Ketel Marte may prove to be true bargain by season's end
NBC Sports EDGE's D.J. Short details why Ketel Marte still remains a valuable fantasy contributor in the batting average and run categories, and why he could prove to be a draft-day bargain by season's end.
Video Transcript
DJ SHORT: Going into last year, we knew that expecting Ketel Marte to duplicate the power he showed in his breakout 2019 campaign was probably too much to ask. Still, the dropoff was rather severe, as Marte connected for just two home runs in 195 plate appearances.
The biggest drop for Marte came in his barrel percentage. He was at 9.3% in 2019, putting him in the 85th percentile among hitters. But last year, he was suddenly in the 23rd percentile. It's no surprise that there was a dropoff in power. But a wrist injury certainly didn't help matters.
Still, Marte had some solid skills to fall back on, most notably his ability to make contact. Even with the down year in 2020, he was one of the toughest hitters to strike out in the league.
Now, it only took Marte two games this season to equal his home run total from last year. But he injured his hamstring in early April and ended up missing more than a month. Still, he swung the bat well since returning, hitting for average, and even popping a couple of home runs.
Marte's 2019 season might turn out to be an aberration. But his contact skills make him a strong bet to hit for high batting average. And power should continue to be part of his game. Look no further than his 451-foot home run against the Mets in recent days. Marte could legitimately go from disappointment to fantasy bargain buy season's end.