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Tommy La Stella
Tommy La Stella
31-Year-Old Second Baseman2B
Oakland Athletics
2020 Stats
AVG
.281
HR
5
RBI
25
R
31
SB
1
Rest-of-Season Projections
AVG
HR
RBI
R
SB
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2020 Fantasy Outlook
La Stella joined the Angels in 2019 after four seasons in Chicago and shocked the baseball world with a power surge nobody saw coming. To put things in perspective, La Stella began the season with 10 home runs in 828 career at-bats; he matched that total in his 102nd at-bat with the Angels and hit 16 homers in the first half, earning his first All-Star berth in the process. Unfortunately, the good times came to an abrupt end in early July when La Stella fouled a ball off his right shin and fractured his tibia, all but ending his season. Surprisingly, nothing in La Stella's Statcast numbers screams out the reason for his sudden power stroke; La Stella himself attributed it to a new mentality at the plate. While he did log nine at-bats at the end of September, the true test of the sustainability of La Stella's transformation will come next season. If it proves to be real, he could be an elite infield option. Read Past Outlooks
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RANKSFrom Preseason
#300
ADP
#Subscriber-Only
Overall
#Subscriber-Only
Dynasty
League Majors
Bats L
Throws R
40 Man Yes
Height 5'11"
Weight 180
DOB 1/31/1989
Born Westwood, NJ
College Coastal Carolina
Drafted 8th Rd 2011 ATL
$Signed a one-year, $3.25 million contract with the Angels in January of 2020. Traded to the Athletics in August of 2020.
Remains in lineup
2BOakland Athletics
October 8, 2020
La Stella (elbow) will bat second and play second base in Game 4 of the ALDS against the Astros on Thursday, Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
ANALYSIS
La Stella was forced to exit Game 3 on Wednesday after a pitch struck him in the elbow, but he escaped with nothing worse than a bruise. He won't wind up missing any time, which is certainly good news for Oakland, as he's gone 6-for-22 (.273) with a homer through six playoff games this season.
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Batting Stats
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2020
2019
2018
2017
2020 MLB Game Log
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2019 MLB Game Log
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2018 MLB Game Log
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2017 MLB Game Log
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Minor League Game Log
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Batting Order Slot Breakdown
vs Right-Handed Pitchers
vs RHP
#1
#2
#3
#4
#5
#6
#7
#8
#9
16
15
3
4
3
vs Left-Handed Pitchers
vs LHP
#1
#2
#3
#4
#5
#6
#7
#8
#9
1
8
1
1
Left/Right Batting Splits
Since 2018
 
 
+38%
OPS vs RHP
2020
 
 
+79%
OPS vs RHP
2019
 
 
+24%
OPS vs RHP
2018
 
 
+84%
OPS vs RHP
OPS PA R HR RBI SB AVG OBP SLG
Since 2018vs Left .604 168 18 3 13 0 .220 .298 .307
Since 2018vs Right .835 561 84 19 75 1 .299 .366 .469
2020vs Left .505 57 5 0 3 0 .184 .281 .224
2020vs Right .903 169 25 5 22 1 .303 .393 .510
2019vs Left .712 89 10 3 7 0 .265 .315 .398
2019vs Right .880 226 39 13 37 0 .306 .358 .522
2018vs Left .384 22 3 0 3 0 .111 .273 .111
2018vs Right .707 166 20 1 16 0 .285 .349 .358
More Splits→ View More Split Stats
Home/Away Batting Splits
Since 2018
 
 
+2%
OPS at Home
2020
 
 
+3%
OPS at Home
2019
 
 
+2%
OPS at Home
2018
 
 
+1%
OPS on Road
OPS PA R HR RBI SB AVG OBP SLG
Since 2018Home .791 353 58 13 51 0 .280 .343 .449
Since 2018Away .774 356 43 9 37 1 .284 .358 .416
2020Home .817 96 14 2 14 0 .286 .365 .452
2020Away .797 110 15 3 11 1 .269 .367 .430
2019Home .841 166 28 11 26 0 .284 .331 .510
2019Away .822 149 21 5 18 0 .307 .362 .460
2018Home .670 91 16 0 11 0 .268 .341 .329
2018Away .674 97 7 1 8 0 .264 .340 .333
More Splits→ View More Split Stats
Stat Review
How does Tommy La Stella compare to other hitters?
This section compares his stats with all batting seasons from the previous three seasons (minimum 400 plate appearances)*. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that stat and it would be considered average.

