Delino DeShields

DeShields, who has now logged close to 2,000 PA in the big leagues, probably is what he is at 27 years old. He has great speed and has displayed a consistently steady eye at the plate, with walk rates routinely sitting in the double digits, but DeShields strikes out too much (24.5 K% last season) and does little damage when he manages to put bat to ball. In fact, his barrel rate and average exit velocity both ranked in the bottom 6% of the league. He had one of the 20 highest Oppo% in the league last season (min. 400 PA), with 26 of his 89 total hits going to the opposite field. More than a quarter of his hits were opposite-field singles (27%), and he had eight bunt hits. The Rangers did not like him as an everyday player and traded him to Cleveland, where his playing-time outlook is a bit brighter. That said, it's best to get your stolen bases early and avoid one-category desperation plays like DeShields.

DeShields reached 20 stolen bases for the third time in four years, but his 2018 season as a whole has to be categorized as an unmitigated disaster. He fouled a ball off his hand in just the second game of the regular season and missed three weeks with a fractured hamate bone. Not long after his return in late April, DeShields lost his spot atop the order, falling to the nine hole, and he eventually lost his spot on the roster entirely. DeShields returned just a few days after his demotion because an injury forced the Rangers' hand, but DeShields continued to struggle and continued to deal with injuries of his own (concussion, finger) over the remainder of the campaign. He took walks at a nice clip (10.9%), but he had just a 19% line-drive rate and 27.7% hard-hit rate. Per Statcast, he had a bottom-10 barrel rate (min. 150 BBE) and his xBA was .180. Stolen bases are at a premium, but it's tough to see DeShields hitting enough to be worthwhile in standard mixed leagues.

DeShields rebounded from a disappointing 2016 season, going over 400 plate appearances with the Rangers for the second time in three seasons, and once again making an impact as a base stealer (29-for-37). As a hitter, his numbers closely resembled what he put together as a rookie in 2015, as he got on base at a nice .347 clip on the strength of a 10 percent walk rate. DeShields has a modicum of pop, but his contributions hinge on his volume of playing time and placement in the batting order. To his credit, DeShields has improved defensively since his rookie season, making him more likely to find playing time in center field going forward. He may be better suited to work as a fourth outfielder, starting mostly against southpaws and getting the occasional turn against righties, while offering a late-inning stolen-base threat off the bench. How much he plays and where those opportunities come from in Texas next season will hinge on the quality of the competition brought in prior to spring training.

DeShields' 2015 campaign gave him a leash at the beginning of 2016, but he eventually lost his major league job. DeShields' bat doesn't hold up as well as his speed. He's had a discouraging strikeout rate since his days in the minors and hasn't proven he can keep a walk rate to balance that or take full advantage of his speed. Texas may not have room for him in the lineup unless it's against a left-handed pitcher. Of course, if he can find at least a semi-regular role, his speed could return him to mixed-league relevance. After all, he stole 25 bases in 2015 and has farm seasons with 83, 51 and 54 steals. He's worth watching after the season starts in mixed leagues and worth stashing on draft day in AL-only formats, but not at a price that assumes he'll have any sort of lasting stint as a starter from the get-go.

DeShields lacks both power and contact skills, and had never shown either in the minor leagues, yet he was successful for the Rangers last year, scoring 83 runs and stealing 25 bases in 121 games, thanks to his patience at the plate and his blazing speed. Unfortunately, with his skill set, DeShields is a virtual certainty to be a drag in the power categories, and unlike many speedsters, DeShields does not make enough contact to be reliable for a high batting average. Basically, the question will be whether DeShields can get on base enough to post the kind of stolen-base totals necessary to justify his shortcomings. DeShields stole 50 bases in 2013 and 2014 and he stole an absurd 101 bases in 135 combined games at Low-A and High-A in 2013. If he regresses at the plate, DeShields could quickly find himself in the role of fourth outfielder, with Lewis Brinson waiting at Triple-A as the Rangers' center fielder of the future.

DeShields struggled in spring training in his second year attending major league camp with the Astros before reporting to Double-A Corpus Christi, where he was moved to center field full-time after spending the previous four seasons in the minors at second base. Unfortunately, the 22-year-old suffered a scary injury in a mid-April game after being hit in the face by a 90 mph fastball. Luckily, he only missed three weeks with a sinus fracture in his left cheek before returning to the Hooks' lineup. The second-generation speedster swiped 54 bases in 114 games, but regressed with his bat, hitting .236/.346/.360 with 14 doubles, two triples, 11 home runs and 57 RBI over 411 at-bats. An elite walk rate (12%) maintained a respectable OBP, however, giving DeShields plenty of opportunity to do what he does best. The Rangers pounced on DeShields when the Astros left him unprotected for the Rule 5 draft, and he'll try to secure a bench role for Texas during spring training as a versatile speedster.

With 19 stolen bases in the month of July alone, DeShields recovered from a somewhat sluggish first half to finish the season strong at High-A Lancaster. No, he didn't come close to the 101 steals that he recorded in 2012 (he finished 2013 with 51), but his elite speed combined with his ability to get on base (.405 on-base percentage) almost assures him a promotion to Double-A this season. DeShields even got some extra time in this offseason during the Arizona Fall League, where he continued to get on base and steal bases at an extraordinary clip. While there is still plenty of room for development, as Jose Altuve continues to hold down the fort at second base for the Astros, DeShields appears to have a very bright future ahead of him as a leadoff hitter in the major leagues. There are some questions, however, as to where he may fit defensively and a conversion to center field started in the fall league.

Had it not been for Billy Hamilton's historic season, DeShields would have been the minors' top stolen-base man. The second-generation keystoner swiped an impressive 102 bags getting caught just 19 times, several of those in the last few days of the season while he was making his push to 100. It is hard not to compare a player to his father, especially when they have the same name, but DeShields is bigger and more physical than his father, which may mean that he will hit for more power as he matures. His tools have the potential to be really quite exceptional. Still, DeShields is very raw and has a lot of development time ahead of him. It's a pretty safe bet that he will spend at least the next two years in the minors.

DeShields has yet to prove he can hit at the major league level, but does have some speed. He spent a full season in the Sally League, where he was inconsistent at the plate, regressing significantly from his 2010 debut. The lone bright spot for DeShields was that he stole 30 bases, which is particularly impressive when you consider how hard it must have been for him to take full advantage of his speed when he was only getting on base at a .305 clip. He'll run when he's on base, but how often that will happen is still uncertain as he's a work in progress.

The Astros' first-round pick in the 2010 amateur draft was slowed by elbow problems in his first professional season, but still managed to steal five bases in his first 18 games. DeShields' selection that early in the draft (eighth overall) was a bit of a reach, but the Astros desperately needed athletic prospects in their farm system. Like his father, DeShields will likely wind up at second base, a transition the team is encouraging that should increase his long-term fantasy value.