Alex Verdugo

Alex Verdugo

27-Year-Old OutfielderOF
Boston Red Sox
2023 Fantasy Outlook
Verdugo hit .280 with 74 RBI and 75 runs in 2022, but it was a largely disappointing campaign as his power and on-base percentage dropped. He finished 2022 with a 103 wRC+ and hit only 11 home runs in 152 games. He also saw his walk rate drop two percentage points to 6.6 percent, though he similarly cut his strikeout rate to 13.4 percent. Verdugo's defense has never been a strength, but he took a step back last season and finished with minus-five OAA. He handled left-handed pitchers better in 2022 but saw a sharp drop against righties, which led to reduced production overall. Verdugo could push for a .300 average if he can bounce back against RHP in 2023, but his below-average power and lack of production on the basepaths (one steal last year) limits his appeal to modest RBI and run totals. Read Past Outlooks
RANKSFrom Preseason
#201
ADP
$Signed a one-year, $6.3 million contract with the Red Sox in January of 2023.
Two hits in return
OFBoston Red Sox
June 1, 2023
Verdugo went 2-for-5 in Wednesday's 5-4 loss to the Reds.
ANALYSIS
Verdugo returned to the lineup after missing Tuesday's game with a minor illness. The outfielder has seven hits over his last 17 at-bats.
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Batting Stats
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2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2023 MLB Game Log
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2022 MLB Game Log
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2021 MLB Game Log
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2020 MLB Game Log
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Batting Order Slot Breakdown
vs Right-Handed Pitchers
vs RHP
#1
#2
#3
#4
#5
#6
#7
#8
#9
33
3
vs Left-Handed Pitchers
vs LHP
#1
#2
#3
#4
#5
#6
#7
#8
#9
10
2
1
4
Left/Right Batting Splits
Since 2021
 
 
+30%
OPS vs RHP
2023
 
 
+23%
OPS vs RHP
2022
 
 
+8%
OPS vs RHP
2021
 
 
+61%
OPS vs RHP
OPS PA R HR RBI SB AVG OBP SLG
Since 2021vs Left .631 449 47 3 39 2 .248 .307 .324
Since 2021vs Right .820 1042 155 26 121 8 .301 .358 .462
2023vs Left .697 78 10 0 7 2 .265 .359 .338
2023vs Right .857 165 29 5 16 1 .300 .364 .493
2022vs Left .693 170 15 1 20 0 .266 .329 .364
2022vs Right .746 474 60 10 54 1 .285 .327 .419
2021vs Left .554 201 22 2 12 0 .228 .269 .286
2021vs Right .893 403 66 11 51 6 .321 .392 .501
More Splits View More Split Stats
Home/Away Batting Splits
Since 2021
 
 
+6%
OPS at Home
2023
 
 
+43%
OPS at Home
2022
 
 
+12%
OPS on Road
2021
 
 
+12%
OPS at Home
OPS PA R HR RBI SB AVG OBP SLG
Since 2021Home .787 735 112 15 77 4 .293 .351 .436
Since 2021Away .739 756 90 14 83 6 .277 .335 .405
2023Home .935 132 25 4 14 2 .331 .402 .534
2023Away .655 111 14 1 9 1 .240 .315 .340
2022Home .690 312 38 5 32 0 .262 .308 .383
2022Away .772 332 37 6 42 1 .297 .346 .426
2021Home .825 291 49 6 31 2 .312 .375 .450
2021Away .734 313 39 7 32 4 .268 .329 .405
More Splits View More Split Stats
Stat Review
How does Alex Verdugo compare to other hitters?
This section compares his stats with all batting seasons from the previous three seasons (minimum 400 plate appearances)*. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that stat and it would be considered average.

