2k19: Ketel Marte

[joncarlos]

Would. You. Just. Run. Already.

Marte is moving to CF for 2019, at least that's the plan right now. Maybe it will help him realize he's fast. He was 81st in sprint spreed at 28.7 FT/Sec last year, tied with Ozzie Albies and 0.1 ahead of Starling Marte.

2018 stats: 153 games, 580 PA, 260/332/437, 14 HR, 6 SB, 68 R, 59 RBI. A pretty good 9.3% walk rate and a good 13.6% K rate. Hits too many pop-ups but given that he has an overall groundball lean, and as mentioned above, he's pretty fast... he should be able to do better than a .282 BABIP. His overall exit velo isn't great and given the humidor, he might be at his power ceiling. (150th in overall average exit velocity, though he did have a max of 115.1 which is pretty high, specifically 26th among all hitters).

Steamer projects 139 games, .280, 13 HR and 9 steals.

I want to believe, but where will the breakout come from? He's being picked 218th in ADP so he can be had relatively cheap. If he can hit .285 instead of .260 he will be a heck of a lot more valuable even if he still stays at 15 HR and single digit steals.

[Redbirds Fan]

I'm a believer in KM although I worry a little about changing positions. He does have excellent speed, he just needs the green light.

I think the .280 projection is a good one, and would not be surprised at all by 15 bombs and 20+ steals.

[eephus]

Marte only hit .224/.300/.352 vs RHP last year. Hopefully it was a one year anomaly because his switch hitting splits weren't extreme previously. If he isn't able to adjust, Jarrod Dyson looms as a platoon partner in CF.

[cavebird]

On the positive side, he has a good eye and good K/BB percentages. The problem is that he makes a ton of weak contact. I don't see that problem disappearing overnight. No idea why he doesn't run so much, but I am skeptical he'll start doing it overnight. I am afraid he is WYSIWYG at this point.

[Gregg]

He is 10B in our NL only 12 teamer. This means he has to be played out or given a raise at $5 per year. He is offered for sale on the trade block for a reserve draft pick.

I hoping no one bites and the current owner throws him back. I would love to see him back in the auction.

I had drafted him as rookie in second round years ago. That is how he got his $10 price tag. I traded him to make a run. Quite frankly he has been a bit of a disappointment from what I was expecting (much more speed). Still only 25 he has room for improvement.

If he gets tossed back in I think I will bring him out early in the hopes of others waiting back for the sexier picks. If I could get him under 10 bucks and a new contract I would consider it a win.

[joncarlos]

And now the D-Backs have signed adam Jones, pushing Marte either back to 2B or into a utility role. I'm guessing he becomes the everyday 2B, but maybe he's the guy who fills in at SS when Ahmed needs a day off.