Value of Kepler

[chancellor]

I'm in a good position in my AL only, 10-team, 5x5 league; in third two points out with very strong hitting and mediocre pitching. Gray and Archer have been disappointing. I did land Shoemaker and McCullers, which has helped. I've been offered Smyly on a dead contract for Kepler at 5 (5 next year, 10 the last year). I can replace Kepler without much of a loss, but is Smyly enough for him?

[Hornsby]

I'd ask for more than Smyly...he's been awfully mediocre this year, and the Rays aren't very good either.

Kepler has a chance to be a very good all-around player in the majors.

[onejayhawk]

That is my feeling as well. He's not the next Mike Trout, but maybe Mookie with better defense, eventually. For now, glove guys get PT and the Twins OF is a trainwreck.

J

[Ken]

That is my feeling as well. He's not the next Mike Trout, but maybe Mookie with better defense, eventually. For now, glove guys get PT and the Twins OF is a trainwreck.

J

Mookie Betts? Kepler's upside is far below Mookie Betts.

[TranaGreg]

Mookie Betts? Kepler's upside is far below Mookie Betts.

Yeah, I was thinking Adam Lind type numbers with a bit of speed.

[Ken]

Yeah, I was thinking Adam Lind type numbers with a bit of speed.

I don't see the Lind comparison either honestly. He doesn't have that kind of power potential, Lind hit 35 HR in 2009 (and still has a ~.200 ISO).

Think ~20-20 if Kepler hits his upside. His upside is closer to Dexter Fowler than the other names mentioned here IMO

[Sour Masher]

Mookie Betts? Kepler's upside is far below Mookie Betts.

Yeah, Mookie Betts is one of the top 5 hitters in baseball. Kepler would be happy if his career year puts him in the top 50.

[hacko]

Yeah, Mookie Betts is one of the top 5 hitters in baseball. Kepler would be happy if his career year puts him in the top 50.

But there was a time Mookie was a Question mark. I remember having a hard time trading him when he was where keplar is.

[Ken]

But there was a time Mookie was a Question mark. I remember having a hard time trading him when he was where keplar is.

Was that because of Mookie or the guys you were trading with? Betts' future value has been pretty high since 2013 when he hit .314/.417/.506 with 15 HR and 38 SB as a 20 year old in A ball.

They are the about same age. That year Kepler hit .237/.312/.424 in A ball with 9 HR and 2 SB.

Kepler had a very good year last year in AA, hitting .322/.416/.531 as a 22 year old. But keep in mind, at the same time Betts was quite good for the Red Sox.

From a fantasy baseball perspective we're talking apples and oranges here.

Don't get me wrong here, I like Kepler (I have him in one of my main leagues), but expectations should be tempered. He's not Mookie Betts.

[mjl]

For what it's worth, the last game Kepler didn't start was June 9. In the last 28 days, in RJEL (mixed 5x5 using OBP), Kepler is the #22 player according to CBS. .281/.343/.583, 17 R, 7 HR, 27 RBI, 2 SB; that RBI total is second only to the super-hot Edwin Encarnacion.

[onejayhawk]

I'm looking ate the monthly splits. K% has gone 35.7%, 24.8%, 17.1% plus he has good plate discipline.

I will admit Mookie might be over the top as a comp. The same age comparison would make more sense to me if they both came out of the USA high school system. The low K% is what drew my eye. Betts plays in Fenway, which pushes also them apart, but is the comparison that far off?

J

[chancellor]

From a fantasy standpoint, yes. Mookie will steal a lot more bases, score 30 or so more runs per year, and has better power upside due to the park difference.

I did manage to get Frazier and a $10 Duffy for Kepler and Stroman, who are both at $5.

[hacko]

So after the month of July and the start of his August- new thoughts on Kepler????

[TranaGreg]

Yeah, I was thinking about this thread too ... I think we're entering uncharted territory, traditional models don't account for the run he's on ... Maybe a coach tweaked him to something, or maybe he sold his soul to the devil ...

[Sour Masher]

I had a chance to have him or Brett Phillips in a trade earlier this year. Now he is crushing me this week h2h. I chose very, very wrong. I just did not see this power coming. He ever hit ore than a 12 homers in a year in the minors, and already has surpassed that in the majors.