If you’re an attentive fantasy baseball owner, you should really love this time of year. With fantasy football draft season in full swing, many of your league mates — especially those who are out of contention — may have completely shifted their focus to deciding which wide receiver breakout candidates to target. And this is great news for you, the attentive fantasy baseball owner, as there will be less competition on the waiver wire.
Now, I’ll admit that the waiver wire isn’t quite as attractive on Aug. 30 as it was on April 30, but you might be surprised by just how many helpful contributors are still out there, especially on the hitting side. OK, enough buildup. Here are a handful of widely available hitters who deserve to be on mixed-league rosters as we head into the season’s final month. I’ve included current ownership percentages in both ESPN and Yahoo leagues.
Willie Calhoun (30% ESPN, 38% Yahoo)
Well, it took awhile, but Calhoun is finally showing us why he was such a highly touted prospect. After struggling mightily during his time in Texas last season and getting off to a so-so start this year, Calhoun has been swinging a hot bat since his latest big-league call-up. He’s done more than enough in August to earn a roster spot in the vast majority of fantasy leagues, batting .280 with eight homers, 14 RBI, 13 runs scored and a .904 OPS. Interestingly, Calhoun, a lefty, has feasted on southpaws this year, registering a .317/.358/.730 slash line with seven home runs in a mere 63 at-bats, so he isn’t a candidate to be platooned. Why then is his ownership level this low? I have no idea.
Evan Longoria (21% ESPN, 22% Yahoo)
Maybe I was too quick to conclude that Longoria’s days of being a viable mixed-league option were officially over, but through the first half of this season, all signs certainly pointed that way. The veteran third baseman entered July with a .222 batting average, seven homers and 27 RBI. Finished, right? Not so fast. Longoria is hitting .362 with 10 homers and 30 RBI since the beginning of July, this despite missing three weeks due to injury. Keep in mind that 14 of his 17 homers this season have come on the road, and his road OPS of .971 dwarfs his .617 home OPS. So, starting Longoria on the road while benching him when he’s at Oracle Park would be the ideal move if you have that luxury.
Jason Kipnis (16% ESPN, 25% Yahoo)
Kipnis used to be an elite power/speed fantasy option at the keystone, but injuries and inconsistency have plagued him in recent years. On the whole, his 2019 campaign has been decent but not great, and he doesn’t run much anymore. But, rather quietly, Kipnis has been one of the game’s most productive hitters in August, launching seven homers to go along with 17 RBI and an .882 OPS. If you play in a league that allows daily lineup changes, Kipnis is especially appealing, as you can bench him when he faces a southpaw (.604 OPS versus lefties this season).
Willy Adames (10% ESPN, 17% Yahoo)
Although Adames needs to improve his plate discipline, the soon-to-be 24-year-old has shown plenty of promise in his first full big-league season, especially in the home run department, as he’s on pace to finish the year with a solid 21 homers. But the number that catches my attention is his .310 batting average in August. Adames is batting a mediocre .252 for the season but he did post a .278 average in 85 games with the Rays last year, and he was a career .270 hitter (.363 OBP) in the minors. This suggests that he’s actually more likely to be at least a slightly positive contributor in batting average than a liability in the category going forward. If you need help at shortstop, Adames is a worthy add, and don’t forget about him in drafts next spring. I know I won’t.
Delino DeShields (5% ESPN, 8% Yahoo)
DeShields has been known to drive his fantasy owners crazy with his extended slumps at the plate, but this guy is fast. Despite getting on base at an underwhelming .312 clip in August, the Rangers outfielder has swiped eight bags this month without being caught. Stolen bases are tough to find on the waiver wire, especially this late in the season, so grab DeShields now and don’t be surprised if he drives you crazy, but in a good way.
Zach Steinhorn is the 2016 Mixed Auction Tout Wars champion. Follow him on Twitter @zachsteinhorn.
