Jorge Polanco

Jorge Polanco

31-Year-Old Second Baseman2B
Seattle Mariners
2024 Fantasy Outlook
Polanco again battled durability issues in 2023, missing significant time due to ankle, knee and hamstring injuries, but he registered a .789 OPS with 14 home runs across 80 games when healthy. Polanco missed the final month of 2022 with a knee injury and his rehab then stalled during spring training postponing his debut until late April. He then missed about eight weeks between two IL stints for a strained left hamstring. When healthy, he had similar underlying metrics as last season with a strong walk rate (10.5%), a slightly better hard hit rate (40.6% to 38.7%), exit velocity (88.4 to 89.0) and Barrel rate (13.8 to 10.2). Defensive metrics were a mixed bag for evaluating his defense, but he's still seen as a good defender when healthy. He also played 15 games at third base when the Twins were thin at the hot corner, which could give him added position eligibility in some formats. Polanco has decent power for a middle infielder and good command of the strike zone, so he can still produce like his All-Star season when healthy. However, he may be a significant health risk since he's missed significant time to injury each of the last two seasons. Read Past Outlooks
RANKS
Rest of Season From Preseason
#244
ADP
$Signed a five-year, $25.75 million contract extension with the Twins in February of 2019. Twins exercised $10.5 million team option for 2024 in November of 2023. Traded to the Mariners in January of 2024. Contract includes $12 million team option ($750,000 buyout) for 2025.
Four hits in Tuesday's loss
2BSeattle Mariners
September 24, 2024
Polanco went 4-for-4 with a solo home run and an additional RBI in Tuesday's 4-3 loss to the Astros.
ANALYSIS
Polanco continued his recent surge at the plate -- he's 10-for-21 (.476) with four RBI and three extra-base hits over his last five games. Unfortunately for the Mariners, Polanco was often stranded on base as the bottom third of the order went hitless. The second baseman has had a career-worst season with a .214/.295/.359 slash line over 115 contests, though he's added 16 homers, 45 RBI, 43 runs scored, four stolen bases and 11 doubles while seeing regular playing time when healthy.
Read More News
Batting Stats
Loading Batting Stats...
2024
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2024 MLB Game Log
calculator icon
Calculate Stats Over Time
Just click on any two dates.
Scoring
FanDuel
DraftKings
Yahoo DFS
Sorare
Loading Batting Game Log...
2023 MLB Game Log
calculator icon
Calculate Stats Over Time
Just click on any two dates.
Scoring
FanDuel
DraftKings
Yahoo DFS
Sorare
Loading Batting Game Log...
2022 MLB Game Log
calculator icon
Calculate Stats Over Time
Just click on any two dates.
Scoring
FanDuel
DraftKings
Yahoo DFS
Sorare
Loading Batting Game Log...
2021 MLB Game Log
calculator icon
Calculate Stats Over Time
Just click on any two dates.
Scoring
FanDuel
DraftKings
Yahoo DFS
Sorare
Loading Batting Game Log...
2020 MLB Game Log
calculator icon
Calculate Stats Over Time
Just click on any two dates.
Scoring
FanDuel
DraftKings
Yahoo DFS
Sorare
Loading Batting Game Log...
2019 MLB Game Log
calculator icon
Calculate Stats Over Time
Just click on any two dates.
Scoring
FanDuel
DraftKings
Yahoo DFS
Sorare
Loading Batting Game Log...
2018 MLB Game Log
calculator icon
Calculate Stats Over Time
Just click on any two dates.
Scoring
FanDuel
DraftKings
Yahoo DFS
Sorare
Loading Batting Game Log...
2017 MLB Game Log
calculator icon
Calculate Stats Over Time
Just click on any two dates.
Scoring
FanDuel
DraftKings
Yahoo DFS
Sorare
Loading Batting Game Log...
Minor League Game Log
calculator icon
Calculate Stats Over Time
Just click on any two dates.
Loading Minor League Batting Game Log...
Batting Order Slot Breakdown
vs Right-Handed Pitchers
vs RHP
#1
#2
#3
#4
#5
#6
#7
#8
#9
3
24
5
20
14
17
1
vs Left-Handed Pitchers
vs LHP
#1
#2
#3
#4
#5
#6
#7
#8
#9
7
2
12
6
2
1
Left/Right Batting Splits
Since 2022
 
