Orlando Arcia

Seemingly everyone in the fantasy community wanted Vaughn Grissom to open the season as Atlanta's starting shortstop. Manager Brian Snitker had other ideas, though, as Grissom was sent back to the minors and Arcia was signed to a three-year contract extension and named the starter at short. It wound up looking like the right call, as Arcia posted career highs with a .741 OPS and 17 home runs while solidifying the team's defense at short. The 29-year-old put up a 1.006 OPS with eight homers in 112 plate appearances against lefties versus just a .674 OPS against righties. Arcia hasn't had drastic splits like that before, though, so it's difficult to know what, if anything, to take away from it. He'll bat toward the bottom of the lineup and won't help in stolen bases, but it's a good lineup to be in and Arcia could show enough pop again in 2024 to be mixed-league relevant.

Despite putting together his best season with a 104 wRC+, Arcia was limited to just 68 games. He played sparingly at first but took over at second base when Ozzie Albies broke his foot in mid-June. Arcia then lost playing time to Robinson Cano. He also missed three weeks in August with a hamstring issue. Arcia's improved production was fueled by a 2.5-mph uptick in average exit velocity in tandem with hitting more flyballs. Other than in 2019 with Milwaukee, Arcia has been a utility player, capable of filling in for an injured player when needed. He's ticketed for a similar role this season, precluding him from mixed league relevance. However, with the ability to play all four infield positions and left field in a pinch, Arcia will compile ample playing time to be a factor in NL-only formats.

The high point of Arcia's 2022 may have just been the fact he was slated as the starting first baseman on paper for Atlanta during the lockout. Atlanta has a giant vacuum at first base with Freddie Freeman testing the free agent waters, leaving Arcia as the leading in-house candidate. He signed a two-year deal for $3 million just before the lockout began and should stick with the club as a reserve given he is out of options and would need to be exposed to waivers. He twice saw regular duty for Milwaukee in recent years with 2017 serving as his high-water mark for fantasy production with 16 homers and 14 steals. He is final-round-of-the-reserves material in NL-only formats or the final few rounds in a draft and hold format.

It was thought that Arcia could move into a utility role in 2020 with Luis Urias taking over the shortstop job, but Urias dealt with a couple issues and never got into a groove, and Arcia wound up the starting shortstop for the balance of the season. His bat led to the uncertainty in the first place, but he hit the ball well last season, hitting a respectable .260 and finishing the season with career highs in SLG and OPS. The Brewers tendered Arcia a contract over the offseason, so he will be back in Milwaukee for at least another year. He will head into spring training the favorite to start at shortstop, but he figures to be pushed by Urias like he was supposed to be last season. While he made strides last year, a longer season could hurt his ratios, and he doesn't have the power or speed to make him a quality option.

Arcia tied a career high with 15 HR and had more RBI in 2019 than in any previous season, but he also finished the campaign last in the league in wRC+ among all qualified hitters and had his usually-sound defense questioned by manager Craig Counsell. Seeking an upgrade at the position, at least at the plate, the Brewers acquired Luis Urias from the Padres over the offseason. Despite all that, the Brewers still decided to bring Arcia back for another season rather than non-tendering him. Arcia started nearly every day last year despite the hitting woes, but his role in 2020 is uncertain with Urias on the roster. Either could start, with the other slotting into a utility role, but it seems most likely they share the shortstop duties in some fashion. Arcia could be of at least some counting-stat help in deep leagues if he is playing regularly, but given the Brewers' roster construction that seems unlikely.

The .731 OPS Arcia posted in 2017 gave him fantasy intrigue heading into last year, but he provided almost nothing at the plate for either fantasy owners or the Brewers over the season's first three months, and found himself in the minors when July began. The minor-league stint appeared to help his approach, though, and after returning to the majors July 26, he hit .290 the rest of the way. His success carried over to the postseason, and he was one of Milwaukee's best hitters during that time, posting an impressive .959 OPS over 10 games. Arcia finished last season with just a .575 OPS, which figures to push him down draft boards. However, he will play nearly every day at shortstop if he hits at all, and his late-season success in 2018 makes him a sneaky option in the later rounds of drafts.

After struggling with the bat in his 2016 debut, Arcia made strides in all three slash categories a year ago while serving as the Brewers' regular shortstop. He was one of three shortstops to hit at least .270 with 15 home runs and 14 steals (Elvis Andrus and Francisco Lindor were the others). Unfortunately, his opportunities to pile up runs and RBI were limited with him routinely filling the eighth spot in the Brewers' batting order. As sound as he was at the plate, Arcia also displayed his exceptional defensive skills, particularly his range. Arcia was formerly the Brewers' top prospect, and his first full season in the major leagues did nothing but enhance his status as the team's regular shortstop well into the future. Whether or not he takes the next step as a fantasy asset could largely rest on whether or not he remains buried in the batting order or gets a chance to bat near or at the top.

Arcia is up in the majors for his defense, as his bat remains a major work in progress. He hit just .219/.273/.358 over 55 games in 2016 as he struggled mightily in his first chance against major league pitching. Arcia is rail thin at 6-foot and 165 pounds, and he's unlikely to develop anything more than a marginal power presence. If he's going to provide fantasy value, it will be through his speed. Arcia managed eight stolen bases last year despite his struggles getting on base, so he could reach 20 stolen bases with a full season's worth of playing time, with more possible as he adjusts quicker than expected to major league pitching.

Arcia's slick glove has excited scouts since he signed with the Brewers in 2011 at 16 years old. Last year, at just 20 years old and over four years younger than his average opponent, Arcia tore up Double-A to the tune of a .307/.347/.453 batting line in 552 plate appearances. Arcia mashed 52 extra-base hits, including eight home runs and seven triples, and stole 25 bases. He continues to show great contact skills, as he struck out just 13.2% of the time despite facing advanced arms at Double-A. The Brewers will likely give Arcia another year of seasoning as they let Jean Segura or Jonathan Villar try to stick at shortstop in the majors, but Arcia is charging hard, and another season like last year will put pressure on the Brewers' current disappointing infield crop. Expect him up by mid-2017 at the latest.

Arcia entered last season as one of the Brewers’ better prospects based almost on defense alone, but a big year with the bat and on the bases has solidified him as one of the team’s most promising youngsters. Arcia increased each of his slash stats last season and showed improved power with a career-best 29 doubles. He also was successful on 31 of his 42 stolen base attempts -- all in his age-19 season while playing in the pitcher-friendly Florida State League. Arcia is a few years away from making an impact at the big league level, but his development as an all-around shortstop has earned him a spot at or near the top of the Brewers’ prospect rankings heading into 2015.