* Exit Velocity and Barrels/PA % are benchmarked against 2019 data (min 400 PA) and Hard Hit Rate is benchmarked against last season's data (min 400 PA). See here for more exit velocity/barrels stats plus an explanation of current limitations with that data set.
  • BB/K
    Walk to strikeout ratio
  • BB Rate
    The percentage of plate appearances resulting in a walk.
  • K Rate
    The percentage of plate appearances resulting in a strikeout.
  • BABIP
    Batting average on balls in play. Measures how many of a batter’s balls in play go for hits.
  • ISO
    Isolated Power. Slugging percentage minus batting average. A computation used to measure a batter's raw power.
  • AVG
    Batting average. Hits divided by at bats.
  • OBP
    On Base Percentage. A measure of how often a batters reaches base. Roughly equal to number of times on base divided by plate appearances.
  • SLG
    Slugging Percentage. A measure of the batting productivity of a hitter. It is calculated as total bases divided by at bats.
  • OPS
    On base plus slugging. THe sum of a batter's on-base percentage and slugging percentage.
  • wOBA
    Weighted on-base average. Measures a player's overall offensive contributions per plate appearance. wOBA combines all the different aspects of hitting into one metric, weighting each of them in proportion to their actual run value.
  • Exit Velocity
    The speed of the baseball as it comes off the bat, immediately after a batter makes contact.
  • Hard Hit Rate
    A measure of contact quality from Sports Info Solutions. This stat explains what percentage of batted balls were hit hard vs. medium or soft.
  • Barrels/PA
    The percentage of plate appearances where a batter had a batted ball classified as a Barrel. A Barrel is a batted ball with similar exit velocity and launch angle to past ones that led to a minimum .500 batting average and 1.500 slugging percentage.
BB/K
2.25
 
