Evan Gattis

Gattis missed time with head and wrist injuries in 2017, and when healthy, he was the secondary catching option behind Brian McCann in Houston. Naturally, the power numbers suffered with the dip in playing time, but it wasn't just the playing time; the per-game power output was worse than expected with Gattis posting by far the lowest HR/FB rate of his career (11.2 percent, 17.4 percent for career). Gattis made much more consistent contact (15.4 percent strikeout rate) and added a bit to his flyball rate (42.3 percent), but his barrel rate fell from 7.0 Brls/PA to 4.3, with Gattis managing just four homers in 160 plate appearances at home. A rebound in terms of rate power seems likely given his track record and a significant uptick in playing time is possible if the Astros elect to deploy Gattis as the primary designated hitter.

The best news of all for Gattis is that with the acquisition of Brian McCann, the Astros will let Gattis focus on being the primary designated hitter and not have to worry about donning the tools of ignorance too often. Gattis set a career high with 32 homers last season, but with the uptick in power came a career-worst strikeout rate. Righties were a big problem for Gattis in 2016; even though he hit 22 of his 32 homers against right-handers, he batted .230 and struck out 29 percent of the time against them compared to .288 and 19 percent against lefties. He is projected to hit in the bottom half of the lineup, perhaps in between lefties McCann and Josh Reddick. Most importantly, Gattis retains catching eligibility in 2017.

Acquired by the Astros via trade last January, Gattis finally moved out from behind the plate and worked exclusively in left field during spring training for Houston. The Astros soon found that the 29-year-old was a defensive liability no matter which position he played, so he was limited to just 11 games in left field during the 2015 season. He logged the rest of his career-high 153 games at DH and posted other career-best statistics in plate appearances (604), home runs (27) and RBI (88). Somehow, he hit 11 triples (tied for third-best in the majors), but he hit just .246 with a terrible .285 OBP. Gattis' fantasy value will take a hit now that he's no longer eligible at catcher, and he won't be outfield-eligible in many leagues either. That said, there has been some talk in camp that Gattis could return to catching occasionally in 2016, so he could regain that eligibility in leagues with liberal position eligibility rules. To further complicate matters, a sports hernia has him set to start the season on the DL, although he could return in mid-April.

Despite being limited to just 108 games due to a back injury and various illnesses in 2014, Gattis still finished third among catchers in home runs, behind only Devin Mesoraco (25) and former teammate Brian McCann (23). His strikeout rate jumped by three percent (from 21.2% to 24.2%), but his BABIP improved by more than 40 points, resulting in a 20-point increase in batting average. He continued to struggle against breaking balls, as evidenced by his 36.0% whiff rate against such pitches last season, but his overall development at the plate was encouraging. The 28-year-old graded out as one of the worst defensive catchers in the majors, however, and an offseason trade to Houston only further increased the expectation that Gattis will move to left field in 2015. Of course, Gattis is still catcher eligible in most leagues, and he may continue seeing occasional starts behind the plate when the Astros' regular catchers need rest, but his rotisserie value will likely drop off considerably if he loses catcher eligibility in 2016. For this season, he'll benefit from a higher volume of playing time and the opportunity to play half of his games in a much more hitter-friendly home park in Houston. With the flexibility of playing left field and the potential to DH, Gattis could reach the 30-homer plateau for the first time in his career this season.

An absolutely torrid spring earned Gattis a spot on the Braves' 2013 Opening Day roster, and he proceeded to hit .243/.291/.480 with 21 home runs and 65 RBI in 105 games as a 26-year-old rookie. It was improbable, to say the least, as he was just a few years removed from being completely out of baseball, working such jobs as a ski lift operator and a janitor, and he had logged just 207 at-bats above the High-A level. Gattis appears here to stay, however, because while he drew just 21 walks in 354 at-bats and posted a .678 OPS after the All-Star break, the power seems to be for real (.237 ISO), and he hit above .240 despite a .258 BABIP. Furthermore, he at least lessened concerns about his defense behind the plate and gained the confidence of his pitching staff in his game-calling abilities, while also proving to be at least a somewhat capable left fielder (four errors in 47 regular-season starts). The Braves let Brian McCann depart as a free agent, putting Gattis in line to open 2014 as the team's primary catcher and likely cleanup hitter, while he may see occasional starts in the outfield when he needs a break from catching duties. That said, Gattis will likely have his ups and downs again in his second season at the major league level, and he could eventually lose starts to the more athletically-gifted Christian Bethancourt, if he proves to be a liability behind the plate.

It doesn't look like the Braves have figured out exactly what they want to do with Gattis yet. He has split time between catcher and outfield in his minor league career while also playing a handful of games at first base and DH. Certainly, the Braves would like to figure out a way to move Gattis' bat along quickest. Though he has been in the minors for just three seasons, Gattis is already 26 years old and lost part of his season to a wrist injury in 2012. His batting average took a dip in his first taste of Double-A, but his walk rate and power numbers still looked good. If he can stick at catcher, and that may be a big if, Gattis may very well have usurped Christian Bethancourt as the Braves' top catching prospect in the short term. The bat is for real, and considering his age he should be in Triple-A at some point during the 2013 season.