Connor Joe DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

San Diego Padres outfielder Connor Joe is likely to be stuck in a platoon situation to begin the season. Right now, the expectation is that Joe and Jason Heyward are going to split time in left field. The Padres are attempting to fill the vacant spot left by Jurickson Profar, so this is the route they plan to use. In theory this could work given Joe's success against left-handed pitching. In his career, Joe is slashing .254/.350/.415 with 14 home runs and 65 RBI in over 600 plate appearances against left-handed pitchers. Despite his success, Joe is unlikely to warrant being rostered in most fantasy leagues due to the fact he probably won't be an everyday player.

According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the San Diego Padres have signed outfielder/first baseman Connor Joe to a contract. Earlier in the offseason, the Pittsburgh Pirates non-tendered the 32-year-old. Joe has spent the previous two seasons in the Steel City. During this stint, Joe held a .238/.330/.396 slash line with 53 doubles, 20 home runs, and five stone bases. He showed a strong eye at the plate with a 10.6 percent walk rate, which placed him in the 78th percentile among qualified hitters. He was also graded as an excellent defender, placing him in the 84th percentile in arm strength. However, he struggled to generate hard contact at the plate, generating a weak 4.7 percent barrel rate and a 32.7 percent hard-hit rate. Fantasy managers should expect Joe to operate as a rotational piece in the lineup, seeing time in the outfield and at first base.

The Pittsburgh Pirates are expected to non-tender outfielder Bryan De La Cruz and first baseman/outfielder Connor Joe, according to a source. It will make both players free agents this winter. De La Cruz didn't impress the Bucs after the acquired him from the Miami Marlins at the trade deadline in the summer, as he hit just .200/.220/.394 with three homers, 17 RBI and 52 strikeouts in 168 plate appearances in the second half. The 27-year-old did manage a career-high 21 round-trippers in 149 total games in 2024, though, so he will attract interest on the free-agent market. Joe, 32, hit .238/.330/.396 with a .726 OPS, 20 homers, 78 RBI and five steals in 256 games the last two years in Pittsburgh and will look for a platoon/utility role with another organization on the free-agent market. The former first-rounder had a career-high 11 homers in 2023 in his first year in Pittsburgh.