BB Rate
11.8%
 
K Rate
5.3%
 
BABIP
.276
 
ISO
.168
 
AVG
.281
 
OBP
.370
 
SLG
.449
 
OPS
.819
 
wOBA
.360
 
Exit Velocity
83.0 mph
 
Hard Hit Rate
29.4%
 
Barrels/PA
4.8%
 
Advanced Batting Stats
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Additional Stats
Games By Position
Defensive Stats
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Batted Ball Stats
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Stats Vs Upcoming Pitchers
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Athletics Depth Chart
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Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring Tommy La Stella
Super Early Top 400 for 2021
Super Early Top 400 for 2021
7 days ago
7 days ago
James Anderson releases his super early top 400 redraft rankings, which features a trio of Atlanta hitters in the top 20.
DraftKings MLB: Monday Breakdown
DraftKings MLB: Monday Breakdown
15 days ago
15 days ago
Christopher Olson delivers his picks for Monday’s ALDS slate, including an A’s stack against the Astros.
Round 2 Postseason Cheatsheet
Round 2 Postseason Cheatsheet
15 days ago
15 days ago
The two favorites in the NL series are pretty clearcut, but both AL series are close. Where you rank Aaron Judge depends on whether you think the Yankees or Rays will win the series.
Yahoo DFS Baseball: Monday Picks
Yahoo DFS Baseball: Monday Picks
15 days ago
15 days ago
Mike Barner checks in with his Yahoo DFS preview for the pair of ALDS Game 1’s kicking off Monday.
FanDuel MLB: Thursday Wild-Card Targets
FanDuel MLB: Thursday Wild-Card Targets
19 days ago
19 days ago
Juan Carlos Blanco looks over Thursday's slate as Atlanta rookie Ian Anderson tries to take advantage of a clash with the free-swinging Reds.
Past Fantasy Outlooks
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
La Stella appeared in 123 games for the Cubs last season, but made just 24 starts. The veteran infielder struggled as a starter, slashing just .222/.267/.235 in 88 plate appearances, but he excelled as a substitute, posting a .312/.398/.416 slash line in 90 pinch-hit plate appearances (most in the majors). La Stella saw his strikeout and walk rates both go in the wrong direction, though they still sat at 14.1% and 8.9%, respectively. After the season, the Cubs opted to trade La Stella to the Angels in exchange for Conor Lillis-White rather than tender him a contract. While La Stella could get a chance to compete for an everyday gig with the Angels, Los Angeles has better internal options at second and third base, so he'll likely remain in a part-time utility role barring an injury.
The Cubs didn't have much playing time available for La Stella last season, but he was an effective left-handed bat off the bench when called upon. Most of his time in the field was split between second base and third base, and as long as the Cubs have Javier Baez and Ben Zobrist available to cover multiple positions, it's difficult to imagine a larger role for La Stella. If he were to end up on another 25-man roster, he could see an uptick in playing time. La Stella has a good eye at the plate, and a good hit tool, but he lacks the raw power necessary to hit more than 12-15 homers even if he becomes a starter for a prolonged stretch down the road. Even on a team with less depth, La Stella is ideally suited for a part-time role as a pinch-hitter who consistently offers quality plate appearances.
La Stella cracked the Cubs' Opening Day roster as a part-time player, and opened the year with a .291/.378/.494 line in 38 games before he hit the disabled list with a hamstring strain in early June. Things took an unusual turn from there, as his eventual activation from the DL was halted by a demotion back to Triple-A prior to the non-waiver trade deadline, and the veteran infielder initially refused to report to Des Moines for the assignment. After a change of heart in mid-August, La Stella returned to the organization and put himself back in the good graces of the front office to the point of earning a September callup when rosters expanded. A patient left-handed bat with a modicum of pop, La Stella is a useful bench piece for a big league club, but it remains to be seen if he can hit enough to merit being placed on the large side of a platoon. With health, a slight increase in playing time is a possibility in 2017.
The Cubs liked La Stella's batting eye and versatility when they acquired him from Atlanta in November of 2014, but injuries and the emergence of a number of other youngsters limited him to just 33 games with his new team last year. He was an above-average prospect in the Braves' system after slashing .343/.422/.473 in half a season with Double-A Mississippi in 2013. Unfortunately, his major league numbers have been disappointing, with just two home runs, two stolen bases and a .327 on-base percentage in 386 at-bats. On the other hand, his strong career 41:47 BB:K is a contrast to most of his teammates. He'll likely play a bit of second and third again this year, but he's a bench player for the Cubs unless injuries strike.
Dan Uggla's demise put La Stella on the radar heading into 2014, and it was less than two months before he officially took over the starting second base job in Atlanta. His keen eye at the plate was apparent from the get-go, as La Stella hit .292/.371/.357 with 20 strikeouts against 19 walks prior to the All-Star break, but he failed make the necessary adjustments as pitchers learned his tendencies and thus floundered to a .565 OPS in the second half, ultimately losing his starting job to Phil Gosselin late in the season. The Cubs, liking his contact and on-base skills, acquired La Stella from the Braves for right-hander Arodys Vizcaino in November. There's a remote chance he could work himself into a regular role at second base to begin the year, but La Stella won't be much of a factor outside of OBP leagues regardless given his utter lack of power and speed, even at a premium middle-infield position.
While Tyler Pastornicky is an obvious candidate for playing time at second base if Dan Uggla is dealt, La Stella is definitely in the mix as well, after raking at Double-A Mississippi (.343/.422/.473) in 2013. He also drew the praise of the team's director of player development, Bruce Manno, with an impressive performance in the Arizona Fall League. The 25-year-old La Stella is very disciplined at the plate, as evidenced by his 35 strikeouts in 303 at-bats last season, and even if the Braves can't unload Uggla, a hot start in the minors could put him in contention for a major league roster spot. Further, La Stella offers significantly more upside at the plate than Pastornicky, making him a better speculative target for those in deeper formats.
The Braves may have struck gold in the eighth round of the 2011 draft with La Stella. With an underrated glove and a big bat, he is being viewed as the team's future second baseman. Dan Uggla is firmly entrenched as their current second baseman and his contract runs through 2015 so there is no need to rush La Stella. Still, he hit .328/.401/.543 in 63 games at Low-A in 2011 and followed that up with a .302/.386/.460 line in High-A in 2012. If he keeps hitting like that, he is going to force the Braves to continue advancing him.
More Fantasy News
Cranks homer
2BOakland Athletics
Elbow
October 7, 2020
La Stella went 2-for-3 with a solo homer, two runs and a walk during Wednesday's win over the Astros in Game 3 of the ALDS.
ANALYSIS
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X-rays negative after HBP
2BOakland Athletics
Elbow
October 7, 2020
La Stella was diagnosed with a right elbow contusion after X-rays came negative, Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
ANALYSIS
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Leaves after HBP
2BOakland Athletics
Elbow
October 7, 2020
La Stella exited Wednesday's Game 3 against the Astros after being hit by a pitch on the right elbow, Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com reports.
ANALYSIS
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In lineup for nightcap
2BOakland Athletics
September 26, 2020
La Stella (head) will bat third as the designated hitter in the second half of Saturday's doubleheader against Seattle, Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
ANALYSIS
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No concerns about head injury
2BOakland Athletics
Head
September 26, 2020
La Stella (head) is "fine" according to manager Bob Melvin, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
ANALYSIS
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