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
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

MLB Hitter Studs and Duds - Advanced Metrics Leaders for xISO (Week 18)

Darick Hall fantasy baseball rankings draft sleepers waiver wire pickups

Statcast batter leaders and fallers in Week 18 of the 2022 MLB season according to xISO. Pierre Camus evaluates hitters who could be fantasy baseball adds or drops according to advanced sabermetrics.

You want power, or more specifically, you need power on your fantasy baseball team. If that is the case, you need to focus on a player who is capable of doing things that lead to extra-base hits, especially home runs. One of the sabermetrics that specifically focuses on pure power is ISO (Isolated Power). The expected version of this available of BaseballSavant is cleverly labeled xISO.

Smart analysts like Alex Chamberlain have been exploring this metric for a while and I think he explained its value best several years ago: "So: what makes for a good power hitter? Well, he should hit the ball hard. He should hit the ball in the air, too, so it goes over infielders’ heads or, better yet, over outfield walls. And he should pull the ball, because the shortest distance for a home run to travel is along the foul line." Makes sense to me.

This week, we'll check out the xISO leaders and ignore the superstars to see who might be packing more power than we thought. After you're done here, check out all of our Statcast analysis for fantasy baseball at RotoBaller, including our weekly Statcast Pitcher Studs and Duds articles each week.

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

 

xISO Leaderboard

Player xISO ISO xSLG SLG-xSLG Barrel%
Aaron Judge .403 .371 .705 -.035 26.6
Yordan Alvarez .351 .341 .678 -.034 20.2
Mike Trout .329 .330 .584 .015 21.1
Danny Jansen .329 .269 .596 -.115 19.5
Kyle Schwarber .320 .293 .550 -.055 21.3
Austin Riley .295 .291 .583 .004 17.6
Bryce Harper .285 .281 .604 -.005 14.4
Shohei Ohtani .285 .242 .556 -.061 16.9
Byron Buxton .284 .322 .525 .017 16.9
Darick Hall .269 .283 .532 .024 20.3
Nolan Gorman .266 .213 .520 -.070 15.3
Joc Pederson .265 .248 .538 -.046 16.5
Matt Carpenter .264 .439 .497 .259 14.3
William Contreras .264 .287 .510 .038 15.9
Giancarlo Stanton .258 .270 .515 -.017 21.1
Juan Soto .254 .239 .525 -.036 12.2
Nelson Velazquez .254 .235 .487 -.028 15.8
Pete Alonso .249 .268 .521 .029 14.4
Christian Walker .247 .243 .495 -.050 13.4
Rowdy Tellez .241 .242 .504 -.021 12.9

 

Notable Players

Danny Jansen, Toronto Blue Jays - .329 xISO

Wut? Jansen as a top-three raw power hitter is one of the more surprising developments north of the border, outside of the team acquiring a non-vaccinated Whit Merrifield that is.

Jansen posted mediocre xISO numbers in 2019 and 2020 but did post a .250 ISO last season over 184 at-bats. Perhaps his constant injuries and timeshare situation behind the plate have caused us to overlook his development as a power-hitting catcher. Jansen has nine HR and 23 RBI in 105 at-bats with an impressive .596 xSLG that would rank among the elite sluggers in the game.

Jansen certainly won't hit for average - his current .219 AVG is higher than his .213 career mark. We're talking catchers here, though. The bar is pretty low. Jansen hasn't gone deep since July 22nd but if he can carve out more playing time in that Jays lineup, he could be worth starting down the stretch even in single-catcher leagues.

Darick Hall, Philadelphia Phillies - .269 xISO

Good timing here as Hall just swatted two more homers on Sunday afternoon, giving him eight HR in 103 AB.


So did all those FAB dollars thrown toward Hall in competitive leagues pay off? For the time being, yes. He's flexed massive power and we know in the Philly lineup he will always have the green light to swing for the fences.

The biggest concern is Bryce Harper returning as a DH only and taking Hall's lineup spot. Rhys Hoskins is cemented at 1B and Harper may not take the field in order to prevent further aggravation to the elbow. That's why the team acquired Brandon Marsh to hold down center field.

Whether that happens is hard to say, of course. Harper didn't exactly clarify things when asked how he's progressing.

“I don’t know how my body’s going to react or how my thumb is going to react. We’re still on the same timeline of September-ish."

That means we should have at least a month of Hall in store and possibly the rest of the season if Harper doesn't like the way his body reacts. If the Phils fall out of contention, they may simply shut him down. Many fantasy managers have moved on from Hall after his hot start; his rostered rate is all the way down to 4% in Yahoo! His stock may rise again after this weekend, though.

