Full disclosure, I own Marcus Semien in a competitive dynasty league and made this same call I’m about to make last year. The call was that Semien would be a great breakout middle infielder and could wind up being a huge get late in drafts. I admit I was wrong last year as the White Sox demoted Semien once Gordon Beckham and Connor Gillaspie were healthy. The demotion was well deserved, however, as he was struggling rather mightily at the time of the demotion – he was hitting just .218/.287/.327 with three home runs and three steals in 43 games before being sent down.

Once Semien was sent down to the minors, he picked up his performance dramatically and showed the power and speed combination he possesses. While he stole only seven bases (he had 26 in 2013 across two minor league levels and MLB), he hit 15 home runs in 83 games and netted a walk rate of 14.5% with a strikeout rate of 16.1%. If Semien is able to maintain that type of power, plate discipline, and strikeout rate, he would be one of the top hitting shortstops in all of baseball.

Unfortunately, he has not yet been able to transfer the performance he has had in the minors to the majors. I say that despite him hitting .273/.333/.485 in 74 plate appearances as a September call up. He hit well in that one month of play, but I am advocating drafting or picking him up because of his minor league performance and not the one quality month he has shown in the majors.

Another aspect I like about Semien is how much Steamer and ZiPS like him. Steamer has Semien at a .239/.317/.396 line with 16 homers and nine steals in 571 plate appearances. While the average and on base percentage are not world beaters, they are quality enough to deal with if he is able to hit for that type of power and add some speed.

ZiPS projects an almost identical line of .237/.317/.389, with 16 home runs and 12 steals in 625 plate appearances. I play exclusively in on base percentage leagues, so looking at a .317 mark with homers and steals from a player who is currently eligible at second and third base and will add eligibility at shortstop makes him seem pretty valuable at this point. Having a share of the 24-year-old in dynasty, he looks like one of the more valuable middle infield commodities out there, and he could be had at a relatively cheap price.

The only clear threat to Semien’s playing time is prospect Joe Wendle, who will be 25 this year and was traded to the A’s for Brandon Moss. If Semien is only performing “okay” and Wendle is hitting well in the upper minors, the A’s could opt to move Ben Zobrist to shortstop to make room for Wendle. Semien does have the ability to play three infield positions, and if he’s healthy and performing, he should be able to net 600 plate appearances as there is no clear better prospect on the cusp of the majors to steal playing time from him. And even if Wendle does perform well and earns a call up to regular play, Semien would be the direct back up to the oft-injured Brett Lawrie.

With that being the worst case scenario, Semien is a droppable player at all times of the year. You are not investing heavily in him on draft day, and he will be a player who has the potential to hit like one of the top shortstops in the American League. I have advocated drafting him before and was wrong, but I am willing to double down on Semien and have put my money where my mouth is by owning him in dynasty and targeting him myself in my other leagues. Look to acquire him late in drafts due to his power and speed upside and good playing time situation.