 
+9%
OPS vs RHP
2024
 
 
+3%
OPS vs LHP
2023
 
 
+6%
OPS vs LHP
2022
 
 
+38%
OPS vs RHP
OPS PA R HR RBI SB AVG OBP SLG
Since 2022vs Left .680 371 36 10 44 4 .256 .302 .378
Since 2022vs Right .743 886 99 36 105 7 .221 .334 .409
2024vs Left .664 130 11 4 14 2 .250 .285 .379
2024vs Right .646 339 32 12 31 2 .198 .301 .345
2023vs Left .823 91 10 4 16 1 .310 .341 .483
2023vs Right .775 252 28 10 32 3 .233 .333 .442
2022vs Left .602 150 15 2 14 1 .226 .293 .308
2022vs Right .832 295 39 14 42 2 .240 .373 .459
More Splits View More Split Stats
Home/Away Batting Splits
Since 2022
 
 
+11%
OPS at Home
2024
 
 
+15%
OPS on Road
2023
 
 
+26%
OPS at Home
2022
 
 
+24%
OPS at Home
OPS PA R HR RBI SB AVG OBP SLG
Since 2022Home .761 629 62 24 71 5 .242 .337 .424
Since 2022Away .687 628 73 22 78 6 .222 .312 .375
2024Home .606 229 17 7 17 2 .193 .284 .322
2024Away .694 240 26 9 28 2 .233 .308 .386
2023Home .876 176 20 9 29 2 .271 .347 .529
2023Away .698 167 18 5 19 2 .238 .323 .374
2022Home .831 224 25 8 25 1 .271 .384 .447
2022Away .671 221 29 8 31 2 .198 .308 .364
More Splits View More Split Stats
Stat Review
How does Jorge Polanco 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
0.34
 
