Aug 2, 2015; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Twins center fielder
Aaron Hicks(32) bats against the Seattle Mariners at Target Field. The Mariners win 4-1 in 11 innings. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports
The fantasy playoffs are fast approaching and as we enter week 18, astute owners should be continually checking the waiver wire for upgrades at every position.
While the free agent OF pool may be pretty expansive, there are some distinct players that could play a pivotal role in securing a playoff spot. Here are a few potential options to add off the waiver wire.
Hicks is a great example of why fantasy owners should exhibit a short-term memory in terms of accessing a players value going forward. Going into the 2013 season, Hicks was a popular sleeper as it seemed as though he would slide into the starting CF spot with the Twins, and potentially be a cheap power/speed option.
Well any owners that took the plunge in 2013, know that it was an absolute disaster as Hicks looked way out of his league and could not even bat his weight. This forced the Twins to send Hicks down and pretty much make him an afterthought in fantasy.
Hicks played in 62 games last season, and once again failed to place himself on the fantasy radar. I know for me, I never expected to be advising owners to pick Hicks up this season, but he has been absolutely killing the ball lately, forcing himself firmly on the waiver were radar.
On the year Hicks has posted a .284/6 HR/20 RBI/9 SB line since his promotion in May. He has shown the flashes that the Twins and fantasy owners were sold on when he was a touted prospect.
Even though the Twins are scuffling, Hicks has been one of the bigger offensive threats for the Twins over the last few weeks. Over the last 14 days, Hicks was able to muster up a .345/2 HR/8 RBI/1 SB line.
Hicks has been regulated to the bottom part of the lineup, but has been inserted more at the top of the order during his current hot stretch. If the Twins will continue batting him higher in the order it would allow his counting stats to improve and I think more stolen base opportunities. Hicks is definitely worth an addition, since he has finally shown the blend of power/speed that all owners would welcome.
Following in the Hicks mold, here lately Herrera has been able to show flashes of both power and speed. In the offseason the Phillies selected Herrera in the Rule 5 draft, and most fantasy owners paid no attention to the move.
But, as the season has progressed Herrera has been become a better and better producer, and should now find himself being picked up across all fantasy formats. Herrera came out of the gates strong this season, but cooled off big time in May.
The Phillies basically benched him after that cold spell, but as the summer has progressed, Herrera’s bat has one again heated up. In July, Herrera batted .362 on the month, and that has carried over into August as he has hit a cool .400 so far.
Herrera’s line on the year sits at, .289/5 HR/31 RBI/11 SB, not too shabby for a rookie. Herrera has even found himself batting third lately, right in front of Maikel Franco. This should drive up his runs numbers, and if Cesar Hernandez can keep getting on base, Herrera should be able to continue his modest RBI production.
Over the last 14 games, Herrera has posted a stat stuffing line, .395/1 HR/6 RBI/2 SB/12 R’s/.970 OPS. For all owners with sights on the playoffs, these are the types of lines that can anchor your success. I would advise all owners to make the move now, and always jump at the chance to add players that do not kill you in any one category.
Out all the guys on this list, Davis has earned the most clout among fantasy owners. In 2013, owners who were able to snag Davis off the waiver wire, welcomed his power supply down the stretch as he was able to hit 11 bombs over only 56 games.
In 2014, Davis found himself drafted as an OF4 or 5, and once again Davis was able to contribute as he posted a .244/22 HR/69 RBI line. Finding power can be nearly impossible to do, so when a free agent power threat begins to heat up, we have to take notice.
Davis came out of the gates pretty slow, as he was able to only hit 1 homer in April and March. In May he began to heat up though as he was able to bump his power output to 4 homers. Then, just as it seemed that Davis was showcasing his power, he suffered a nasty injury, tearing his meniscus in June.
This injury of course derailed his season, and when he returned in July he was clearly just trying to regain any semblance of a decent stroke. But, as August has come, Davis seems to be finding his stroke again.
Over the last 7 days, Davis has been able to post a .250/3 HR/10 RB line. The AVG will always be ugly as Davis is normally swinging for the fences, but the power has never been a question. Even by just watching his at bats, you can see that Davis is starting to find his groove again, and he seems to be squaring the ball up at a solid rate.
As owners we all are in search of another power source, so it should be a no brainer to take a look at adding Davis. For those in desperate need of power, it is practically a must add at this point because guys with 20+ homer ability are hardly ever available through the waiver wire. Make the move.