7 Hitters Rostered in Fewer Than 15% of Leagues – Week 12

Each week we identify seven hitters who are rostered in fewer than 15% of fantasy baseball leagues who should be on your radar. For the most part, the players included in this article are best suited for inclusion in deeper leagues (12 teams or more). However, with the multitude of injuries creating holes in fantasy baseball rosters, you may need to eventually rely on some of the players referenced in this article in order to field a complete and competitive fantasy lineup. We reference Fantasy Pros’ roster percentages (as of Sunday afternoon) in this article.

 

Bobby Dalbec, 1B, BOS, (12%)

 

Bobby Dalbec has a tremendous power bat. However, with an overall 36.4% K rate, he’s only fantasy viable as a streaming option when he’s on a hot streak. Take notice, because Dalbec is currently in the middle of a hot streak. He entered Sunday’s action with a .367 BA, three HR, eight RBI in his last eight games. Unfortunately, even during his current upswing Dalbec is still striking out 30.3% of the time. Ride him while he’s hot but be prepared to cut him once his free-swinging ways get the best of him.

 

Jesús Sánchez, OF, MIA, (10%)

 

With Corey Dickerson looking like he’s going to be sidelined for a while with a foot injury, Jesús Sánchez should get plenty of playing time in the Marlins’ outfield over the next few weeks. Sanchez, who got one hit in 24 at-bats in his first taste of big-league action last season, had been punishing Triple-A pitchers before his recent promotion, batting .349 with nine HR in his first 33 games of the season. He’s off to another slow start with the Marlins but did hit his first big league home run on Saturday night. He does offer high upside and should be on your watch list or on your bench if you play in a deep league that requires you to start five outfielders.

 

Leury García, 2B/SS/OF, CHW, (4%)

 

Leury García, with his multi-position eligibility, is a valuable fantasy commodity in this season in which we’ve seen so many players hit the IL. At his core, García offers fantasy managers a player who can hit the occasional home run, steal the occasional base, and can be slipped into fantasy lineups without the fear that he’ll kill a fantasy team’s overall batting average. With the high number of White Sox players who’ve spent time on the IL this season, García has been getting everyday at-bats and he’s made the most of his playing time. Over his last 27 games, García is batting .291 with a .371 OBP.

 

Chas McCormick, OF, HOU, (3%)

 

Chas McCormick may not be hitting for a high average, but with eight of his 22 hits going for home runs on the season, he is a good source of power (.490 SLG). He’s also getting a fair share of opportunities to bat close to the top of the Astros’ lineup, batting second in three of his last six games. He’s going to have to cut down on his strikeouts if he’s going to have long-term success, but McCormick compiled a .269 BA with three HR and a .923 OPS in his last seven games.

 

Taylor Ward, OF, LAA, (2%)

 

With top prospects Brandon Marsh and Jo Adell needing to spend some time down in the minor leagues early this season to further perfect their craft, Taylor Ward has been filling in nicely in the Angels outfield. He’s been getting regular at-bats since May and although Ward got off to a slow start this season, he has steadily improved. Up until May 19th, Ward was batting just .156/.235/.311 slash line and a 52 wRC+.  Since then, Ward has been a bit more aggressive at the plate and has significantly increased his LD and hard hit rates. In turn, he’s raised his slash line to an impressive .291/.384/.500 with a 147 wRC+.

 

LaMonte Wade Jr., OF, SF, (2%)

 

With Alex Dickerson on the IL due to a strained back, LaMonte Wade will continue to be in the Giants’ everyday lineup. With his overall contact rate of 84.5% (league average is 75.5%) and his ability to get on base (.360 OBP), Wade has been batting at the top of the Giants batting order and has posted a .279/371/.541 slash line from the leadoff position this season.

 

Jake Bauers, 1B/OF, SEA, (1%)

 

Jake Bauers is a post-hype sleeper, and a player that I had high hopes for a few seasons ago. I loved the potential of rostering a player like Bauers who could provide both power and a little bit of speed from a corner infield position. Bauers stole nine bases in his first 256 games for the Rays and Cleveland, but unfortunately, he batted .211 in his two-plus year big league career. He was finally traded to the Mariners earlier this season and at least for the short term, the move seems to have revitalized Bauers career. In his first 10 games with the M’s he’s batting .333/.366/.436 and he’s been playing every day. With Evan White on the IL with a hip flexor strain and suffering a recent setback, Bauers should continue to see regular playing time.

 

Featured image by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns on Twitter and @justinparadisdesigns on Instagram)