Daniel Vogelbach

With the DH now in place in the National League, Vogelbach should have a clear path to an everyday spot in the lineup against right-handed pitching, provided he can keep his strikeouts in check. The 29-year-old has historically been a liability defensively even at first base. For his career, the lefty-hitting Vogelbach has been a well above league-average performer versus righties, slashing .228/.357/.442 (117 wRC+).

Despite being an All-Star just two years ago, Vogelbach was cut loose by the Mariners last August after hitting .094 in 64 PA over 18 games. He was briefly acquired by the Blue Jays, but they also removed him from the roster shortly thereafter and he wound up with the Brewers. That turned out to be a good thing for both team and player, as the Brewers fixed something in his swing and watched him post a .987 OPS over 67 PA games with the club. They were pleased enough with that performance to bring him back for another year, even without the guarantee of the DH remaining in the NL. Vogelbach could fill that spot frequently against righties if it does, but he will probably be a part-time player at best if it does not, as he is not going to face southpaws and the Brewers rarely used him at first base last season.

Vogelbach had brief stints in the majors over the previous three years, but in 2019 he served as an everyday player for the Mariners and clubbed 30 home runs. He had a .208/.341/.439 slash line in 144 games, starting 49 at first base and 80 as the DH. Vogelbach had an .881 OPS with 21 homers in the first half, but he labored over the final few months of the year with a 32.3 K%. He also struggled against same-handed pitching (.270 wOBA vs. LHH, .355 wOBA vs. RHH). The 16.6 BB% kept him playable despite the poor average, so if he can keep that eye at the plate he shouldn't have a problem seeing playing time for the rebuilding Mariners. Vogelbach should have plenty of opportunities with Seattle in 2020 after making a name for himself last season, and at least should be able to serve in a strong-side platoon if his struggles against lefties continue.

Vogelbach broke camp with the Mariners thanks to an impressive spring training, and he saw regular playing time between first base and DH over the first month of the season while Nelson Cruz and Ryon Healy dealt with injuries. The 26-year-old failed to capitalize, hitting just .204/.317/.352 with a 33% strikeout rate in 63 plate appearances, and was sent back to the minors at the end of April. Vogelbach spent the rest of the season shuttling between Triple-A and the majors, excelling with Tacoma but struggling during his limited opportunities with the big club despite an improved approach (6:5 BB:K in his final 39 plate appearances). He continued to show platoon splits, posting a .274 OPS vs. lefties (.745 OPS against LHP at Triple-A). He's out of options and should finally get an extended look against big-league pitching this year, assuming the Mariners can unload Edwin Encarnacion to a contender.

For several years now there has been a push among fantasy owners to "Free Dan Vogelbach," but the reality that he may not fit on a big-league roster is finally starting to sink in. He simply can't play anywhere in the field, so he would need to get starts at DH, and in order for an MLB team to roster a designated hitter who can't play the field, that player would need to be a dominant hitter against big-league pitching. Vogelbach, who is entering his age-25 season, has proven to be at least 20 percent better than the average Triple-A hitter over 258 games at that level. But while he has plus power, it's not special power, and while the jolly lefty mashes righties, he is significantly worse against lefties. So we have a DH-only slugger who may need a platoon partner. That profile just isn't going to win over many modern front offices. Look for him to once again start the year at Triple-A, and keep in mind, he will be out of minor-league options after the 2018 season.

Opportunity is the prevailing force in rotisserie baseball, and now that he's out of Chicago, Vogelbach has a chance to work his way into fantasy prominence. Vogelbach was used sparingly down the stretch in 2016 after being traded to Seattle, but as a 23-year-old Vogelbach beat up on Triple-A pitching to the tune of a .923 OPS, 23 homers and 96 RBI while striking out just four more times (101) than he walked (97) in 563 plate appearances. Safeco Field still skews favorably for pitchers in terms of runs scored, but it was a top-six park for home runs in 2016, so even in a platoon role, Vogelbach could gain and maintain fantasy value outside of AL-only formats. He failed to earn a spot out of spring training but Vogelbach should at least be owned in most keeper leagues with a much clearer path to playing time than he had in Chicago.

Vogelbach came out of the gate on fire last year, slashing .460/.571/.780 with three home runs, 11 runs, 12 RBI, and 13 walks in his first 14 games for Double-A Tennessee. Unfortunately a couple of injuries - which may have sapped his power - slowed him down considerably, and his final line with the Smokies was rather disappointing. True, he'd be an asset in OBP leagues - he's topped 60 walks in each of his last three years - but most look at him and expect him to be a big power-hitting first baseman. He's still just 23, but with Anthony Rizzo blocking him in Chicago, we see a DH job in his future. Don't be surprised to see the Cubs trade him.

Vogelbach is the Cubs' top first baseman in the minors, but it would be a shock to see him overtake Anthony Rizzo as the starter at the big league level at any point. There are some appealing items in his skill set, as he can draw a walk and hit for some power, but he doesn't seem to have anything that truly stands out, and his defensive limitations might make him a future DH. He should spend most of the 2015 season with Double-A Tennessee as a 22-year-old, but unless Rizzo suffers a serious injury, Vogelbach could be trade bait, especially to an AL-team that values on-base percentage more than defense.

Vogelbach is not just some run-of-the-mill slugger. Last year's 73:89 BB:K ratio contributed to a .375 on-base percentage between Low-A Kane County and High-A Daytona. While he only hit 19 home runs in 483 at-bats, he's done all that as a 20-year-old, and certainly projects as a power hitter in the majors. Anthony Rizzo is blocking him at first base, but in two years, who knows? Tuck him away, especially in deep OBP leagues.

Drafted 68th overall in 2011 for his elite power, the 5-foot-11, 255-pound Vogelbach did not disappoint last year, slugging .686 in 102 rookie-ball at-bats and .608 in 143 Low-A ones. He also hit .324 and .322, respectively, at those stops and showed good plate discipline, to boot. Expect the 20-year-old Vogelbach to get a shot at High-A and perhaps Double-A this year, though so long as he remains in the Cubs organization, he's blocked by Anthony Rizzo at first base. Given Vogelbach's frame, we very much doubt a position change is an option.