Ian Kinsler

The Red Sox acquired a pair of right-handed bats for the stretch run and into the playoffs. One was the World Series MVP, the other twice cost Boston Game 3 of the Fall Classic. Kidding aside, Kinsler is still a fantasy asset in deeper formats, having posted double-digit homers and steals every season of his 13-year career, save 2010 when he fell one homer short in just 103 games. Kinsler's primary asset, other than Gold Glove defense, is contact (12.0 K% last season). However, waning speed and power have contributed to a decline in BABIP, to the point Kinsler is a batting-average liability. He will turn 37 in June, so further skills decline is likely. His 2019 utility will depend on volume. The second baseman should net a large share of playing time early on after signing with the Padres, but he could lose out on at-bats later in the year as younger players find their way up. If he's not in the lineup every day, he will no longer be mixed-league worthy.

On the surface, it appears 2017 was a huge disappointment for Kinsler coming off his renaissance 2016 campaign. However, on a per-plate-appearance basis, his power didn't drop that much. The real issue was a precipitous drop in batting average. While his overall hard hit rate was well above average, Statcast data paints a gloomier picture as Kinsler's barrel rate was well below average. Putting this together, while he may have hit into some bad luck, Kinsler did not make the type of contact conducive to base hits very often. On the plus side, he's still one of the toughest hitters in the game to fan, and even at 35 years old, he's still running, chipping in with double-digit steals. Called injury prone early in his career, Kinsler had shed the label, but only played in 139 games last season after averaging 156 over the previous three campaigns. Kinsler isn't done, but he's a batting average risk though it doesn't hurt hitting in front of Mike Trout and friends.

It had been four years since Kinsler hit as many as 20 homers in a season, but he took full advantage of the power market in 2016, jacking 28 balls out of the yard. While 15 second basemen hit 20-plus homers last season, Kinsler was one of just six who added double-digit steals, and one of just three who hit 25-plus homers with 10-plus steals. He also scored 117 runs by getting on base 34.8 percent of the time and running the bases effectively. The last time Kinsler hit this many home runs, his HR/FB was 12.5 percent. It was also that same percentage in 2016 but those bookended five seasons of six-to-seven percent figures. He does not run as well as he once did, but he has posted double-digit steals in every season of his career and has been double-double in steals and home runs each of the past six seasons. As long as he is hitting in front of Miguel Cabrera he can fall into 85 runs, but don't bank on him hitting 20 homers again.

For a second consecutive season, Kinsler defied the odds and continued to be a valuable offensive player after leaving Texas to the more spacious Comerica Park. His RBI total fell by 19, but he posted his fifth consecutive double-double season and hit for his highest average since the 2008 season. Kinsler has one job and that is to get on base and set the table for the big boys behind him to clean up. As long as the thunder stays healthy behind him, he’s a lock for 85-plus runs but his double-double days may be over. Middle infielders age quicker than other positions because of the demands of the position and he has played a lot of baseball in his career. His stolen base total has declined five years running now and the days of even 10-plus steals are likely nearing an end.

While the days of Kinsler posting 30-30 seasons are likely a thing of the past, he proved to still be a very valuable fantasy commodity in his first season with the Tigers. Kinsler slashed .272/.307/.420 in 684 at-bats. He led all second basemen in RBI (92), while ranking in the top five at the position homers (17), doubles (40), hits (188) and runs (100). For the most part, his offensive production met or surpassed his final season in Texas. The only area Kinsler saw a dip was in his walk rate, which dropped to a career-low mark of 4.0% and resulted in a lower on-base percentage than normal. His strikeout rate (10.9%) was on par with past seasons and he posted a stellar 88 percent contact rate, so it appears Kinsler went with a more aggressive approach at the plate and hasn’t seen a drop in his skill set. On the defensive side of the ball, Kinsler had one of his better seasons, posting a 13.0 UZR and career-high .988 fielding percentage. Turning 33 in June, it’s clear that Kinsler’s best days are behind him, but he also proved in 2014 that he still has plenty of gas left in the tank. He’ll once again be the everyday second baseman for Detroit while hitting at or near the top of the lineup.

Kinsler's fade continued in 2013, as he hit just 13 homers and stole 15 bases. His road numbers (.263/.317/.418) continue to be problematic, something that is even more of an issue after he was traded to the Tigers in November. Where he fits into the Detroit lineup remains to be seen, as Kinsler doesn't offer the protypical skills of an above-average leadoff hitter. Further, he may see a similarly reduced amount of power across the board now that he's playing half of his games in the more spacious Comerica Park rather than the hitter-friendly confines of The Ballpark in Arlington.

