian Walker has carried on his standout season to the point he's set career-bests with 31 HR and 75 RBI with a month left to play. At age 31, Walker is enjoying a renaissance after two consecutive down seasons. The thing is that he's had similar quality of contact metrics in the past and some were even better back in 2019.

His .481 SLG is barely above the .476 mark from the '19 season and his .504 xSLG is actually lower than three seasons ago. The biggest difference is that he's cut down his 25.3% K% to 18.3% over that three-year span. After posting uninspiring numbers in 2021, it looked Walker was past his prime and nothing more than a middling corner infielder. Instead, he's provided solid power numbers all year long thanks to a more selective approach that includes lowering his swing rate by 10 points. Those are changes to believe in.

Josh Bell is the owner of an impressive 6.3% K-BB% for his MLB career and has always been able to draw walks at a high clip. His barrel rate has remained fairly static for the past three years: 8.6% in 2020, 8.8% in 2021, and 7.6% in 2022. That's not much more than league average and it's getting worse because he's frankly been a bust since being acquired by San Diego.

In 125 PA with the Padres, Bell is slashing .181/.306/.276 with two HR and nine RBI. It's rare that a hitter's slugging percentage outpaces his on-base percentage but that's where Bell is at these days. He's more than capable of hitting for power but he's not taken well to his new team. Outside of points leagues that reward for walks, Bell should be benched if possible.

Yandy Diaz is lighting up the Statcast charts in every category... except barrels.

He makes the BWS leaderboard on the strength of his 14.6% walk rate - the third straight year he has been among the best in taking free passes. He's delivering a strong .290 AVG and .396 OBP but he doesn't hit the ball in the air nearly enough to ever be a consistent home run threat.

Will Smith definitely does have a home-run swing and he's used it to go deep 21 times, including each of the last two games. As a power-hitting catcher with outstanding plate discipline in a loaded lineup, there's little reason to think he won't be the top catcher picked in 2023 fantasy drafts as we've seen Salvador Perez fall back to earth.

Alejandro Kirk is making a case as one of the top catchers in fantasy by batting .295 with 13 HR, 52 RBI, and 52 R. He has more walks than strikeouts on the season and he's earned an All-Star nod already at the age of 23. There's some question as to how high his power ceiling is due to his contact-oriented line-drive first approach. He won't ever be Will Smith in that respect but a 20-homer season could be in his future.

Max Kepler has proven far more valuable in reality than fantasy. He often hits third or fourth in the order because of his ability to draw walks and see a lot of pitches. Otherwise, he's not bringing enough to the table with a .243 AVG and nine HR on the year. Since returning from the injured list on August 6th, he's struggled mightily with a .195 AVG and no homers. His 2019 season continues to stick out as an obvious outlier on an otherwise average resume.

One of these things is not like the other. It's Luis Arraez and his 3.6% Barrel%. He is on this list because of his impeccable plate discipline and absurdly low 7.6% K%. He makes contact like no other but it's rarely hard. To be fair, he does have a career-high eight HR on the season so maybe he'll break out to reach double digits!



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy baseball app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, sleepers, prospects & more. All free!



More Statcast & Fantasy Baseball Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Giannis Antetokounmpo11 mins ago

Will Play On Tuesday
Jimmy Snuggerud13 mins ago

Ready For NHL Debut Tuesday
Edouard Julien19 mins ago

Making First Start Of The Season
Isaiah Stewart21 mins ago

Suspended For Two Games On Tuesday
Jacob Trouba25 mins ago

Set To Rejoin Ducks Lineup Tuesday
Jonathan Kuminga31 mins ago

Ruled Out On Tuesday
Troy Terry32 mins ago

On Track To Play Tuesday
Dylan Crews34 mins ago

Not Starting Against Blue Jays
Jaylen Brown38 mins ago

Questionable Versus Miami
Jonathan Marchessault39 mins ago

Remains Out Against Blue Jackets
Lourdes Gurriel Jr.40 mins ago

Sitting Out In New York
Alex Laferriere45 mins ago

Expected To Return On Tuesday
Paul Goldschmidt47 mins ago

Hitting Leadoff Again
Donte DiVincenzo47 mins ago

Suspended For One Game
Jonathan Aranda53 mins ago

Christopher Morel Sitting Against Pirates
Miles McBride54 mins ago

Still Out On Tuesday Night
Luke Schenn56 mins ago

A Game-Time Decision Tuesday
Jose Siri59 mins ago

Making Another Start In Center Field
Dante Fabbro1 hour ago

Returns Against Predators
Karl-Anthony Towns1 hour ago

Now Questionable Versus Philadelphia
Brett Baty1 hour ago

Sitting Against A Right-Hander
Kyle Higashioka1 hour ago

Back In The Lineup, Jonah Heim Takes A Seat
Naz Reid1 hour ago

Suspended For One Game
Vinnie Pasquantino1 hour ago

Sitting On Tuesday
Clarke Schmidt2 hours ago

Throws Three-Inning Sim Game
Sean Manaea2 hours ago

Shut Down For Two Weeks
David Bednar2 hours ago

Optioned To Triple-A
Jake McCarthy2 hours ago

Back In The Lineup Tuesday
Zach Neto2 hours ago

Starting Rehab Assignment On Tuesday
Jo Adell2 hours ago

Starting On Tuesday
Nick Robertson2 hours ago

Astros Acquire Nick Robertson From Blue Jays
Iván Herrera3 hours ago

Ivan Herrera Sitting, Pedro Pages Will Start At Catcher Tuesday
Francisco Lindor3 hours ago

