Now In Washington, Will Kurt Suzuki Be Fantasy Relevant In 2019?

by Eric Stashin (aka The Rotoprofessor)

The catcher carousel began spinning, with Kurt Suzuki inking a two-year deal with the Washington Nationals.  There’s no disputing the success he has had as a member of the Braves, including a solid season in 2018:

.271, 12 HR, 50 RBI, 45 R

Of course those numbers came as part of a platoon (388 PA), as he shared time with Tyler Flowers.  Whether or not Suzuki is now asked to handle a full-time role, something he hasn’t done since 2015, remains to be seen.  It’s fair to reason that at 35-years old that won’t be the case, and the Nationals do have alternatives on the 40-man roster (or they could add another option).

This move certainly takes Washington out of contention for a J.T. Realmuto trade, and regardless of the role can we expect Suzuki to remain a potentially viable option?

There are two concerns regarding his approach that certainly raise red flags:

1) Pull Heavy Approach
While Suzuki has hit for more power over the past two seasons, he has also become extremely pull happy.  Last season he posted a 52.6% Pull% and that’s going to make him prone to the shift.  Obviously he still posted a solid average in 2018, thanks to a solid strikeout rate, but this could ultimately catch up with him.

2) Chasing Pitches
Over the past two seasons Suzuki has seen a spike in his O-Swing%:

• 2017 – 39.3%
• 2018 – 37.0%

it hasn’t had an impact yet, but would it be surprising to see it lead to weaker contact and more strikeouts?

Throw in being far better at home during his time in Atlanta, with averages of .290 and .303, and the concerns grow a little bit more.   A lot of his expected value will depend on the rest of Washington’s offseason, because if they ask him to operate as a full-time catcher he will likely be exposed.

Time will tell, but for now don’t expect big things for 2019.

Source – Fangraphs

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