Kerry Carpenter Is Flying Under the Radar - But Not for Long
It means something to be hitting cleanup even in Detroit, right?
Kerry Carpenter deserves a look on your fantasy team, especially if you’re in a deeper league and could use some power (and really, who couldn’t?).
The 25-year-old is hitting right in the heart of the order for Detroit, which still means something, even as the Tigers as a whole have an anemic 67 wRC+, second-worst in the majors behind the Kansas City Royals.
And yes, Carpenter’s surface-level stats don’t look wonderful, which is probably why you’re going to find Carpenter still hanging out on your waiver wire. He’s slashing .212/.316/.485 with two home runs and three RBI to start the year, but he’s got three doubles as well to give him a nifty little 123 OPS+.
What is promising is that Carpenter has a decent enough track record going for him now, too. In his first taste of the majors in 2022, he hit .252/.310/.485 with six homers, four doubles, ten RBI, and a 127 OPS+ in 113 plate appearances. And between two levels of the minors last season, Carpenter hit 30 home runs, so the power is most definitely real.
The data suggests better times ahead for Carpenter in 2023 as well. His BABIP is at .227 and his xBA is sitting at .280, so at some point, things will likely even out for him a bit more. He’s also striking out less this season and walking more, raising his walk rate to 10.5%. A strikeout rate of 23.7% borders on concerning, but it’s something most fantasy owners would happily take for some additional pop, especially if Carpenter is sprinkling in those walks.
What’s also intriguing about Carpenter is that he’s been retooling his swing through the help of Richard Schenck, the infamous independent hitting instructor who once upon a time worked with Aaron Judge, helping to turn him into the MVP we know today.
So far, the relaunched plate approach has allowed Carpenter to barrel up at a much higher clip in 2023; he already has seven barrels to the eight he had in his 113 plate appearances with the Tigers last year. Sooner or later, those hits are going to start falling - or leaving the ballpark.
The Tigers’ offense is a nightmare zone, but Carpenter could very well be one of its brightest spots this season, and a breakout candidate who could provide plenty of depth to your fantasy lineup moving forward.