There are three essential components that go into hitting a home run. Putting a ball in play Hitting said ball at a certain angle range Hitting said ball above a certain velocityWhen forecasting how many homers a certain player will hit, these sabermetrics (strikeout rate, walk rate, launch angle distributions, and launch velocity distributions) are a great place to start.In this post, I wanted to search for some hitters that put enough balls in play and hit them hard enough last year but saw ...

Baltimore Orioles outfielder Austin Hays had a respectable 2021, his first full season in the majors, slashing .256/.308/.461 with 22 HRs, 4 SBs, 73 runs, and 71 RBI over 131 games. He's always had the potential to be a power hitter, and he showed some that with a 110.3 max exit velocity and 9.1 Barrel%. His .286 BABIP was pretty standard, though Statcast gives him just a .245 xBA after displaying 39th percentile average exit velocity and 37% hard-hit rate. He's shown this quality of contact ...

We have completed another week of MLB action, and we have made it to the final week of the season. What a year it has been. Tons of injuries, inconsistent play, surprise fantasy impact players, and much more. Hopefully, this column has helped find some hidden gems or even stop the bleeding along the way this season. We have one week left, so let's end with a bang. Many recent players like Austin Hays, Lane Thomas, and many more are still available on most waiver wires, so do not sleep on those ...

BALLER MOVE:Add in All LeaguesROSTERED IN: 45% of leaguesANALYSIS:Austin Hays has been a bright spot for the Orioles as they play out the string of their third 100-loss season in four years. Since the calendar flipped to September, the 26-year-old has hit a blistering .289/.349/.645 with seven home runs, 30 R+BI, and a stolen base. He's hit safely in eight straight games, cranking three homers and driving in nine runs in that span.Along with Cedric Mullins and Anthony Santander, Hays gives the ...

Baltimore Orioles outfielder Austin Hays made his one hit count in Thursday's 3-2 extra-innings win over the Yankees, going 1-for-5 with an RBI single to win the game and a strikeout. Hays came to the plate in the bottom of the 10th inning with one out and the bases loaded. With the infield in, he was able to chop a 3-1 offering through the left side of the infield to bring the winning run to the plate. The 26-year-old has had a fantastic September, slashing .293/.339/.690 with six home runs ...

Baltimore Orioles outfielder Austin Hays had a huge game in Wednesday's 4-3 loss to the Yankees, going 2-for-4 with a solo home run, a two-run HR, and two strikeouts. Hays smashed his two HR in the sixth and eighth innings for his 19th and 20th long balls of the season. The 26-year-old has been on fire in September, slashing .302/.351/.736 with six HR and 14 RBI. Hays is definitely a player to check out for fantasy managers looking for a hot bat to give them some playoff support.

BALLER MOVE: Add in All LeaguesROSTERED IN: 29% of leaguesANALYSIS: Baltimore Orioles outfielder Austin Hays carried a 17-game hitting streak into this past weekend. Unfortunately, it came to an end in the second game of the team's doubleheader against the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday. But regardless, in the past three weeks, we've seen Hays have great degrees of success at the plate and it's time for his rostered percentage to reflect his recent hot stretch.Through his first 11 games of ...

Baltimore Orioles outfielder Austin Hays continued to produce in Sunday's 22-7 loss to the Blue Jays, going 1-for-4 with a double and an RBI. The 26-year-old has done very well lately, slashing .298/.327/.660 with four home runs and 11 RBI in September. The O's schedule isn't the best this week against the Yankees and Red Sox, but their offense has put some runs up lately and Hays has been on fire. This makes him worth a look in deeper leagues for teams looking for a playoff boost.

Baltimore Orioles outfielder Austin Hays went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run, three RBI, and a walk in Tuesday's 7-3 win over the Royals. Hays destroyed a third-inning Jackson Kowar breaking pitch, putting it deep into the left-field seats for his 16th HR of the season. The 26-year-old has started September off hot, batting .320 with two HR and six RBI. It may not be too late for Hays to be a fantasy contributor this season if he can stay hot through the month.

Baltimore Orioles outfielder Austin Hays went 2-for-5 with a single, a solo home run, and a strikeout in Sunday's 8-7 win over the Yankees. Hays put a second-inning Corey Kluber fastball just over the left-field wall for his 15th HR of the season. The 26-year-old has started September well, slashing .333/.368/.556. He has been a fantasy asset at times previously in his career, and he may be worth a look in deep leagues if he can continue to get hot.