D’Backs David Peralta: Is it time to start believing again?
By Brad Kelly
David Peralta is red hot at the plate for the D’Backs. But, is it time for fantasy owners to trust him again off the waiver wire?
As the season already enters its third week, fantasy owners are starting to cut their slow starters in search of potential waiver wire gems. After going 11 for 17 for the D’Backs over their last four games, is it time for fantasy owners to believe in David Peralta again?
Peralta burst onto the scene in 2015, posting a solid .312/17 HR/78 RBI/9 SB/.893 line over 149 games. He always had the raw tools to be a quality big leaguer, but it was just a matter of him putting it all together.
After his breakout in 2015, fantasy owners had pegged him as a quality mid-round target as the skill and situation shaped up perfectly for another solid year. But, injuries would be the storyline of his season last year. He hit the DL three separate times before being shut down in August.
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After being shut down, he finally had the surgery to repair the wrist injury that was plaguing him nearly the whole year. Entering this season, the fantasy buzz around him was subdued as there was the question of how well his wrist would hold up.
Wrist injuries are usually one of the worst ailments for hitters, so it was a not a surprise to see him struggle in 2016, and for owners to be scared off some this spring. Yet, Peralta is now swinging the bat as he did during his breakout 2015 and he currently holds a .329/3 HR/7 RBI/3 SB/.905 OPS line. He recently even set the team record in doubles in one game with four.
Looking further at his batted ball data, he is posting solid 22% LD, 42% Med and 39% Hard contact rates. His 53% GB rate is way too high and is what is hindering his XBH numbers at the moment. So if he can continue to elevate the ball more as he is doing right now, his low 25% FB rate will climb as will his power.
The D’Backs have the offensive pieces to do damage and Peralta is a key part of that. He took a little time to get his timing back, but you would be hard-pressed to find a hotter hitter on the waiver wire.
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He has shown the production when healthy in the past, has a great spot in the lineup to help boost his counting stats and will play half his games in a hitter’s paradise. Peralta is the type of gamble that fantasy owners should be willing to believe in off the waiver wire. The upside is still there.