Fantasy Baseball 2018: Does Yadier Molina have one more good season left?

Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina put up a solid season in 2017. At the age of 35, can we expect one more valuable season from Molina next season?

The St. Louis Cardinals did not reach the heights they’re used to reaching. They finished third in the National League Central. The team suffered some injuries on both sides of the ball. Yet, one player the team and fantasy owners can rely on year in and year out and that’s catcher Yadier Molina.

Molina entered his age-34 season as the No. 9 catcher drafted in ESPN leagues. He wasn’t drafted until the 20th round, though. If you missed out on one of the top catching options, you were better off waiting. And those owners who drafted Molina were rewarded with one of his best seasons.

Molina played in 136 games this season, down 11 games from 2016. He hit 18 home runs, 82 RBI and a .273/.312/.439 line. His power numbers were the highest in the last four years. He hit a combined 19 homers and 157 RBI over the previous three seasons.

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He finished No. 3 catcher on the Player Rater, behind Gary Sanchez and Buster Posey. While he doesn’t have the same power as Sanchez, Molina finished eighth in home runs, second in RBI, fourth in batting average and first in steals among all qualified catchers.

Yes, Molina led all catchers with nine steals. Potential 10 HR/10 SB candidate J.T. Realmuto had just eight steals. Even in his mid-30s, Molina can still give fantasy owners a lot of value.

Molina can still hit the ball well. His strikeout rate is still in the low double digits. His groundball rate dropped about six percent while his fly ball rate rose eight percent and HR/FB rate went up 5.3 percent as well.

I called Molina an underrated pick in the 2017 offseason. With how he performed this season, I think it’s safe to say it panned out in the right way. Entering 2018, Molina is coming off his best hitting season in years but will turn 35 in July. He has never played in more than 147 games a season.

I think his power will drop a little but I project another double-digit home run season, probably around 12 or 13, with 65 RBIs, .275 average and five steals. Those are solid numbers from a top-10 pick drafted late.

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Molina is still a sneaky pick for next season. With an ADP between 181 and 210, you don’t need to waste an early pick on a catcher with Molina waiting there towards the end. I think we get one more fantasy-relevant season from Molina.