Adalberto Mondesi is one of the most well rounded talents in baseball. The Kansas City Royals may not be the favorite to win the AL Central this season, but if they want to make any noise, Mondesi is going to have to beat the drum for them in 2021.
After battling groin and shoulder injuries in 2019, Mondesi could never seem to get it going to start the 2020 season. Whether it was the shortened season or the lingering effects of injuries, Adalberto Mondesi still managed to be worth .5 Wins Above Average per Baseball Reference’s WAA metric. Even in a down year, Mondesi is still a solid player. But what happens when Mondesi puts it all together?
Mondesi’s best season thus far came in 2018 where he posted 2.8 fWAR in just 75 games. At that pace, Mondesi would have been on course to post 5.6 fWAR in 150 games or close to a full season. That would have been the 12th highest fWAR in the Major Leagues for the 2018 season.
Mondesi’s bat to ball ability is complemented by his elite speed. He’s also much more dynamic than a slappy speedster. Mondesi hit 14 home runs in 2018 which was about a 28-32 home run pace in a full season. He is a true five tool player.
Mondesi also posts relatively equal splits as a switch hitter, which makes him even more dangerous. In 2018 he posted a 109 wRC+ against RHP and a 122 wRC+ against LHP. 2018 also seemed to be a banner year for switch hitters as the list below shows the top 10 switch hitters by wRC+ and their splits.
In half the amount of games as most of the players on that list, Mondesi posted respectable numbers. Over a full season, it could have been an even more productive year considering his splits. It’s also important to mention that Mondesi could have hit a skid, so it could have been much worse. However, Mondesi’s 2018 is still a season to dream upon.
Coincidentally, Mondesi’s full season 2018 projections looked a lot like Francisco Lindor’s 2019 season. In 2019 Lindor posted a .284/.335/.518 slash line for a 115 wRC+. This is not a bad ceiling.
One thing that separates Mondesi from the others on the list above or 2019 Francisco Lindor, is Mondesi’s value on the basepaths. In 2019, Lindor posted a -2.0 BsR. In Mondesi’s largest samples he has not posted a BsR below 3.6. Baserunning is not factored into wRC+, so his value on the basepaths is reflected in his fWAR.
Another factor to note in Mondesi’s development is his BB% has increased every season, which only serves to help his ability to utilize his baserunning ability. On the other hand, his LD% has gone down every season since 2018 and his GB% has gone up over that same time period. However, there is evidence that Mondesi could get back on track.
After a horrid start to 2020, Mondesi went bananas in September. Mondesi slashed .356/.408/.667 and posted an obscene 187 wRC+. That came with 6 home runs, a .311 ISO, 16 stolen bases, and a 1.13 GB/FB ratio which was more similar to the 1.10 GB/FB he posted in 2018.
Adalberto Mondesi is having a solid spring and hopes to lead a seemingly underrated Kansas City Royals squad into the 2021 season. With a well rounded and relatively deep lineup surrounding him and a promising young pitching staff, the Royals might become a lot of trouble for the AL Central this season. Adalberto Mondesi could be the reason for that.
