Each week, we’ll look at a handful of different hitters who fantasy managers should consider picking up in deeper fantasy baseball leagues. Many of these players will have the most value in larger leagues where waiver wire options aren’t as plentiful. Still, they could also occasionally be useful additions in other, more standard-sized leagues, depending on your options at their position.
All roster percentages mentioned in this column are via FantasyPros as of Wednesday afternoon.
Max Kepler – 8%
Generally speaking, adding a player to your fantasy lineup or roster who’s part of a quality real-life lineup is never a bad thing. Oftentimes, it can serve as a bit of a tiebreaker in terms of deciding which player to add via waivers or start in general.
That first bit certainly applies to Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Max Kepler, who has maintained a reasonably regular role for the National League East club this season. For the year, the outfielder is batting .222 with a .308 on-base percentage, a 93 wRC+, 17 home runs and three stolen bases in those aforementioned 453 plate appearances.
His batted ball and plate discipline metrics suggest he should probably be a bit better – or at least more productive – at the plate, what with a .348 xwOBA, an 11.6% barrel rate, a .464 xSLG and a 26.2% chase rate. The xwOBA and barrel rate rank in the 71st percentile league-wide, the xSLG in the 69th percentile.
We’re dealing with a smaller sample size lately, but it’s possible Kepler’s numbers are starting to even out just a bit. Or, at the very least, start to improve to more reasonably match the outfielder’s underlying metrics.
Kepler is batting .297 with a .400 on-base percentage since the start of September in 45 plate appearances, connecting on three home runs and stealing a base in the process. His wRC+ in that span sits 64 points above league average and is 71 points better than his season-long number. Which is a long way of saying Kepler is sporting a 164 wRC+ in the month of September.
Even though he’s largely hitting sixth and seventh for the Phillies in that stretch, Philadelphia entered play on Wednesday having been outscored by just five other clubs, giving Kepler impact fantasy upside the rest of the way with all the RBI and run scored potential.
José Caballero – 17%
José Caballero, just like with Max Kepler, has seen both his fantasy floor and ceiling improve thanks to the lineup he’s hitting in.
A trade deadline acquisition by the New York Yankees, Caballero is batting .270 with a .356 on-base percentage, three home runs and 13 stolen bases in 74 plate appearances for the American League East franchise.
For the season, the 29-year-old is batting .235 with a .333 on-base percentage, five home runs and 47 stolen bases in 349 plate appearances. With fantasy eligibility all over the diamond – Caballero has fantasy eligibility at second base, third base, shortstop and in the outfield – the infielder and outfielder can help most all fantasy managers regardless of lineup needs or roster construction.
That he’s made an instant impact with the Yankees only improves his fantasy upside, which was already reasonably solid given his elite stolen base numbers.
For reference, entering play on Wednesday, Caballero led all of Major League Baseball in stolen bases, five more than the next closest player.
Joey Wiemer – 0%
Joey Wiemer is more of a fantasy option in leagues with 14 or more teams, given the number of other outfielders the Miami Marlins are giving starts to – notably Jakob Marsee, Heriberto Hernández and Troy Johnston – but Wiemer has plenty of upside as a short-term streaming option in deeper leagues.
The former Milwaukee Brewers outfielder has made an early impact for the Marlins, hitting three home runs in his first 18 games and 56 plate appearances for the National League East franchise.
All three of those home runs have come since September 3, a stretch in which the 26-year-old is sporting a .385 ISO and a 161 wRC+ in 30 plate appearances.
If he were guaranteed regular playing time the rest of the way, his fantasy floor and ceiling would be a bit higher. But in fantasy leagues with five starting outfield spots and 14 or more teams, he’s very much worth a look as a short-term addition.
Of note, the Marlins play at Coors Field on Thursday before playing six of their final nine games either in Philadelphia or at home. Per Statcast data, the ballparks in Philadelphia and Miami both rank in the top 10 in the league in overall park factor in the last three seasons.
Graphic by Carlos Leano.
