Can Angels’ David Fletcher continue to outperform metrics?

The Verdict on David Fletcher

While the consensus is that David Fletcher outperformed his metrics in 2019, he has shown that he will not be held by preconceived notions of performance. If his early camp exploits say anything, it is that Fletcher is not going to sit back and let numbers dictate the type of ballplayer he is destined to be.

Baseball history is thick with players that have exceeded expectations and carved out a career for themselves. The Angels have unearthed a few themselves, with Adam Kennedy and David Eckstein to name a couple. Add to the fact that Joe Maddon loves role players that provide both solid production and a clubhouse presence built around hard work and gutsy play, and Fletcher should continue to see opportunities to build upon his breakout season.

So will 2020 look like 2019 for David Fletcher? I can’t imagine that 2020 will look normal to any player in the league. However, what it represents is an opportunity to claim a more guaranteed role for 2021 and beyond. He’ll get opportunities to stake his claim this season and that work will go a long way toward determining what to do this winter with La Stella and Andrelton Simmons expected to hit the open market.

The challenge is for David Fletcher to grab it and run with him. If there is anything we learned last season, it is that you don’t count him out.