Colin Moran

The sixth overall pick of the 2013 draft has always left us wanting more. He has shown flashes of talent and has hit for average, but had failed to reach the expectations of being such a high draft pick. After the first week of the season, there was some hope he was taking the long-desired step in the right direction as he hit five homers and generated 15 runs in his first 30 plate appearances with a .321/.367/.893 slash line. He finished 2020 with five more home runs, and a .233/.318/.393 slash line as he fell back to reality. His Statcast profile shows why it is tough to write him off as several power indicators put him in the top 25th percentile of the league. He continues to have issues against lefty pitchers, but the Pirates do not take him out of the lineup even though his defense isn't much to write home about. A full 2021 season could see 20-plus homers, and it won't cost much.

Moran reached a nice, round number in the RBI category (80), and that was about the only positive from his 2019 campaign. His K-rate shot up nearly six percentage points in his age-26 season, to 23.3%, while his walk rate fell from 8.4% to 6.0%. Despite that dip in skills, Moran didn't lose a point in batting average, though Statcast says he deserved to hit around .255 (.270 xBA in 2018). His defense was a negative, and when it was all said and done, Pittsburgh finished with the lowest cumulative fWAR at third base in all of the major leagues, and by a mile. We've now seen close to two full seasons from Moran and the numbers aren't befitting of an MLB regular. In the pipeline is Ke'Bryan Hayes, the organization's top prospect who happens to play third base. Moran should begin the year back at the hot corner for Pittsburgh, but expect Hayes to supplant him by June or July at the latest.

Moran was OK in his debut season with the Bucs, but Pirates fans were left wondering, is that it? When Moran is a top piece you get back in exchange for Gerrit Cole, it's understandable to feel like you've been sold a bill of goods. Moran was a league-average hitter in his age-25 season. What he brought to the table in fantasy in terms of batting average was offset by an utter lack of category juice, with Moran managing just 11 homers and barely cracking 100 runs-plus-RBI in 465 plate appearances. He was heavily shielded from left-handed pitching and did little in his limited opportunities against southpaws to suggest he could be more than a platoon player down the road (.177/.261/.242). The power is always going to be light, especially relative to the position, and its made worse by the fact that he plays in PNC Park, a bottom-five park for home runs. He lost the job at third base to Jung Ho Kang in spring training, and this skill set is not worth speculating on in mixed leagues.

In a cruel twist of fate, Moran was called up in late July and tallied a single, triple and home run in two games before suffering a concussion and facial fracture when he fouled a ball off the handle of his bat and into his left eye. The injury and subsequent surgery cost him a little over two months, but he was able to return in late September before being left off the playoff roster. Moran, who has always had an advanced hit tool, finally started tapping into impact power at Triple-A -- his .235 ISO topped his previous career best of .153. However, he was also 24 years old and repeating the level, so it may not have been true skills growth. He was traded to the Pirates as part of the return package for Gerrit Cole, which boosts his fantasy value, as he now profiles as the Pirates' answer at third base, at least over the next couple seasons. David Freese, who will be a free agent after the season, will represent Moran's primary competition for at-bats, but considering Pittsburgh is beginning a mini-rebuild, it would make sense if Moran started to get the bulk of the playing time as the season goes on.

Chosen with the sixth overall pick in the 2013 draft, Moran has put up solid yet unspectacular numbers throughout the minor leagues. He hit a snag last season as a 23-year-old in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, posting career-worst numbers in each of the triple-slash categories. His fantasy star is already dimmed by his makeup. Moran is a contact-oriented third baseman who may have to move off the hot corner due to defensive limitations and is likely to disappoint in the home run and stolen base categories, even if he does get back on a righteous path of development. His 10 homers, three steals and 126 games last year were all single-season highs in his minor league career despite a line that was disappointing overall. In a system rife with corner infield types who can mash, Moran appears to be hard-pressed to find playing time -- let alone make a fantasy impact -- in the near future.

Moran has underwhelmed since being drafted number-six overall in the 2013 draft by the Marlins, but he turned in his best season as a professional last season. In 96 games with Double-A Corpus Christi, the left-handed hitting third baseman hit .306/.381/.459 with nine home runs and 67 RBI with a career-best 10.3-percent walk rate. It was enough to earn the 23-year-old a promotion to Triple-A Fresno is September, which is where he'll begin his 2016 campaign. A call up to the majors seems out of reach this season, but a hot start with Fresno may warrant some consideration if the Astros lack infield depth due to injuries.

Moran, the sixth overall pick by the Marlins in the 2013 draft, was traded to the Astros at the deadline last season as part of the Jarred Cosart deal. Rather than send him to the California League, Houston felt Double-A would be a better challenge, and he responded by slashing .304/.350/.411 with two home runs and 22 RBI in 28 games with Corpus Christi. Moran's doesn't possess the raw power that you often see with top corner-infield prospects, and rival organizations have complained about his lack of energy and inconsistent approach to the game, but his upside compares to Matt Carpenter or Bill Mueller. A return to Double-A to open 2015 appears likely, with a promotion to Triple-A expected at some point during the season.

The Marlins selected Moran with the sixth overall pick in the 2013 draft and saw glimpses of a strong future at the hot corner in his 42-game debut at Low-A Greensboro following a prolific career at the University of North Carolina. In his first 154 professional at-bats, Moran smacked four home runs and plated 23 RBI while batting .299/.354/.442. The lefty-swinging third baseman is the team's top position prospect, and while he does not posses the raw power of some other corner-infield prospects, Moran makes solid contact and projects to be an above average hitter as well as strong defender for Miami down the line.