Down Season In The Future For Aging Stars
The start of a new baseball season always brings plenty of optimism. Fantasy baseball owners are certainly no different, as there are always plenty of intriguing prospects poised for a breakout season. However, there are also players ready to regress. With one day fantasy leagues starting this spring, here is an early look at some guys who could struggle.
Jayson Werth
After finally figuring it all out in 2013, it could be time for Werth to regress due to age in 2014. He had his best season ever with the Washington Nationals last year, hitting .318 with 25 home runs, 82 RBI and 10 stolen bases. He was able to do all of this while dealing with a hamstring issue that robbed him of a month as well. However, at age 35 and with plenty of injury history, he should be nothing more than a third outfielder in most FanDuel fantasy formats.
Michael Cuddyer
In order to understand the luck involved in Cuddyer’s 2013 campaign, a person must be able to comprehend the statistic BABIP. This is a metric that measures a player’s batting average on balls in play. He had the third highest average last season at .382, which led to him hitting .331 for the season. He still will play his home games in Coors Field, but the aging utility player probably won’t contend for a batting title.
Hanley Ramirez
Shortstops tend to lose value once they hit age 30, and that is what Ramirez will be facing in 2014. He had a great bounce back season in 2013, despite only playing a total of 86 games. He has lost a step on the base paths, and he can still be a bit undisciplined at the plate. He won’t be .252 bad like he was in 2011 and 2012, but he won’t be .345 good like he was in 2013 either. Expect some regression in 2014, not to mention the severe risk of lingering injuries.
*This article was written by Thomas Durkin
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