* Exit Velocity and Barrels/PA % are benchmarked against 2019 data (min 400 PA) and Hard Hit Rate is benchmarked against last season's data (min 400 PA). See here for more exit velocity/barrels stats plus an explanation of current limitations with that data set.
  • BB/K
    Walk to strikeout ratio
  • BB Rate
    The percentage of plate appearances resulting in a walk.
  • K Rate
    The percentage of plate appearances resulting in a strikeout.
  • BABIP
    Batting average on balls in play. Measures how many of a batter’s balls in play go for hits.
  • ISO
    Isolated Power. Slugging percentage minus batting average. A computation used to measure a batter's raw power.
  • AVG
    Batting average. Hits divided by at bats.
  • OBP
    On Base Percentage. A measure of how often a batters reaches base. Roughly equal to number of times on base divided by plate appearances.
  • SLG
    Slugging Percentage. A measure of the batting productivity of a hitter. It is calculated as total bases divided by at bats.
  • OPS
    On base plus slugging. THe sum of a batter's on-base percentage and slugging percentage.
  • wOBA
    Weighted on-base average. Measures a player's overall offensive contributions per plate appearance. wOBA combines all the different aspects of hitting into one metric, weighting each of them in proportion to their actual run value.
  • Exit Velocity
    The speed of the baseball as it comes off the bat, immediately after a batter makes contact.
  • Hard Hit Rate
    A measure of contact quality from Sports Info Solutions. This stat explains what percentage of batted balls were hit hard vs. medium or soft.
  • Barrels/PA
    The percentage of plate appearances where a batter had a batted ball classified as a Barrel. A Barrel is a batted ball with similar exit velocity and launch angle to past ones that led to a minimum .500 batting average and 1.500 slugging percentage.
  • Expected BA
    Expected Batting Average.
  • Expected SLG
    Expected Slugging Percentage.
  • Sprint Speed
    The speed of a runner from home to first, in feet per second.
  • Ground Ball %
    The percentage of balls put in play that are on the ground.
  • Line Drive %
    The percentage of balls put in play that are line drives.
  • Fly Ball %
    The percentage of balls put in play that are fly balls.
BB/K
0.62
 
