Three Centerfielders Likely to Improve
Sep 23, 2014; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks center fielder A.J. Pollock (11) makes a diving attempt at a fly ball in the fourth inning against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports
A.J. Pollock: Arizona Diamondbacks
Pollock was considered to be one of the big sleepers of the 2014 season, but injuries derailed his year. In just 75 games, A.J. Pollock managed to provide the Diamondbacks and his fantasy owners with sneaky good numbers. It is time to fire up the hype train once again because Pollock is in line to make a nice jump to the next level in 2015.
Pollock slashed an excellent .302/.353/.498 with 7 homers and 14 stolen bases. A healthy campaign could result in a 15 HR and 25 SB season for A.J. Pollock. This type of production would make him a major bargain, but his declining 14.2% line drive and seven infield fly balls in 75 games are two of the only causes for concern in terms of his 2014 production.
If Pollock can stay healthy next year, then he will almost assuredly produce as he enters his prime at 27 years old. Everything you expected from A.J. Pollock in 2014 should happen next season and hopefully not enough people realized how effective he was when he played this year.
Will Venable: San Diego Padres
In 2013, Will Venable hit 22 homers and stole 22 bases. In 2014, Will Venable was simply terrible at the plate. All of his numbers across the board declined from 2013 to 2014 except for a slight increase in his walk rate. Venable drew 33 walks in 2014, which was sadly an improvement from the prior year.
Interestingly enough, Venable had a wRC+ of 123 in 2013, which means he created runs 23% better than the average player when factoring in the park and league. In 2014, Venable found himself 23% worse than the average MLB player in wRC+. I feel very confident that 2015 Will Venable is somewhere between those two players and his wRC+ should fall close to the league average.
While I do not advocate drafting Will Venable in general, I would certainly not be against taking a flier on Venable in the last round of a draft. He should be able to provide double-digit home runs and upwards of 20 stolen bases.
Adam Eaton: Chicago White Sox
Another centerfielder with some preseason hype in the past was Adam Eaton back in 2013. However, Eaton only appeared in 66 games due to injury and did not post numbers even close to what his owners hoped for. Adam Eaton played 123 games this season and stole 15 bases, scored 76 runs, and slashed .300/.362/.401. He has potential to be a strong three-category centerfielder.
Adam Eaton will be 26 in 2015 when I expect an improved output across the board. Hopefully, Eaton can stay healthy and steal approximately 20 bags, score 90 runs, and post a similar slash line. The Cell is also a very hitter friendly ballpark, so I felt like only one home run was freakishly low. As a result, Eaton posted a microscopic 1.3% HR/FB%.
Adam Eaton is a nice value pick that you could draft in the late rounds, but he could end up providing you with solid production as your third or fourth outfielder. Health could be a question for Adam Eaton because he has missed so many games. The same injury red flag applies to A.J. Pollock, but both ballplayers are a smart draft pick because of their potentially decent return with a low cost.