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ANALYSIS: Delino DeShields is not a great hitter, as evidenced by his .674 OPS and 17 home runs in 1,841 career plate appearances. He can draw walks, but strikes out too much for a guy with no pop. If you're rostering him in a fantasy league, you're doing so for one reason: Speed. DeShields has swiped 102 bags at the MLB level (roughly a 35 SB/650 PA pace) and has 20 this season, which is the fourth time in five years that he's reached that mark despite rarely having a consistent grip on a starting role.
He's 8-for-8 in stolen base attempts in 19 August contests so far. Four of them came earlier this week in a three-game set with the Angels, who have allowed more thefts than any team besides the Mets this year. The Rangers face the Angels again next week, and of their remaining opponents, only the Red Sox don't rank among the bottom half in baseball in steals allowed. As long as his playing time holds out, DeShields could make a big impact on the base paths down the stretch.
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