Why Not?
In 2024, 19 players managed to hit the 20 home run/20 stolen base mark. This shows a great combination of power and speed at the Major League level and is a challenge that many players struggle to achieve. Of course, while 20/20 is impressive, it is nowhere near the achievable end goal of success. Of the 19 players that reached the 20/20 plateau, 3 of them managed to hit the 30/30 mark. Bobby Witt Jr., Jose Ramirez and Shohei Ohtani (shout out to Fransisco Lindor for nearly hitting 30/30, needing just 1 stolen base!) Even more impressive, we can skip the 40/40 club entirely (although Jose Ramirez was just 1 steal away from being the 7th member of baseball history) and go right towards the 50/50 club. The only member of this impressive club in baseball’s long-storied history is Shohei Ohtani. Ohtani, who finished with 55 home runs and 59 RBIs, actually approached the 60/60 club. That historic season was incredible, but now it is time to identify the next superstar. I need not waste too much time searching for a 50/50 or a 60/60, but where art thou, 30/30 players? Surely, some must be ready to pop into 2025.
Butler played in 125 games in 2024, tallying 22 home runs and 18 stolen bases. If that was spread out over a full season, 20/20 would have been easy. That being said, how close could he have come to 30/30? Across his minor league career, Butler has been known to run, stealing bases with high rates of success at each level. In the Majors, that did not change a bit. His 18 stolen bases came without him being caught! The question that this naturally raises is whether or not Butler took enough risks in 2024. Where does Butler rank in terms of actual speed? According to Baseball Savant, Butler, at 26.7 ft/sec, falls in between Ronald Acuna Jr. and Fransisco Lindor, two players who have stolen many bags in their careers.
Lawrence Butler is ranked near 200 overall in many fantasy rankings.
I promise this is not going to be a strictly Oakl.. Sacramento Athletics ranking, but Gelof was impressive in 2024. While his average was low (.211), he managed to make the most of his playing time by counting stats. Stolen bases were a strong suit of his, swiping 25 bags on 28 attempts. Gelof showed some pop in his bat, homering 17 times in 2024. This is not why I placed him here, though. In 2023, yes, a year prior, Gelof homered 13 times with just 300 plate appearances. He showed that he has a power swing, and collectively, throughout his short career, he has 30+ home runs in just over 200 games. At just 25 years old, the 2021 2nd round selection may just be showing his abilities.
Gelof has been ranked in the bottom half of 2nd baseman-eligible fantasy players.
Lock it in. Jazz left Miami and began hitting home runs and at a higher clip, as well as stealing bags with a higher percentage. New York is made for lefties, and Jazz loves the spot light. After finishing with 40 steals in 2024, and 24 home runs, why can’t Jazz clear 30? The biggest difference between Chisholm and the two Athletics before him, is Jazz is certainly already on the fantasy radars of many, and for good reason. Depending on how confident you are in him will determine if you take the leap and grab him before the actual skilled fantasy players (unlike you and I) do.
Jazz is ranked will be a top-25 outfielder in most drafts, and top-150 overall selection.
Fantasy Baseball Dive In: Replacing a 1st Rounder (Part 1) – Fantasy Manatee
Toronto Blue Jays: Pitching Staff Preview – Fantasy Manatee
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