Kiermaier's 2016 campaign was interrupted by a wrist injury but he finished on a strong note, tallying a .296 average, .379 wOBA, five homers and eight stolen bases over his final 112 plate appearances. Despite missing 57 games, Kiermaier still managed to post a career-high 12 homers in 414 plate appearances, while his hard contact rate climbed to a career-high 31.4 percent. He ripped off 34 extra-base hits as well, although after tallying an absurd 12 triples in 2015, he managed only a pair of three-baggers last season. A full season could knock Kiermaier's fantasy value back up several notches, making him a viable mixed-league outfield option. He is only truly great on the defensive side of the ball, but he is a good enough athlete and has just enough pop to profile as a good bet for double-digit homers and double-digit steals once again in his age-27 season.

Last season was a true breakout year for Kiermaier, cementing him as the team’s everyday center fielder on the strength of a glove that won him the Platinum Glove for best fielder in the majors. The bad news? That fielding means little in fantasy. As a hitter, Kiermaier leaves much to be desired. His .263/.298/.420 slash line with 10 home runs and 18 stolen bases in 23 attempts puts him around league average. Granted, he could start hitting the Mendoza Line and still be worth playing for Tampa Bay because of that glove, but that’s an advantage fantasy owners don’t get to enjoy. He stopped getting starts in the leadoff spot midway through the season, cutting into his opportunities for runs and steals, and that’s not likely to change in 2016. Kiermaier may currently represent the biggest split between real-life value and fantasy value in the league, so don’t draft him purely on name recognition.

Players drafted in the 31st round are not supposed to make the major leagues, but Kiermaier did. Primarily known for his speed and defense, Kiermaier hit in Double-A and was doing so again in Triple-A before he was promoted when Wil Myers had to go to the disabled list. He hit the ground running and was batting .310//.349/.576 heading into the All-Star break with 22 extra-base hits and several amazing defensive plays. The second half was a different story offensively as he hit .220/.284/.335 the rest of the way with just 12 extra-base hits as the league stopped pitching him inside. Despite his quickness, he is not a good basestealer and rarely tried to steal bags when he was on base at the big league level. Despite the numbers last season, Kiermaier profiles as a fourth outfielder who will have to slash and dash for production.

Kiermaier took an interesting path to Tampa Bay in the 2013 season. He began the season with Double-A Montgomery and excelled with the bat, hitting .307/.370/.434 with five home runs and 14 stolen bases before being promoted to Triple-A Durham. His prominent skill as a center fielder is that he is widely regarded as the best defensive player in the entire organization. The team felt confident enough in his defensive ability to bring him up and use him as a defensive replacement in the team's elimination game against the Rangers. Kiermaier will likely begin the 2014 season with Triple-A to develop his offense, but his skill in the field could be his ticket to the majors.