Brewers Eric Sogard just keeps on hitting: Waiver Wire Add?

By Brad Kelly | Jun 24, 2017

Jun 14, 2017; St. Louis, MO, USA; Milwaukee Brewers second baseman Eric Sogard (18) has his hair fixed by Orlando Arcia (3) after hitting a two run double and scoring a run during the second inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports /

Eric Sogard has done nothing but hit since joining the Brewers. But, can owners finally believe in him as a waiver wire add?

Every MLB season there are players that seemingly come out of nowhere to have career seasons. Eric Sogard falls under that umbrella, as the light hitting middle infielder has emerged out of nowhere to be a tremendous addition for the Brewers. But, can fantasy owners believe in him now as a waiver option?

Sogard currently holds a .360/3 HR/14 RBI/2 SB/1.011 OPS line over 36 games. Since joining the club in early May, one could argue that Sogard has been the Brew Crew’s best position player. Not too bad for a guy that missed all of 2016 with a knee injury.

He spent the first five years of his career with the Athletics and was easily a fan favorite. His best season was in 2013, .266/2 HR/35 RBI, but he never really had tremendous success as a utility man. Outside of some hot stretches in 2013, he has not been on the fantasy radar.

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After his surgery in 2016, the Brewers took a flier on him as infield organizational depth. With Orlando Arcia and Jonathan Villar as the middle infield plan, there was no clear-cut path at playing time for Sogard. But, with Villar’s struggles and then injury, the door opened for Sogard to shine.

Sogard was mashing in the minors, .330/3 HR/17 RBI over 24 games. The change in his game came at the inclusion of a leg kick. Like Josh Donaldson and Jose Bautista among the most notable leg kickers, Sogard found instant success. Over his 114 at-bats in 2017 at the MLB level, he has notched 15 extra base hits, easily the best rate of his career.

Digging deeper into his batted ball data, it is easy to see where his success comes from thanks to a 28% LD, 58% Med and 27% Hard contact rates. With the leg kick, his 42% Pull rate is also a career high, and a welcome addition while playing at Miller Park.

Over the last two weeks, Sogard has not slowed down at the plate hitting .340 with a .881 OPS. He is now being slotted at the top of the lineup as well, and the Brewers do have enough thumpers behind him that can help build his counting stats.

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Fantasy owners looking for MI or UTIL help, Sogard is the man to add. He was hit by a pitch last night on his elbow, and even though it does not look to be a major concern, owners will have to make sure that it does not force him to miss a day or two. Give him a closer look off the waiver wire.

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