Anthony Alford

Alford spent the first month of the season as a reserve with Toronto, appearing in 13 games, garnering only 16 PA. He fanned seven times but did swipe three bases in three tries. The Blue Jays designated Alford for assignment and he was subsequently claimed by the Pirates. He started three of his first six games with Pittsburgh before fracturing his elbow after colliding with the outfield wall, requiring season-ending surgery. It was only 13 PA, but Alford made an impression by slashing .250/.308/.667 with just one strikeout. He's expected to be fully recovered and ready to go in spring training, where he'll compete for regular playing time. There isn't much in the way, unless the Pirates are aggressive with Jared Oliva and/or Travis Swaggerty. Alford has always teased stolen-base potential, but a 35.2% career strikeout mark has held him back to this point.

While injuries and poor performance in Toronto's outfield afforded Alford some playing time in September, the 25-year-old failed to produce, recording just a .179/.233/.286 slash line with one home run in 16 games. Alford struck out in 36.7% of his plate appearances, fueled by a scary-low 63.9 Z-Contact%, while only drawing one walk in 30 plate appearances. It was a small sample, but Alford's lack of production in the majors last season adds to the skepticism about him as a prospect. An oblique injury cost the outfielder playing time for Triple-A Buffalo last season, limiting him to seven home runs and 37 RBI in 76 games. While his overall minor-league track record shows slightly more promise, injuries have plagued Alford's development throughout his career. As a likely minor leaguer to begin the year with an unimpressive major-league resume, Alford holds little fantasy appeal.

While Alford is a physically gifted athlete, his baseball skills are lacking, and his ability to hold up is still a big question mark. He had trouble putting bat to ball with consistency for Triple-A Buffalo in 2018, striking out 26.9% of the time. Some scouts have a 60 grade for Alford's raw power, but that power has yet to show up in games, and he's failed to crack double-digit homers in any season while finishing with just five home runs and a .104 ISO with Buffalo. The fact that Alford logged just five at-bats with the Blue Jays in September, when they were out of it and in evaluation mode, was telling. The silver lining was that Alford stayed on the field for a career-high 125 games after injuries had limited him to 305 games total in six pro seasons entering 2018. He will attend spring training and could crack the roster, but at this point it would be somewhat of a surprise if Alford were ever a major-league regular.

Alford has been in pro ball for six seasons, but injuries have limited him to only 305 games. As a member of the 40-man roster, he was summoned from Double-A early in the year to make his MLB debut, and played in just four games before the injury bug bit again. He suffered a fractured wrist, which cost him two months and appeared to sap some of his power. Alford, who is built like an NFL running back, slugged .455 at Double-A before his promotion and .402 after returning to New Hampshire in July. He has plus raw power but has never consistently gotten to it in games, and now he is 23 with only seven games above Double-A. He still has plus speed, going 19-for-22 on stolen-base attempts in just 77 games last year. While his 58:36 K:BB was excellent, he is still untested at Triple-A entering his seventh pro season. The tools and proximity to the majors warrant attention, but Alford’s mounting injury history and understandable prospect fatigue have made him a readily attainable asset in shallower dynasty leagues.

Alford came into the 2016 campaign as a highly-ranked prospect, but suffered through an injury-plagued season at High-A Dunedin, missing time due to a knee injury as well as a concussion. He managed to stay healthy during the second half of the season and registered a slash line of .257/.381/.449 with 13 steals during that span. He even earned All-Star honors during the Arizona Fall League. Alford is a center fielder by trade with a decent approach, though he still strikes out a bit too much. He fanned 117 times in 92 games at High-A in 2016, but showed a bit more pop than expected. With 18 steals as well, Alford has leadoff hitter potential for the Jays. He should begin the 2017 season at Double-A, looking to stay healthy and make more consistent contact.

A third-round pick by the Blue Jays out of high school in 2012, Alford has made a slow but steady climb up the minor league ladder. In 2015, he split his time between Low-A Lansing and High-A Dunedin, hitting well at both spots. In 50 games with Lansing, he hit for an .812 OPS with 49 runs scored and 12 stolen bases in 13 attempts. At High-A Dunedin, he posted an .825 OPS with 42 runs scored and 15 stolen bases in 21 attempts. This was the first season where Alford showed off his wheels, having stolen just 11 bases combined in the previous three seasons. With a lot of movement in the team’s minor league system, both through promotions and from deadline deals, Alford finds himself as one of the top prospects in the Blue Jays system. He figures to begin his age-21 season with Double-A New Hampshire.

A third-round pick in the 2012 MLB Draft, Alford recently completed his sophomore season as a defensive back for the University of Mississippi. His immense physical gifts create plenty of long-term upside, but Alford's college football career could get in the way. Assuming he plays two more years at Mississippi and doesn't enter the NFL Draft, Alford wouldn't become a full-time professional baseball player until 2016. He was limited to six games in the Gulf Coast League in 2013, where he went 5-for-22 with a 6:6 BB:K and a pair of steals.