MLB

Fantasy Baseball: 5 Hitters Due for Positive Home Run Regression in 2019

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Anthony Rendon, 3B, Washington Nationals

2018 - Home Runs: 24 (T-41st), FB: 43.6%, HR/FB: 12.1%

Look, my love for Anthony Rendon essentially knows no bounds. He's one of the most under-rated hitters in the game, both in real-life and fantasy. It's hard to find a more consistent hitter than the Washington Nationals third basemen, who ranks 13th in wRC+ over the last three seasons (130), hitting 20 homers and posting 80-plus runs and runs batted in each year.

Now, what if there was some significant upside to his home run total? Ooh, mama.

Rendon's home run total was a bit mediocre, but his fly-ball rate was 20th-best in all of baseball last season, and his hard-hit rate went up 3.5%, to 37.8% a season ago. His HR/FB% also shows he was a bit unlucky, as he ranked below league average.

We peg Rendon for 27 home runs this year, which THE BAT agrees with as well. Expect an even bigger 2019 from Rendon.