Adam Eaton

Eaton logged over 600 plate appearances for the first time since 2016 and hit a career-high 15 home runs while stealing 15 bases in 2019, his first 15-15 season. The 31-year-old struggled with power against southpaws in 2019, but recorded a higher batting average against left-handers (.290) than against right-handers (.276). He had struggled against southpaws in all areas over the prior three seasons. Eaton recorded a five-year-high 91.4 Z-Contact% and had an xwOBA in the .340s for the fourth consecutive season. The World Champion Nationals picked up Eaton's $9.5 million option for 2020, and he should slot back in near the top of a talented lineup, though with Anthony Rendon gone, Eaton will likely fall back under the century mark in runs scored. The speed may dry up soon with Eaton on the wrong side of 30, but he has a nice skills base and the performance risk with the hitting is basically nil.

Eaton had a quality year at the plate in 2018, hitting .300 for the first time since 2014 and just missing the .400 mark for his OBP. However, injuries took their toll for the second year in a row, and he was limited to just 95 games. A healthy Eaton figures to find himself hitting high in the Nationals’ order frequently in 2019. However, he notably struggles against left-handers, and the team will have four outfielders capable of playing at least semi-regularly even if Bryce Harper doesn’t return, including an ideal platoon partner in Michael Taylor. Even if he is healthy, Eaton will have a tough time approaching the 619 at-bats he racked up in his last full season in 2016, and his speed will likely continue to trend downward now that he's on the wrong side of 30.

Eaton only played in 23 games for the Nationals last season before tearing his ACL during a game against the Mets in late April. The 29-year-old had been traded from Chicago to Washington in the offseason and was playing well as the starting center fielder for his new club, slashing .297/.393/.462 with a pair of home runs and 13 RBI. Although Michael A. Taylor burst onto the scene in his absence, Eaton should be back in a starting role in the outfield (either in center field or left) and near the top of the order, assuming he makes it back to full health by the time spring training rolls around. Prior to last season, Eaton had hit at least 14 homers and stolen at least 14 bases in back-to-back seasons, and his near-elite on-base skills have held steady throughout his young career.

Baseball players are known for their statistical volatility in the early years of their career, and Eaton was no exception. After three seasons in the league, he had six homers to his name and a 48-point variance in his batting average. Over the past two seasons, Eaton's production has been incredibly stable in just about every category. He became the perfect tablesetter for the Chicago lineup, getting on base 36 percent of the time in each of the past three seasons while running the bases very well. All of his power comes from the right side (13 of his 14 homers came against righties), but he is split-neutral in terms of batting average. While Eaton hits too many groundballs to see his power numbers grow substantially, there is upside in the runs scored and stolen base categories following his trade to Dusty Baker's Nationals in December.

Eaton avoided the disabled list in 2015 for the first time in his brief MLB career. He struggled a bit in the first half of the season, posting a .692 OPS through the season’s first 81 games, but turned a corner after the All-Star break, posting a .418 OBP and finishing the season with 14 home runs (after hitting one the year before). He now has two consecutive seasons with an OPS+ of at least 120, and could score 100 runs even if his power dips. Eaton will hit leadoff for the White Sox again in 2016 while playing center field, and should be a sneaky four-category contributor once again.

Eaton was exactly the leadoff hitter the White Sox wanted when they acquired him as part of a three-way trade in December of 2013. He only had 15 steals, but his 10 triples led the American League and he set the table well for players like Jose Abreu behind him. Eaton plays with a bit too much energy at times, and both of his stints on the disabled list in 2014 were related to overexertion. He appears to be fully healthy heading into 2015, and should sit atop the order once again. With a slew of offseason improvements to the White Sox's lineup -- including the addition of Melky Cabrera and Adam LaRoche -- Eaton's counting stats could significantly improve this season if he can avoid the disabled list.

Eaton was slated to be the Diamondbacks' starting center fielder out of spring training, but he suffered an elbow injury that limited him to just 66 games last year. Even more disappointing for his fantasy owners was his lack of speed, often called his best attribute, as he stole just five bases in seven attempts. He struggled to find his groove, posting a lackluster .314 OBP. Presumably healthy, Eaton was traded to the White Sox as part of a three-team deal in December. He should get another chance to fill the leadoff role out of the gates for his new club in 2014, but he never had surgery to repair the tear in his UCL, which provides lingering concern about his ability to stay healthy.

Eaton has ascended the organizational depth chart in Arizona with very moderate recognition, hitting .300 and getting on base at a .400 clip at every minor league stop. After hitting .380/.455/.539 at Triple-A Reno, Eaton was given a taste of the big leagues in September while taking on the bulk of the playing time in center field for the D-Backs. Throughout his time in the minors, Eaton has proven capable of handling left-handed pitching, and his primary asset for fantasy owners beyond average and runs scored will likely be stolen bases after he went 44-for-55 prior to his promotion last season. Barring a trade of one of the D-Backs' other outfielders, Eaton may be limited to a part-time role if he breaks camp with the big club.

Eaton's full-season debut was impressive as he split his time between High-A Visalia and Double-A Mobile. His plate discipline was excellent at both stops as he carried a combined 72:76 BB:K between the two levels. While he's a bit undersized at 5-foot-9 and 180 pounds, Eaton has moderate pop and showed good speed with 34 steals before an 8-for-11 mark on the basepaths in the Arizona Fall League. At 23, Eaton may spend most of his 2012 with Triple-A Reno, but he's rapidly closing in on an opportunity to work as a fourth outfielder in the big leagues.