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2022 Player Outlook

Murphy dealt with a foot issue in 2020, but he returned to play in 97 games in 2021 for Seattle. He hit 11 home runs with 34 RBI and 35 runs scored, but a .202 batting average didn't do many fantasy owners favors. If you played in a league that values on-base percentage, a 12.3 percent walk rate (career-best) helped offset some of the damage his batting average caused. His launch angle has dropped each of the last two seasons, and 2021 featured a career-high 44.2 percent ground ball rate. Murphy is in line for a full workload this season, and he figures to be a guy with a home run total in the 10-13 range, but if he continues to hit more ground balls, that home run number could suffer. Furthermore, he shouldn't hit .202 again in 2022, but I wouldn't anticipate anything higher than .225, and that's if everything goes right for the backstop.