Andrew Benintendi – OF – Boston Red Sox

Height: 5’10” Weight: 170 – Bats/Throws: L/L

2016 Stats (AA)— .295/.357/.515, 8 HR, 44 RBI, 40 runs, 8 steals

2016 Stats (MLB)—.295/.359/.476, 2 HR, 14 RBI, 16 runs, 1 steal

Scouting Report

Andrew Benintendi lived up to the hype when he first joined Boston, but a leg injury knocked him out of action. However, that allowed him to retain his rookie label, instantly making him a favorite for the American League Rookie of the Year award. The 22-year-old outfielder has been named the top prospect in all of baseball and after analyzing his game, it’s pretty easy to see why.

A big thing that stands out with Benintendi is his plate approach. He posted a BB/K ratio greater than 1.00 at each level of the minors, except for Double-A, where his 0.80 ratio is still solid to say the least. He struck out just 63 times in 151 career minor league games, while walking 74 times. Benintendi posted a 21.2 K% in 34 games at the big league level last season, but that’s not indicative of the player he’ll be for his career. His compact, yet powerful, swing and excellent plate awareness contribute to his ability to lay off bad pitches. To understand his plate discipline in a nutshell, consider the following table.

 

O-Swing%

SwStr%

2016 MLB Average

30.3%

10.1%

Andrew Benintendi

25.2%

7.4%

O-Swing% - Swings at pitches outside of strike zone
SwStr% - Swings and misses

As you can see, albeit a 34-game sample size, Benintendi displayed an above-average ability in terms of not swinging at pitches outside the strike zone, and simply not swinging and missing. This trait alone is what has fantasy players gushing about what he can do offensively at the big league level.

Benintendi may only have 20 career minor league home runs to his name, but with the way he hits the baseball, he could, in time, develop into a 20+ home run guy. His swing has some natural lift in it, and since he can create some leverage with his lower half, he should become an extra-base hit machine at the big league level. It might take a bit for him to really delve into the full extent of his power, but he can be an immediate doubles guy.

In 151 career minor league games, Benintendi clubbed 20 home runs, stole 26 bases, drove in 107 RBI and posted an impressive .312/.392/.540 slash line. It’s easy to see why everyone, especially Bostonians and fantasy owners, are all over this guy heading into 2017. There is certainly a lot to love about this guy, but there are some aspects of his game we’d like to see improve.

In 33 plate appearances against southpaws last season, he generated just five singles and a measly .179 average. He never really struggled with lefties in the minor, so perhaps we can just chalk that one up to the adjustment factor.

Also, his 68.4 percent success rate of stealing bases isn’t exactly ideal. The success rate in the majors last season was just under 72 percent, so while he is a tad below average, he should be able to improve over time. Remember, he is only 22, so there’s plenty of time to improve the weaker components of his game. This should go without saying, but just to reiterate, who he is in his 22-year-old season doesn’t signify the player he will be for the entirety of his playing career.

2017 Analysis

To say Benintendi has plenty of upside is an understatement. He’s 22 years of age but there aren’t a ton of knocks on his game. He’s polished and he held his own during his brief stint with Boston last season. He’s a good high contact guy and his plate discipline is well beyond his years. He has a compact, smooth and powerful swing that translates to a good average, but adequate power as well. To expect him to completely tap into his power potential in 2017 is a bit lofty, but a safe baseline for his first full season in the bigs would be right around 15 home runs. His ability to hit line drives and make consistent contact will help him hit right around 35 doubles with a near-.300 batting average.

As with many players, rookies and veterans alike, a big component to his fantasy value and potential for the season lies in where he hits in the loaded Boston lineup. The ideal landing spot in that lineup would be in the two-hole, behind Dustin Pedroia and in front of Xander Bogaerts, Mookie Betts and Hanley Ramirez. It certainly makes sense. His plate discipline, high contact rates and speed fit the mold for the prototypical two-hitter, not to mention the fact that his left-handed swing would break up a bunch of righties. For optimal numbers in 2017, Benintendi needs to spend the majority of the season hitting second in the lineup.

Comparisons

Chicago version of Adam Eaton (14 HR, 14 SB, 85 R, .280 AVG)

Ceiling: Just shy of 2014 Michael Brantley (20 HR, 23 SB, .327 AVG)

Current ADP

NFBC – 133.75

Howard Bender’s Mock Draft Army – 115.06

RT Sports – 145.94

Fantasy Alarm Player Rankings