We focus a lot on finding late-round speed sources because stolen bases are scarce. While home runs may be easier to find on draft day, don’t make the mistake of becoming complacent when it comes to the long ball. You still need to draft power aggressively. If you don’t, you’re at risk of falling behind. After all, it’s not enough to have power. You need more power than your opponents. Using NFBC ADP (National Fantasy Baseball Championship Average Draft Position from Feb. 15 to today), here are some late-round mashers available at pick 200 and beyond who can help you crush the power categories.
C.J. Cron, 1B, Rockies – 213 NFBC ADP
Cron is somewhat of a forgotten man after a knee injury limited him to only 13 games last season. Fortunately, the thin air in Colorado should give the 31-year-old slugger new life. While Cron is technically in a competition with Josh Fuentes and Greg Bird for the starting first base job in Colorado, it’s difficult to envision him not securing the gig given his track record. Cron popped 30 homers with the Rays in 2018 and belted 25 dingers with the Twins in 2019, and he should have little trouble flirting with 30 home runs again while playing half of his games at Coors Field.
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Jared Walsh, 1B, Angels – 216.7 ADP
Walsh made a strong impression in a short amount of time last season, hitting .293/.342/.646 with nine homers and 26 RBI in just 32 games with the Angels. While he obviously won’t maintain that type of power pace over a full season, it’s interesting to note that 2020 wasn’t the first time Walsh displayed this type of power barrage, as he whacked 36 bombs with a .325/.423/.686 slash line in 98 games at Triple-A in 2019. Before that, he clubbed 29 homers across three levels in 2018. In short, the 27-year-old mashes wherever he goes. The downside here is that 41-year-old Albert Pujols is still expected to see some time at first base, primarily against lefties, but if Walsh continues to rake, the Angels aren’t going to be able to keep his bat out of the lineup.
Joc Pederson, OF, Cubs – 266.4 ADP (pictured)
Pederson is coming off a down season at the plate, hitting .190/.285/.397 across 43 games. However, he still posted an average exit velocity of 93 mph, which ranked in the top 4 percent in baseball, so there was certainly some bad luck involved in his poor results last season. Plus, let’s not forget that Pederson clubbed a career-best 36 homers in 2019. That’s a lot of power upside for a guy going after pick 250. The Dodgers primarily used Pederson against righties in his career, but after signing a one-year deal with the Cubs, the lefty swinger is expected to receive more at-bats against left-handed pitching this season. While that will have a negative impact on his batting average, the overall power numbers have a chance to improve with more trips to the plate. It also doesn’t hurt that Pederson has been one of baseball’s hottest hitters this spring, hitting .500/.571/1.280 with five homers and 10 RBI over 28 plate appearances.
Bobby Dalbec, 1B, Red Sox – 289.9 ADP
Like Walsh, Dalbec also went on a big power surge late last season, swatting eight home runs in just 23 games with the Red Sox after being called up in late August. Dalbec’s power display was simply a continuation of what he did in the minors, where he hit 32 homers between High-A and Double-A in 2018 and 27 homers between Double-A and Triple-A in 2019. There’s obviously some concern with the 42.2 percent K rate that he posted in last season’s limited sample. However, it’s encouraging to highlight the fact that, while Dalbec whiffed 32 percent of the time in 2018, he knocked that mark down to 25 percent in 2019, so there’s some precedence for him adjusting and making more contact. The 25-year-old has already hit five homers this spring, and he’s going to hit a lot more this season as Boston’s starting first baseman.
Adam Duvall, OF, Marlins – 358.6 ADP
If you need some bankable power late in your draft, drafting Duvall should be an easy decision. After clubbing 10 homers in just 41 games for Atlanta in 2019, he belted another 16 bombs in 57 games last season, which is a 43-homer pace over a full campaign. That big-time power was backed up by a 13.9 percent barrel rate that ranked in the 89th percentile. With a full-time gig in Miami’s outfield, Duvall is a vastly underrated power option based on his current ADP.
Justin Upton, OF, Angels – 366 ADP
At 33 years old, Upton might fall into the “old and boring” category, but that doesn’t mean he should be ignored on draft day. Despite a terrible start last season, Upton still finished with nine homers in 42 games, which would be a 30+ homer pace over a full season. He was also above average in barrel rate (55th percentile), hard-hit rate (75th percentile) and exit velocity (87th percentile), so he was still stinging the ball consistently. The veteran was particularly impressive down the stretch, producing a .291/.385/.582 triple slash with six dingers over his last 23 games. Even if Upton’s best days are behind him, investing in the guy hitting behind Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon should provide some profit.
Jonathan Schoop, 2B, Tigers – 368.7 ADP
Most of the big power bats we’re highlighting come from the outfield or first base, but Schoop provides some nice thump for your middle infield spot. The 29-year-old averaged 25 home runs between 2016 and 2019, and with eight homers in 44 games last season, he was on pace to reach the 25-homer mark for the fifth straight campaign. The Tigers lineup doesn’t project to score a ton of runs, but Schoop should bat high in the order and again offer 25-HR power despite going undrafted in many leagues.
Hunter Renfroe, OF, Red Sox – 434.5 ADP
Renfroe has always fallen short of everyday at-bats in his career. He never eclipsing 500 plate appearances in San Diego, and he played only semi-regularly in Tampa Bay last season. That said, he’s still never had trouble putting up big power numbers. He clubbed 26 homers in both 2017 and 2018, and he smashed a career-best 33 dingers in 2019. In 2020, Renfroe blasted eight homers in just 139 PAs. As Boston’s starting right fielder, there’s little reason to think he won’t make another run at 30 home runs this season. A career .228 hitter, Renfroe is going to hurt you in the batting-average department, but we’re here for the power, and the former-first round pick has plenty of it.
-Mike Sheets