RADIO
Just two weeks remain in the 2021 Major League Baseball season. That puts fantasy baseball managers in only two spots: those still competing for a championship and those waiting for next year. For the latter, keeper leagues obviously add a totally different dimension for what to do with a roster in these final weeks. It is entirely dependent on league settings. But for those still competing for this current season, there remain a number of corner infield bats worth a look.
Of course, all the worthy bats have already been given a previous mention in this column. That is to be expected after 25 weeks. That leaves us with only repeats. Each man has strengths and weaknesses. The weaknesses can be detrimental; if they weren't, these players wouldn't be so readily available. Pay attention to what a player does poorly and what he does well to determine which is the best fit for this final fortnight.
For our purposes in this column, we are looking at Yahoo!'s rostered percentages, as well as its positional eligibility. We are searching for useful players rostered in fewer than 40 percent of Yahoo! leagues. With that being said, below are my first base and third base waiver wire pickups to consider for Week 26 - September 20 through September 26.
The Repeats
Nothing this past week has dissuaded me from adding Luis Urias for the rest of the season. He is 39 percent rostered, so do so while you still can. Importantly, Urias and the Brewers play seven games in seven days this week, with no off day. That isn't to say Urias will definitely be in the lineup each of those games, but he has added chances over the standard six or even five-game week.
Nathaniel Lowe (39% rostered) is still worth adding for the stretch run. He isn't going to deliver huge power or speed numbers but should be an asset in at least three categories in standard leagues. Like Milwaukee, the Texas Rangers will also see seven games in this seven-day week. That bodes well for regulars like Lowe to garner extra at-bats.
Patrick Wisdom (35%) is worth a flier if a manager needs home runs these final couple weeks. We know his limitations as a player, but that skillset is still useful. Wisdom is up to a 52.8 percent hard-hit rate, 15.9 percent barrel rate, and 91.3 average exit velocity. All three metrics rank in the 83rd percentile or better for the season. Wisdom's power has staying...power.
He will sit and will be platooned, but Evan Longoria is still worth an add at 30 percent rostered. The key is being able to spare the roster spot for the days he does sit in real life. Because when Longoria takes the field, he is hitting like his former All-Star self, even at 35 years old. Luckily, the Giants grab a series at Colorado this week too, boosting every San Francisco hitter a tad.
With so many options for the San Francisco lineup, including the aforementioned Longoria, LaMonte Wade Jr. (13%) has still managed to play nearly every day. And he is garnering prime lineup positioning, batting either leadoff or cleanup every time out. The home runs have dried up a bit and likely won't come in droves at San Diego this week, but Wade is a threat in every category. And as mentioned with Longoria, the Giants do see the Rockies at Colorado this week, which is never a bad thing for a hitter.
Brad Miller continues to play and to hit. At 12 percent rostered, he is certainly being undervalued this final month. As for week 26, the Phillies are another squad looking at seven games in seven days. It may be hard on pitchers and bullpens, but hitters should reap the rewards of that extra game-plus.
Yoshi Tsutsugo is in the same position as Miller. He continues to produce, yet his 8 percent rostered percentage has not caught up to the value he is delivering. And like Miller's Phillies, Tsutsugo's Pirates have the seven-games-in-seven-days slate on the horizon. Ironically, the Phillies and Pirates will be facing each other for the final four such games. That will have hitters on both sides licking their chops.
Andy Ibanez (3%) was activated off the IL and deserves the look we were all giving him a couple weeks back. He was one of the hottest hitters in the league before suffering a hamstring strain at the very end of August. A couple weeks of recovery have brought him back onto the active roster, and he is looking to pick up where he left off. It didn't take him long to start swinging again, with two hits in his return game on Saturday. Texas has the full seven games this week, so look for a lot of Ibanez now that he is healthy again.
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