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ANALYSIS: Cincinnati Reds infielder/outfielder Josh VanMeter entered Sunday's action on a six-game hitting streak. He's hit second in the lineup in three straight games after spending most of the year hitting in the middle-third or bottom-third of the order. As he's more of a contact hitter than a power hitter, the promotion in the order should help him both get more at-bats and allow him to score more runs going forward.
On the year, VanMeter is slashing .293/.383/.472 with 4 home runs, 13 RBI, 18 runs and 4 stolen bases over 58 games. VanMeter had proven to be a solid contact hitter over the course of his minor league career, but this year at triple-A, he had been showing hints of a power breakout with a 1.097 OPS and 14 home runs in 49 games. That power profile has yet to manifest itself in the majors, but if it does, VanMeter could become a must-add target.
VanMeter has triple eligibility at second base, third base and outfield, which makes him an attractive add from a versatility standpoint. Right now, he isn't excelling enough at one particular thing to demand an instant pickup, but he's still a worthy add in NL-only leagues and leagues of 12-teams or larger. In more shallow mixed leagues, keep him on your radar.
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