Evan Longoria

2013

Subscribe now to see our 2013 outlook.

2012

Longoria might have been the biggest part of what was arguably the most dramatic final day of the regular season after hitting a walk-off home run to give the Rays the wild card in the American League. Longoria's overall numbers from last season, other than his career-low .244 batting average, were similar to his last three seasons. However, there are reasons to be very bullish on him going forward. He missed time back in April due to an oblique injury which not only led to a slow start but led to 87 fewer plate from the previous season. Longoria's strikeout rate dropped for the third straight season while his walk rate increased by three percent. This improved plate discipline didn't cost him any power as he homered once in every 18.5 plate appearances -- the best mark of his career. His production improved as the season went on, culminating in some gaudy stats over the season's final two months. Longoria finished those two months with 17 home runs, 46 RBI and a 37:37 K:BB ratio over 203 at-bats. His .244 batting average can be explained as being unlucky when considering his .239 BABIP was a career-low by 70 points. The only disappointment for fantasy owners was the stolen-base total which was down from 15 in 2010 to only three in 2011. One of the better fielding third baseman in the game, look for Longoria to be one of the first at the position off the board when your fantasy draft rolls around.

2011

Longoria disappointed fantasy owners last year, hitting 11 fewer home runs (22) than the previous season. On a positive note he stole 15 bases which was unexpected and hit for a career-high .294 average. So while the power outage may have left a bad taste for fantasy owners, there's a lot to like about Longoria heading into this season. For the third straight year, Longoria lowered his strikeout rate by nearly three percent. As noted, he stole 15 bases on 20 attempts suggesting that yearly totals in double-digit steals is reasonable. With Carl Crawford leaving, Longoria should hit cleanup instead of third, providing him with more RBI opportunities. He'll only be 25 this season, so chances are we haven't seen the best of him yet. Hope that the lost home runs drop his stock on draft day and be prepared to take advantage.

2010

Longoria put together another solid season at the hot corner for the Rays, finishing with 33 home runs, 113 RBI and nine stolen bases. Only 24, he's got an MVP-caliber season somewhere in the near future. He still strikes out a lot (140 times in 584 at-bats) but improved his contact rate while increasing his walk rate last season. Possibly the best fielding third baseman, his UZR rating of 14.9 was tops for the position. Don't be afraid to spend the extra dollar on him; he'll continue to be a solid power producer and have plenty of RBI opportunities with B.J. Upton and Carl Crawford setting the table ahead of him.

2009

After a mid-April callup from Triple-A, Longoria was unanimously voted American League Rookie of the Year, finishing in the top 10 of all players (not just rookies) in both slugging and at-bats per home run (16.6). Longoria missed about a month of action due to a fracture in his ulna near the wrist, but he was fine after his return and during the postseason, so he's not a health concern. He'll rank second only to Alex Rodriguez on the offseason American League cheat sheet at third base.

2008

Tampa Bay's top draft pick in 2006 impressed at both Double-A and Triple-A in 2007, showing power, strike-zone judgement and good defense at third base as well. The Rays intend to move Akinori Iwamura from third to second this spring, opening up third base for Longoria; the star prospect will get the opportunity to start on Opening Day if he shows he's ready in the spring. Conversely, if Longoria has a tough spring, the Rays won't mind delaying his arbitration clock a year by sending him back to Triple-A for a month or two. Longoria was one of the leaders of Team USA this fall and starred in the World Cup gold medal game win over Cuba; the Rays have every right to believe he can be a heart-of-the-order leader for the club for years to come.

2007

Will marry the Spurs' Tony Parker in August . . . whoops, that's Eva, not Evan. Furthermore, Tampa Bay's top 2006 draft pick showed no desperation in his pro debut. While his cup-of-coffee numbers at Double-A show he still has to work on strike zone judgment, his power at high-A was a pleasant surprise. He should make the major leagues by early 2008 at the latest, and perhaps later this season. Will he play third when he gets there?