Can Nelson Velázquez Repeat his 2023 Performance?

Nelson Velázquez put on a show for the Royals in 2023. Encore in 2024?

Somehow, Nelson Velázquez feels like an overlooked player on this 2024 Kansas City Royals roster. For a guy who slashed .235/.302/.586 with 17 home runs and a 132 wRC+ in 179 PAs last season, he receives little hype.

In fact, there are some who question whether Velázquez should make the MLB roster on Opening Day.

Perhaps his gaudy power numbers from 2023 make it hard to imagine he could replicate that performance in 2024. Velázquez did have the third highest ISO in baseball from August 10th (his Royals debut) to the end of the season at .352.

While his high ISO seems unsustainable, there are some other factors to consider when crafting Velázquez’s 2024 outlook.