RADIO
BALLER MOVE: Target Late In Deep Leagues
ANALYSIS: Out of the three shortstops in Houston, the other two being Jed Lowrie and Marwin Gonzalez, Jonathan Villar is the only one who has any stand out skill – speed. In only 87 games last year, Villar snagged 17 SB. He stole another 24 in 51 games in Triple-A. It is not unreasonable for him to amass 50 SB in a full season. That kind of speed is exalted in the fantasy baseball world.
Unfortunately, Villar is blocked on the depth chart. The Astros just signed a three-year contract with Lowrie and won’t want to just throw away that kind of investment. Lowrie will most likely limit Villar to pinch running duties early in the season, but you should still see a steady number of SB.
Villar has surprisingly decent power for a speedster, hitting seven HR with an intriguing .144 isolated power (ISO) last year. His combination of excellent speed and average power could catapult him into the top 10 at the shortstop position.
As a speedy infielder, his transformation into a contact hitter is crucial. This evolution will be hugely important to the development of his season and career. If Villar improves on his contact rate and the Astros begin to involve him more in their offense, or he is traded, make sure to roster him.
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