Returns To The Lineup On Tuesday
Detroit Lions3 hours ago

Alim McNeill Could Miss Start Of Regular Season
Christian Encarnacion-Strand3 hours ago

Not In Reds Lineup Tuesday
Jesse Chavez3 hours ago

DFA'd, Braves Select Zach Thompson To MLB Roster
Tennessee Titans4 hours ago

Justin Hardee Sr. Returning To Titans
Washington Commanders4 hours ago

Brandon Coleman Moving To Right Tackle For Commanders
Adam Ottavino4 hours ago

And Yankees Agree On One-Year Deal
Raheem Blackshear4 hours ago

Returning To Carolina
Kirk Cousins4 hours ago

Not Expected To Attend Voluntary Offseason Training
NFL4 hours ago

NFL Ownership Votes To Move Kickoff Touchbacks To 35-Yard Line
Olli Määttä4 hours ago

Olli Maatta A Game-Time Call On Tuesday
Jordan Greenway4 hours ago

Remains Sidelined On Tuesday
Dallas Cowboys4 hours ago

Cowboys Willing To Make Micah Parsons The Highest-Paid Non-QB
Jordan Staal4 hours ago

Doubtful For Wednesday
Matt Roy4 hours ago

Not Traveling With Team
Geno Smith5 hours ago

Raiders Working On Extension With Geno Smith
Chris Godwin5 hours ago

Buccaneers Optimistic Chris Godwin Will Be Ready For Week 1
Josh Norris5 hours ago

Not Traveling With The Team On Tuesday
Los Angeles Rams5 hours ago

Coleman Shelton Expected To Start Again In 2025
Brady Tkachuk5 hours ago

Not Playing On Tuesday
Los Angeles Rams5 hours ago

Rams Open To Drafting A Quarterback
Kyren Williams5 hours ago

Rams To Discuss Long-Term Deal With Kyren Williams
Aaron Rodgers5 hours ago

Signs "Pointing" Toward Aaron Rodgers Signing With Steelers
Brock Purdy5 hours ago

49ers Optimistic On Getting Extension Done With Brock Purdy
Jordan Spieth6 hours ago

Needs To Find Consistency At TPC San Antonio
Jake Knapp7 hours ago

Making First Appearance At Valero Texas Open
Michael Kim7 hours ago

Looking To Find The Magic Again In San Antonio
Tommy Fleetwood7 hours ago

Is Nearly A Must-Play At Valero Texas Open
Tony Finau7 hours ago

Hoping For Better Approach Play In San Antonio
Eric Cole7 hours ago

Trending In Right Direction Ahead Of Valero
Cole Anthony9 hours ago

Listed As Questionable For Tuesday
Jerami Grant9 hours ago

Likely To Miss Another Game Tuesday
Anfernee Simons9 hours ago

Iffy For Tuesday's Game
Scoot Henderson9 hours ago

Unavailable Tuesday
Deandre Ayton9 hours ago

Out Against Hawks
AJ Green9 hours ago

May Miss Another Game Tuesday
Kyle Lowry9 hours ago

Picks Up A Questionable Tag
Tyrese Maxey9 hours ago

Remains Out Against Knicks
Quentin Grimes10 hours ago

Good To Go Tuesday
Casey DeSmith11 hours ago

Sharp In Monday's Victory
Mason Marchment11 hours ago

Tallies Two Helpers On Monday
Adam Klapka11 hours ago

Tallies Two Points In Shootout Victory
Ivan Fedotov11 hours ago

Sharp Against Nashville
Matvei Michkov11 hours ago

Continues Hot Stretch On Monday
Luke Hughes12 hours ago

Scores Goal, Adds Assist In Victory
Sam Stevens20 hours ago

Enjoys Nice Result In Houston
PGA20 hours ago

J.T. Poston Seeks To Contend At Valero Texas Open
Ochai Agbaji20 hours ago

Resting On Tuesday
RJ Barrett20 hours ago

To Be Rested Tuesday Night
Immanuel Quickley21 hours ago

Returning To Action Against Bulls
Jakob Poeltl21 hours ago

Available On Tuesday
Denny McCarthy22 hours ago

Keeps Making Cuts But Needs To Make More Putts
Brian Harman22 hours ago

Off To A Subpar 2025 So Far
Ilya Samsonov1 day ago

Nursing An Upper-Body Injury
Tomas Hertl1 day ago

To Sit Out At Least One More Week
Ryan Preece1 day ago

Has Three Straight Top-10 Finishes For First Time In His Career
NASCAR1 day ago

Bubba Wallace After Third-Place Finish At Martinsville: "What a Great Day"
Todd Gilliland1 day ago