BB Rate
9.8%
 
K Rate
29.2%
 
BABIP
.274
 
ISO
.141
 
AVG
.213
 
OBP
.296
 
SLG
.355
 
OPS
.651
 
wOBA
.290
 
Exit Velocity
88.3 mph
 
Hard Hit Rate
30.9%
 
Barrels/PA
5.3%
 
Expected BA
.229
 
Expected SLG
.406
 
Sprint Speed
21.5 ft/sec
 
Ground Ball %
33.8%
 
Line Drive %
24.1%
 
Fly Ball %
42.1%
 
Advanced Batting Stats
Loading Advanced Batting Stats...
Additional Stats
Games By Position
Defensive Stats
Loading Games Played by Position...
Loading MLB Defensive Stats...
Batted Ball Stats
Loading Batted Ball Stats...
Stats Vs Upcoming Pitchers
Want more matchup stats?
Loading Matchup Stats...
Our full team depth charts are reserved for RotoWire subscribers.
Subscribe Now
Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring Jorge Polanco See More
The Z Files: Strategy and Rankings for the Underdog Fantasy Playoff Contest
12 days ago
Todd Zola examines strategies for the Underdog postseason contest, and notes that while Shoehi Ohtani may be the best player, you may not want to take him first overall.
Weekly Hitter Rankings: Last Ups
17 days ago
Ryan McMahon and the Rockies finish the season with six straight home games.
Weekly Hitter Rankings: The Playoff Push
24 days ago
Shohei Ohtani and the Dodgers are one of 14 teams with a seven-game schedule from September 16-22. Todd Zola highlights the matchups and unveils his weekly hitter rankings.
Weekly Hitter Rankings: Scoring is Way Down
31 days ago
The Cleveland Guardians are one of six teams with seven games the week of September 9 to September 15. See how they and the rest of the MLB rank in Todd Zola's weekly hitter rankings.
The Z Files: What It Takes
35 days ago
Todd Zola provides some data to help you determine whether even Aaron Judge is capable of slugging your team into contention over the season's final stretch.
Past Fantasy Outlooks
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
Polanco will look to bounce back to his 2021 All-Star form after injuries derailed his season for the second time in three years. Polanco was slightly underperforming but near his typical production in the first half of the season with 14 home runs and a .786 OPS. He hurt his knee Aug. 15 on a slide and only played nine games the rest of the season due to left patellar tendinitis. Before the injury, Polanco had a similar hard hit rate (38.7% to 37.4%), exit velocity (89.0 to 89.4) and Barrel rate (10.2 to 10.1) of his All-Star season and had a career-high walk rate (14.4%). His underperformance may have been due to a career-low .269 BABIP. Polanco has decent power for a middle infielder and good command of the strike zone, so a bounce back appears likely. He'll need to stay healthy after a chronic ankle injury also hindered his 2020 season.
Polanco bounced back last year to post perhaps the best season of his career with 33 Hrs and a .826 OPS. After an All-Star campaign in 2019, Polanco hit just .258 with a .658 OPS in 2020 as he played with a bone spur and a small bone chip on his right ankle which required surgery. A return to full health helped as may a change of position to second base, where he may have been able to focus less on his glove. Much of his rebound was due to an improvement against right-handed pitchers (.838 OPS) after struggling last season (.606 OPS). Polanco has good power for a middle infielder, doesn't strike out too often (18.3%K) and has some speed (11 SB). He may not be able to repeat his home run total as his high 15.8 HR/FB% is a career outlier. Still, at age 28 he's set to add solid production again at second base.
Polanco took a big step back last season after an All-Star campaign in 2019. He hit just .258 with a .658 OPS and just four home runs. Polanco played with a bone spur and a small bone chip on his right ankle which required surgery after the season. It was the second consecutive offseason where he needed surgery on the same ankle. While he missed just five games, the injury is thought to have limited his performance at the plate, especially with his power. He especially struggled from the left side of the plate where he had just a .606 OPS against righties. He'll need to bounce back at the plate as he doesn't have a great glove as his -4 DRS ranked 30th among MLB shortstops and now he'll move to second base after the Twins signed Andrelton Simmons. He does have some speed, but stole just four bases as Minnesota's offensive philosophy limits attempts. Polanco will be in his prime at 27, but questions remain whether his down season was entirely due to injury or if his 2019 season was his peak.
Polanco played a career-high 153 games last season, hitting .295 with an .841 OPS en route to earning his first All-Star nod. He maintained good walk (8.5%) and strikeout rates (16.5%) while adding more power. Polanco had career highs with a .190 ISO and 22 home runs, fueled by an increase in launch angle and a three-mph jump in average exit velocity. He also improved with the glove as his 1 DRS ranked 16th among MLB shortstops, though an eventual move to second base remains on the table. While Polanco has decent speed, he stole just four bases, compared to 13 SB in 2017, as the Twins minimized the steal as a strategy. It made sense to limit Polanco's running in particular given his subpar career 61.7% success rate. The lack of steals is about the only negative as at age 26 he's in his prime years as Minnesota's starting shortstop.
Polanco's ascent to the starting shortstop of the future was sidetracked by an 80-game PED suspension at the start of last season. Prorated over a full season, he would have almost duplicated the 13 home runs and 13 steals he logged in 2017. Polanco improved as the season progressed with a .310 average and .821 OPS in September. His glove didn't improve, as he had a -11.3 UZR at shortstop and his -1 DRS ranked 22nd in MLB. While he profiles best at second base or as a utility infielder, he will likely enter the season as the everyday shortstop, given Minnesota's lack of quality options there. Prospect Nick Gordon shares many of Polanco's strengths and weakness, but could debut at shortstop this summer, shifting Polanco to the keystone. His inefficiency on the bases (career 62.5% success rate) could eventually lead to a reduction in stolen-base attempts.
