Pisces 2021 Batters
This is the third in-depth look into the 2021 Fantasy Astrology Baseball League teams, but the starting lineup for Pisces actually scored the fourth-most points in the league. I’m skipping third-place Capricorn for now, because they finished second to Virgo in the Earth Division, and I want to cover all four elemental leaders before getting into the runners-up. So here’s a position-by-position look at the relevant batters who contributed to the Pisces Fish in 2021.
The label of “consensus best catcher in baseball” was thrown around a lot with regards to J.T. Realmuto in recent years. While he still might be the best all-around catcher, no backstop can match the power of Taurus Salvador Perez, who just set a single season home run record for a catcher. Max Stassi had some hot streaks in his season with the Angels, but his real claim to fame is that he was the top producing fantasy catcher born in California, the state that produced the most major leaguers this year. Blue Jays lefty Reese McGuire and Red Sox backup Kevin Plawecki each had the exact same point total in 2021, but Plawecki had a better points-per-game average by exactly one point.
Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. scored the most fantasy points of any dedicated batter or pitcher in 2021 – eclipsed only by the combined total of Cancer Crab Shohei Ohtani’s batting and pitching points – so there’s no one better around whom to anchor a lineup. Ryan Mountcastle follows as the next best primary first baseman, although the Orioles rookie also qualified in left field, and has a much more versatile history in the minors. His real-life teammate Trey Mancini made a heartwarming comeback from cancer this year (the disease, not the sign), but it’s Rhys Hoskins of the Phillies who should really sit behind Vlad Jr. on the first base depth chart. Rowdy Tellez started for the Brewers in the playoffs, at least against right-handed pitchers.
The top-scoring Pisces second baseman in 2021 was Hoskins’s real-life teammate Jean Segura, although he did have holdover eligibility at third base this past season from his time spent there in 2020. Segura shifting to the hot corner would ostensibly leave the keystone for White Sox super utility player Leury Garcia, who also qualified at all three outfield spots, in addition to playing some third base and shortstop. Nick Madrigal lost most of his rookie year to injury, but that didn’t prevent him from being included in the trade package that the White Sox sent to the Cubs for Gemini closer Craig Kimbrel. Another super utility threat, Marwin Gonzalez, resurfaced for the Astros in the playoffs, and had a key Halloween pinch hit.
Third base is a tough position for the Fish. The only player who played the majority of their games there in 2021 was Rockies corner infielder Joshua Fuentes, who barely cracked 550 fantasy points. Other qualifiers include Josh VanMeter of the Diamondbacks and Mike Brosseau formerly of the Rays, with Luis Rengifo and Jose Rojas of the Angels also getting some playing time there. I’ve mentioned Jean Segura as an option, but more intriguing are the two Pisces stars who had previously played third base in their careers: Vlad Guerrero Jr. and Nick Castellanos (more on him later). These two were moved off the position because of defensive ineptitude, but could they be asked to return for a hypothetical offseason tournament? Possibly. In a shocking twist, I actually put Ryan Mountcastle at the position for my “official” starting lineup, based on his 130 minor league appearances there.
Shortstop is the polar opposite of third base in terms of both top end and depth. Guerrero’s real-life Blue Jays teammate Bo Bichette holds down the position as the top-scoring fantasy shortstop in 2021. Next in terms of points, we have Nicky Lopez of the Royals, and the recently-extended Miguel Rojas of the Marlins, both of whom could reasonably shift to second base if Segura took third. But the future of this position likely belongs to Wander Franco, the former #1 overall prospect who made his debut this year for the Rays. Depth options include the defensively gifted Nick Ahmed, the previously versatile Niko Goodrum, and Cardinals rookie Edmundo Sosa.
It’s hard to think of Randy Arozarena as a rookie, considering the show he put on in the 2020 postseason, but pandemic prorating of playing time gets a little funky. Going by points-per-game, Kyle Schwarber was actually the top Pisces left fielder, although he missed a chunk of the season due to injury. He also got some playing time at first base, not that the Fish need any more depth at the position. Tommy Pham has had some strong seasons in the past, but he came down to earth in 2021. Jurickson Profar is yet another super utility player that Pisces seems to have in spades. Miguel Andujar is another former third baseman to throw into the mix, despite his lost 2020-21.
Another rookie leads the way in center field, although Adolis Garcia shifted to right for the Rangers following their trade of Scorpio Joey Gallo, so that does not bode well for his eligibility in future seasons. The depth options aren’t that strong, with Rockies bench bat Sam Hilliard, defensive whiz Juan Lagares, and rookie Yonathan Daza the only other primary center fielders with more than 100 fantasy points in 2021.
I’ve mentioned Nick Castellanos as a possible longshot candidate to move back to third base, but his bat will be in the lineup regardless. Jorge Soler impressed after being acquired by the Braves, especially in the World Series, where he was named MVP, but he’s likely ticketed for the fantasy astrology minor leagues. Michael Conforto has played some center field in the past, but we’ll have to wait and see if his official eligibility returns down the line. Josh Reddick has the ignominious distinction of being cut by the second-worst team in baseball, but I’ll always have fond memories of his time using Careless Whisper as his walk-up song for the A’s.
Pisces pitchers are up next - not quite as exciting as the offensive Fish, but there are some high end performers to choose from.