Deep Sleepers: Mike Brosseau Plays Three Positions and Gets Zero Respect

As a Yankees fan (I’m a transparent man), it doesn’t bring me pleasure to talk up Rays Swiss Army knife Mike Brosseau. This man looked Aroldis Chapman in the eyes after Chapman had nearly decapitated him in the regular season and cranked a monstrously clutch home run in the ALDS.

And while that’s more of a narrative than anything having to do with fantasy baseball, that is what Brosseau is capable of.

Brosseau posted impressive numbers in limited action during the shortened season, slashing .302/.378/.558 with five home runs, 12 RBI and two stolen bases in 37 games. Those numbers built on a solid first taste of big league action in 2019, when he hit six home runs in 51 games. Brosseau showed growth at the plate, doubling his walk rate and increasing his ISO from .189 to .256. With Brosseau, you’re signing up for hard contact, power, along with some batting average.

Last year Brosseau made medium or hard contact 92.8% of the time, and posted an average exit velocity of 90.2, two miles per hour better than MLB average. He barreled up 8.9% of his batted balls, and got the sweet spot 37.5% of the time, both numbers well above league average. His contact rate is not quite what you want (67.5% in 2020), but he hits the ball so hard with such regularity that he’s managed to overcome his high strikeout rate and maintain strong BABIP even in the minors. His BABIP of .412 last season is obviously unsustainable, but I wouldn’t predict a crash landing for him because he has shown such a knack for smoking pitches when he does make contact. So why is a player who is just 26 years old, appears to be a very strong hitter, and has an iconic bomb off one of baseball’s best closers going No. 432 in drafts?

He’s not projected as an everyday player for the analytics-minded Rays. They play lots of matchups, use many different lineup combinations, and don’t usually have locked in studs. Tampa Bay has Ji-Man Choi to mash right-handers at first base, Brandon Lowe, a 2020 breakout at second base, and fellow utilityman Joey Wendle manning the hot corner. The good news is that outside of Lowe, Brosseau has a great chance to outhit both Choi and Wendle and steal the lion’s share of plate appearances at one of the corner infield spots. He posted a 2.3 UZR at first base, and was largely neutral at second and third, meaning Tampa Bay doesn’t have to sacrifice defense anywhere in order to get his bat in the lineup. He also hit .273 in 51 plate appearances against right handers, which should comfort Kevin Cash if Choi stinks it up and he has to make Brosseau a primary first baseman. As for Wendle, he’s a similar player defensively, and while he’s a more reliable bet for batting average he does not have anything close to Brosseau’s ceiling as a hitter.

This ADP is absurd for a player who has hit like Brosseau has in limited MLB exposure. He could easily snag an everyday spot in this lineup, and if he does he will blow away this ADP as an asset who may finish the year with four-position eligibility. He costs nothing, and may become a key glue guy on fantasy rosters.