JONATHAN VILLAR
BATS: B
AGE: 26
TEAM: Milwaukee
INDICATORS
On-base .369
BABIP .373
Slugging .457
Total Bases 269
OPS .826
vs RHP .276
vs LHP .309
wOBA .356
TWO-YEAR MAJOR LEAGUE STATISTICS
BA OBP AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB
.284 .339 116 18 33 7 1 2 11 7 (2015)
.285 .369 589 92 168 38 3 19 63 62 (2016)
2016: Employed as a little-used utility player for three seasons in Houston, Villar took hold of the starting job in Milwaukee and ran with it. Maybe the game’s biggest surprise of 2016, he led the major leagues with 62 stolen bases, though more shocking might have been a power spike that yielded a .457 slugging percentage and 19 home runs. Bypassed in fantasy drafts, he ended up as one of the game’s most valuable players.
Forecast: Villar’s speed is legit; he’s got eligibility at second base (11 games), third bases (42) and shortstop (108); and he’ll get a full season of leadoff at-bats for the first time in his career. We’re not saying he’s the greatest thing since Robin Yount, but he could hit .275 with 15 homers, 90 runs and 60 stolen bases. Nice.