Tucker Barnhart (C, CIN) - Week 5 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues

ROSTERED IN: 17% of leagues

ANALYSIS: At the notoriously shallow and tough-to-predict position of catcher, Tucker Barnhart has emerged as an option who is finally putting together the complete package. The two-time Gold Glove winner had a strong finish to last season and has ridden that momentum right into 2021, with nine RBI, nine R, two HR, and a .313/.389/.521 slash over the first 48 AB. Barnhart has netted career-high marks in ISO (.208), hard hit rate (33.3%), and exit velocity (87.4 MPH), in balance with a .464 BABIP and a combined 70% of grounders and line drives.

Barnhart's increased focus on hitting for power has not-surprisingly resulted in an uptick in strikeout rate ( 25.5% in 2020 to 33.3%), but he has remained sensible in the box in maintaining a 9.3% walk rate. A high level of play was needed to stave off the burgeoning Tyler Stephenson in the rotation, and while Stephenson has also had success this year, Barnhart's defense in combination with his new-found offensive reliability has secured the front spot for now. Now that the Reds are potent enough offensively to provide peripheral offensive statistics, Tucker Barnhart is an excellent option at backstop for those in medium-sized leagues.

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