Andrew Velazquez

After playing for four teams in three seasons prior to 2022, Velazquez settled into some stability in his first campaign with the Angels, logging career-high marks with 125 games and 349 plate appearances. The expanded opportunity was partly due to necessity -- infielders David Fletcher and Anthony Rendon each missed over 100 games due to injury -- though Velazquez's defensive prowess also factored in. It's safe to say that his offensive performance didn't resonate as favorably, as Velazquez's 50 wRC+ and 34.1 percent strikeout rate were third-worst and sixth-worst, respectively, among big-league hitters with at least 300 plate appearances. The 28-year-old at least managed to swap 17 bags in 18 attempts, and his 93rd-percentile sprint speed would be a much more promising asset if he had even average on-base skills. However, it's difficult (both in fantasy and in real life) to spend a lineup spot on a player with such dreadful offensive production, and with Fletcher and Rendon both back in the fold along with the emerging Livan Soto and the newly acquired Gio Urshela, Velazquez will likely step back into an infield-depth role next season. Read Past Outlooks