Fantasy Baseball: Robinson Cano’s power numbers are concerning
By Matt Shetler
It’s only 12 games into the season so there is no need to panic about early season statistics, but fantasy owners of Robinson Cano should be at least a little bit concerned.
Apr 15, 2014; Arlington, TX, USA; Seattle Mariners second baseman Robinson Cano (22) works out during batting practice prior to the game against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Park in Arlington. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
In his first season with his new club after signing a mega offseason deal with the Seattle Mariners, Cano hasn’t exactly been the run producer early on that many envisioned when selecting him in the first round of drafts.
While Cano is hitting .320 on the young season, you have to ask yourself where has the power gone?
The $240 million man is sitting without a homer, only five RBI and an average OPS of only .746 to start the season.
While it is no time to push the panic button on Cano, there are some signs that you should be very concerned about.
The most notable is his 61.0 percent ground ball rate to a 19.5 percent fly ball rate. Judging by his career, you wouldn’t think that will continue, but it is possible Cano is pressing somewhat, so I wouldn’t expect an immediate turnaround.
Second of all is the ballpark factor.
No longer does Cano have the short porch in right field of Yankee Stadium that can lead to an inflated home run total.
While neither of these signs are appealing to Cano owners, do yourself a favor and take your finger off the panic button.
The numbers will be there. He’s simply too talented of a hitter to not produce.
There are also some signs that would suggest that big numbers are right around the corner for Cano.
His 11.3 percent walk rate is outstanding and is a slight increases of his plate patience over the course of the past two seasons. That’s also an indication that he isn’t getting many pitches to hit in the early going. That should change.
Along with his walk rate being up, his strike out rate is not as Cano’s 11.3 percent K Rate is in line with his past seasons.
What I would recommend is making a play for Cano.
If he has another week without showing any power, you can likely catch his owner in panic mode and likely can scoop Cano up pretty cheaply. If you do, you will be thanking yourself in the long run.
Don’t panic over slow starts. Guys like Cano will produce.
It’s frustrating that he isn’t lighting the world on fire to start the season, but mark my words, at the end of the day the numbers will be just fine.