Nick Solak (2B/3B/OF, TEX) - Week 5 Waiver Wire Pickups

Brady Grove profiles Texas Rangers utility rookie Nick Solak as a potential waiver wire acquisition of value for fantasy baseball leagues in Week 5 of the 2020 MLB campaign.

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues

ROSTERED IN: 25% of leagues

ANALYSIS: This is a season when every AB matters and defensive versatility can help maximize those opportunities, and with availability in the outfield and the corner and middle infield, Nick Solak presents can easily be plugged in on any given day. The former Louisville Cardinal has started off the 2020 campaign with a .313/.389/.438 slash and three stolen bases, and has been one of the few bright spots in an otherwise lackluster Texas Rangers offense.

Solak's had a few statistical regressions over this limited sample size, namely his ISO dropping from .198 to .125 and his walk rate dropping from 11.1% to 9.7%. However, he has made one key stride in his game that has led to greater consistency: his strikeout rate dropping from 21.5% to 13.9%. While Solak still has a rather high GB/FB ratio of 1.41, he is still hitting for 24.6% line drives, which makes his BABIP of .358 seem all the more sustainable when taken in consideration with his newly improved 38.9% hard contact rate and 11.1% soft contact rate. Even with his power-hitting down, his base-running and ability to reach base with regularity make Nick Solak someone that you can depend on to contribute in multiple categories every time he graces the lineup.