The Waiver Wire in late May can feel a bit picked over, but bargain finds are there for teams in need. If you have injury woes, take a look at one of these 5 bargain bats...
Matt Chapman 3B SFG
Chapman comes alive! Just as folks began to wonder if the ex-MVP type 3B had become a glove-only 30-something guy, he breaks through with a powerful week. Chapman has been 16-for-43 (.372) with eight extra-base hits and eight RBI over his last 11 games, including homers on both Tuesday and Wednesday. His StatCast page has some red to match his famously ruddy countenance, notably a 97th Percentile Bat Speed (converse controversially about the predictive value of this newfangled metric) along with a strong 92 MPH average exit velocity. If you need CI help in Mixed Leagues, chase Chapman down from that waiver wire, as he's hot, hot, hot. Matt should be owned in all NL Only leagues
Andrew McCutchen OF PIT
Still crazy red StatCast after all these years...check it out: 16.5% Barrel rate combined with a great eye (17.3 Chase) equals occasional vintage McCutchen. The ball is starting to leave the yard on account of how hard he keeps hitting it: 49% hard hit rate leading to 7 HR and a sneaky climbing xOPS nearing .900. Pittsburgh may be in disarray but as long as Andrew keeps getting ABs, he's a good source of OF waiver wire help in mixed leagues if you're hurting and a must-start in NL Only leagues.
Max Kepler OF MIN
Kepler went 2-for-4 with a double, a solo homer and a run scored on Wednesday. Kepler is slashing.311/.368/.544 with four homers, 18 RBI and 16 runs scored across 115 plate appearances this season. Max's most impressive underlying metrics center around his eye as the red on his StatCast page reveals redeye, indeed: only an 18% Whiff rate, 23% Chase Rate, both leading to a low 16% K Rate. His Barrel Rate and Exit Velocity numbers remain modest, preventing Kepler from kicking into high gear, but he makes a fine AL Only play and a reasonable waiver wire dandy for folks experiencing OF woes in Mixed Leagues.
Harrison Bader OF NYM
Good ol' Sweet Spot Bader: despite his notable NFL RB build, Bader has little StatCast Red Zone appeal beyond his anomaly 39% Sweet Spot rate. Nonetheless, Bader went 1-for-3 with a HR and a stolen base Wednesday's 6-3 loss to the Guardians. Bader is 10-for-30 with six RBI in his last eight games, slashing .281/.324/.360 with 17 runs scored, 13 RBI and seven stolen bases across 42 games. As long as NYM starts Bader (likely due to his elite speed and defense) he's a fine play in NL Only and could be helpful in Mixed Leagues for those feeling the OF injury bug. Waive Bader over, it might just hit the (sweet) spot for your OF.
Shea Langeliers C OAK
A sneaky power-play Catcher, Shea should be rostered in all two-catcher leagues and deserves a look in Mixed Leagues with 1 Catcher if you have an under-performing catcher or injury issues. He took two walks with a stolen base on Tuesday. Not likely to top 10 SB on the year, but a solid probability to hit 28 HR, Langeliers reveals strong plate discipline and some 17% Barrel Rate that puts him in the 97th percentile. He also has a .540 xSLG, so if he stays in the lineup Langeliers' power should play well at C for Mixed Leagues. If you can get him cheap in AL-Only, he could be a real steal.
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