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.
Jake Meyers – 6%
The Houston Astros might not be the run-scoring juggernaut that they used to be in years past. Entering play Wednesday, the club ranked behind 20 teams in total runs scored and had connected on just 30 home runs, just five ahead of the last-place team in the league.
Still, the Astros have enough quality hitters near the top of their lineup, even with Yordan Alvarez on the injured list, for Meyers – who generally hits in the bottom third of the Houston lineup – to post quality runs scored numbers, particularly for as long as he keeps hitting like this.
Entering play on Wednesday, the outfielder was hitting .299 with a .349 on-base percentage, 13 RBI, 13 runs scored and two home runs and seven stolen bases in 107 plate appearances.
Meyers is striking out 19.6% of the time, but with a .360 BABIP, the batting average seems likely to come back to earth a bit at some point. Still, he’s sporting identical wOBA (.345) and xwOBA (.345) numbers, so it’s possible the statistical drop off won’t be too significant.
Either way, for as long as this batting average production continues, he’s worth a look as a short-term streaming option in leagues with 14 or more teams who can provide a boost for more than just a few games.
Sal Frelick – 24%
Sticking with outfielders, we switch to Frelick, who was mentioned in this column last month. At the time, Frelick was making a bunch of contact in benefitting from a high BABIP to hit .375 with a .457 on-base percentage and a pair of stolen bases in his first 46 plate appearances. His BABIP to that point was .441. His strikeout rate? Just 13.0%.
Fast forward nearly a month and Sal Frelick is striking out even less. And while his BABIP has dropped off considerably, he’s still providing decidedly above-average production in a number of scoring categories for fantasy purposes.
Frelick entered play Wednesday, hitting .297 with a .381 on-base percentage in 135 plate appearances. He’s struck out just 11.9% of the time (with a 9.6% walk rate that’s nearly pulled level with the strikeout rate), not to mention a home run and seven stolen bases so far.
And while he’s not logging elite RBI (nine) or runs scored (16) totals so far, his ability to steal bases and hit for a high average has been reasonably uncommon so far.
Among qualified batters, Frelick is one of just 30 with a minimum of seven stolen bases. Among those 30 batters, just eight others are also hitting north of .290.
Those eight include a number of batters who likely were drafted very early in drafts in Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr., Trea Turner, Kyle Tucker, Shohei Ohtani and Bobby Witt Jr., as well as a pair of infielders who likely have been added to a significant number of rosters in recent weeks in Brice Turang and Maikel Garcia.
Eli White – 4%
One of a number of outfielders Atlanta has turned to help fill in for Ronald Acuña Jr., who is currently on the injured list, and Jurickson Profar, who is currently serving an 80-game suspension for testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance, per a press release from the comissioner’s office in late March..
White has been the most productive of the bunch, hitting .302 with a .343 on-base percentage, two home runs and two stolen bases in 67 plate appearances so far for the National League East club.
Full stop, he’s been one of Atlanta’s better hitters at the plate this year, with a wRC+ that is 45% better than league average at a 145 number. And while Atlanta’s lineup isn’t as deep as it could be at full strength, White represents a quality streaming option for fantasy managers in deeper leagues in search of a boost at the plate from a counting stat standpoint.
The outfielder has added 15 runs scored and eight RBI so far this season. And while it remains to be seen how long he’ll hit for this type of average, he’s very much worth a look, particularly for fantasy managers dealing with injuries in the outfield.
White has a .386 wOBA so far, but just a .330 xwOBA on the season. There’s also a .378 BABIP that seems to be inflating his statistical production a bit.
Add him now while he’s still regularly hitting for a high average.
