Greg Allen

Love will make a person do crazy things, and speed will make a fantasy player do crazy things like draft Allen. The switch hitter stole 21 bases in just 91 games with the Indians in 2018 and had multiple 30-plus steal seasons on the farm prior to his arrival to the big leagues. He was also passable in the BA department in 2018, but a 1.4% barrel rate and 84.7 mph average exit velocity showed a distinct lack of thump in his bat. Manager Terry Francona clearly wasn't a believer, as he tabbed Jake Bauers, Leonys Martin and Tyler Naquin as his primary outfielders for the start of the season. Allen was demoted in late April and ended up riding the shuttle back and forth for most of the summer. The strong walk rates Allen showed at the lower levels haven't translated, and while a 20.7 K% isn't bad in a vacuum, it's way too high for a player with as little pop as Allen. He's a fourth outfielder.

Allen opened the 2018 season with Triple-A Columbus, though he appeared in just 47 games for the Clippers as injuries to the Indians' outfield brought him up into a temporary starting role more than once. The speedster initially struggled upon joining the big club, hitting just .204/.248/.301 with four steals across 34 games before being sent back to the minors. Allen was a different player when he returned at the beginning of July, however, slashing .290/.348/.370 with 17 stolen bases in 57 games (42 starts) the rest of the season. He benefitted from some batted-ball luck over his second-half surge, and it's still unknown if his recent success at the plate is sustainable over the course of a full season. Allen's contributions in 2019 will hinge on his volume of playing time. He could be a valuable source of steals if he's afforded a regular role.

As if getting off to a slow start last season as a 24-year-old at Double-A wasn't bad enough, Allen missed more than two months after breaking his hand in early May. He was about the same before and after the injury, showing off 70-grade speed on the bases (21-for-23 on stolen-base attempts) while struggling to do damage at the plate. Now entering his age-25 season with just 39 plate appearances above Double-A (all in the majors), the warning signs of a likely fourth outfielder are getting harder to ignore. His speed on the bases could be immensely valuable in fantasy, but he needs to get enough playing time to make an impact. It's possible he is able to be Rajai Davis 2.0, drifting from bad team to bad team, racking up starts in center field and tallying several 40-steal campaigns. Unfortunately, it is hard to see any of that happening in Cleveland, and he is valuable enough as a backup that they have no incentive to get rid of him.

Allen posted a 124 wRC+ and stole 46 bases in 2015, but considering he was 22 and at Low-A, it was easy to overlook. He then bested those numbers across stops at High-A, Double-A and the Arizona Fall League en route to being one of the top pop-up prospects of 2016. Despite his age and draft slot (sixth round in 2014), this is a legitimate high-end prospect. He walked more than he struck out at High-A and maintained an excellent approach at Double-A. His success rate on the bases jumped from 74.2 percent to 77.6 percent while running against more advanced batteries. He sold out for power in the AFL, hitting three home runs in 22 games, but that is not his game. The determining factor for his fantasy value will be his hit tool. If it is a 50 grade, he is Michael Bourn. If it is a 60 or better, he might be Kenny Lofton. Look for him to make his big league debut sometime this summer.