SPECULATOR: Skills searching for roles, 2021
Apr 28 2021
Remember back, like, four weeks ago when Randal Grichuk (OF, TOR) was "blocked" in a crowded TOR outfield? Or when Jake Cronenworth (2B, SD) was lost amid a sea of middle infielders in SD? Through Sunday's games, Cronenworth led MLB with 106 plate appearances, while a slew of injuries in TOR have yielded everyday playing time for Grichuk (.292 BA, 4 HR in 72 AB).
The age-old mantra persists: "Draft skills, not roles".
So while everyone is itching to dissect this season's early returns—heck, we've been guilty of making snap judgments ourselves (hitters | pitchers)—we'll take a different path this week and look at players who haven't yet been given an everyday shot, but have the skills to make an impact.
Filtering out injuries, here are...
Almost!
You’re just a few clicks away from accessing this feature and hundreds more throughout the year that have a singular goal in mind: Winning your league. Subscribe to BaseballHQ.com here!
Already a subscriber? Sign in here
More From Speculator
They don't all hit the ground running. We apply the longstanding "10-step path to prospect stardom" to this year's player pool.
Jun 10 2026 3:06am
Jun 10 2026 3:06am
A tour through some in-season QBaB leaderboards, including YTD best/worst scores and risers over the last month.
Jun 3 2026 3:08am
Jun 3 2026 3:08am
After last week's in-season "UP"side column, it's time to strike a more pessimistic tune.
May 27 2026 3:07am
May 27 2026 3:07am
With enough of the season in the rearview, we're ready to speculate with some revised "UP" side projections.
May 20 2026 3:07am
May 20 2026 3:07am
We've all had a bad day at the office... what if we grant a mulligan to some starting pitchers who had one as well?
May 13 2026 3:07am
May 13 2026 3:07am
