Wil Myers, San Diego Padres
Just a couple years ago, the Padres made a long-term commitment to Wil Myers, effectively making him the de facto face of their franchise. But after some struggles, the acquisition of Eric Hosmer, and now the legitimate courting of both Manny Machado and Bryce Harper, that’s the furthest from the case.
Hosmer’s arrival displaced Myers from first base, moving him back to the outfield, but he also spent some time at third base. That appears to be done for now, though, as he’ll transition back to the outfield.
The peripherals showed some red flags, but 2016 and 2017 were banners years for Myers because he posted consecutive 20-20 seasons before being limited to just 83 games and 343 plate appearances this past year. For someone that’s shown an ability to 20-30 homers in a season, he’ll need to cut down on those line drives (27.5% rate in ’18) and shift some of it back over to fly balls (28.9%). That will allow him to take advantage of the strides he’s made in hard-hit rate, which included a career-high 46.6% rate last season.
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