Fantasy Baseball: 5 Late-Round Hitters With Power Upside
2. Nick Castellanos, Detroit Tigers
NFBC ADP: 206.87 | Hard-Hit Rate: 35.7% | Fly-Ball Rate: 43.0%
It can't be a list about batted balls if it doesn't include Nick Castellanos. He has been the patron saint of spank for a few years now, but you can still get this pup at a discount.
Like Pederson, Castellanos spent a bit of time on the shelf last year, limiting him to just 447 plate appearances. He still managed to hit a career-high 18 home runs, up from 15 dingers in 595 plate appearances the year before. It was all thanks to his continued dominance on batted balls.
Here are his marks in his three years as a full-time starter. The hard contact had been there in the past, but the increased fly-ball rate helped those balls get up out the yard.
| Season | Hard-Hit Rate | Fly-Ball Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 34.0% | 36.5% |
| 2015 | 32.8% | 40.4% |
| 2016 | 35.7% | 43.0% |
Roster Resource projects that Castellanos will hit sixth, trailing the big bats of J.D. Martinez, Miguel Cabrera, Victor Martinez, and Justin Upton. That should provide abundant opportunities to drive in runs, and when coupled with Castellanos' increased loft, he's a solid late-round target.
