Royals' Maikel Garcia Emerging as Top AL-Only Fantasy Target

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When playing in single-league fantasy baseball formats, position scarcity becomes even more important. After a few key players at certain positions, the drop-off in production can be drastic. Maikel Garcia of the Kansas City Royals is one of the top players to target in AL-only leagues, as he offers a rare combination of power, speed, and elite plate discipline at a premium position.

Why it matters

With only four top-12 projected second basemen in the American League, Garcia stands out as one of the better options at a thin position. He also qualifies at third base, further increasing his value. Garcia's well-rounded offensive profile and consistent playing time make him an ideal target in the late third or early fourth round of AL-only drafts.

The details

Garcia, 25, dramatically improved his offensive production in 2022, boosting his OPS by nearly 200 points while hitting 16 home runs and stealing 23 bases. He also showed excellent plate discipline, registering a 12.6% strikeout rate and 9.3% walk rate. Garcia's Statcast metrics rank him in the top 10% of the league in several key categories, including whiff rate, chase rate, and expected batting average. With the fences moved in at Kauffman Stadium and the Royals expected to be better offensively, Garcia's numbers could improve even further in 2023.

• Garcia played in all but two of Kansas City's games in 2022.