Chris Young

2013

Subscribe now to see our 2013 outlook.

2012

Young delivered another 20-20 season in 2011 and seems to have settled in as a consistent .240/.335/.435 type player thanks to steady walk (12 percent) and contact (75 percent) rates. Further, Young graded out as one of the best defensive center fielders in baseball last season, so the D-Backs don't have much to gain by moving him to left field once A.J. Pollock is ready for the big leagues. A career .229/.300/.419 hitter against right-handed pitching, Young may be in danger of slipping to the bottom third of the Arizona lineup against them, but he continued to mash lefties last season and should see a quarter of his games hitting near the heart of the order. In the event of a trade, Young's offensive production could fall off considerably as he's carried an .801 OPS at Chase Field compared to a .711 mark on the road during his career.

2011

Written off as a disappointment following a poor .212/.311/.400 line in 2009, Young bounced back in a big way thanks to an improved contact rate (from 69 to 75 percent) and a more aggressive approach on the basepaths. He's always had a good combination of power and speed, but the skill set is starting to look more refined at age 27. He's owed $24 million over the next three seasons -- a bargain if 2010 in his new baseline -- which could punch his ticket out of the desert once A.J. Pollock is ready for the big leagues as the D-Backs continue to trim payroll.

2010

Despite his overall struggles last season, Young showed occasional flashes of putting things back together including a .266/.343/.500 line along with six homers in September. Young also had a couple of other months with a strong on-base percentage including June (.402) and August (.385), but his overall season was clearly a disappointment. As a result, there may not be much interest in him on draft day, despite the fact that the D-Backs are likely stuck with his salary and unwilling to give up on him just yet. At 26, it's a make-or-break season for Young, who needs to play better defense in center field if he's going to be inconsistent at the plate. His combination of power and speed should remain in the back of your mind when you're throwing darts at $1 players during the endgame.

2009

Young's production fell in 2008, as he hit just 22 homers and stole 14 bases after narrowly missing the 30-30 club in 2007. A strong second half pushed his numbers back toward respectability, hitting .278/.343/.508 and picking up nine of his 14 stolen bases after the All-Star break. D-Backs manager Bob Melvin didn't push his team to run much early in the season, but Young was productive once he received the green light and started getting on base enough to take advantage of his speed. We'd be surprised if Young ever hits for an average above .270 for a season, but look for his power and speed to continue providing plenty of value for fantasy owners to swoon over.

2008

Save for a batting average that was limited by an unlucky .258 BABIP, Young posted excellent numbers in his first full season with Arizona, narrowly missing the 30-homer, 30-steal plateau. Don't be surprised if his 2008 numbers are even better, as the D-Backs may be willing to give him the green light more often with the lack of a pure power threat in the middle of the lineup, while Young should be able to cut back some on his strikeouts with a full season's worth of major-league at-bats under his belt.

2007

Only a wrist injury in spring training kept him from joining the list of great 2006 rookies. His batting average will lag his other skills, which will include terrific power and speed. The only true center fielder among the Diamondbacks' great hitting prospects, at least until Upton gets there.

2006

Young emerged from the prospect shadows with a Double-A season that had both scouty-types and sabermetricians alike drooling at his skill set and youth. The big prize in the Javy Vazquez deal, he'll now get a chance to thrive in the thin desert air with Conor Jackson and Carlos Quentin hitting around him, a thought that should keep NL West GMs awake for many years to come.

2005

Young is in the wrong organization. His 24 home runs and 66 walks in Low-A as a 20-year-old would have put him on the fast track in one of the 'Moneyball' systems. He'll play third fiddle to Brian Anderson and Ryan Sweeney in the White Sox's eyes, unless he does something too impressive to ignore -- like double his stolen base total.