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Fantasy Profile: José Iglesias, SS, Detroit Tigers

José Iglesias possesses an elite glove, but a not-so-elite bat. Can he make enough improvements to be fantasy-relevant in 2015?

Welcome back to the 2015 Last Word on Fantasy Baseball Guide.  Over the next several months we will be releasing player profiles, projections, position rankings, and a number of other articles that will help you dominate your fantasy league this season.  Whether you play rotisserie or head-to-head; whether you have a standard draft, a snake or an auction league, and whether its keeper league or a one-year deal; we have all the fantasy information you need.

For the rest of our fantasy baseball profiles and articles, please check out our Fantasy Baseball Guide Page

FANTASY PROFILE: JOSÉ IGLESIAS, SS, DETROIT TIGERS

LWOS Ranking 31, Captain’s Value: -$0.84

While José Iglesias possesses an elite glove at shortstop, he is lacking in the offensive department. Injuries have slowed the progress of the 25-year-old Cuban import (he missed all of 2014 with a shin injury), though his bat has improved a little each year since being signed in 2009.

Iglesias turned some heads after the Red Sox called him up in mid-2013. In 63 games with Boston, Iglesias batted .330/.376/.409 while scoring 27 runs and knocking in 19 runs. He was then traded to the Detroit Tigers, where he batted just .259/.306/.348 with 12 R and 10 RBI in 46 games.

Looking at Iglesias’ skill set, in addition to his minor league numbers, it is more likely that the real José resembles his Detroit numbers, rather than his Boston numbers. The .330 he batted with Boston was likely inflated thanks to a bloated .376 BABIP. He makes good contact and doesn’t strike out a lot so an average in the .280-.290 range isn’t out of the question, but don’t bet on it until he proves he can do it without a little help from a high BABIP again. He’s got a little pop and good physical speed, but that has never translated to good power or stolen base numbers in the minors, nor in his brief stints in the majors. 10/10 is possible, but 5/5 is more likely.

José Iglesias doesn’t offer much from a fantasy perspective, but the good news is he will get plenty of playing time due to his elite glove and lack of other options in the Tigers organization. Hitting in a still-potent Detroit lineup bodes well for his RBI and run totals, and he is still just 25, so he could still have some growth left offensively. He could be a nice late-round flier or a $1 insurance policy if you decide to roll the dice on one of the elite injury-prone shortstops like Troy Tulowitzki, Hanley Ramirez, or Jose Reyes.

Year Team POS G PA AB R HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS
2011 BOS SS 10 6 6 3 0 0 0 0 2 0.333 0.333 0.333 0.666
2012 BOS SS 25 75 68 5 1 2 1 4 16 0.118 0.200 0.191 0.391
2013 BOS SS 63 234 215 27 1 19 3 11 30 0.330 0.376 0.409 0.785
2013 DET SS 46 144 135 12 2 10 2 4 30 0.259 0.306 0.348 0.654
2013 2TM SS 109 348 350 39 3 29 5 15 60 0.303 0.349 0.386 0.735
2015 Proj DET SS 485 448 53 4 41 6 20 81 0.275 0.326 0.359 0.685

FOR THE REST OF OUR FANTASY BASEBALL PROFILES AND ARTICLES, PLEASE CHECK OUT OUR FANTASY BASEBALL GUIDE PAGE.

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