After narrowly missing a 30-homer, 30-steal season in 2016, Betts made for an easy first-round selection heading into his age-24 campaign. Though he again filled out the counting-stats categories nicely, Betts’ 54-point downturn in batting average rendered him a disappointment relative to what many had forecasted. A .268 BABIP partially fueled by a decline in line-drive rate was the main culprit, as Betts’ batted-ball profile otherwise displayed no significant differences from his runner-up MVP season. If the right fielder is able to curb his popouts to some degree, he could notice a swift recovery in average, given that his exceptional speed has routinely allowed him to submit BABIPs above .300 throughout his pro career. Betts’ smallish frame makes it less certain that he’ll reach 30 home runs again, but even in a somewhat down year, he remained a plus power source. Another season of five-category excellence likely awaits Betts, who may only come at a slight discount on draft day with few likely to downgrade him much for the dip in average last year. Read Past Outlooks