Pat Valaika

In theory, any hitter who calls Coors Field home should interest fantasy owners. Valaika tested the limits of that idea, hitting a combined .169/.230/.274 in 219 plate appearances over the last two seasons. You don't need his park-adjusted 19 wRC+ to know how bad that line is. Claimed by the Orioles in October, Valaika at least landed in another hitter-friendly home park, but a player who didn't work in Denver probably won't work in Baltimore. Any hope for Valaika in the upcoming season would have to rest on his strong numbers for Triple-A Albuquerque, where he hit .320/.364/.589 with 22 homers in 84 games. He could win a roster spot for a weak Orioles club and carve out some playing time if those numbers really do represent a new skill level. Anyone betting on that would have to willfully ignore his big-league track record to date, however, which isn't generally how fantasy leagues are won.

Valaika landed a spot in the big leagues to start the season, but with Trevor Story and DJ LeMahieu locking down Colorado's starting middle-infield spots, Valaika was limited to a bench role and got off to a horrendous start at the plate, producing a .359 OPS over the first two months of the season. As a result, the Rockies bounced him between Triple-A and the majors the rest of the year. He wasn't even able to find a rhythm in the minors, batting .216 in 139 at-bats. Overall, it was a disappointing season for Valaika, and his prospects don't look better for 2019. LeMahieu's departure creates an opening at second base, though Garrett Hampson will get the first chance to fill that void, barring a free-agent signing. Either way, Valaika needs to bounce back in a big way this spring just to ensure he wins a spot as a big-league reserve.

A lot of things went right for "Patty Barrels" in 2017. He bashed 13 home runs in just 195 plate appearances (nine of which came at home). He posted a solid .817 OPS and a surprisingly-high .275 ISO. Those numbers should be taken with the appropriate grain of salt, however, seeing as he played half of his games in Coors Field and had a 20.3 percent HR/FB. His plate discipline (3.6 percent walk rate) and contact skills (27.2 percent strikeout rate) were lacking. The big question surrounding Valaika is how much he'll actually get to play. There's no direct line to regular at-bats unless there is an injury or unless Trevor Story falls on his face again. Prospects Brendan Rodgers and Ryan McMahon are knocking on the door of the majors, further clouding the infield playing-time picture.

Valaika began the year at Double-A Hartford and broke out at the plate, bashing 49 extra-base hits (including 13 home runs) to go with a .269/.314/.450 slash line. This success helped the 24-year-old garner a promotion to Triple-A Albuquerque, although his performance was middling at best at that level. Despite this, injuries at the major league level and an emphasis on evaluating younger talent helped Valaika get his first taste of big league action via a September callup. He was very limited in his opportunities, but he made the most of his at-bats, going 5-for-19 with a home run and a double. Although he moved quickly this season, the infielder's success will be tough to sustain, as he walked less than six percent of the time across all levels this season while posting strikeout rates north of 20 percent. Valaika's sound defense and versatility could land him a utility job at the major league level in the future, but his low prospect status and high propensity to strike out will likely keep him irrelevant in fantasy terms.