Remember when Maverick and Goose are walking down the tarmac in “Top Gun,” and yell the iconic line, “I feel the need, the need for speed” followed by a high-five before taking off and soaring through the air?

But, where did that need for speed get them?

Well, considering Goose died later in the film (sorry for the 35-year-old spoiler), it didn’t seem to get the duo to where they believed they would be.

Since 2019, no one in baseball has more stolen bases than the Royals’ Adalberto Mondesi. He had 67 thefts over the past two seasons and 99 since 2018. His 24 stolen bases in 2020 were the most in the league.

Mondesi finished the abbreviated 2020 season hitting .256 with six homers, 22 RBIs, 33 runs score and a .710 OPS. In September, over his final 22 games, he hit .376 (32-for-85) with six homers, 19 RBIs, 22 runs and a 1.130 OPS. The only real negatives: He struck out 27 times and walked just seven times in that span.

So, it makes sense the Royals’ shortstop carries a 30.6 average draft position, according to Fantasy Alarm, right?

Well, sure, if those were all the numbers you needed to be concerned with. You see, Roto Rage didn’t mention the fact Mondesi hit .179 (24-for-134) with no homers, three RBIs, 11 runs scored, 43 strikeouts, four walks and .440 OPS over his first 37 games last year. About the only good thing he did in that span was steal eight bases.

Could some of those struggles be blamed on an early season shoulder injury? Sure, but what about the fact the .464 BABIP he carried in September, when he looked like a superstar, being a highly unsustainable mark? What about his .294 on-base percentage being the 14th-worst mark in the league? What about the fact he has zero discipline at the plate?

In 2020, Mondesi swung at 53.8 percent of the pitches he saw, the 12th-worst mark in the majors. He also had the third-highest swinging strike rate (20.1 percent).

In five seasons, Mondesi has struck out in 29.7 percent of his at-bats. In 59 games last year, he whiffed 30 percent of the time (13th-highest in the majors), up from 29.8 percent in 2019 and 26.5 percent in 2018.

The lack of plate discipline means Mondesi rarely gets free passes. He walked in just 4.7 percent of his plate appearances in 2020 (4.3 percent for his career), the eighth-lowest mark in the majors.

And all of this coming from a guy who has never played in more than 102 games in a season.

Can fantasy owners deal with using a top-30 pick on a career .251 hitter? Sure, especially if he can stay healthy and provide the power and RBI potential (Baseball Reference is projecting he’ll finish with 17 homers and 70 RBIs) on top of the speed. It’s that career .284 OBP and lack of plate discipline that make taking Mondesi so early in the draft a tough pill to swallow.

Stolen bases are valuable (especially in roto formats), but they’re not worth chasing early. Not when you can snag players like Dylan Carlson (168.1), Victor Robles (180.3), Andres Gimenez (191.6), Nick Madrigal (225.8) or Raimel Tapia (243.3) throughout the draft to bolster your steal totals.

Avoiding Mondesi as a top-30 pick will also bring more balance to your roster. If you’re looking for a shortstop, Xander Bogaerts (32.5) and Corey Seager (38.7) should be available in the same spot. You can land a top-20 pitcher, like Jack Flaherty (31.4) or Clayton Kershaw (32.1), or top-10 outfielders like Eloy Jimenez (36.2) or Luis Robert (37.1). Heck, you will likely have your choice of Anthony Rendon (35.0) or Alex Bregman (39.1), both top-five third basemen.

The need for speed is overrated, just like Mondesi.

Lourdes of the Rings