Victor Reyes

Reyes has emerged as a useful fourth outfielder for the Tigers the past few seasons. In 2021, he appeared in 76 games and collected 209 at-bats, in which he posted a .258/.284/.416 slash line with five home runs, 22 RBI and 26 runs scored. The opportunities at the plate were fairly consistent with what Reyes saw the previous few years. Between his MLB debut in 2018 and 2020, he received 212, 276 and 202 at-bats respectively. Simply put, the Venezuelan has a clear role in Detroit, but he hasn't quite broken through as an everyday player yet. That doesn't figure to change in 2022. Even with top prospect Riley Greene (foot) on the injured list to begin the season, Reyes still doesn't have a clear path to regular playing time with Austin Meadows, Akil Baddoo and Robbie Grossman ahead of him on the depth chart. Reyes should continue to fill in as needed, and he could be useful from a fantasy perspective in the right matchups, but he'll need his role to expand to really get on the radar outside of deeper leagues.

Reyes' surface stats have been rather steady in his three seasons at the big-league level. He does not walk much, he strikes out just over the league-average rate and has not hit for much power but has stolen a few bases and hits for a decent average. It is the non-baseball-card stat we should focus on when considering his 2021 potential. His 81% stolen-base success rate ensures that Detroit will allow him to run as often as he would like, so that puts the potential for 20-plus steals on the table. His average exit velocity and hard-hit rate year-over-year increases were both in the top 15 on the final rankings. To date, he has proven to be an effective hitter against fastball and offspeed pitches, but the breaking stuff continues to give him troubles. Given he has fewer than 750 career PA, there is still room for growth. He is trending in the right direction.

Reyes' development was stunted when he was forced to spend 2018 on the Detroit roster as a Rule 5 pick out of the Arizona organization. He spent the year mostly pinch running and giving regular outfielders a day off. Last season, he was able to get back to the minors, and was slightly above average statistically, and also managed to hit over .300 in his time at the major-league level last year. On the whole, 13 homers, 19 steals and over 150 runs-plus-RBI show the type of compilation the skilled outfielder can do with enough playing time. The switch hitter should hit high in the Detroit lineup this season with his abilities to handle the bat, particularly from the left side of the plate. He should hit in front of Miguel Cabrera, so any semblance of health from Cabrera will benefit the youngster. There should be ample opportunity to hit and run or steal bases to stay out of the double play in front of Miggy.

In order to retain his rights, the Tigers had to keep Reyes on the roster for the entirety of the season after selecting him in the Rule 5 draft. His play certainly didn't merit a roster spot. His defense graded out as above average, and he showed off a bit of speed with nine steals. However, he's almost certainly headed back to the minors to continue his development, so it will be a while before he's able to showcase that speed again. Pitchers had absolutely no fear of a player who posted just a .066 ISO, walking him only 2.3% of the time. That's less than the walk rate posted by pitchers at the plate (combined 2.9%).

The Tigers selected Reyes with the first pick in the Rule 5 draft. He is one of the few position players selected who has a chance to provide fantasy value this season. A 6-foot-3, 170-pound outfielder capable of playing all three spots, Reyes is a very accomplished singles hitter. Case in point: he ranked 15th in the Arizona Fall League with a .316 average but his .738 OPS ranked 36th. For a skinny player with long limbs, he hardly ever strikes out, in part because he doesn't hit for power. Reyes is a plus runner, which is why some scouts, and presumably the Tigers, think he can stick in center field. He will need to be kept on the active roster all season, otherwise he will be offered back to the Diamondbacks. What makes Reyes particularly intriguing in AL-only leagues is the Tigers' depth chart. He may be competing with Leonys Martin for starts in center field and has the chance to chip in 15-to-20 steals with a palatable batting average.