Ji-Man Choi (1B, TB) - Week 26 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues

OWNED IN: 11% of leagues

ANALYSIS: Ji-Man Choi has been performing steadily better at the plate each month since June, and has settled into a fantastic rhythm all throughout September. In 60 AB this month, he has wracked up five dingers in addition to a remarkable slash of .283/.380/.617 with a season-high ISO of .330. Choi has accomplished this hot run down the home-stretch by leveling out his high grounder rate of 43.5% with a very high frequency of fly balls (41.3%) and producing by far his highest pull rate of the season at 52.2%.

His quality of contact on batted-balls has also been at a high level throughout September with a hard contact rate of 45.7% and a soft contact rate of just 13%. With excellent natural power as demonstrated by his exit velocity of 90.6 mph and average HR-distance of 409-feet, that hard contact has been taking Choi yard. Finally, his improved plate discipline this month has helped to round out his offensive contributions, as this month he has produced his lowest strikeout rate of the year at 21.1% with a dialed-in 11.3% walk rate. Ji-Man Choi has been a part of a Tampa Bay batting order than has scored the second-most runs in all of baseball for the month of September, and although it won't be enough to get the Rays to the playoffs, it is enough for Choi to end 2018 on an extremely positive note.