William Contreras, Atlanta Braves - .264 xISO

Unlike his brother, Willson Contreras, who has been one of the top catchers in fantasy all year long, William is freely available on waivers. That's because he splits time with Travis d'Arnaud behind the plate and has seen his DH at-bats dry up with the Braves' deadline acquisitions to provide depth. William Contreras has shown good power with a 44.7% Hard Hit% and one of the top max exit velocity marks in the league for a second straight year. Power is present but he may not play enough to collect counting stats needed for fantasy contenders.

Nelson Velasquez, Chicago Cubs - .254 xISO

It's frustrating to see Velasquez on here yet not in the lineup on a regular basis. When he does play, he's usually batting near the bottom of the order. He hasn't gotten much action for the big club this year but a 15.8% Barrel% is worth our attention.

Velasquez was a standout in the Arizona Fall League, leading all batters with a 1.192 OPS and nine home runs over 104 AB. It's disappointing to see the Cubs hold onto players like Willson Contreras and Ian Happ because that gets in the way of a young talent like Velasquez for the second half. Sadly, without an injury to a regular outfielder, we may have to wait another year to see what he can do.

Nick Gordon, Minnesota Twins - .223 xISO

A slew of injuries to Minnesota hitters could keep Gordon in the outfield down the stretch run. As mentioned weeks ago, Gordon doesn't profile like his older brother as a speed-first player. He does have above-average speed but the takeaway here is that he currently sports a Hard-Hit% in the 92nd percentile and xSLG in the 91st. It hasn't produced noteworthy counting stats - five HR, 20 RBI, five SB in 237 at-bats isn't moving the needle too much.

Gordon really should be showing more power, however, as he's one of the biggest underachievers in terms of SLG-xSLG at a -.049 difference. Gordon is stinging the ball regularly and, contrary to expectations, is a fly ball hitter. All the peripherals tell us that Gordon should be able to produce better power numbers and might be worth a flier in fantasy.



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
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Griffin Conine

