Padres Ryan Schimpf: Perplexing Fantasy Value

By Brad Kelly | May 9, 2017

Sep 22, 2016; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Padres second baseman Ryan Schimpf (11) reacts after striking out to end the sixth inning against the San Francisco Giants at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports /

Ryan Schimpf is having an interesting season for the Padres. While some stats are ugly, could he actually be a decent waiver wire add?

The Padres offense is by no means a juggernaut. In fantasy, we often even recommend streaming pitchers that are facing San Diego because of their lack of offensive producers. But, they do not lack their fair share of intriguing fantasy players. One of the most interesting, yet baffling examples, is Ryan Schimpf. But, is he and his perplexing value worth adding off the waiver wire?

Ryan Schimpf came out of relatively nowhere last season to post a .217/20 HR/51 RBI/.869 OPS over 89 games. The diminutive infielder does not look the part of a home run hitter but turned into a solid power waiver add last season. Yet, for as good as the power was, it came with an ugly AVG and even uglier 32% K rate.

Heading into this season, Schimpf was nothing more than a late-round flier as the AVG and K rates were just not enticing enough to invest in. Schimpf had one of the more confusing months of April you will ever see. He did hit 4 HR and knock in 10 RBI but matched that with a .149 AVG and .706 OPS. But, while the AVG woes are nothing new, he drew 17 walks compared to 28 strikeouts.

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Now for most fantasy owners, stomaching a .149 AVG is nearly impossible. The power is nice, but third base continues to be a loaded position. As the calendar turned to May, Schimpf has started to heat up though. So far in the month, he has posted a .263/3 HR/4 RBI/1.181 OPS line over 23 plate appearances. He has walked four times while striking out eight.

Digging deeper into his batted ball profile, he holds 15% LD, 15% GB and 70% FB rates. The FB rate is one of the highest you will ever see, so it is clear that the AVG will continue to be an issue. But, with that high of an FB rate and 49% Med and 27% Hard contact rates, the power is not going anywhere either.

Last season his average distance per homer was 402.8 ft., with seven of the 20 coming at Petco Park. This season, three of his nine homers have come at Petco with the average distance being 411 ft. Petco Park does him no favors, neither does the lack of lineup depth, but his power is legit and plays anywhere.

For those leagues that only reward AVG, Schimpf is a tough add. But, for those leagues that reward OPS or OBP, he looks to be a solid add moving forward. If he can continue to draw his fair share of walks and continue to drive fly balls out, there is no reason to think that he will not flirt with 30 HR.

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There are not too many waiver wire options that offer that type of HR upside. He is swinging the bat well right now for the Padres, and we have seen what he can do when he gets hot. He does come with his fair share of his red flags, but the signs are there that he can keep his power going this season. Give Ryan Schimpf a closer look off the waiver wire.

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