Trea Turner:
Meet the guy who will elicit the biggest battles at respective draft
tables this spring. Outside of maybe New York Yankees catcher Gary
Sanchez, there is not a more hyped and sought-after "sleeper" for
2017 fantasy baseball then sudden Washington Nationals outfield star Trea
Turner. We put sleeper in quotes because it is tough to carry that label
when everyone and their mother wants to own you for the upcoming season.
That is understandable as Turner posted one of those overnight
blockbuster fantasy baseball debut campaigns that brought back memories of Ryan
Braun or with Sanchez a year ago. Turner crammed in as many glowing
numbers as he could in his 73 games with the Nats as he batted a scorching
.342, hit 13 home runs, and ran like Billy Hamilton in collecting 33 steals.
The average and steals stand out here right off the bat but Turner is
more than capable of remaining an insane contributor in both going forward.
Possessing blinding speed, Turner can challenge for a stolen base crown in
2017 and his rate last season would have already won him the award. As
far as the average, yes expecting Turner to hit .342 again is foolish but his
low K/9 rates going back to the minors and last year (18.2) combined with the speed
will make him an annual .300-plus guy. Also likely hitting at or near the top
of the Washington order, 100 runs is very much in play as well. The only
thing we might question was the 13 home runs in just 324 at-bats Turner hit
last year, which was a rate he never approached before in the minors. In
fact Turner never hit more than 6 homers at any level which means don't buy
into the guy expecting 15-plus as a guarantee. Now we are not saying
15-plus homers are not possible as Turner continues to gain strength as he
moves closer to his prime and keep in mind Francisco Lindor is a comparable
comparison there as someone who showed little power on the farm but then ramped
it up in the majors. Also versatility is a big subject here as Turner is slated to be the Nationals' starting shortstop after the Adam Eaton trade. That puts Turner right there with Carlos Correa and Corey Seager as the best in fantasy baseball there. Be that as it may, Turner is the one incredibly
hyped young player we will give full permission to reach for.
2017 PROJECTION: .316 15 HR 67 RBI 99 R 48 SB
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