Giovanny Urshela (3B/SS, NYY) - Week 18 Waiver Wire Pickups

Andrew Ericksen analyzes New York Yankees third baseman/shortstop Giovanny Urshela as a waiver wire pickup or add target for Week 18 of the 2019 fantasy baseball season. Urshela has been a great surprise for the Yankees this year and has had a great month of July.

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ANALYSIS: Giovanny Urshela has been invaluable to the New York Yankees this season. In a year where the team has been plagued by injuries, Urshela has stepped up in a big way, allowing the team to keep performing at an elite level.

On the year, Urshela is slashing .309/.354/.515 with 11 home runs, 49 RBI and 45 runs over 86 games. His .301 xBA ranks amongst the top 3% of the league and he has an exceptionally low strikeout rate of 16.4%.

July has been the best month of the year so far for Urshela as he has five home runs and nine doubles as well as a 1.061 OPS. He's been hitting seventh in the lineup primarily and only sitting about once per week. Although he's a right-handed hitter, he's actually hit right-handed pitching better than left-handed pitching this year (.328 vs. .265 batting average; .918 vs. .753 OPS).

The two positions in which Urshela is eligible, third base and shortstop, are both very, very deep, so many teams might struggle to find a place for Urshela in their weekly lineup. However, if you've got an opening at an infield spot or utility spot, Urshela is a fantastic add. The Yankees will need to continue relying on him as long as he continues hitting.