Nelson Velazquez

Velazquez played in just 13 games for the Cubs in 2023 before being shipped to the Royals at the trade deadline, and he appeared in 40 games over the final two months of the year. The 25-year-old showed off his power with 17 home runs plus 35 runs and 34 RBI in just 179 plate appearances overall. He improved his strikeout rate three points from his first look in MLB during 2022, though it was still high at 28.5 percent, and he had a solid 8.0 percent walk rate. A 21.4 percent barrel rate trailed only Aaron Judge among players with at least 170 plate appearances, while a 32.1 HR/FB led the league in the same sample size. All of those figures are clearly unsustainable, but Velazquez's power potential is obvious with 23 homers in his first 130 MLB games. He should have plenty of at-bats for Kansas City in 2024, and he appears to be a safe bet for double-digit and possibly 20-plus homers, though the swing-and-miss in Velazquez's stroke still leaves plenty of risk despite the clear upside.

Velazquez made his MLB debut in 2022 at the age of 23 and showed some flashes of potential, though it was mostly a struggle overall. He hit six home runs and drove in 26 across 77 games while stealing five bases in seven attempts. However, he also struck out nearly 32 percent of the time, which isn't surprising for a rookie, and his .205 batting average and .286 on-base percentage leave plenty to be desired. With the Cubs in rebuilding mode, Velazquez could get a longer look in 2023 despite his early scuffles. Ian Happ, Christopher Morel and Seiya Suzuki project as the three starting outfielders, but Velazquez could back up any of those players, and he also has a path to playing time at DH, particularly with veteran catcher Willson Contreras no longer around. Velazquez may struggle to hit for a high average, but if he can get to double figures in home runs and steals, there may be some fantasy value here.