Dustin Ackley

Dustin Ackley

36-Year-Old First Baseman1B
 Free Agent  
2024 Fantasy Outlook
There was no outlook written for Dustin Ackley in 2024. Check out the latest news below for more on his current fantasy value.
$Signed a one-year, minor-league contract with the Mariners in January of 2019. Released by the Mariners in March of 2019.
Released by Seattle
1BFree Agent  
March 12, 2019
Ackley was released by the Mariners on Tuesday, Shannon Drayer of 710 ESPN Seattle reports.
ANALYSIS
Ackley hadn't been doing too poorly this spring, recording a .776 OPS in limited at-bats, but he'll nevertheless have to look elsewhere for work. The 31-year-old hasn't played a game in the majors since 2016 and hasn't had an above-average batting line at the highest level since his debut season back in 2011.
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Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring Dustin Ackley See More
AL FAAB Factor: Waiver Pickups of the Week
May 15, 2022
Erik Siegrist reviews the free-agent pool in the American League and finds a mixed bag of prospects, veterans and players returning from injuries, including Blue Jays catcher Danny Jansen.
Farm Futures: Top 20 Draft Prospects
May 31, 2018
James Anderson breaks down the top fantasy prospects in this year's draft, including potential first overall selection Casey Mize.
Weekly Hitter Rankings: Astros Ready to Blast Off
April 9, 2016
Erik Siegrist breaks down his hitting rankings for the upcoming week of games, highlighted by some attractive seven-game slates for the Nationals, Rangers and Astros.
Weekly Hitter Rankings: Opening Day is Here
April 2, 2016
Erik Siegrist ranks the teams for the season's opening week according to which has the matchups for hitters. No surprise, the Blue Jays are picking up where they left off last season.
AL FAAB Factor: Climbing the Hill
September 27, 2015
RotoWire's Andrew Martinez breaks down the FAAB and waiver targets for the final week of the regular season, including the Red Sox's Rich Hill, who seems to have revived his career in Boston.
Past Fantasy Outlooks
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
Injuries derailed Ackley's season early on, and the utility man ultimately underwent season-ending surgery in May to repair a torn labrum after appearing in just 28 games. And when he did play, things weren't going well as he was just 1-for-16 in April and ended his campaign hitting .148 and without an extra-base hit. Ackley was released by the Yankees in November and at this point it's fair to wonder if the 2009 second overall pick may be running out of major league chances. Ackley's career slash line of .241/.304/.367 doesn't do much to inspire confidence and he's losing defensive utility as he nears 30, becoming more of a first-base/corner-outfield type. After signing with the Angels on a minor league contract, regular time will be unlikely without an injury in front of him on the depth chart.
After being the second overall pick in the 2009 draft, Ackley has consistently been inconsistent, rarely flashing his full potential. His 2015 campaign seemed destined to be another disappointing one, as he hit .215/.270/.366 with the Mariners before being shipped to the Yankees just before the trade deadline. The 27-year-old caught a tough break shortly upon arrival in New York, landing on the disabled list with a right lumbar strain just three games into his Yankee tenure that cost him over a month's worth of action. Once healthy, Ackley actually found success in his new home, hitting .288 with four homers in 23 games while filling in on the strong side of a second base platoon. His outlook for 2016 playing time took a hit when the Yankees acquired Starlin Castro from the Cubs, though Ackley figures to still see sporadic time in a utility role.
Four years into his career, it still isn't entirely clear what the Mariners have in Ackley. He looked like his worst self in the first three months last year, finishing June batting .214/.273/.329. He then went on a two-month tear, batting .318/.351/.521 with 23 extra-base hits -- including seven home runs -- in 51 games, looking like the player that Mariners expected when they drafted him second overall in 2009. As soon as the calendar turned to September, Ackley went cold again, batting .149/.205/.299 in his final 18 games. Bone spurs in his ankle contributed to his season-ending slump, though, muddying the picture even more. Perhaps the two most important changes for Ackley were cutting his strikeout rate to 12.2% after posting an 18.0% in the first half and adjusting his stance so that he was a step closer to the plate. The latter gave him better plate coverage, as he was able to better reach outside pitches. But why didn't this hold in September? Maybe it was the bum wheel, or maybe he is just an inconsistent hitter, prone to roller coaster streaks. Whatever the case, the real Ackley – one way or the other – needs to show himself this season.
