Nate McLouth

2013

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2012

McLouth had a second consecutive injury-plagued and unproductive season with Atlanta and will need to rebuild his career in a reserve role with Pittsburgh. After hitting .310 with a .863 OPS in spring training, it looked like McLouth may rebound from an injury-plagued 2010 season and return to the All-Star form he showed with the Pirates. However, he slumped once the regular season started hitting just .238 with a .697 OPS before going on the DL with an oblique injury May 23. He returned a month later, but continued to struggle before a season-ending sports hernia injury in late July. While he still draws walks at a good rate, his power declined significantly the past two seasons, he's almost unplayable against left-handed pitching (.179 against lefties last year) and he's been a liability in the field. Perhaps he can revive his career where he had his best seasons, but he would seem to have little upside is as a platoon player with significant injury risk.

2011

When the Braves traded for McLouth in June 2009 it appeared they'd solved their problems in center field. But after a miserable season, his role with the Braves in 2011 is uncertain. McLouth began the season as the starting center fielder but started slow and slumped into June, hitting just .176/.295/.282 before the All-Star break. The only end to his slump was when he missed a month after suffering a concussion in June. He was then sent to Triple-A in July. It looked like he'd languish in the minors or on the bench, but he was called up in September and moved back into the starting lineup when others slumped. He responded by hitting .273/.359/.527 the final month with three home runs. Even with his struggles last season, he still draws walks at a good rate. However, he struck out too much last season and wilted against left-handed pitching (.378 OPS). Still, McLouth's hot September could get him back into the outfield mix during the spring. While he was a 20-20 player in the past, his upside now may be that of a productive platoon player with some power and a tolerable batting average.

2010

McLouth enters 2010 as Atlanta's everyday center fielder. He was traded to the Braves in June to fill the void in Atlanta's outfield and at first glance seemed like a slight disappointment by hitting .257 with a .773 OPS. But looking beyond batting average there's a lot to like for fantasy owners. McLouth has good power, draws walks at a good rate and also has enough speed to steal 20 or more bases. He also has above average range in the outfield (11th among all outfielders per nine innings last season) which should keep him in the lineup. Despite a decent contact rate and good eye at the plate, he's had a low batting average the past four seasons. There's some upside here as a result, so don't let a player who can help you in multiple categories go too cheap.

2009

It almost seems like there's nowhere for McLouth to go but down after his breakout season of 2008. McLouth belted 26 home runs and stole 23 bases while winning a Gold Glove in center field. One thing that could work in his favor is a move to left field at some point, should the Pirates decide to call up Andrew McCutchen. With the Pirates in rebuild mode, however, only McLouth and Ryan Doumit qualify as consistent producers and both will likely be pitched around following trades of Xavier Nady and Jason Bay. Because of a lack of protection, it wouldn't be surprising to see McLouth's power numbers dip while his stolen-base numbers stay about the same. He's one of the few Pirates considered fantasy worthy heading into 2009.

2008

After a couple years of struggling, McLouth showed that he has a future in the major leagues in 2007. Pegged as no more than a fourth outfielder in the big leagues, McLouth hit 13 dingers in 329 at-bats and stole 22 bags last year. Of course, the only reason he got the chance to showcase his skills was because Chris Duffy, Xavier Nady and Nyjer Morgan all got hurt. Then, after an August during which McLouth hit seven homers, drove in 17 runs and stole 10 bases, the Pirates decided to cut his playing time in half the last month of the season. New GM Neal Huntington promises a spring training competition between McLouth and Morgan for the starting center fielder spot, with Chris Duffy starting out in Triple-A. Plenty can change, but at long last there's reason to believe McLouth can succeed as something more than a fourth outfielder. Follow him in spring training as his ability to steal bases makes him somewhat of a late-round fantasy sleeper.

2007

McLouth missed out on a golden opportunity to establish himself at the major league level in 2006. After unexpectedly fighting his way onto the Pirates' roster coming out of spring training, the 25-year-old outfielder batted just .224 while platooning with Chris Duffy the first three months of the season. Then, during Chris Duffy's self-imposed seven-week absence McLouth was passed by the versatile Jose Bautista on the depth charts. An ankle injury cost him the final eight weeks of 2006. While he's shown spurts of power and is a speedy base runner (he stole 10 bases) McLouth lacks the plate discipline to be considered a contender for a regular spot in the lineup and projects as a gritty fourth or fifth outfielder.

2006

McLouth will likely begin the season as a backup outfielder for the Bucs. While he only stole two bases in 41 games for the Pirates last year, McLouth led Triple-A Indianapolis with 34 steals, hitting .297 in the process. The organization doesn't appear overly high on the 5-11, 180-pounder who can play anywhere in the outfield, but his hustling style is infectious and hard to overlook. He's a darkhorse for playing time in Pittsburgh's outfield, but anyone who can steal 30-plus bases at the Triple-A level is at least worth keeping an eye on.

2005

McLouth opened up eyes at the Double-A level in 2004, hitting .322 with 8 homers and 73 RBI along with 31 stolen bases. The outfielder set Altoona Curve records for hits (166) and doubles (40) and posted the second-highest single-season batting average in team history. At just 23, he will be young for Triple-A, but there is nothing left for him to prove at Double-A after his outstanding campaign. He was added to the Bucs' 40-man roster and will spend 2005 at Indianapolis.

2004

The Carolina League (Class A) All-Star batted .300 with 6 homers 33 RBI in 440 at-bats along with 40 steals (he was caught just four times) at Lynchburg in 2003. He is still a long way from the majors, but the 22-year-old speedster is a sparkplug who could create a buzz as he climbs the Pirates' corporate ladder.

2003