Garrett Cooper

Cooper received a career-high 469 plate appearances last season, and the results were more or less what you'd expect: an above-average overall performance at the plate, but not one to write home about. Cooper hit .261/.337/.415 and managed a modest nine homers, though accounting for the league-wide drop in offense as well as the tough hitting environment in Miami gives him a respectable 115 wRC+. His underlying numbers also represented more of the same. His 25.4 K% was above-average but not particularly worrisome, especially as he hit the ball hard (10.7% barrel rate) when he did make contact. It all adds up to a perfectly capable hitter, but not one who's going to excite fantasy players. While playing time should be there now that Jesus Aguilar is gone, it's unlikely another level is coming in Cooper's age-32 season. He also has durability concerns, lowering the floor for a player who's otherwise far more interesting for his floor than his ceiling.

Garrett Cooper typically boasted the raw power metrics, evidenced by the career 9.2% barrel rate and 114 mph maximum exit velocity (92nd-percentile). In 2021, Cooper battled groin, foot, oblique, and back issues, and his season ended with elbow surgery for a partial UCL tear in late July that could delay his start to the 2022 season. Last season, Cooper finished with nine home runs, 30 runs, 33 RBI, and one steal, plus a triple slash of .284/.380/465. Throughout his career as a righty, Cooper showed he isn't a platoon risk with a .852 OPS against lefties and .788 OPS against righties. However, the Marlins tend to platoon him with other options at first base and outfield. Given the elbow surgery and platoon concerns, Cooper is as a bench bat or waiver wire watch list player in deeper leagues.

The Marlins were one of the surprises of the 2020 season, and Cooper certainly did his part in a limited role. While he came to the plate just 133 times, due in part to his battle with COVID-19, he hit six homers while slashing .283/.353/.500. He posted a career-low 23.3 K% and a career-high 90.1 mph average exit velocity, leading to a .304 xBA that suggested he could have finished with even better numbers. Already heading into his age-30 season, Cooper has played barely more than one full season (168 games) at the highest level, but he's shown that he's a solid big-league hitter, hitting 21 homers with a .281/.344/.449 slash line. He owns an identical 113 wRC+ against both lefties and righties. That's far from an exciting mark, especially at first base, but it's enough to be at least fairly confident in him as a late-round fantasy option as long as he stays healthy.

Cooper's second season in Miami was bookended by injuries; he missed most of April and the beginning of May with calf and wrist injuries while a knee issue kept him sidelined for the final two-plus weeks of the season. When healthy, Cooper was one of the Marlins' best hitters, finishing second on the team in average (.281), OPS (.791) and wRC+ (111) across 421 plate appearances. Cooper's underlying numbers support his offensive success, though he could stand to improve his plate discipline (7.8 BB%, 26.1 K%). Miami may shield him against some lefties in 2020 after he posted a .641 OPS against southpaws in 2019 (117 PA) -- compared to his .849 mark against righties (304 PA) -- though as long as he's able to stay healthy, which is no given considering he's spent time on the shelf in each of the past three seasons, Cooper should see plenty of opportunities in the heart of the order for the rebuilding Marlins.

The Yankees shipped Cooper to the Marlins last offseason, increasing his chances for playing time, albeit it in a far less friendly venue. He broke camp with the Fish, playing mostly against southpaws before taking a Kyle Hendricks offering to his right wrist less than a week into the campaign. Originally diagnosed as a bruise, it was later discovered Cooper suffered a partial tendon sheath tear, sidelining him until early July. Two weeks after his return, Cooper was back on the shelf with inflammation in the same wrist. After aggravating the wrist during rehab, Cooper underwent season-ending surgery. With the Marlins restocking their outfield with younger, more athletic players, Cooper's best path for playing time is at first base where he'll battle Peter O'Brien, another right-handed hitter with a similar career history. Even if he wins the regular job, Cooper profiles as an NL-only option, with middling power and no speed.

Cooper had been a largely unheralded prospect in the Brewers' organization, but he made people take note in 2017 by hitting .366/.428/.652 with 17 home runs and 82 RBI in just 75 games while playing in the hitter-friendly confines at Triple-A Colorado Springs. The Yankees were impressed enough to trade for the 27-year-old and immediately give him his first look at major-league action, with the first baseman hitting a respectable .326 in a limited sample. An offseason trade sent him to Miami, and though the Marlins have Justin Bour firmly entrenched at first base, Cooper could earn consideration for a backup role with a strong showing in the spring.