
BALLER MOVE: Add in leagues of 12+ teams
ROSTERED IN: 44% of leagues
ANALYSIS: When we last saw Kike Hernandez (pronounced KEE-KAY), he was mashing lefties for the Dodgers for the last few years. That limited his chances. His career high in at-bats is 414, set in 2019 when the Dodgers had a lot of injuries. This year, Kike has a full-time gig with Boston and already has 311 at-bats already this season. Add that to the ever-coveted multi-position eligibility, and most fantasy owners started taking notice. Is he just a warm body at shallow positions though? Let's see what he actually brings to the table.
Hernandez is a career .240 hitter, so expecting better than the current .244 average doesn't seem likely. His .270 BABIP seems low by league standards, but Kike hits almost half of his balls in the air, including 14.7% of his fly balls that never leave the infield. Thinking the BABIP will normalize closer to .300 also seems unlikely. Eventually, Kike is going to hurt your average. His six homers in 69 July at-bats softens the blow some and he is hitting .275 this month.
We all know the power is legit. Kike hit 11 homers in about the same number of at-bats in 2017. His career high in homers is 21, and everything says that number is within reach. The 19.1 degree launch angle reflects the high amount of fly balls that he hits, but 12.1% of those flies leave the yard. It may not be conducive to a high batting average, but it's working for Kike.
Boston also has Kike leading off in most games now. He has scored 13 runs in 18 July games, so if you're light on runs scored and homers and can afford a little nick to your batting average, Hernandez can help you. Boston's offense is proving to be a potent one, which will also increase his RBI opportunities. He has 14 RBI already in July and drove in 12 runs last month. This number is trending upward as well.
The silver lining for Hernandez and his prospective owners is that six of his 14 homers have come off of right-handed pitching this year. He's not just a lefty killer anymore. If you need a boost in average and runs at shallow middle infield positions, Hernandez is a solid addition to fuel your second half surge.
More Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups

Vinnie Pasquantino, Jo Adell, Tyler Soderstrom - Fantasy Baseball Draft Values
If you need some fantasy baseball sleeper targets then you have come to the right place at RotoBaller! We are living, eating, and breathing all things baseball right now and are focused on getting you ready for those fantasy baseball drafts! Vinnie Pasquantino, Jo Adell, and Tyler Soderstrom are all interesting fantasy targets this year, […]

Pete Crow-Armstrong, Jacob Young, Matt Wallner - Fantasy Baseball Draft Values
If you need some fantasy baseball sleeper targets in your upcoming drafts, then look no further! Today we take a look at three promising young outfielders. Pete Crow-Armstrong, Jacob Young, and Matt Wallner are all interesting fantasy targets this year, but which of these can be considered values at their current ADP? Should you draft […]

Andres Munoz, Raisel Iglesias, Jeff Hoffman - Fantasy Baseball Closer Draft Values
Finding reliable relief pitchers is no easy task and there is a lot of difference in opinion on whether to go after top closers early in drafts or wait until the later rounds. Andres Munoz, Raisel Iglesias, and Jeff Hoffman are all interesting fantasy targets this year at relief pitcher, but which of these three […]

Brandon Pfaadt, Clay Holmes, Nick Lodolo - Fantasy Baseball Draft Values
Why take starting pitchers early in drafts when you can wait and get value with a deep class of solid starters set to take the mound this season? Brandon Pfaadt, Clay Holmes, and Nick Lodolo are all interesting fantasy targets this year, but which of these three can be considered "sleepers" at their current ADP? Should […]

Joey Ortiz, Connor Norby, Michael Conforto - Fantasy Baseball Draft Values
If you need some fantasy baseball sleeper targets or you are looking to avoid busts in your upcoming drafts, then look no further! Joey Ortiz, Connor Norby, and Michael Conforto are all interesting fantasy targets this year, but which of these three are values or busts at their current ADP? Should you draft Ortiz, Norby, […]
Download Our Free Waiver Wire App
Like what you see? You can download our free fantasy baseball mobile app for iPhone and Android which includes more waiver wire recommendations at every position, 24x7 player news, notifications, injury alerts & daily articles.
Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App
Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy baseball app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, sleepers, prospects & more. All free!

Check out RotoBaller's entire fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups and sleepers list, updated daily!