Rangers Delino DeShields: Sneaky Value Pick in 2018?

Delino DeShields has been named the Rangers center fielder and will bat leadoff for the club. Could the speedster now be one of the better value picks in 2018?

The Rangers are in an odd spot in 2018. They may have one of the better lineups in AL, yet a faulty rotation and/or bullpen, clouds how much damage the team could do this year. Rangers’ coach, Jeff Banister, announced today that DeShields will be handed the reins as the team’s leadoff hitter and starter in center. Could the speedster now be one of the best value picks this spring?

Much like his father, the junior DeShields relies on his legs to make his money. While he may never be the fantasy dynamo that his dad was, DeShields fantasy value may never be higher than as it is now. As one of the few SB threats left in the majors, and coming off a career-best season, the time is now for him to make his presence felt.

Over 120 games in 2017, he posted a .269/6 HR/22 RBI/29 SB/.714 OPS/75 R line. DeShields posted near career-highs in all of his batted ball profile markers. He posted 20% LD, 45% GB, 35% FB, 56% Med, and 24% Hard contact rates.

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Digging deeper, he also notched a 79% Contact rate, while lowering his Chase rate by over 3%. Continuing the positive outlook, he upped his BB rate by 2.6% from 2016 to 10%.

DeShields is already one of the best baserunners in MLB, but when in the leadoff spot, he posted a top-10 OBP of .350. Therefore, he not only was a terror on the bases, he also knew his role at the top of the order.

He has also gotten off to a solid start in the spring, .370/10 H over 27 at-bats. While he is never going to be confused as a power threat, three of those hits were doubles as well, all welcome sites.

He notched a .277/2 HR/16 RBI/.696 OPS versus righties, and a .250/6 HR/12 RBI/.751 OPS line versus lefties. He had nearly 300 at-bats versus righties, so the .277 clip is a positive. There is growth versus lefties, yet if he can make small tweaks versus southpaws, it should help stabilize his AVG in the .260s.

As it currently sits, DeShields would find a spot atop the order in front of Shin-Soo Choo, Nomar Mazara, Adrian Beltre, and Joey Gallo. There is a ton of firepower following him, so if he can get on base near the .350 OBP clip that he showed last season, there is 100 R upside.

At his current ADP, he is going 209 overall, or outside of the top-60 OF selected. Players such as David Peralta, Josh Reddick, Jackie Bradley and Michael Brantley are going before him, leaving owners with a tremendous value pick.

The Rangers will look for DeShields to spearhead their attack, and fantasy owners will look to him as a potential late-round difference maker. He stole 29 bases in only 120 games last season, over the course of 140 or 150 games, he could easily lead the AL in SB.

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DeShields could potentially post a .265/8 HR/40 RBI/40 SB/.730 OPS type of line in 2018. Thus making him one of the few draft day selections that could be a fantasy difference maker for the price of peanuts on draft day.

Target him.