J.D. Davis (3B/OF, NYM) - Fantasy Baseball Draft Sleeper

BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~140

CURRENT ADP: ~160 overall

ANALYSIS: After the Houston Astros sent their former third-round pick to the Big Apple last offseason, J.D. Davis did nothing but thrive in his first season in the National League. He finished his campaign sporting a shiny .307/.369/.527 slash line with 22 HR, 65 R, and 57 RBI despite not receiving everyday at-bats for the majority of the 2019 season. Now locked into regular playing time, Davis looks like he could provide sizable value on draft day.

Davis provided consistent results when called upon, establishing would-be top-20 marks in Exit Velocity (91.4 MPH) and Hard Hit% (47.7%). He displayed the ability to hit both lefties and righties (.312 vs L/.305 vs R) as well as all types of pitches with a .323 BA vs fastballs and a .313 BA vs breaking balls. Davis' .234 mark versus off-speed deliveries lagged, but his whiff-rate was low against these pitches (20.7%). His .308 xBA also suggests he was the recipient of misfortune when he put the ball in play.

The California native forced his way into a regular role over the final two months of the season, where his results flourished to a .321/.374/.600 slash line with 12 big flies as the team's primary fourth or fifth hitter. Davis finished the year just shy of the league average in fly-ball rate (21.6%), but his increased launch angle from August onward helped him post a 28.0% FB%, a number that's more associated with power hitters. If this approach carries over into the 2020 season, we'll have an enticing power/average threat to laud over.

Davis will undoubtedly grow on his 453 plate appearances from last season, and with more consistent playing time, his numbers hold appealing potential. A 25-homer hitter who hits around .300 is becoming scarce in this day and age of baseball, and that's a realistic possibility for this bat in 2020. If you require a batting average contributor for one of your outfield spots or miss the boat on a top-tier third baseman, Davis is an attractive consolation prize at his 170 ADP.