5 Sluggers Set to Bounce Back in the 2020 MLB Season

2019 may have been the year of the juiced ball, but that wasn't enough to prevent down years for some of baseball's biggest names. Whether their problems were due to injury or bad performance, some of these players still have the talent and strength to return to form in 2020.

Here are five sluggers who are set to bounce back.

1. Manny Machado, San Diego Padres

Manny Machado's first year with the San Diego Padres didn't go as well as fans hoped. After being signed to a team-record $300 million deal, Machado had his worst offensive season since 2013. Considering that the league-wide homer rate increased drastically, Machado's statistical dropoff in 2019 was disappointing. He hit five fewer home runs, lost 76 points in slugging, and had a WRC+ of 108 — all well below his career averages. However, Machado is still 27 and has shown the ability to be one of the best hitters in baseball. Machado still ranked well in hard-hit percentage and exit velocity, so he should be on course for a bounce back season. His batting average of balls in play also dropped below his career average in 2019, and considering his solid contact numbers, that should also bounce back and boost his production.

2. Giancarlo Stanton, New York Yankees

After a year marred by injury in which he played just 18 regular season games, Giancarlo Stanton's fantasy value has definitely dropped below his true talent level. The New York Yankees were expecting big things when they traded for Stanton and his 13-year, $325 million contract, not a litany of injuries. However, the Yankees have made big changes to their training staff, and Stanton is in line for a bounce back. Even if he doesn't repeat his 59-homer performance from 2017, a healthy Stanton is virtually guaranteed to provide plenty of home runs, RBIs, and a solid on base percentage. He was as potent as ever in the few games he played last year, and his career isolated power of .279 is still very enticing.

3. José Ramirez, Cleveland Indians

José Ramirez has been unpredictable throughout his career. In 2016 and 2017, he went from an unheralded prospect to one of the best hitters in baseball. Then, from August 2018 through June of 2019, he was one of the worst hitters in baseball. But midway through 2019, Jose Ramirez rediscovered whatever made him great, hitting .320 with 9 homers, 25 RBIs, and a .360 ISO in July alone. He continued that success through August, only to miss all but the last week of September with a broken wrist. However, the prowess he showed during those two months is enough to expect a big bounce back from the Indians slugger, especially after he ended 2019 with a career-high average exit velocity.

4. Khris Davis, Oakland Athletics

Unlike the previous four seasons, Khris Davis did not bat .247 in 2019. In fact, he didn't really come close, only managing a .220/.293/.387 slash line. While the rest of the league posted gaudy home run totals, the 2018 AL home run leader hit 25 fewer home runs and lost .162 percentage points in slugging. However, there are some reasons to be optimistic about Davis in 2020. His exit velocity is still 2.6 MPH over the MLB average, and he's still in a solid Oakland Athletics lineup that should provide plenty of counting stats.

5. Yoenis Céspedes, New York Mets

The case against Yoenis Céspedes is very simple. He did not play at all in 2019. Why? Well, that's where things get complicated. He had surgery for bone spurs in both of his heels in 2018 and missed most of that season. While rehabbing in early 2019, he suffered what can only be described as a peak Mets injury, apparently fracturing his ankle while trying to trap a wild boar on his ranch. There's not much recent data, but his career home run rates and WRC+ are well above league averages, and he hit 30-plus homers in each of the last two seasons in which he played at least 85 games. If he does play in 2020, he could provide tons of upside for fantasy owners.

Join FanDuel Sportsbook Today. New users get a risk-free bet up to $500. Join Now.

Tristan Jung is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Tristan Jung also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username tristan1117. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.