Ketel Marte: Championship Week Waiver Wire Add
By Bill Pivetz
With a rough pitching rotation and lack of depth in the lineup, the Seattle Mariners were not going to be very competitive in the AL West. The power hitters are doing their job, but the lower half not so much. Yet, there are some bright spots in Seattle’s lineup. With the final week beginning on Monday, there are some players you need to add to win your championship. One in particular is Mariners’ shortstop Ketel Marte.
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The Mariners began the season with Brad Miller as their shortstop. He made the switch to outfield at the end of August when Austin Jackson was traded to the Chicago Cubs. This opened up a starting role for Marte during the final two months of the season.
Hitting at the top of the lineup, Ketel Marte has been racking up the hits. In 50 games, he has 22 runs, 55 hits (14 doubles, three triples, one home run), 15 RBI, seven steals and a .288/.355/.408 slash line. Ketel Marte has eight multi-hit games over his last 23 games and six in his last 10 games.
Ketel Marte has great plate discipline this season. He has a 0.53 BB:K ratio. Among shortstops with at least 200 plate appearances, he ranks eighth, just behind Carlos Correa. He is 18th in strikeout percentage and fourth in walk rate. That may seem like a small sample size, but with just seven days left of the fantasy baseball season, it’s enough to add him for the final week.
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It’s obvious that he isn’t a power hitter (he hit his first home run on Saturday), but he’s able to make contact and get on base. He could also steal a base or two in the final week. With the middle infield positions, especially shortstop, void of waiver-wire talent, Marte is worth a speculative add for the final week.
Marte ranks 14th among shortstops on the ESPN Player Rater over the last 30 days and seventh over the last 15 days. If you look at the six players above him on the 15-day list, four of them has three or less seasons played in the majors. The shortstop position is filled with a lot of prospects and young talent that are worth taking a risk on, Marte being one of them.
Ketel Marte is the sixth-most added hitter over the last week at 9.3 percent in ESPN leagues. If you need to help your batting average, OBP or hits, then Marte is out there for you.