BB Rate
8.6%
 
K Rate
14.0%
 
BABIP
.324
 
ISO
.156
 
AVG
.289
 
OBP
.362
 
SLG
.445
 
OPS
.807
 
wOBA
.355
 
Exit Velocity
89.3 mph
 
Hard Hit Rate
36.4%
 
Barrels/PA
4.8%
 
Expected BA
.299
 
Expected SLG
.460
 
Sprint Speed
22.5 ft/sec
 
Ground Ball %
45.1%
 
Line Drive %
21.7%
 
Fly Ball %
33.2%
 
Prospect Rankings History
Advanced Batting Stats
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Additional Stats
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Defensive Stats
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Batted Ball Stats
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Stats Vs Upcoming Pitchers
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Past Fantasy Outlooks
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
Verdugo continues to make the most of the opportunity provided to him since he was traded from the Dodgers to the Red Sox. Where he struggled to stay in the lineup in Los Angeles due to depth and matchups, he has excelled in Boston as an everyday player while the club has lived with his faults. He has mashed righties since joining Boston at a .316/.384/.505 clip, but the issues against lefties have become more pronounced with increased exposure as he has hit .254/.300/.322 against them over the past two seasons. His defense has its moments, but he has otherwise been a below-average outfielder, though the bat has been enough to keep him in games despite those challenges. His high-contact abilities should allow him to continue to hit for a high average and the Boston lineup provides him both run-scoring and RBI opportunities aplenty. Whether or not he hits over .300 will hinge upon how he handles lefties in 2022.
If you're sick of hearing about the Mookie Betts trade, just wait for the follow-up to Verdugo's first season in Boston. The subtitle of that sequel should be "Regression City." No player -- aside from perhaps DJ LeMahieu -- outperformed their Statcast expected outcomes to a greater extent than Verdugo. In fact, the differentials between his xBA, xSLG and xwOBA and his actual marks were among the greatest gaps in the league (in all three categories). Verdugo puts bat to ball with consistency and the Red Sox will play him against lefties since Verdugo can handle himself fine against same-handed pitching. Verdugo is far from a burner but has enough speed to approach double-digit steals in a full season. With middling power, Verdugo will be reliant on a high average to do all the heavy lifting when it comes to his fantasy value. He is unlikely to hurt you, but the total package here is modest.
Verdugo impressed in his first extended big-league opportunity in 2019, demonstrating hitting acumen that belies his youth. Among hitters with at least 300 plate appearances, the 23-year-old's 13.0 K% was 21st-best in the league while his 85.2% contact rate ranked 30th. Verdugo doesn't take many walks -- his 6.9 BB% last season was below league average -- but his 6.6% swinging-strike rate is indicative of a keen eye at the plate. While the lefty has thus far demonstrated only average power, his hard-hit rate portends greater long-ball potential with an increase in the 8.8-degree launch angle he posted last season. Verdugo missed most of August and September with related oblique and back injuries, and it was reported in mid-December that Verdugo had yet to resume baseball activities. With his outstanding batting profile, and now with the Red Sox after headlining the return for Mookie Betts, it's not hard to imagine Verdugo blossoming into a .300-plus hitter in the near future.
Verdugo may finally be set for regular playing time in Los Angeles. A second-round pick in 2014, he has been at least 8% better than league average at the plate at every stop on the farm. The hit tool is his carrying tool -- Verdugo has consistently posted low K-rates, never exceeding even 13% above rookie ball, and high batting averages. He's also shown an ability to take a walk (9.0 BB% at Triple-A last season), along with decent in-game power and a splash of speed. His success hasn't translated to the highest level yet, but it's unwise to put any real stock into Verdugo's MLB numbers given how sporadic his opportunities have been. While Verdugo has a fair bit of prospect fatigue, it's important to remember that he's still just 22. The trade that sent Yasiel Puig and Matt Kemp to Cincinnati appears to have opened a spot for Verdugo, which should make him a popular late-round target as a fourth or fifth outfielder in mixed leagues.
Verdugo ranked 14th in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League with a .314 batting average and ranked third with a 1.04 BB/K. He also happened to be the youngest hitter in the league. Verdugo has a prototypical all-fields approach. His hit tool is elite, nobody questions that. The one knock that has followed him all the way up the ladder is his inability to hit for enough pop to profile nicely in an outfield corner. However, we’ve seen other hit-over-power prospects -- Jesse Winker comes to mind -- show up in the majors and display power that seemed dormant in the minors. Given Verdugo’s age and 6-foot, 205-pound frame, it seems reasonable to expect him to develop into 20-homer hitter. He will never be much of a threat on the bases, so a lot of his fantasy value will be dependent on where he hits in a loaded Dodgers lineup. He’ll likely be held down to start the year, but should be summoned after a month when the Dodgers have gained an extra year of control.
Verdugo has been pushed aggressively by the Dodgers, as the 20-year-old center fielder has already completed a full season at Double-A and was one of the youngest players at that level in 2016. The left-handed outfielder more than held his own, hitting .273/.336/.407 with 13 home runs and 63 RBI in 126 games. The Dodgers expect the 6-foot, 205-pound Verdugo to develop even more power as he matures and fills out. Curiously, his speed on the basepaths was virtually non-existent. After swiping 14 bags in 2015, he stole just two bases this past season. A former pitcher, Verdugo has a cannon for an arm, and was among the leaders in outfield assists over the past couple of seasons. Since the Dodgers have not been shy about fast-tracking their prospects, expect Verdugo to begin the 2017 campaign at Triple-A and perhaps even make his big-league debut before the season is completed.
A second-round pick in 2014, Verdugo burst out of the gates to the tune of .353/.421/.511 that year and firmly entrenched himself as one of the team's top position prospects. Last year saw him make the big leap from rookie ball to full-season action, and though the results weren't quite as good, a .311/.340/.441 line in 512 at-bats split between Low-A and High-A is still pretty solid. Verdugo's top qualities include his athleticism and raw ability, as though most saw him as a pitcher coming out of High School, the Dodgers like the upside they see in his bat. He can also play center field, which is always a plus. Verdugo walked in just 3.9% of his plate appearances last year, but he showed very good ability against LHP even though he hits from the same side, as Verdugo hit .340 versus southpaws in Low-A. Verdugo doesn't turn 20 until May, but though he's at least two years out from a big league debut, his skill set should be of serious interest in dynasty leagues. He could very well end this year in Double-A where he'll be all of 20 years old.
Verdugo could have been developed as a hitter or a pitcher, but the early returns certainly justify the Dodgers’ decision to deploy the 18-year-old lefty as an outfielder. It would have been difficult to predict the 18-year-old, taken with the 62nd pick in the 2014 draft, would get off to such an impressive start to his career. Verdugo slashed .347/.423/.518 with three home runs and eight steals in 196 plate appearances in the Arizona rookie league, while learning to play center field on a full-time basis. After Corey Seager and Joc Pederson, Verdugo might have the most upside of any of the Dodgers' position player in the minors. Those in dynasty leaguers who invest in Verdugo should be prepared to see some bumps along the way, as he will probably struggle for stretches in 2015. But he should be treated as a first-round talent, as the potential does not match his status as a second-round pick.
More Fantasy News
Returns to lineup Wednesday
OFBoston Red Sox
May 31, 2023
Verdugo (illness) will start in right field and bat leadoff Wednesday against the Reds.
ANALYSIS
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Not feeling well
OFBoston Red Sox
Illness
May 31, 2023
Boston manager Alex Cora acknowledged Verdugo was not feeling well Tuesday, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports. "Dugie is not feeling great," Cora said when asked about using Verdugo as a pinch hitter Tuesday.
ANALYSIS
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Not in Tuesday's lineup
OFBoston Red Sox
May 30, 2023
Verdugo is absent from the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Reds, Christopher Smith of The Springfield Republican reports.
ANALYSIS
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Racks up three hits
OFBoston Red Sox
May 26, 2023
Verdugo went 3-for-5 with a double, an RBI and a run scored in Friday's 7-2 win over the Diamondbacks.
ANALYSIS
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Taking seat Wednesday
OFBoston Red Sox
May 24, 2023
Verdugo is not in the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Angels, Christopher Smith of The Springfield Republican reports.
ANALYSIS
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