Ackley was given a mulligan for his disappointing 2012 season, but by late May he was out of second chances and sent to Triple-A Tacoma to regroup. He was also out at second base, as fellow prospect Nick Franklin took his spot and kept it the remainder of the year. Ackley transitioned to the outfield, where he had his share of challenges, but those paled in comparison to his challenges at the plate. At the time of his demotion, Ackley had swung at just 52.4 percent of pitches in the strike zone, yet his walk rate was a mere 7.0 percent. The Mariners wanted him to be more aggressive. After returning from Triple-A, he still ended up finishing the season with a strike-zone swing rate of 52.2 percent. However, he did improve his walk rate slightly in his second stint with the team (9.7%). He showed signs of life late in the season, hitting .300 in his final 100 at-bats with an .857 OPS, though he had a .342 BABIP during that time, too. With Robinson Cano signed, Ackley is officially done at second base with the Mariners. His best hope is to land an outfield spot. If he's relegated to fourth-outfielder duty or simply traded, it will be a big stain on the resume of general manager Jack Zduriencik, who made Ackley the second overall pick in 2009.
Calling Ackley's sophomore campaign a disappointment is almost an understatement. Ackley struck out much more than expected, but what was really surprising was his regression in power. His ISO fell to .102 after he posted a .144 mark as a rookie, and in nearly 300 more at-bats than in his rookie season, he had just seven more extra-base hits. Strikeouts were never an issue in the minors, so perhaps he can right that ship this season. And his defense at second base proved top-notch as he was a Gold Glove finalist. He also had offseason surgery to remove bone spurs; hopefully that will help too. Ackley is only 25 this year and entering just his second full season in the bigs, so patience, of course, is warranted. A quick start, though, would go a long way toward easing some concern.
It was not a surprise that the Mariners held off on promoting Ackley last season to delay his service clock. What was a bit surprising was just how easily Ackley seemed to adjust to major-league pitching after his midseason callup. Ackley totaled 29 extra-base hits and 40 walks in 90 games, the latter mark ranking third among rookies despite the limited number of plate appearances. To top it off, he stole six bags without being caught. Ackley hit .304 as late as September 6 but finished the year in a .164 slump over the final 20 games to drop his average to .273. That was the only blemish on an otherwise standout rookie season. Second base is his for the foreseeable future in Seattle.
The No. 2 overall pick in 2009, Ackley will make his major league debut in 2011; the only question is when. The Mariners appear content to start Ackley in Triple-A this year to delay his service clock. A big spring could change that plan, however. After a just-decent season split between Double-A and Triple-A last year, Ackley dominated the Arizona Fall League, garnering MVP honors. He hit .424/.518/.758 with four homers and 10 doubles. He showed great plate discipline throughout the year with 75 walks to 79 strikeouts in 501 at-bats during the regular season and then 26 walks to 11 strikeouts in 66 AFL at-bats. Ackley's power is still developing and his defense needs work, which is why more minor-league seasoning might be a good idea. Expect him in Seattle by summer, though.
The second overall pick in the 2009 draft, Ackley offers modest power, good speed and strong plate discipline and could move through Seattle's system quickly as the organization's best prospect. He played outfield and first base at North Carolina but will begin his pro career at second base, possibly starting 2010 at Double-A. Ackley, who hit .315/.412/.425 at the Arizona Fall League, likely will spend this year in the minors with a possible late-season callup before competing for a roster spot in 2011. Jose Lopez is in the final year of his deal, so there shouldn't be much standing in Ackley's way.
More Fantasy News
Returns to Mariners
1BSeattle Mariners  
January 9, 2019
Ackley signed a minor-league contract with the Mariners on Wednesday, Jon Heyman of FancredSports.com reports.
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Signs minors deal with Angels
1BLos Angeles Angels  
April 4, 2018
Ackley signed a minor-league contract with the Angels on Wednesday, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.
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Healthy at Triple-A
1BLos Angeles Angels  
Shoulder
April 7, 2017
Ackley (shoulder) went 1-for-4 with two runs, one RBI and one strikeout in the first game of the season for Triple-A Salt Lake.
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Reassigned to minors
1BLos Angeles Angels  
Shoulder
March 31, 2017
Ackley (shoulder) was reassigned to the Angels' minor-league camp on Friday.
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Expected to head to Triple-A early in season
1BLos Angeles Angels  
Shoulder
March 27, 2017
Ackley (shoulder) is expected to be assigned to Triple-A Salt Lake shortly after the regular season begins, Pedro Moura of the Los Angeles Times reports.
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