JB’s Fantasy Baseball Advice: Finding a cheap mid-20s power source

Niko Goodrum

Goodrum has a lot in common with Tim Beckham, another once highly regarded prospect who took years to develop his hitting skills after being a Georgia high school standout. While Beckham was a No. 1 overall pick who finally flashed his power two years ago and is off to a great start last season, Goodrum had his best season at any level last season after finally getting called up to the majors. There are a lot of guys like this who flash talent early and then fizzle quickly when major league pitchers figure them out, so beware of making any type of long-term commitment to Goodrum. He may be a prototypical buy-low, sell-high guy.

But for now, Goodrum is a productive player with two home runs, two stolen bases while hitting over .300 so far this season. He also stands to get a lot of playing time in the awful Detroit lineup. But at 27, the former second-round pick has the look of a ballplayer. He’s 6-foot-3, 198 pounds and has the wiry strength to hit for power and the athleticism to hit anywhere in the lineup. When Goodrum gets ahold of a pitch, it explodes off his bat.

Adding to Goodrum’s value is that he can play anywhere. In less than a full major league season, he has played every position except pitcher and catcher.  Despite all that excitement, remember that Goodrum has never had an OPS above .816 in even half season. In fact, he has never topped a .800 OPS in any full season.

The promising part is that his strikeout rate in the minors was never much more than 24 percent.