Top Strikeout Hitters

While strikeouts are great for any pitcher, they can certainly limit what hitters can do. Let’s take a look at the league leaders in strikeouts, and how all of those K’s have affected their fantasy value.

1. Ryan Howard (PHI) - 189 K

2. Mark Reynolds (ARI) - 183 K

3. Jack Cust (OAK) - 176 K

4. Dan Uggla (FLA) - 152 K

5. Chris B. Young (ARI) - 151 K

6. Carlos Pena (TB) - 148 K

7. Adam Dunn (ARI) - 146 K

Best Power Hitter: This group is mostly made up of power hitters, but Ryan Howard is by far the best power hitter here. He currently leads the majors with 43 home runs, and he has delivered in the runs and RBI categories for owners as well.

Best Batting Eye: Believe it or not, but Arizona’s Adam Dunn has the best batting eye out of this entire group. His on base percentage is at a stunning .389 despite only batting .240. Dunn is often overlooked in fantasy because he has gained an (unfair) reputation for high strikeouts. If this is the case, pick Dunn up in a mid round and enjoy the nice power and RBI production he will provide for your team. His skill set looks eerily similar to that of Ryan Howard.

Best Speed: Who says that strikeout hitters can’t steal bases at will? Arizona’s Chris B. Young is the best speed option out of this group. A closer look at his numbers shows that Young is dangerously close to replacement level: his OBP (.309) is very low when compared to his true batting average (.246). It’s also true that his success on the basepaths has been limited (12 steals and 5 caught stealing). Unless he makes major strides in winter league, don’t bother rostering him for next season. By the way, his teammate, Mark Reynolds, has ten stolen bases on the season.

Strikeout hitters tend to go undervalued in fantasy baseball, so don’t overlook them in next year’s drafts!

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