If you want to see an exciting and unpredictable player, look no further than Billy Hamilton. It was recently announced the speedster will own the starting position in center field and leadoff the batting rotation for the Cincinnati Reds for the 2014 season.
It comes to no surprise that Hamilton won the position due to the fact that the Reds really have no one else to play the position. The next best guy is Chris Heisey who is a viable player but is best suited for the backup position.
It is well know that Hamilton is extremely fast. If he can get on base often there is a chance he can steal close to 100 bases this season; a feat hasn’t been accomplished since Ricky Henderson and Vince Coleman did it in the 80’s.
Unfortunately that is one of Hamilton’s weaker points. How many steals he swipes is largely predicated on how often he'll get on base. He hit .254 and posted a .308 on-base percentage in Triple-A in 2013 in 123 games, stealing 75 bases in the process (he was caught 15 times, so he's as untouchable on the bases as you may believe). He added 13 steals in the majors, giving him 88 for the year.
This spring training, Hamilton is doing pretty well for himself. With a .327 batting average he also posted 18 hits, 14 runs, one homerun, eight RBI’s, and nine stolen bases. If he can continue that production into the regular season, Hamilton will easily steal over 65 bases. Stealing bases are a lost art form and it is rare to see a player record over 50 in a season nowadays. This could possibly be the first year in a long time that you see a player flirt with the idea of getting triple digits in stolen bases.
From a fantasy stand point you want Hamilton on your team. He won’t get you the average, homeruns or RBI’s you are looking for but he will provide a good deal of runs and of course, stolen bases. Expect to win the stolen base category almost every week if you have him in your lineup. You may not even need another high base stealer on your team if you have Hamilton.
The worst case scenario for him is that he struggles at the plate for the majority of the first half of the season. This means that there is a chance he will be benched for another player or even worse, be sent back down to the minors.
The best case scenario for Hamilton owners is that he hits for an average around or over .290 and an on-base percentage of over .320. This means he will be on base quite often and gives him the most opportunities to swipe as many bases as he can. When Hamilton reaches first base, you can believe there is a solid chance he will be on third base within the next two to six pitches.
2014 Projections
.258 average, 55 runs, five homeruns, 129 total bases, 33 RBI's, 62 stolen bases