10 Fantasy Baseball Picks Who Could Make or Break Your 2018 Season
Justin Smoak, Toronto Blue Jays (1B)
Sometimes in baseball, you see a really late bloomer. Jose Bautista was that way. So was Nelson Cruz, Jayson Werth, Cliff Lee, and David Ortiz. The list goes on and on, but the latest bloomer anyone has seen in the last few years is Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Justin Smoak.
One of the most highly regarded prospects for years, Smoak entered 2017 as a 30-year-old journeyman just trying to find a platoon situation in order to stay in the Majors. Instead, he had the breakout season that everyone predicted would come five or six years earlier, hitting .270/.355/.529, with 38 home runs, 90 RBI, and 29 doubles. He made his first All-Star team, had an .883 OPS, a 132 wRC+, and a 3.4 fWAR, which ranked ninth-highest among qualified first basemen last year.
Remember, from 2010-16, Smoak hit .223/.308/.392 with a .700 OPS in 824 career games. So, we're left to wonder whether it was a one-year career season, or if he just figured everything out much later than anyone thought he would.