Polanco won the starting shortstop job in spring training, but struggled in the first half, hitting just .224 with a .596 OPS. Without a high pedigree or an above-average glove, it looked like his shot at being a starter was over when he was moved to the bench on July 23. Miraculously, he turned his season around in August and reclaimed the starting job. He hit .316 with a .931 OPS and 10 home runs in 234 plate appearances after Aug. 1. Thanks to that strong finish, Polanco looks set to return as the starting shortstop. He makes good contact (14.3 percent strikeout rate) and appears to have been the victim of some bad luck last year (.278 BABIP). While not a burner, he figures to continue to chip in a handful of steals, and his gradually increasing isolated power rates suggest more power could be coming from the 24-year-old. Unfortunately, his glove may eventually force a move to second base. His -4.3 UZR ranked 34th out of 37 MLB shortstops with 500 or more innings played.
Polanco got a trial as Minnesota's shortstop over the final two months of last season and held his own with the bat at age 23, hitting .288 with a .751 OPS over his last 56 games. He didn't fare as well with the glove as he had a -10.9 UZR with uneven reviews at shortstop. Fortunately, it seems that he will be given close to everyday at-bats in 2017 as the new regime collects data on the Twins' talented crop of young players. Eduardo Escobar is coming off a negative-0.6 fWAR season, and Brian Dozier could be traded, so there should be room for Polanco in the middle infield. He was essentially a league average hitter last year (101 wRC+), and made good contact (17 percent strikeout rate), so he should be able to avoid lengthy cold streaks. Polanco, who won't turn 24 until July, hit 13 home runs with nine steals (on 16 attempts) across Triple-A and the majors last year, and while he should end up being a double-digit homer threat in his peak seasons, his fantasy value will be tied to him contributing a little bit of everything, rather than excelling in any one category.
Polanco may be the best infield prospect in the Minnesota system after a promising season at Double-A and then holding his own as a younger player at Triple-A. Polanco hit .289/.346/.393 at Double-A Chattanooga and was promoted to Triple-A at midseason. He was called up for a short stint in the majors when the team needed an emergency infielder for a second year, which shows the Twins feel strongly about his promise. While he had just a .661 OPS at Triple-A, he had a 89 percent contact rate and held his own at just 21. Polanco needs to hit for more power and it's not clear if his defense will keep him at shortstop (28 errors between three levels last year). However, he could take a big leap since he's been younger than his competition and makes outstanding contact. Polanco could be pushing for a major league role at some point this season.
Polanco continued to make his case that he may be the best infield prospect in the Minnesota system by having a promising season at High-A and then holding his own as a younger player at Double-A. He hit .291/.364/.415 at High-A, which was a slight decline from his Low-A numbers, but he still drew walks at a strong rate and makes good contact. Polanco then hit .281/.323/.342 in 37 games at Double-A as a 20-year-old. Polanco also was called up to the majors in June when the team had a rash of infield injuries. Although he played just five games and wasn't called up in September, it likely indicates the Twins view him as part of their long-term rebuilding plans. He'll need to display more power to become an impact player in the majors, but a strong season at Double-A could put him in the mix for a starting job in the majors in 2016.
Polanco may be Minnesota's top middle-infield prospect after hitting .309/.362/.452 at age 19 at Low-A Beloit. Polanco makes good contact (59:42 K:BB ratio) and draws walks at a decent rate. It's not clear if he'll stick at shortstop or second base at higher levels. He also hasn't shown much speed with only four stolen bases, which may limit his fantasy value. However, he's a player to watch as a strong season at High-A could put him on the fast track for the majors.
Polanco may be the best middle infield prospect in the Minnesota organization after hitting .318/.388/.514 for Elizabethton in the Appalachian Rookie League at age 18. A strong season in Low-A could make him a part of Minnesota's rebuilding plans.
More Fantasy News
Raps out three hits in win
2BSeattle Mariners
September 22, 2024
Polanco went 3-for-5 with an RBI single and a double in a win over the Rangers on Saturday.
ANALYSIS
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Homers Tuesday
2BSeattle Mariners
September 18, 2024
Polanco went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Tuesday's loss to the Yankees.
ANALYSIS
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Getting Sunday off
2BSeattle Mariners
September 15, 2024
Polanco is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Rangers.
ANALYSIS
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Slugs 14th homer Sunday
2BSeattle Mariners
September 9, 2024
Polanco went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in a win over the Cardinals on Sunday.
ANALYSIS
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Heads to bench
2BSeattle Mariners
September 6, 2024
Polanco is not in Friday's lineup against the Cardinals.
ANALYSIS
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Latest Fantasy Rumors
Trade market heating up
2BMinnesota Twins
December 8, 2023
Polanco has drawn increased trade interest within the last week, per Jon Morosi of MLB Network.
ANALYSIS
The teams reportedly checking in on Polanco are unknown, but there's plenty of reason to believe Minnesota may move on from the 30-year-old infielder. He's owed $10.5 million in 2024 with a $12 million club option for 2025, and Edouard Julien has emerged as a cheaper potential successor to Polanco at second base. The imminent arrival of infield prospect Brooks Lee may also give the Twins extra motivation to trade Polanco.
See All MLB Rumors