2021 Taurus Batters
No 2021 sign better embodies the difference between various evaluation methods than Taurus. In my weekly fantasy league, Taurus finished with the best record in the Earth Division, and then defeated Pisces and Libra in the playoffs to claim the FABL title. However, when comparing the point totals of the signs’ official lineups, the Bulls end up in the bottom two. I guess that goes to show that the signs with the best players don’t necessarily win the most games?
Speaking of the best players, no catcher in history has hit as many home runs in a single season as Salvador Perez did in 2021. Even on days when Salvy moves to designated hitter to rest his legs, Taurus has an All-Star caliber catcher as backup, in Willson Contreras, whose odds of staying with the Cubs through their current rebuild are fairly low. Kyle Higashioka is a strong backup, and has filled in admirably for the Yankees when Sagittarian Gary Sanchez has been down with injuries. The only other Bulls primary catcher is Boston prospect Connor Wong, but DH Luis Torrens qualifies behind the plate.
Miguel Sano barely beat out Brandon Belt for total fantasy points in 2021, but when you look at their points-per-game averages, it’s no question who should be the primary starter. At the very least, the veteran Belt, who accepted a qualifying offer from the Giants, would form the strong side of a platoon. Another platoon bat is Ji-Man Choi, who the have Rays used primarily against right-handed hitters. Evan White, the only other primary Taurus first baseman with more than 100 fantasy points last season, is playing on a pre-debut extension with the Mariners,
It’s a shame that Jose Altuve’s legacy will be forever tarnished by the 2017 sign-stealing scandal and buzzer-gate, but… actually, it’s not a shame, he cheated and he deserves all the shade he gets. With Altuve locked in at second base, the versatile Tommy Edman’s best path to a lineup spot is the outfield. Another switch hitter, Willi Castro, qualified for both middle infield spots with the Tigers. Versatility is the name of the game for Taurus second basemen, as Jace Peterson has played all over the infield and the outfield. Luis Garcia of the Nationals and Nico Hoerner of the Cubs aren’t technically prospects anymore, but they are the starters of the future for their respective teams. Andrew Young had until this season gone by “Andy,” but he’s chosen the more common recent version of his first name. Veteran Jose Peraza is on the roster bubble, even when the Fantasy Astrology minor leagues are concerned.
Matt Chapman’s strikeout totals have ballooned in recent years, but the A’s will still seek a huge return for him on the trade market, thanks to his power and stellar defense. Back to versatility, Joey Wendle and Jonathan Villar have played all over the diamond, with third base and shortstop being their primary positions. Brian Anderson and J.D. Davis are versatile in their own ways, with each capable of manning the corner outfield in a pinch. Cincinnati’s #21 prospect Alejo Lopez was recently featured by MLB Trade Rumors as a good bet to break out based on his walk-to-strikeout ratio. Corey Seager was the only Taurus player with shortstop as their primary position, but when your first string is that good, you don’t need to go too crazy finding a backup.
The top six (6!) scoring Taurus left fielders all hit left handed, with Austin Meadows of the Rays leading the pack. Alex Verdugo also qualified in center field, which is probably where he’d start in a hypothetical offseason tournament. Michael Brantley came to the Astros after their most egregious cheating years, but who honestly believed they stopped all wrongdoing after they got caught, especially since the players effectively got off scott free. Joc Pederson came to the Braves during the season and was a big part of their World Series success.
Another player who technically split his 2021 season between two teams, Ben Gamel only had 11 games with Cleveland before heading to Pittsburgh. Matt Beaty got some starts for the Dodgers in the playoffs, until Dave Rogers remembered that Cody Bellinger can also play first base. Lewis Brinson had big prospect pedigree for the Marlins, but he hasn’t delivered on that promise so far. It’s looking like Aristides Aquino’s big power surge at the end of 2019 isn’t going to be the norm for him. Gerardo Parra spent 2020 with the Yomiuri Giants, and it’s unclear whether he used Baby Shark as his walk-up song in Japan.
While not as dramatic as the left field situation, the top three Taurus center fielders are also left-handed hitters. Tyler Naquin had a mini-breakout with the Reds last year, qualifying in all three outfield spots, but he might not even end up with a starting roster spot. Rafael Ortega should fill an important (read: cheap) role on the post-selloff Cubs. Kevin Kiermaier is known as one of the top defenders in all of baseball, so he might be a better bet for a bench spot than any of the players ahead of him on the depth chart. Victor Robles was a big time prospect for Washington, but his bat hasn’t caught up with his glove. The only Taurus outfielder on their team’s top 30 prospect list at the end of 2021 was Mickey Moniak (Phillies, #17).
Top Taurus outfielder Aaron Judge earned center field eligibility in 2021, which has big implications for future Bulls outfield alignments. In the current player pool, he’s best suited at his primary position, especially since no other Taurus right fielder broke even 500 fantasy points. (It’s worth mentioning that Gavin Sheets did, although he didn’t technically qualify anywhere except DH.) Dodgers utility threat Zach McKinstry and former Rangers prospect Nomar Mazara (who was recently released by the Tigers) are the only others with even 200 points on their 2021 resumes. Steven Souza Jr. has a good power tool and Scott Kingery is yet another versatile batter.
Next time, we’ll look at a Taurus pitching staff that has fallen on hard times of late.