RADIO
BALLER MOVE: Target ~135
CURRENT ADP: 188
ANALYSIS: Zack Cozart made himself a rich man thanks to a 2017 campaign in which he posted 24 HR, 80 runs, a .297 average, and .385 OBP while striking out on just 15.4% of his at-bats. After producing the 17th-best wRC+ in all of baseball, the infielder signed a three-year, $38 million deal with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
Cozart’s 2017 breakout may seem like it came out of nowhere, but the veteran had exhibited elite-level skills for years. While he was better known for his glove early in his career, the power potential had always been real, and he’s been getting to it in games consistently since 2015. His strike zone command and discipline have improved year over year since 2012, and Cozart profiles as a true late-bloomer who did show incremental improvements prior to exploding last year. It’s possible that this conversation around the infielder would have occurred after 2016 had injuries not slowed his ascent.
Cozart’s value is depressed thanks to those injury question marks, but make no mistake the bat is real. With a more potent lineup around him, expect production in counting stats like runs and RBI to rise in 2018. Even with a little regression in batting average, Cozart’s current ADP of 188 overall and 19th rank among SS is criminally low. Grab him a few rounds earlier, and enjoy great production with multi-positional flexibility once he qualifies at 3B later this season.
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