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.
Harrison Bader – 3%
Harrison Bader was mentioned in this column earlier this season, thanks in part to a sudden uptick in barrels.
The veteran has never logged consistently high barrel rates before. His previous career-best was a 9.9% barrel rate in 406 plate appearances in 2019. Since then, he’s yet to top a 7.0% barrel rate in a full season, though that could change this season.
Bader’s 8.8% barrel rate is a far cry from the unsustainable 20.8% number it was early in the season, but if it maintains, Bader could finish the year as a starting fantasy outfielder in leagues with 14 or more teams.
Overall, he’s hitting .276 with a .359 on-base percentage, five home runs and six stolen bases in 153 plate appearances in his first season with the Minnesota Twins.
With the elevated barrel rate and a regular role in Minnesota, Bader could easily surpass his previous career high in home runs, which was 16 in 401 plate appearances during the 2021 season.
And while it remains to be seen if the .276 batting average will continue – Bader is also sporting a .228 xBA and a .336 xwOBAcon – there’s a very real chance he could push for a 20 home run, 20 stolen base season.
And the reality is, you just won’t find that many hitters with that type of upside and this low of a rostered rate.
Yoán Moncada – 2%
Generally speaking, when a lineup is, well, really good, it elevates the rostered rate of any player who’s starting in that lineup regularly due to the RBI and runs scored upside.
The Los Angeles Dodgers have fit that description in recent years. At times, Atlanta’s lineup has as well.
The Los Angeles Angels aren’t there quite yet in terms of being mentioned in the same breath as those vaunted lineups, but they’ve been one of baseball’s highest-scoring teams as of late.
Since the calendar flipped to May, the Halos have been outscored by just six teams as of the start of play on Wednesday, with the most home runs in the sport during that span.
Moncada is hitting just .232 with a .316 on-base percentage in 79 plate appearances during that span, with a 26.6% strikeout rate as well, but he’s been excellent from a power production standpoint during that span.
Since the calendar turned to May, Moncada has connected on five home runs and logged a .290 ISO that’s actually higher than his BABIP (.250) during that span.
For the season, he’s hitting .222 with a .330 on-base percentage, five home runs and a 16.1% barrel rate in 106 plate appearances, a 12.3% walk rate and a 24.2% chase rate.
Particularly in leagues where on-base percentage is part of the scoring, he’s an ideal addition for those fantasy managers in search of power production.
Kyle Isbel – 1%
Unlike the Angels, the Kansas City Royals have struggled to score runs this season.
Entering play Wednesday, Kansas City had outscored just two other Major League clubs. Kansas City’s outfielders in particular entered play Wednesday with the lowest collective wRC+ (69) among outfield groups this season.
And while Kyle Isbel is batting just .269 with a .274 on-base percentage, three home runs and a stolen base in 140 plate appearances, with an 84 wRC+, he’s been much better as of late.
The 28-year-old is batting .309 with a .316 on-base percentage and two home runs in 60 plate appearances this month, logging a 129 wRC+ in the process.
And while it remains to be seen if that type of production will continue throughout the course of the season – Isbel does rank in the 14th percentile or lower league wide in hard-hit rate, xwOBA, barrel rate, xSLG and walk rate – the outfielder (speculatively speaking) could see plenty of playing time for the Royals in the short term while his batting average is this high.
As long as that’s the case, he could be worth a look as a temporary streaming option for fantasy managers in leagues with more than 14 teams.
Graphic by Carlos Leano.
