Fantasy Baseball: 7 Late-Round Hitters With Stolen-Base Upside
Manuel Margot, San Diego Padres
NFBC ADP: 247.23 | Projected Steals: 24
The Mariners aren't the only outfield with a couple of candidates for late-round steals. The San Diego Padres are in the same boat. The problem is deciphering which guys are going to get the opportunities.
We'll get to the cheaper Travis Jankowski in a bit, but we'll start things off with one of the top prospects in the game, Manuel Margot. The Padres are last by a mile in numberFire's preseason power rankings, meaning they could be in full-on development mode throughout the season. That's good for Margot, who got a cup of coffee at 37 plate appearances in the majors last year.
Looking at Margot's numbers in Triple-A, it's easy to see why he would be an intriguing fantasy asset. He struck out just 11.3% of the time -- again, a good sign for his batting average -- and he was able to swipe 30 bags over 124 games. This was a year after he stole 39 bases across two levels in the Boston Red Sox's system.
If he plays, he's going to provide value in at least three categories.
The problem with Margot is it's not a given that he will play. Roster Resource currently has Margot batting second behind Jankowski with fellow rookie Hunter Renfroe in right field. That leaves Alex Dickerson on the bench. Dickerson, though, paired some power with a 15.4% strikeout rate last year, so he may deserve a shot to play, too. Margot still has minor-league options left, so they could decide to have him start in Triple-A if things don't go well in spring.
Given the Padres' positioning, it seems more likely that Dickerson or Jankowski would wind up being the victim of playing time than Margot. Thus, Margot presents a lot to like from a fantasy perspective at a low cost. He has steal upside, projects for a respectable average, and should score runs if he hits near the top of the order.
He's not a lock, but neither is anyone at this price, so feel free to dabble in Margot's waters if you're itching for speed late.
