Royals: Eric Hosmer finally a top-5 fantasy first baseman?

By Brad Kelly | Oct 31, 2017

KANSAS CITY, MO - OCTOBER 01: Eric Hosmer /

Eric Hosmer had another solid season for the Royals. Now entering free agency, and possibly on the move, could he be headed to top-5 fantasy 1B status?

Eric Hosmer is undoubtedly one of the best all-around first basemen in the league. He has carried fantasy value since 2012, and now on the heels of back to back 25 HR/94+ RBI seasons for the Royals, Hosmer is a premier fantasy option.

But, can he be better, or is this his plateau?

The unfortunate truth is, Hosmer will more than likely be headed out of Kansas City. There are plenty of suitors, with big wallets as well, and the Royals will surely be outbid. This is not to say that they no chance to keep a homegrown stud, it is just a matter of how the market shapes up this season.

More from Fantasy Baseball

With that said, Hosmer posted a career-best .318 AVG, matched his career high with 25 HR, and notched 94 RBI as well. Outside of a horrible Apr., .225/1 HR, Hosmer was great the rest of the season. Over the next five months, he posted no lower than a .297/3 HR/13 RBI line per month.

Consistency and durability are huge fantasy boosts, Hosmer has played in over 157 games over the last three years, so he certainly is an insert and forget type of player. Hosmer also showed strides in his plate discipline as well in 2017. He lowered his K rate to 15%, nearly a 5% drop from 2016, and posted a career-high 10% BB rate as well.

Hosmer checks a lot of the elite first basemen tiers, even though 25 HR is on the lower side compared to his peers, and the fact that his batted profile speaks to a non-power hitter.

He managed to post, 22% LD, 22% FB, 55% GB, 49% Med and 30% Hard contact rates. The level of contact he makes is not an issue, he squares the ball frequently, but a 55% GB rate makes even slap hitters blush. Yet, somehow Hosmer keeps posting solid power numbers nonetheless.

His 22% FB rate is a career low, down 2.5% from 2016, and has steadily dropped over the last four seasons. He posted a respectable 31 doubles this season, so his decent LD rate salvages some of his SLG%.

The strange thing is, as much as his batted profile should scare owners off, he has maintained these type of rates during nearly his entire career and found success.

Kauffman Stadium is a pitcher’s park, even if Hosmer saw 16 of his homers leave there this season, so a potential move to a more hitter-friendly ballpark would definitely help. Even if marginal, let us say a five more homers than doubles in 2018, he ascends easily into the top-5.

Another positive part of Hosmer’s game is his nack to get RBI. Even though 25 HR is his career high, he has notched at least 93 RBI over the last three seasons for the Royals. The Royals have lacked a top-tier offense, but Hosmer certainly made the most of his opportunities. As with the ballpark, imagine what he could do RBI wise in Boston or Texas or even Seattle.

Next: Dodgers Kike Hernandez: Worth a gamble?

Eric Hosmer is one of the best players in MLB. Even though fantasy owners are familiar with him, it does not seem as though he holds the elite label. Even if he were to stay in Kansas City his consistency, durability, and run-producing ability gives him top-5 merit. If he can move to a more fantasy-friendly environment, his ceiling gets even higher and his floor only gets better.

Eris Hosmer is a top-5 1B in 2018.

Home/Fantasy Baseball