Nelson Velazquez
25-Year-Old
2024 Stats
AVG
.000
HR
0
RBI
0
R
0
SB
0
Rest-of-Season Projections
2024 Fantasy Outlook
Velazquez played in just 13 games for the Cubs in 2023 before being shipped to the Royals at the trade deadline, and he appeared in 40 games over the final two months of the year. The 25-year-old showed off his power with 17 home runs plus 35 runs and 34 RBI in just 179 plate appearances overall. He improved his strikeout rate three points from his first look in MLB during 2022, though it was still high at 28.5 percent, and he had a solid 8.0 percent walk rate. A 21.4 percent barrel rate trailed only Aaron Judge among players with at least 170 plate appearances, while a 32.1 HR/FB led the league in the same sample size. All of those figures are clearly unsustainable, but Velazquez's power potential is obvious with 23 homers in his first 130 MLB games. He should have plenty of at-bats for Kansas City in 2024, and he appears to be a safe bet for double-digit and possibly 20-plus homers, though the swing-and-miss in Velazquez's stroke still leaves plenty of risk despite the clear upside. Read Past Outlooks
RANKSFrom Preseason
#307
ADP
Seen as primary DH
Velazquez is penciled in as the Royals' designated hitter, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.
ANALYSIS
Velazquez mashed when he came to the Royals from the Cubs last season, but it remains to be seen if he can do it over a full season. The power is real, but his 28.5 percent strikeout rate is a concern. With Salvador Perez also getting up there in age -- he'll be 34 for much of the season -- the longtime catcher could see more games as the DH, which likely would leave Velazquez on the bench against some right-handers.
Velazquez mashed when he came to the Royals from the Cubs last season, but it remains to be seen if he can do it over a full season. The power is real, but his 28.5 percent strikeout rate is a concern. With Salvador Perez also getting up there in age -- he'll be 34 for much of the season -- the longtime catcher could see more games as the DH, which likely would leave Velazquez on the bench against some right-handers.
Batting Stats
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2023
2022
Minor League Game Log
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Left/Right Batting Splits
Since 2022
+6%
OPS vs RHP
2024
No Stats
OPS | PA | HR | RBI | AVG | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Since 2022vs Left | .737 | 136 | 8 | 16 | .192 | ||||
Since 2022vs Right | .782 | 249 | 15 | 44 | .233 | ||||
2024vs Left | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
2024vs Right | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
2023vs Left | .708 | 54 | 4 | 7 | .184 | ||||
2023vs Right | .966 | 125 | 13 | 27 | .257 | ||||
2022vs Left | .756 | 82 | 4 | 9 | .197 | ||||
2022vs Right | .599 | 124 | 2 | 17 | .211 | ||||
More Splits→ | View More Split Stats |
Home/Away Batting Splits
Since 2022
+33%
OPS at Home
2024
No Stats
OPS | PA | HR | RBI | AVG | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Since 2022Home | .865 | 207 | 14 | 38 | .241 | ||||
Since 2022Away | .650 | 178 | 9 | 22 | .194 | ||||
2024Home | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
2024Away | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
2023Home | 1.111 | 114 | 13 | 28 | .297 | ||||
2023Away | .512 | 65 | 4 | 6 | .131 | ||||
2022Home | .574 | 93 | 1 | 10 | .174 | ||||
2022Away | .731 | 113 | 5 | 16 | .232 | ||||
More Splits→ | View More Split Stats |
Stat Review
How does Nelson Velazquez 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.
* 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
0.27BB Rate
7.8%K Rate
28.5%BABIP
.221ISO
.352AVG
.235OBP
.302SLG
.586OPS
.888wOBA
.379Exit Velocity
91.0 mphHard Hit Rate
34.8%Barrels/PA
13.4%Expected BA
.255Expected SLG
.575Sprint Speed
24.0 ft/secGround Ball %
38.4%Line Drive %
14.3%Fly Ball %
47.3%Prospect Rankings History
Advanced Batting Stats
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Additional Stats
Games By Position
Defensive Stats
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Batted Ball Stats
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Stats Vs Upcoming Pitchers
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2023 Fantasy Outlook
Velazquez made his MLB debut in 2022 at the age of 23 and showed some flashes of potential, though it was mostly a struggle overall. He hit six home runs and drove in 26 across 77 games while stealing five bases in seven attempts. However, he also struck out nearly 32 percent of the time, which isn't surprising for a rookie, and his .205 batting average and .286 on-base percentage leave plenty to be desired. With the Cubs in rebuilding mode, Velazquez could get a longer look in 2023 despite his early scuffles. Ian Happ, Christopher Morel and Seiya Suzuki project as the three starting outfielders, but Velazquez could back up any of those players, and he also has a path to playing time at DH, particularly with veteran catcher Willson Contreras no longer around. Velazquez may struggle to hit for a high average, but if he can get to double figures in home runs and steals, there may be some fantasy value here.
More Fantasy News
Not in Sunday's lineup
Velazquez is not in Sunday's lineup against the Yankees.
ANALYSIS
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Absent from lineup
Velazquez is out of the lineup for Thursday's game versus the Tigers.
ANALYSIS
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Goes deep twice
Velazquez went 2-for-3 with two solo homers in Sunday's 6-5 win over the Astros.
ANALYSIS
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Reaches 15-homer mark
Velazquez went 1-for-5 with a three-run home run in Wednesday's 6-2 win over the Guardians.
ANALYSIS
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Smacks 14th homer
Velazquez went 1-for-3 with a home run, one RBI and two runs scored in Monday's 6-4 win over Cleveland.
ANALYSIS
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