Stephen Vogt: Week 3 Waiver Wire Pickup

Apr 17, 2015; Kansas City, MO, USA; Oakland Athletics catcher Stephen Vogt (21) doubles against the Kansas City Royals during the second inning at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports

While two weeks is not a big enough sample size to make judgements about your team, there are certain players that can be judged after just two weeks. One of those players has made a big splash for his team and the small percentage of fantasy owners that have him. Stephen Vogt of the Oakland Athletics is becoming a focal point of that team and is worth picking up off the waiver wireto help your team.

Vogt has been one of the top-15 players added over the past week. However, it’s not because of his previous work. From 2012 to 2014, he played in just 149 games and hit 13 home runs and 51 RBI with a .254/.298/.396 slash line. This season has been a big difference.

In just 11 games, Vogt has hit three home runs and nine RBI with a .368/.429/.737 line. He hit two home runs in the game on April 17. At this pace, he will finish with 43 home runs and 129 RBI. I don’t think his final numbers will be that high, but more like 28/105.

Another caveat to owning Vogt is that he recently gained catcher eligibility. Now, with first base and catcher eligibility, Vogt becomes a must-own player. As a first baseman, he was borderline top 20, but now as a catcher, he is close to being in the top 10. Currently, he is No. 2 among catchers on ESPN’s Player Rater, right behind Salvador Perez.

The only downside with Vogt is that he doesn’t play against left-handed pitchers. While there aren’t many lefties in the league, there are a significant amount to hurt his fantasy value just a bit.

Despite the lack of play against southpaws, Vogt should still be owned in more leagues. He is owned in just 41.0 percent of ESPN.com leagues. He has been picked up in 30 percent over the last week. It should increase to at least 65 percent by the end of next week.

If you are looking to replace the injured Yan Gomes or the struggling Jonathan Lucroy, or possibly need a corner infielder, pick up Vogt before it’s too late.