MLB

Fantasy Baseball: 5 Hitters Due for Positive Home Run Regression in 2019

Matt Kupferle  —  @MKupferle Feb 26th, 2019
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Ian Kinsler, 2B, San Diego Padres

2018 - Home Runs: 14 (T-102nd), FB: 42.0%, HR/FB: 7.8%

Moving west to bat leadoff for the San Diego Padres as part of their new-look offense, does veteran Ian Kinsler have one more season of solid power left in that bat?

Kinsler hit only 14 homers last year (which may have been influenced by a hamstring injury) after notching at least 20 in each of the last two seasons, but he may have simply run into some bad luck. His 42.0% fly-ball rate was still well above league average, and he managed to cut his whiff rate down to only 12.0%.

Kinsler's ISO did dip a year ago, down to .140, so it's fair to be concerned that the 36-year-old slugger could be showing some signs of slowing down. However, he's recorded double-digit homers in eight consecutive years and still smacked 26 doubles a season ago.

With an elite fly-ball rate still part of his batting profile, he could return to the high teens in home runs in 2019.

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