Has Mistake-Free Day At Martinsville, Grabs Another Top-10 Finish
Brandon Moreno1 day ago

Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Steve Erceg1 day ago

Losses Third Consecutive Fight
Drew Dober1 day ago

Gets Knocked Out At UFC Mexico City
Manuel Torres1 day ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Harry Hall1 day ago

Bounces Back In Houston Last Week
Denver Broncos1 day ago

Denver To Take A Running Back In The Draft
CJ Vergara1 day ago

Gets Submitted
Ryan Fox1 day ago

Showing Improvement Heading Into The Valero Texas Open
Édgar Cháirez1 day ago

Edgar Chairez Gets Submission Win At UFC Mexico City
Courtland Sutton1 day ago

"No Timeline" On Courtland Sutton Extension
Vince Morales1 day ago

Drops Decision At UFC Mexico City
Raul Rosas Jr.1 day ago

Gets Decision Win At UFC Mexico City
New York Jets1 day ago

Jets To Wait On Contract Extensions For Garrett Wilson, Sauce Gardner
Saimon Oliveira1 day ago

Still Winless In The UFC
David Martinez1 day ago

Wins His UFC Debut
Jameson Williams1 day ago

Detroit To Exercise Jameson Williams' Fifth-Year Option
Kevin Borjas1 day ago

Earns His First UFC Win
Brandon Aiyuk1 day ago

49ers Expected To Hold Brandon Aiyuk
Ronaldo Rodríguez1 day ago

Ronaldo Rodriguez Suffers His First UFC Loss
Joel Dahmen1 day ago

Scores Top-20 Finish At Texas Children's Houston Open
Jacob Bridgeman1 day ago

Had Some Rest Heading Into The Valero
Sami Valimaki1 day ago

Finishes Fourth At Texas Children's Houston Open
Maverick McNealy1 day ago

Finishes Tied For 32nd At Texas Children’s Houston Open
Tom Kim1 day ago

Finishes Tied For 36th At Valspar Championship
Rickie Fowler1 day ago

Finishes Tied For 52nd At Texas Children’s Houston Open
Bud Cauley1 day ago

Finishes Tied For Fourth At Valspar Championship
Sam Burns1 day ago

Misses The Cut At Valspar Championship
Daniel Berger1 day ago

Finishes Tied For 20th At The PLAYERS Championship
Treylon Burks1 day ago

Unlikely To Be Ready For Training Camp
Keenan Allen1 day ago

Chargers Not Ruling Out Reuniting With Keenan Allen
Christopher Bell1 day ago

Powers His Way To A Second-Place Finish At Martinsville
Chase Elliott1 day ago

Strong Martinsville Performance Ends With A Top-Five Finish
Kyle Larson1 day ago

Collects A Top-Five Finish At Martinsville
William Byron1 day ago

Places 22nd After Struggles At Martinsville
Joey Logano1 day ago

Claims His First 2025 Top-10 Finish After Up-And-Down Performance
Tyler Reddick1 day ago

Fails To Place In The Top 10 At Martinsville
Denny Hamlin2 days ago

Silences Doubters After Crew-Chief Change
Ty Gibbs2 days ago

Earns Best 2025 Finish At Martinsville Despite Failing Cool Suit
Ross Chastain2 days ago

Has A Great Day At Martinsville
Chase Briscoe2 days ago

Has Solid Run At Martinsville
Erik Jones2 days ago

Disqualified At Martinsville For Weight Violation
Josh Berry2 days ago

Has Top-10 Upside At Martinsville
Joey Logano2 days ago

Don't Overlook Joey Logano This Weekend
Ryan Preece2 days ago

Could Get First Three-Race Top-10 Streak Of His Career
Chase Elliott2 days ago

Looking To Continue Great Runs At Martinsville
Christopher Bell2 days ago

Wins Pole At Martinsville, But Can He Stay Up There?
Ryan Blaney2 days ago

Fast In Practice But Skeptical About Car
Denny Hamlin2 days ago

New Crew Chief Has Terrible Martinsville Record
Steve Erceg4 days ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Brandon Moreno4 days ago

A Favorite At UFC Mexico City
Manuel Torres4 days ago

Set For Co-Main Event
Drew Dober4 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Mexico City
Joe Pyfer4 days ago

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Kelvin Gastelum4 days ago

Set For Middleweight Matchup
Vince Morales4 days ago

In Dire Need Of Victory
Raul Rosas Jr.4 days ago

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Saimon Oliveira4 days ago

Looks For His First UFC Win
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF