Willy Adames remains underrated in 2023

Connor Rogers lays out the case as to why Brewers SS Willy Adames remains underrated entering the 2023 fantasy baseball season.

Video Transcript

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CONNOR ROGERS: How many more years in a row can Willy Adames remain underrated? Since his first full season in 2019, he has 84 homers. No other shortstop has more than 86 over those four seasons.

He’s hit 51 in 238 games since the Brewers acquired him from the Rays in May of 2021, the high total for any shortstop during that span. That trade proved to be a terrific change for Adames, putting him in a homer-friendly ballpark that better suited his talent and giving him a chance to hit in the top half of the lineup routinely, something the Rays never wanted to do.

Adames doesn’t thrive when it comes to batting average, but there was nothing in the stats that supported his career-worst .238 mark last year. Strikeout rate was better than his career average, and he hit the ball as hard as ever. He’s also not a big base stealer, though he hasn’t been a complete zero there in swiping 12 bases since joining the Brewers.

The total package works just fine. Adames is as good of a bet as any shortstop to hit 30 homers this year, and he’ll remain strong in runs and RBI while likely hitting second in the Brewers lineup.