RADIO
BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~340
CURRENT ADP: ~Undrafted
ANALYSIS: Evan Longoria is not the MVP candidate that he once was, but he doesn’t have to be considering he is not being drafted in NFBC contests currently. In 2019, Longoria posted a .254/.325/.437 slash line that appears to be replicable in 2020. Longoria possesses a patient plate approach, as evidenced by his 30.2% chase rate and a 10.9% swinging-strike rate. His contact skills kept his strikeout rate down to a manageable 22% and his walk rate near the league average at 8.5%. Additionally, Longoria’s contact quality was strong last season with an 89.7 mph average exit velocity, a 40.8% hard-hit rate, and a 27.2% line drive rate.
As a result of Longoria’s strong contact quality and seasoned batting skills, the third baseman posted a .274 xBA and a .498 xSLG, both of which indicate that he suffered from a little bad luck. Even at 34 years old, Longoria is still an above-average hitter who should post an OPS between .700 and .800. Likewise, his strikeout and walk rates clock in around the league average marks. That level of production makes Longoria an excellent option at his current ADP in the final rounds of a draft.
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