Kinsler seems to have shaken the injury bug that seemed to always be lingering, as he eclipsed the 155-game plateau for the second straight year. While 20-20 second baseman don't grow on trees, his 2012 season has to be considered a disappointment, particularly for those in more advanced leagues that were hurt by his .749 OPS. His second-half swoon (.229/.308/.399, six steals) could be attributed by a lot of baseball in two years, a theory that gets more traction as you start digging into the second-half numbers of many of his teammates. His road numbers were downright abysmal (.220/.290/.321), and there have been some rumblings of a switch to a corner-outifield spot to make room for both Elvis Andrus and Jurickson Profar. His counting stats remain solid, borderline elite for a second baseman, so he makes for a nice buy-low candidate if he comes cheap this spring.

Kinsler bounced back in a big way following 2010's injury-marred season, posting another 30-30 season for the second time in three years. He was a MVP candidate despite a .255 average thanks to excellent defense, 121 runs, 89 walks and a 30-for-34 mark on the basepaths. Plate discipline was a major strength for Kinsler last season, as he delivered a career-high 89 percent contact rate while walking in 13 percent of his plate appearances. He's far from a lock for 150 games, but he's among the league's elite when healthy.

Kinsler's injury woes struck again, costing him all of April and July with ankle and groin injuries after a relatively healthy 2009 season. His numbers took a dip as a result, as he swatted just nine homers and stole 15 bases on the heels of a 30-30 season. He did manage a nice OBP thanks to 56 walks in 103 games, but limped to the finish (.250/.339/.395 after the All-Star break) before redeeming himself a bit with some big hits in the postseason. He's not a top of the order hitter any longer with Elvis Andrus' emergence, but will focus on regaining his quickness in the offseason in an effort to regain some of his basestealing prowess. He deserves a mulligan for 2010, and could be a nice rebound candidate bargain for 2011.

Kinsler posted a 30-30 season but was largely considered a disappointment with his .253 average. His BABIP figure of .245 was a drop of nearly 100 points from the .339 he had in 2008, but it was more a reflection on him being content to hit lazy flyballs in hopes of clearing the fence as opposed to spraying the ball all over the field and racking up the base hits. He remained relatively healthy, requiring just one stint on the DL, after failing to eclipse 130 games played in each of his three previous seasons. He'll be a fantasy MVP candidate if he can manage to hit around .280 and retain his power/speed combo, and he's slotted to spend the year in the No. 2 spot in the Texas order after seeing time at both the leadoff spot and in the middle third last season after the emergence of Julio Borbon.

Kinsler missed a large chunk of the season again, this time due to a sports hernia in mid-August that kept him sidelined for the remainder of the season. Talks of wanting to play in the World Baseball Classic are encouraging in that he should start the season healthy, but he has all the looks of a player that will miss 30 games a season due to injury. When healthy, he was up there among the elite as far as second baseman go. The scary part? He hit just four of his 18 homers at home all season. There's an MVP-worthy campaign in him if he can manage to stay healthy.

Kinsler had a nice season in his second full year as Texas' everyday second baseman, but was forced to the sidelines for an extended period for the second time in as many seasons (this time to a stress fracture in his left foot). He draws walks, hits for power and swipes bases at a nice clip so there's tons to like, but he still shows massive home/road splits (.674 OPS on the road, .924 OPS at home in his two-year career).

Kinsler missed six weeks early in the season due to a dislocated thumb injury, but his overall numbers (14 HR, 11 SB) were a nice debut for the rookie second baseman. Toss in 40 walks in 423 at-bats and it gets even better. His home/road splits were large (.927 OPS at home, .673 on the road), and his batting average dipped a bit as the season wore one but his batting eye remained solid. With new manager Ron Washington promising to be more agressive on the bases, Kinsler could well reach the 20/20 plateau in 2007.

Kinsler has cooled off a bit over the past 18 months after a scorching beginning to the 2004 season. He still posted a respectable .274/.348/.464 line at Triple-A Oklahoma City, though. He's the heir apparent at second base now that Alfonso Soriano is in Washington and will provide immediate dividends with his power/speed combo.

Kinlser was leading all minor leaguers with 30 doubles before being promoted to Double-A Frisco. His .866 OPS there pales in comparison to the 1.157 OPS from low Single-A Clinton, but his .306/.369/.500 season in the Arizona Fall League re-affirmed Kinsler as a top infield prospect. He figures to progress as high as Triple-A in 2005 and will likely be the reason Alfonso Soriano's stay in Texas will be short-lived.