Gilberto Celestino

Celestino logged a career-high 347 plate appearance as Minnesota's top defensive option in center field after Byron Buxton. Celestino at first looked like a capable understudy for the oft-injured Buxton by hitting .288 with a .696 OPS through June. He faded in the second half amid more playing time, hitting .201 with a .557 OPS. While he walks at a decent rate (9.2%), he doesn't have the elite walk or contact rates (75.2%) needed to overcome a complete lack of power. Celestino ranked in the 19th percentile in hard hit rate and 18th percent in average exit velocity, per Statcast, and had just a .065 ISO. While he's fast, his 65th percentile Sprint Speed rate per Baseball Savant isn't elite and neither is his defense (0.5 UZR/150 in CF). He'll compete for a reserve outfield role again this spring, but he'll have a hard time finding regular at-bats with his current skill set.