To Have Shoulder Surgery On Tuesday
Luke Keaschall

Twins Prospect Luke Keaschall Suffers Broken Forearm
Logan Gilbert

Leaves Friday's Start With Forearm Tightness

Vikings Select Tai Felton To Finish Day 2

Seahawks Select Quarterback Jalen Milroe With The 92nd Pick Overall

Browns Select Dillon Gabriel 94th Overall

Packers Pick Savion Williams At No. 87 overall

Steelers Snag Kaleb Johnson In Round 3

Broncos Select Wide Receiver Pat Bryant With The 74th Overall Pick

Texans Select Jaylin Noel With 79th Pick

Lions Select Wide Receiver Isaac TeSlaa With The 70th Overall Pick
Jack Leiter

To Start On Sunday

Patriots Add Wide Receiver Kyle Williams In Round 3

Browns Draft Harold Fannin Jr. With 67th Pick
Garrett Mitchell

Makes Early Exit
Luke Keaschall

Removed Early On Friday
Blake Snell

Likely Avoids Major Injury
Cole Ragans

Dealing With Mild Groin Strain

Broncos Add RJ Harvey To Backfield With 60th Pick

Raiders Select Jack Bech With 58th Pick

Chargers Add Wide Receiver Tre Harris In Round 2
Detroit Lions

Lions Acquire 57th Pick From Broncos

Seahawks Draft Elijah Arroyo 50th Overall
Carolina Panthers

Panthers Acquire 51st Pick From Broncos
Arizona Cardinals

Cardinals Snag Will Johnson At No. 47

Jets Add A Pass-Catcher With Mason Taylor At No. 42

Rams Select Terrance Ferguson With 46th Pick
Houston Texans

Texans Acquire 48th Pick From Raiders, Draft Aireontae Ersery

Saints Snag Tyler Shough At No. 40
Brenton Doyle

Out For Personal Reasons On Friday
Brandin Podziemski

Not On Injury Report For Game 3
Jimmy Butler III

Warriors Optimistic About Jimmy Butler III Playing Saturday
Jae'Sean Tate

To Remain Out Saturday
Jock Landale

Unavailable For Game 3
Terry Rozier

Out On Saturday
Jrue Holiday

Ruled Out For Friday Night's Game 3 Against Orlando
Kevin Love

To Miss Saturday's Game
Jaylen Brown

Available For Friday Night's Game 3 Against Magic
Gary Payton II

Iffy For Saturday's Action
Jayson Tatum

Officially Available On Friday For Game 3 Against Magic
Will Smith

Back From Injury On Friday
Luke Kennard

Questionable For Game 4 On Saturday
Darius Garland

Listed As Questionable For Game 3
Ja Morant

To Miss Game 4 On Saturday
Rui Hachimura

Available For Game 3 In Minnesota
Aaron Ekblad

Available To Return Saturday
Erik Swanson

Ryan Burr Progressing
Daulton Varsho

To Return On Tuesday At The Latest
Max Scherzer

Takes Positive Step On Friday
Aleksander Barkov

Questionable For Saturday
Gabriel Landeskog

Set For Larger Role In Game 4
Calvin Pickard

To Start Game 3 For Oilers
Randy Arozarena

Resting For First Time This Year
Jonas Siegenthaler

To Play Limited Minutes In Game 3
MLB

Red Sox-Guardians Game Postponed On Friday
Luke Hughes

Remains Out On Friday
MLB

Tigers-Orioles Postponed On Friday
Patrik Laine

A Game-Time Decision Friday
Yainer Diaz

Out On Friday Against Royals
Iván Herrera

Ivan Herrera Hopes To Start Rehab Assignment Next Week
Salvador Perez

Sitting Out For First Time This Season
Jaylen Brown

Questionable For Game 3 On Friday
Brendan Donovan

Back In Action On Friday
Jimmy Butler III

Could Miss Game 3 On Saturday
Coby Mayo

Getting On A Roll At Triple-A
Carlos Prates

Looks To Remain Undefeated In The UFC
Ian Machado Garry

Set For UFC Kansas City Main Event
Cade Cunningham

Collects Double-Double In Loss
Jalen Brunson

Drops 30 Points In Game 3
Karl-Anthony Towns

Leads All Scorers In Game 3 Victory
Zhang Mingyang

Scheduled For Co-Main Event
Anthony Smith

Set For His Final UFC Bout
David Onama

Set For Featherweight Bout
Giga Chikadze

Looks To Bounce Back
Abus Magomedov

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
Michel Pereira

Returns To Action At UFC Kansas City
Nicolas Dalby

An Underdog At UFC Kansas City
Randy Brown

A Favorite At UFC Kansas City
Andre Muniz

Set To Open Up UFC Kansas City Main Card
Ikram Aliskerov

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Sergei Bobrovsky

Shuts Out Lightning In Game 2
Cam Fowler

Finishes Thursday's Win With Five Points
Robert Thomas

Posts Four Assists In Game 3 Win
Pavel Buchnevich

Celebrates Hat Trick During Four-Point Performance
Dylan DeMelo

Battling An Illness
Marcus Johansson

Exits Early Thursday
Aleksander Barkov

Hurt In Game 2
Jrue Holiday

Tagged As Questionable For Friday
Jayson Tatum

Likely Out Again On Friday
Anthony Cirelli

Good To Go Thursday
Andrei Vasilevskiy

Looks To Bounce Back In Game 2
Rasmus Ristolainen

To Miss Training Camp
Jonas Siegenthaler

Returns To Practice
Aliaksei Protas

Traveling With Capitals
Gabriel Vilardi

Still Out On Thursday
Max Pacioretty

Set To Join Maple Leafs Lineup For Game 3
Cam Davis

Looking For Better Fortunes At TPC Louisiana
Adam Svensson

Making Third Apperence At Zurich Classic
Max Greyserman

Aiming For Similar Success At TPC Louisiana
Lee Hodges

A High-Upside Player In New Orleans
PGA

Nico Echavarria Looks To Ride Off Of Elite Putting In New Orleans
Gary Woodland

A Player Worth Watching In New Orleans
Max McGreevy

Returns To The Zurich Classic Of New Orleans
Rasmus Hojgaard

In Search Of Consistency Ahead Of Zurich Classic
Sam Stevens

A Boom-Or-Bust Candidate In New Orleans
Nicolai Hojgaard

Looking To Turn Season Around At Zurich Classic
Christiaan Bezuidenhout

Looks To Sway A Hot Putter In Teams Favor At Zurich Classic
Akshay Bhatia

Looking To Bounce Back At TPC Louisiana
Carson Young

Looks To Turn Things Around At TPC Louisiana
Erik Van Rooyen

Looking For Momentum In Louisiana
Andrew Novak

Making Start At TPC Louisiana After Near Miss At Harbour Town
Ben Griffin

Making Third Career Start At Zurich Classic
Taylor Moore

Competing With A New Teammate In New Orleans
Wyndham Clark

Making Return To New Orleans
Kurt Kitayama

Teeing It Up Again In New Orleans
Collin Morikawa

Back At Zurich Classic For Fifth Time
Thomas Detry

Making Third Appearance At New Orleans Team Event
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF