Alex Rodriguez: No. 1 Designated Hitter in 2016?
By Bill Pivetz
It was the story of the offseason. You couldn’t go five minutes without hearing his name, and he hasn’t even swung a bat. Then, the 2015 season began and there was a reason for everyone to be talking about him. Alex Rodriguez was the epitome of Comeback Player of the Year this season and, barring being released, can do it again in 2016. If he does, is Rodriguez the No. 1 DH next season?
The short answer is no. But I’m going to give you the long explanation.
Rodriguez was suspended for the whole 2014 season after violating the league’s Performance Enhancing Drugs policy. The New York Yankees and Rodriguez continued to butt heads throughout the offseason and Spring Training, and many thought A-Rod wouldn’t play a single inning for the Yankees this year.
That was far from the truth. Alex Rodriguez played in 151 games in 2015 (most since 2007) hitting 33 home runs (most since 2008) and 86 RBI (most since 2010) with a .250 batting average. It was the healthiest he looked in a few years, and you could tell at the plate.
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While he still struck out 145 times, he walked 84 times (most since 2007). Alex Rodriguez looked more patient at the plate, and his .356 OBP shows that.
A-Rod spent most the season as the designated hitter. Because he didn’t reach the 20-game minimum for ESPN standard leagues at either corner position, he will be DH only in 2016. Where does he rank among the other designated hitters?
At the end of the season, he was the fourth-best DH and 100th-best player overall on the Player Rater. He finished 184 spots ahead of his replacement, Chase Headley, 11 HR/62 RBI/.259 in 156 games, but behind Prince Fielder, David Ortiz and Kendrys Morales among the designated hitters.
He gave a huge return on investment for any fantasy owner that drafted him. He was drafted in the 22nd round according to ESPN’s Draft Results. A 33-home run hitter in the 22nd round is unheard of. But, because of the issues surrounding him and the Yankees, nobody wanted to waste an early pick on Rodriguez.
Among the DH-only hitters, I rank Alex Rodriguez third, behind Fielder and Ortiz. As long as A-Rod can stay healthy, which I think he can since he no longer plays defense, he can easily duplicate his 2015 numbers.
Projections: 115 hits, 30 HR, 78 RBI, .248 average
Draft: Round 18