Padres: Manuel Margot Could Be a Great Fantasy Value in 2017

By Brad Kelly | Feb 17, 2017

Sep 28, 2016; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Padres center fielder Manuel Margot (70) doubles during the fourth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports /

Manuel Margot is one of the best prospects in the Padres’ system and in all of MLB. Can 2017 be the year he becomes a great fantasy value?

The San Diego Padres are in the middle of a full-on rebuild and the team will spend the 2017 season seeing what they have some of their young players. That opens the door for prospects such as Manuel Margot to possibly shine. Margot has a tremendous skill set, but could he be one the best fantasy values heading into 2017?

Margot was signed as an amateur free agent by the Red Sox in 2011. He joined the Red Sox as a 17-year-old and he made it clear very quickly that he was going to be a player to watch. He methodically rose through the minors, performing at every level along the way, and found himself on most top-100 prospects list in 2015. He would be dished to the Padres in the Craig Kimbrel deal and now looks ready to provide for San Diego.

Margot was promoted last season, but only played in 10 games, so there is not much to go by in terms of data to evaluate his performance. He posted a .243/0 HR/3 RBI/2 SB/.649 OPS line over 37 at-bats. Nothing overwhelming, but four out his nine hits were doubles.

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In the minors, Margot has been able to build quite the resume. He is a career .288 hitter, has over 500 hits and has amassed 162 SB in only five seasons of work. Most scouts also rave about his defense in center, which combined with his speed, has put him on the fast track to the big leagues. In terms of fantasy value, his speed and AVG will be his biggest assets.

If the season started today, Margot would more than likely be starting in centerfield and hitting somewhere atop the order. Fantasy owners should be intrigued because Margot has the ability to quietly notch a 35+ SB season while posting solid counting stats.

Four out of the last five seasons, Margot has stolen at least 30 SB in the minors. He notched two steals briefly in his time with big league club last season, so he looks primed to be given the green light. He and Travis Jankowski could both be potential nuisances on the base paths and that should bode well for his value. The Padres lack huge power options, so speed will be there best chance at creating offense.

Margot makes a ton of contact, he never struck out more than 64 times in one season in the minors and he had a 63% GB rate in his small big league sample size. While that number is inflated, it is a good indication that he will continue to split gaps and take advantage of his speed by keeping the ball on the ground. He does possess raw power, but he is more of a gap to gap hitter at this point of his career.

Margot shapes up to be a great late-round selection this spring. He is still young, but he should have a great spot in the lineup, solid plate approach and bat skill, and provides the much-coveted speed numbers. Owners should not expect anything more than 10 HR, but he should post a solid .270/35 SB/55 RBI/80-90 R type of line, not too bad for a late round pick.

Next: Diamondbacks 2017 Fantasy Team Preview

Margot is one of the more dynamic young prospects in MLB and the Padres are banking on him to be a building block moving forward. He will only be 22-years-old, so there will be some bumps along the way, but fantasy owners can not ignore the type of value he could bring. Do not sleep on him this spring.

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