17 games into yet another disappointing season, it’s fair to worry whether Adam Lind, 27, will ever develop into a reliable fantasy player.
In 2009, Lind drilled 35 home runs and smacked in 114 RBIs while batting a respectable .305. As a former much ballyhooed prospect, most thought it was a sign of things to come.
But in 2010, Lind dipped across the board, to 23 home runs and 72 RBIs with a paltry .237 average. Many weren’t willing to write Lind off just yet and he was a big sleeper for 2011.
This year though, Lind has tallied only one homer and nine RBIs with a similarly disappointing .232 average.
Now, many owners are skeptical of whether Lind will ever return to form and fulfill his potential.
There aren’t too many signs of hope at the moment, but Lind still has too much talent to give up on completely. Many players have peaked recently far later than anyone expected after significant periods of struggle. Josh Hamilton and Alex Gordon both were top rated prospects and took years to become fantasy relevant.
That’s not to say that Lind will ever reach their level, but you’ll be kicking yourself if he has that kind of future ahead of him.
What’s most puzzling is that Lind went from being totally unable to hit left-handed pitching, to hitting .333 against southpaws this season (albeit in just 18 at bats). He used to handle righties, but in 2011 he’s hitting just .196 against them. That screams small sample size, so if Lind can turn things around against righties he’ll be right back on track.
Lind’s power comes in bursts even when he’s struggling, so you’re smart if you ride him out and take advantage of the occasional extra homer and decent RBI production. He’s shown in the past that he’s capable of hitting for average, so wait him out a bit longer and see if that starts to come around.
Lind was drooled over at one point for a reason, and he’s still the same person. Give him a few more weeks before cutting ties.
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