Sep 27, 2018; Kansas City, MO, USA; Cleveland Indians third baseman Jose Ramirez (11) bats against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Photo Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports
Jose Ramirez, 3B, Cleveland Indians
2018: He was the best player in baseball for long stretches of the first half, but Ramirez found an inopportune time to go into a tailspin. He lost it over the final seven weeks, hitting .167 after Aug. 19, and was hitless in a wipeout loss to Houston in the ALDS. Ramirez’s rotisserie owners didn’t complain much; by the time he went into the tank, he’d already stuffed the R, HR, RBI and SB columns with championship fantasy numbers.
Forecast: Was it just a small sample size, or was something else at play during Ramirez’s nosedive? He’ll be closely scrutinized this spring for clues. Over the past two seasons, he has led the majors in extra-base hits with 172 and been worth a staggering 14.6 Wins Above Replacement, per FanGraphs. It will take a first-round pick to acquire him.
2019 Projections: .320 avg., 44 doubles, five triples, 23 home runs, 78 RBIs, 23 stolen bases, 105 runs scored.
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