Week 17 Advanced Hitting Stats: Ward is Legit

The standings don’t do the Los Angeles Angels or Colorado Rockies any favors. Both teams are having their share of struggles this season, but that doesn’t mean they should be ignored. From a fantasy baseball perspective, each team has some interesting players. With this week’s foray into advanced hitting stats, I’ll take a look at Taylor Ward, Hunter Goodman, and Junior Caminero through the lens of ISO+.

Fantasy Baseball Advanced Hitting Stats

An Angel in the Outfield

No, I didn’t have my daughter write this one. But yes, I had to lean into the Angels in the Outfield reference. Humor me though as Taylor Ward is deserving of attention within the fantasy baseball community.

Ward’s ISO+ of 164 (64% above the league average) is reflective of how well he’s hitting so far this season. With a .231 batting average, Ward is leaving something to be desired, but it’s also hard to ignore the rest of his production. While Ward is victim to a .259 BABIP, his .238 xBA tells us not to look for production here. That’s just fine though as Ward is a strong three-category contributor.

He’s posting career highs in barrel rate (14.3%) and launch angle (19.4 degrees) which also help to boost the overall stat line. Ward had 23 home runs, 73 RBI, and 55 runs scored. Despite the Angels struggles, Ward is still coming through from a fantasy perspective. And his advanced hitting stats help to ensure that success will continue.

Splits Don’t Matter In Colorado

We are creatures of habit. Flexible thoughts are a requirement though, but reverting back to the familiar is inevitable. In the case of a Colorado Rockies hitter, it’s only natural to check their splits. In the case of Hunter Goodman though, it’s not necessary. And if you are so compelled, it actually works in the other direction.

Regardless of venue, it’s been a breakthrough year for Goodman. With a 159 ISO+, there’s also a lot to like when it comes to the catcher. And it’s that eligibility that begins the good feelings.

Goodman’s hitting .279, and even his .254 xBA puts him atop the list when it comes to catchers. He has shown the ability to manage his 26.8% strikeout rate, and when he does make contact, success generally follows. That comes in the form of a 51.7% hard hit rate, 12.7% barrel rate, and 16.8 degree average launch angle. When it comes to advanced hitting stats, Goodman is in good shape. Seeing him enter play Monday with 18 home runs and 55 RBI shouldn’t come as a surprise though.

What is surprising though are Goodman’s splits. He’s hitting .288 on the road compared to .269 at home. It’s the home runs, six at home and 12 on the road, that don’t follow the Colorado norms. All that does though, is make for a strong, overall, hitting line.

Splits Seem to Matter in Tampa Bay

Well, at least to Junior Caminero they appear to be highly important. In what has been an emergent year for Caminero, he’s clearly enjoyed hitting in Tampa Bay’s temporary home.

The third baseman is hitting .324 at home this season with a staggering drop to .177 on the road. His power production has followed a similar path with 16 home runs in 54 home games compared to nine home runs in 40 games away from home. At least from this perspective, Caminero isn’t a completely lost cause.

If we shift to the full body of work, .259 with 25 home runs, 65 RBI, 57 runs scored, and five stolen bases, it’s no surprise Caminero was an All-Star this season. However, if you look at his 10 degree average launch angle and 11.1% barrel rate, Caminero doesn’t truly jump off the page. He does hit close to every other ball hard though (47.8%). However, if we are going to dig into the advanced hitting stats, it’s Caminero’s 161 ISO+ that reflects his success.