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Apr 7, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; A general view of the Opening Week logo on the field prior to the game between the Chicago White Sox and the Oakland A’s at Oakland Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kenny Karst-USA TODAY Sports
Pitchers and catchers report in just days, which means that the MLB season is getting closer and closer, which will obviously lead to more and more excitement about the prospects of a new year.
With the start of the MLB season within reach, I wanted to take a look at three players that I am looking forward to seeing more from in 2017. Yes, they’re all on my fantasy team (which I’m sure you care totally about), but they’re all young players that have shown glimpses of greatness at times in their young careers.
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Why each of these players intrigues me is simple: How they perform this year should give us some idea of the players that they’ll become as they continue to develop, while potentially lead their teams into the playoffs down the road.
One of these players has had much more written about them than the other two in recent weeks, if only for the fact that they play in the biggest market in baseball, for the winningest team in MLB history. Ok, it’s Gary Sanchez. This should come as now surprise since he is the featured image for this post. He suckered me in just like everyone else with his power display last season and now I’m completely in the tank for him and the rest of the Baby Bombers.
The other two are former top prospects. One hasn’t quite lived up to the billing just yet, and the other is looking to reverse a team’s fortunes. If they pan out, much like Sanchez, they could be playing in October in the near future.
So let’s take a look at three players that I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for in 2017.
Gary Sanchez
For you rock dwellers out there, Gary Sanchez burst onto the MLB scene late last season and mashed 20 homers in 56 games which put him firmly in the AL Rookie of the Year discussion even with only roughly one-third of a season under his belt.
It’ll be just about impossible for Sanchez to continue that pace in 2017, because that would mean a season of ~60 dingers at the age of 24. He’ll still produce, but I want to see how much.
Steamer has him hitting 27 homers in 122 games while batting .268 and holding a 118 wRC+, which is a drop-off from the pace of 20 homers in 56 games while batting .299 with a 171. If his projections end up coming to fruition, that would still leave Sanchez in the running for most homers (Jonathan Lucroy led with 24 last season) and third in wRC+ behind Lucroy and Wilson Ramos.
It’s not hard to see Sanchez entering into the “best catcher in the game” discussions following 2017, if he can produce. How much he produces could also lead to the Yankees making a run late into the season for at least a wild card spot as well. There is a lot of pressure on Sanchez after he burst onto the scene, but he has removed himself from the World Baseball Classic to be with the Yankees all spring. This should help in a number of ways, most notably solidifying a leadership role on a young club, and getting extra work with the starting staff.
I’m excited to see what he has in store for an encore.
Jon Gray
Of all the pitchers in baseball 25 or younger, Gray’s 2016 season ranked 4th in fWAR with a 3.7, trailing only Noah Syndergaard, Jose Fernandez and Aaron Sanchez. Gray has been touted as the future ace of the Colorado Rockies for years now, and in his first full season he did not disappoint.
While some may look at his traditional stats and not see much in a 10-10 record and a 4.61 ERA, those can be a bit misleading. His FIP was a solid 3.60, he struck out nearly ten batters per nine innings (9.91 K/9) and walked just over three per nine. The stat lines aren’t going to scream ace just yet, but they certainly show that he is on the right track while pitching in Colorado where his ERA was actually lower than on the road at 4.30 compared to 4.91.
The reason that Jon Gray has me intrigued this MLB season is because how much he develops this year could be the leading factor to a surprise run for the Rockies. The Rockies, like my hometown A’s, get beaten down by the national media quite a bit, so there is a sense on kinship with the folks of Mile High.
Plus, after the 16 strikeout performance Gray put up against the Padres in Colorado in the final weeks of the season, there could be big things on the way for Jon Gray. He’ll set the tone for what could be a solid rotation.
Sep 9, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Twins outfielder Byron Buxton (25) rounds second in the second inning against the Cleveland Indians at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports
Byron Buxton
If you look at Buxton’s stat line from last season, you’re not likely to be inspired. A .225 average with a .284 OBP isn’t exactly what we were hoping to see from the #1 prospect headed into the season. He was striking out entirely too much, looking lost for the better part of his initial stint with the Twins, which led to a demotion to Rochester by the end of April. Buxton would be up for June and July, then back down for August, and up again when rosters expanded in September.
While the constant back and forth looked chaotic from the outside, given that the Twins themselves weren’t competing for anything outside of staying outside of the cellar in all of MLB, Buxton seemed to have figured something out in that final month in the bigs.
In September Buxton hit .287 with nine homers, six doubles and two triples in 101 at-bats. That means that roughly 17% of his total ABs went for extra bases, which isn’t bad for someone that was having a hard time just making contact a few months prior. In the first half of 2016 he was 42 percent below league average at the plate, while in the second half he was 14 percent above average with most of that production came in September and October.
What I’m looking forward to seeing from B.B. is whether or not that month on fire was a flash in the pan or if he truly figured something out. With some of the competition in the AL Central weakening, Buxton could feast at the plate this season. Plus, it’s always a treat to watch him roam the outfield.
These are the three players that intrigue me. Who are yours?
