Curtis Mead DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Tampa Bay Rays second baseman Curtis Mead added weight during the offseason. Mead did this to hit the ball harder and retain his strength through the long season. Mead has appeared in 62 MLB contests over the past two seasons but has yet to enjoy any sustained success. During the 2023 season, Mead held a .253/.326/.349 line with one home run in 24 games. Last season, Mead posted a slightly lower .238/.282/.287 line with home run across 38 games. He generated a poor 36.6 percent ard-hit rate and 4.3 percent barrel rate. However, with Triple-A Durham, the 24-year-old has performed much better. Last season, Mead posted a strong .288/.259/.481 line with 19 doubles and 13 home runs. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his development during spring training as he will likely compete for a bench role on the Opening Day roster.

According to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times, second base prospect Curtis Mead will be fighting for one of the final spots on the Opening Day roster during spring training. Mead has been given brief looks in the majors over the past two seasons but has yet to find consistent success. Last summer, across 38 games, Mead posted a .238/.282/.287 slash line with three doubles and one home run. During his rookie season in 2023, Mead posted a .253/.326/.349 line across 24 contests. He generated a weak 36.6 percent hard-hit rate and a 4.3 percent barrel rate, placing him well below the average marks. However, at Triple-A, the 24-year-old posted a strong .288/.359/.481 line with 19 doubles and 13 home runs across 91 games. Mead will compete alongside newly acquired designated hitter Eloy Jimenez for one of the final spots. If he does make the roster, he could be worth a look in deeper AL-only formats for power upside.

Tampa Bay Rays infield prospect Curtis Mead, who is ranked by MLB Pipeline as the team's No. 3 prospect for a reason, has crushed the ball wherever he's played and had a .302/.376/.514 slash line in the minors. However, MLB.com's Adam Berry says it's difficult to envision a consistent path to playing time for Mead as the Rays' roster is currently constructed. Yandy Diaz, Brandon Lowe and Isaac Paredes are set around the infield, and unless the team has another trade in the works, Harold Ramirez seems to be in line for right-handed designated hitter work. "That is one hungry, motivated player. Curtis is driven to be really, really good, and he is going to do everything he can," manager Kevin Cash said. The 23-year-old is a pure hitter and should be stashed in dynasty/keeper leagues in 2024.