Jordan Luplow

If MLB were ever to ban right-handed pitchers, Luplow would have great job security. For his career, he's hit .226/.337/.505 against southpaws but just .200/.288/.355 against fellow righties. Barring such unexpected draconian measures, however, the outfielder seems unlikely to earn anything more than a role on the short side of a platoon, something that seems especially true after his decision to sign with a contending Atlanta squad. He makes for a natural platoon partner with Eddie Rosario in left field, though he isn't the only option for that spot. If he repeats his performance from last season, when he slipped to a .673 OPS in 127 plate appearances against lefties, expect the team to be quick to move on. In deeper leagues, especially those with daily moves, Luplow could be a fine option on a per-game basis, as he did manage 11 homers and five steals last season in 234 total trips to the plate, which prorates to 28 homers and 13 steals across 600 plate appearances.

Luplow has been a serviceable part-time player over parts of five seasons in the majors, most recently hitting .202/.326/.454 in 62 games for Cleveland and Tampa Bay. He owns a lifetime 139 wRC+ against lefties compared to a 78 wRC+ against righties, so he'll fit best on the short side of a platoon. He underwent arthroscopic ankle surgery in mid-October but is expected to be ready for spring training.

After posting a 137 wRC+ in his first season in Cleveland, Luplow suffered through a subpar encore in 2020. That was largely the result of his relative struggles against lefties, as he managed a 110 wRC+ across 43 plate appearances against them. The larger sample says a bounce back is in store for Luplow because he's spent the majority of his major-league career demolishing southpaws to the tune of a 153 wRC+ and .275/.379/.603 line. However, he has yet to prove that he can expand his role beyond that of a lefty-masher by posting a poor .193/.274/.316 line, .123 ISO and 57 wRC+ across 274 plate appearances against right-handers. It's very difficult to extract value from a short-side platoon masher in most formats, but in deep leagues with daily moves, Luplow can be of service on days where Cleveland faces a left-handed starter.

Luplow saw limited action in 2019 as a platoon outfielder. The 26-year-old recorded an OPS of .923 with 15 home runs in 261 plate appearances, with 155 of those plate appearances coming against left-handed pitching. He hit just .216/.274/.299 when he did not have the platoon advantage, and with that in mind, it seems safe to say Luplow's exposure to right-handers will remain limited for the foreseeable future. Luplow showed some discipline at the plate, improving his walk rate to 12.6%, but his contact rate dropped to 75.9% with a 10.8% swinging-strike rate. A short-side platoon outfielder is really only usable in mono leagues or deep leagues with daily lineup moves, though Luplow can be added here or there in 15-team mixers when you see a string of lefties due up on Cleveland's schedule.

Luplow got into 37 games for the Pirates last season but failed to impress, hitting just .185/.272/.359. That line was good for a 72 wRC+, the exact same mark he recorded in his 27-game debut the season prior, though he was closer to league average against lefties. Optimism for Luplow's future is grounded in his Triple-A performance, as he's posted a strong .300/.378/.479 line with Indianapolis over the last two seasons. Traded to Cleveland over the offseason, he joins a team that lacks established bats in the outfield. In a lefty-heavy group, Luplow will be given the chance to earn a role on the short side of a platoon in an outfield corner.

While Luplow appears capable of handling the short side of an outfield platoon, the Pirates have three everyday outfielders and their top hitting prospect (Austin Meadows) is also an outfielder who is close to big-league ready. Luplow hit three home runs in 36 at-bats against lefties and four home runs in 124 at-bats against righties at Triple-A, which is why there is almost a 200-point gap between his OPS against southpaws (1.067) and righties (.869) despite almost identical on-base percentages against the two subsets. This same phenomenon occurred over a larger sample at Double-A and over a smaller sample in the majors. As a subpar defender, he may not be given a long leash against righties even in a situation lacking in outfield depth. But in Pittsburgh, it's really hard to see how he would garner an everyday role. If the Pirates can trade Andrew McCutchen, Luplow could enter the year starting against lefties, but even then he would likely just be a placeholder while the team waits for Meadows to force the issue.

Luplow, drafted in the third round of the 2014 draft, moved from the outfield to third base in 2015. He made 21 errors for a .910 fielding percentage, so it remains to be seen how much longer he stays in the infield. Regardless, his bat plays at any position. The 22-year-old out of Fresno State University hit .264/.368/.464 in 461 PA for the West Virginia Black Bears. He also hit 12 homers and finished with a .180 ISO. Perhaps most impressively, Luplow compiled a 59:67 BB:K ratio. Finding a position might be an issue with the right-handed hitter, but fantasy owners will want to keep watch of his progress at the plate.