Mets T.J. Rivera Fantasy Spark Plug: Waiver Wire Gem

By Brad Kelly | Sep 26, 2016

Sep 18, 2016; New York City, NY, USA; New York Mets third baseman T.J. Rivera (54) at bat for a home run to left during the third inning against the Minnesota Twins at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports /

T.J. Rivera is providing a much-needed offensive spark for the Mets down the stretch. But, can fantasy owners trust him as a waiver wire add during championship week?

It all comes down to this.

Fantasy baseball has the unique advantage of truly being a marathon, making winning a fantasy championship that more fulfilling. Now that the last week of regular season action is upon us, fantasy owners that are still alive must maximize each and every matchup possible. So, could Mets infielder, T.J. Rivera, be the one player that puts owners over the top?

T.J. Rivera seemed as though he would never make it to the big leagues, but he finally made his debut this season at the prime age of 27. Even though it took him six years to surface in the majors, it is not like Rivera lacks talent or failed to perform in the minors.

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Rivera has a .324 AVG over his minor league career, but has seemingly put it altogether this season at AAA. At Las Vegas this season he posted a, .353/11 HR/85 RBI/.909 OPS line. But, a major part of why Rivera did not get to New York sooner, was that he lacked any other production outside of his AVG numbers.

Both the 11 HR and 85 are career highs, and with the Mets rash of injuries, it seems as though everything aligned for him to make an impact in 2016. Rivera was promoted in early August, but did not get consistent at bats until two weeks ago. Over that span he has posted a, .429/3 HR/11 RBI/6 R/1.105 OPS line, notching a whopping 18 hits over 42 at bats.

The Mets lost Neil Walker and Wilmer Flores for the season, opening the door for Rivera to lock down second base, which he has done. The Mets lineup is coming off multiple slug fests with the Phillies over the weekend, and it just so happens that the Mets face both the Phills and the Marlins to finish the season. Each matchup serving as a clear positive sign in terms of his value.

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T.J. Rivera is one of the hottest hitters in the game, is a part of a lineup that is starting to find its groove, and has a fantasy friendly schedule to finish the season. Terry Collins is slotting him right behind Curtis Granderson and Yoenis Cespedes as well, offering him plenty of chances to build his counting stats. It seems as though everything is trending in the right direction for Rivera, making him one of the more desirable candidates left of the waiver wire.

Make the move and good luck to all?

#JF16

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