Andrelton Simmons

We're not going to say the game has already passed Simmons by at 31 years old, but he may be in the twilight of his days an everyday starter at shortstop. He suffered an ankle injury early on during the 2020 season and spent several weeks on the injured list. He returned to play most of the final month, totaling 127 PA without a single HR on the season. Most notably, Simmons' defense fell off dramatically by virtually every metric. Defense has always been Simmons' calling card, and he will need to return to playing shortstop at a high level if he's to receive regular at-bats throughout 2021 and beyond. Simmons has been a league-average hitter on a rate basis only three times in nine MLB seasons even with a high contact rate. Shortstop has gotten deep with more talent on the way, and the impetus is on Simmons to prove he's still worthy of a starting job. He'll get the chance after signing with the Twins where he'll take over the starting job and shift Jorge Polanco to second base.

Simmons struggled through a rough 2019 campaign as all three marks in his .264/.309/.364 slash line were the lowest in his four-year tenure with the Angels. The down season can largely be linked to injuries; he was hitting .298 through 46 games before a Grade 3 left ankle sprain sidelined him for over a month, and he landed on the IL again in early August after aggravating the same ankle. Still, Simmons again demonstrated elite contact skills, ranking third among all major leaguers (min. 300 plate appearances) with an 8.7 K% and 14th with an 86.7% contact rate. Despite his balky ankle, the 30-year-old also managed to notch double-digit stolen bases for the fourth straight season. Simmons won't hit for much power, but a return to health this season is likely to result in an uptick in batting average, and he runs just enough to be a useful contributor in the increasingly elusive stolen base category.

Simmons followed up a solid 2017 campaign with another good showing in 2018. His batting average sat at a career-best .292 mark thanks mostly to his superb contact skills. The defensive wiz struck out just 7.3% of the time and produced a contact rate of 92.1%, both career bests. He also increased his hard-hit rate from 29.2% to 36.0%, largely because he led qualified hitters with a 51.0 Pull%. There were some negatives, however. Part of Simmons' appeal in 2017 came from his baserunning, as he stole 19 bases. Unfortunately, he was only able to to swipe 10 bags (on 12 attempts) in 2018. He also saw a downturn in the power department, as his home-run total dipped by three from 2017, and his extra-base hit total dropped by eight, as well. Simmons isn't a top-tier option at shortstop for fantasy purposes, but he still possesses mixed-league appeal thanks to his potential to steal some bases to go with his good contact skills and secure playing time.

With 14 home runs last year, Simmons nearly matched his total from the previous three seasons combined, and he did so while continuing to make contact with great consistency. His 10.4 percent strikeout rate was the third-lowest among qualified hitters, and Simmons improved his walk rate to a career-high 7.3 percent. He also established a new career high in stolen bases. It's tough to settle on a new power baseline for Simmons, but the home-run increase seemed to be at least partially due to a conscious effort to pull the ball more -- his pull percentage jumped from 35.7 percent to 45.3 percent. Keeping the green light on the basepaths will be big for Simmons' fantasy value, but he's still developing as a hitter at 28 years old, and his security in the everyday lineup (thanks to his world-class defense) gives Simmons a solid floor for counting production. There are more exciting options at the shortstop position, but Simmons should make for a decent consolation prize in the middle rounds.

If you had Simmons active in September, congratulations, as the slick-fielding shortstop garnered three of his four homers and half of his 10 steals in the last month of the 2016 campaign. To be fair, he registered the highest batting average of his career in his first season in Anaheim, spurred by his best contact rate ever. Note, however, the average bump was also due to more grounders sneaking through as his line-drive rate and hard-hit percentage were both a tick below his usual levels. He missed about five weeks in the first half, further voiding his production. In mixed leagues with 15 or fewer teams, Simmons isn't even reserve list fodder. In AL-only formats, he's obviously in play, but don't plan on a repeat of last season's .281 batting average, and don't plan on another double-digit steals tally. Basically, don't plan on owning Simmons unless left with no other choice.

The power Simmons flashed earlier in his career looks more and more like a mirage every year. Simmons hit just four home runs in 2015 and posted a slugging percentage under .340 for the second straight season. It hasn’t helped Simmons that his home park in Atlanta was one of the toughest parks for right-handed pull hitters with its deep left field power alley. But the winter trade that sent him to Anaheim won’t do him any favors. Not only is Angel Stadium similarly difficult, if not tougher, for righty power, the American League West opponents’ parks in Seattle and Oakland are historically awful for right-handers. At this point, the only positive Simmons has showed at the plate is an excellent contact ability, as he owns a brilliant 9.2% career strikeout rate. But as long as he’s only producing harmless groundballs and warning track flyballs, the only reason he’s on the field is his glove.

Simmons appeared on the verge of superstardom entering 2014, having won a Gold Glove while hitting 17 homers in his first full major league season, but it became evident throughout the course of the year that his bat is still a long way behind his glove. Despite a 16-point increase in BABIP, Simmons' average dropped by four points, and his ISO fell by more than 60, to an abysmal .087. His walk rate fell to 5.6%, resulting in a 10-point drop in OBP (.286), putting him in the bottom four in OBP among qualified hitters in the NL. Simmons grounded into a whopping 25 double plays -- only plodders Casey McGehee and Albert Pujols grounded into more -- and hit just .209/.246/.279 in the second half. Thus, it will be hard to trust Simmons in shallower mixed formats. On the plus side, he is just 25, doesn't strike out much (10.4% K%) and his unparalleled defensive skills should keep him on the field close to every day. Further, his HR/FB rate of 4.7% from 2014 figures to return closer to the mean, providing some hope that he can once again supply double-digit homers from the shortstop position.

While establishing himself as an elite defensive shortstop in 2013, Simmons also disappointed somewhat at the dish, at least in real life. He posted just a .282 OBP and a .105 ISO over the first half of the season, and eventually lost his job as leadoff man for the Braves. The move down the batting order predictably helped his power numbers, as Simmons went on to post a .472 slugging percentage after the All-Star break, but he still finished the year with an OBP below .300. Fantasy owners didn't have quite as much to complain about, as Simmons smacked 17 homers and scored 76 runs, fourth-most among all shortstops. However, looking ahead to 2014, Simmons figures to see fewer scoring chances while near the bottom of the order, but his .247 BABIP seems likely to rise.

Simmons spent precious little time in Double-A, playing just 44 games there and hitting .293/.372/.420 in 2012. After Tyler Pastornicky struggled as the Braves' starting shortstop at the beginning of the season, Atlanta called up Simmons and immediately inserted him in the lineup. For a 22-year-old shortstop who spent so little time in the upper levels of the minors, Simmons did very well. He hit .289 with right around a league average OPS. His defense is MLB-caliber already, though not as good as Pastornicky's. Simmons will be the kind of shortstop that hits for a good average and can maybe hit double-digit home runs in the future, but his power will never be prodigious. He has some speed and can contribute in the stolen bases department.

Simmons had a breakout season at High-A Lynchburg by hitting .311/.351/.408 with 26 stolen bases and may be Atlanta's shortstop of the future. While he doesn't draw a lot of walks, he makes great contact with few strikeouts (29:43 BB:K ratio in 517 at-bats). His biggest asset is probably his glove, where he's seen as a premium defender. He'll need to hit for more power to be a star at higher levels, and has Tyler Pastornicky perhaps blocking his path to the majors, but he's a rising prospect to watch in 2012.