RADIO
The Corner Store is open! It is week 14 and the options are quite limited. We've gotten to the part of the season where reality has set in. Replacement corner infielders who once were performing well beyond their skills have come back down to earth. With a basic junkyard of options on the waiver wire, it is vital that you know what you are looking for and have realistic expectations when making a selection.
Make an assessment of your roster. Find out if you actually need more power, as is usually expected from the corner infield spot. If not, that would open up more alternatives, which could lead to power, batting average, or just riding the hot hand. It all depends on what type of gambler you are. If you are a risk-taker, then you might lean towards that home run hitter with a mediocre batting average. If you like to play it safe, then you might be more comfortable getting a hitter with a higher average and the potential for other counting stats. In the end, the choice is yours. Be confident in what you do.
Key points - the primary focus of this list is on players who are owned in less than 50% of leagues. Below are some names that might be available as well as players that have recently graduated from the parameters. Check your leagues for availability. I've included the recent performance below as well, so you can compare and make a better selection.
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Week 14 Corner Infield (CI) Waiver Wire Targets
Jake Bauers (1B,TB) - 8% owned
Last 7 days: five runs, one HR, three RBI, one SB, .318 AVG
Bauers is having impressive start to his rookie campaign. He is no Juan Soto but Bauers is slashing .267/.409/.493 with a 45.3% hard-hit rate – Soto only has a 39.1%. The big difference thus far is Bauers does not have a fly ball rate (23%) similar to Soto (33%). The Rays are starting to take advantage of his OBP, .444 in the last week, by batting him in the top third of the lineup, routinely in the three-hole. In addition to his impressive 19.4% BB/9, Bauers has an excellent BB-K ratio as he has drawn 18 walks and only struck out 20 times. Tampa Bay has six games this week with favorable series even on the road against the Marlins and Mets.
Yuli Gurriel (1B, HOU) - 43% owned
Last 7 days: five runs, one HR, seven RBI, .462 AVG
Gurriel finished last week with three days on paternity leave and was subsequently dropped in a few leagues. Remember, his value is based on two things, batting average and opportunity. Gurriel should be activated off paternity leave on Monday and placed directly back into the middle of the Astros lineup that has scored 98 runs in the last six series.
In addition to average power, Gurriel is not an on-base machine as he still only draws walks 3.6 percent of the time but he does limit his strikeouts (10.4%), with an equally impressive 8.2% swinging strikes. The handedness of the pitcher is irrelevant as well as Gurriel is hitting .305 against left-handers and .295 against righties. This week he has favorable matchups against the Rangers in Texas and White Sox at home.
Jose Bautista (3B/OF, NYM) - 6% owned
Last 7 days: five runs, two HR, five RBI, .305 AVG
Surely, this isn’t a name you expected to see on this list. Granted Bautista’s better days are in the past. However, his performance since joining the Mets demonstrates there is value that can be extracted even at the age of 37. In 101 plate appearances in New York, he has a .267 AVG that is buoyed by a .375 BABIP. The important thing is that he is getting consistent playing time. Also, he is hitting out of the two-hole a majority of the time which should give him continued opportunities for production.
There are additional benefits to owning Bautista. He is proving to be an asset in OBP leagues (.446), with a 23.8% BB/9. He is primarily a pull-hitter (58%), but he is hitting the ball so hard (54%), that he is bound to find success. The last piece of good news relates to his opponents this week. Two games in Toronto gives Bautista and fantasy owners an opportunity for revenge production. Then he gets home games against the Rays. So, if you are a believer that hitters tend to play better when they’re out to prove something then Bautista might be a good add this week. Keep in mind that because of the schedule, the Mets only gets five games this week.
Johan Camargo (2B/3B/SS, ATL) - 12% owned
Last 7 days: three runs, zero HR, three RBI, .364 AVG
Switch-hitter Camargo is not the definition of a power third baseman; however, he is not without some pop. He continues to hit the ball hard (41.6%) and has a league average ISO (.180). Camargo is hitting .254, but he is having more success from the left side of the plate (.260 AVG). Thus far, Camargo has seven homers and 11 doubles. June has been his best month of the season; he has three homers to go with 19 RBI. Also, the return of Ronald Acuna means the lineup will generate more runs and opportunities for Camargo.
The Braves are one of the few teams to have a full slate of games this week. Therefore, Camargo will benefit and have an opportunity to give you both quality and quantity, particularly with multi-positional eligibility. While they are all road games against the Yankees and Brewers, the silver lining is that he doesn’t face the best pitchers of those respective teams.
Matt Duffy (2B/3B, TB) - 19% owned
Last 7 days: three runs, zero HR, one RBI, two SB, .333 AVG
The hesitation continues. Despite his performance, his ownership has only increased 2% since last week. Maybe it is slipping by everyone’s view that he is on a nine game hitting streak. It is possible that the fantasy masses do not consider him because he plays for the Tampa Bay Rays. While it may be an oversight, let me point out that Duffy is hitting .322 on the year. Yes, it will regress as his .381 BABIP is not sustainable. While a 52.3% ground ball rate is not encouraging, Duffy’s speed does compensate for some of that, not just the six stolen bases. Duffy is not a typical power third baseman, but, like Yuli Gurriel, he will serve well as a solid short-term replacement. Road games against the Marlins and Mets, combined with his recent performance, should spark more interest.
