The Designated Hitter position is where you can develop a one-two punch.
Pretty much all the top DH options are multiple position players, allowing some flexibility. I like Manny Machado so much because he can also double as a shortstop. The same love can be shown to the players who have the DH by their name.
The top 11 options at DH, according to Fantasy Pros, are multi-position players. That gives you the ability to utilize a strategy when drafting the DH position and possibly leveraging that against another position.
Here’s my top-five at the DH position for the upcoming season.
1. Jose Abreu, Chicago White Sox
I’m going with Abreu as the heavy hitter at DH. He can play first base and I’m looking for a repeat of his rookie season this year. Unlike many of the other Designated Hitters, Abreu can be competent in every category (other than stolen bases, which basically no one at this position does well.) Abreu can get on base and hit for average. He also should pound out more homers than he did last season. Forget about 2015. Abreu should be back this season and will be a top performer.
2. Jose Bautista, Toronto
Bautista also is listed in the outfield and he is elite in a few categories. He’s going to hit 40 home runs and manage more than 100 RBIs. He’s also going to get on base at a better clip than pretty much any other Major League Baseball player. However, Bautista plays in the outfield, where you’ll likely have to use him since you have to fill three of those positions. With Abreu, he can be the lone option at two separate positions, making his value higher. While Bautista may be more consistent with home runs (he’s hit 40 or more homers in three of the past four seasons where he’s played a full season), he won’t hit for average like Abreu. Despite the lower value than Abreu, you can’t go wrong with Bautista.
3. Edwin Encarnacion, Toronto
These top-three choices are close. Encarnacion is better across the board than Bautista, but not as dominant in a specific category. Encarnacion can be a solid option in all the major DH categories. However, he’s not as consistent in home runs or RBIs as Bautista and isn’t as elite. I’m also not sure if Encarnacion can keep up his recent pace. It’s only been in the past four years that Encarnacion has shown the hitting ability that evaded him during the first part of his career. He’s nearing the mid-30s, which is usually a time when baseball players tend to slow their production. Encarnacion still offers solid value, but not as much as Bautista or Abreu.
4. Nelson Cruz, Seattle
The only reason I’m putting Cruz behind Encarnacion is because I can’t imagine he’ll turn in another performance like last season. Cruz tallied 44 home runs and mustered an above .300 batting average. That is a recipe for being one of the best fantasy players available. The only issue was he was still below 100 RBIs and his on-base percentage wasn’t elite. He’s officially at mid-30s, so I’m not buying him to go north of 40 in the home-run department. Due to his lack of RBI production during his heyday years, I’m putting him in the fourth position at DH.
5. Chris Davis, Baltimore
Davis is elite in a specific category. That puts him as a solid top-five option among Designated Hitters. Davis has 53 and 47 homers in two of the last three seasons. That will help any fantasy team compete on a weekly basis in home runs. During those monster home run years, he also has been stellar in the RBI category, with 138 and 117 in those years. The biggest issue with Davis, though, is his batting average can be awful. He has a .255 career batting average and two years ago he batted less than .200. That’s something that can put teams behind in an entire category. I like Davis because of his ability to hit home runs and knock in runs. However, don’t expect much else from him.
