After back-to-back seasons of 25 home runs in 2016 and 2017, there was some optimism for Eric Hosmer as left the Royals for a big contract with the San Diego Padres. The two years prior with 25 home runs and ISOs above .165 sparked confidence heading to a pitcher friendly park. However, his first season in San Diego was underwhelming, as he hit just 18 long balls with 69 RBI across 157 games. The ground balls came back with a vengeance, as his GB/FB ratio of 3.06 was far and away the highest mark of his career. He hit a ground ball 60.4 percent of the time last year, and a fly ball rate just below 20 percent. While there is room for optimism, rostering Hosmer as your everyday first baseman is fantasy turns out to be rather ho-hum, lacking excitement and an overall “meh” feeling, as the kids say.

More swings and misses in 2018 led to an increased strikeout rate, as his 21-percent K-rate was the highest of his career. The whiffs jumped, and when you’re not making contact as...