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Fantasy Baseball 2018: Add the Padres hitters

By Bill Pivetz

MILWAUKEE, WI - AUGUST 07: Eric Hosmer #30 and Hunter Renfroe #10 of the San Diego Padres celebrate after Renfroe hit a home run in the eighth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park on August 7, 2018 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
MILWAUKEE, WI - AUGUST 07: Eric Hosmer #30 and Hunter Renfroe #10 of the San Diego Padres celebrate after Renfroe hit a home run in the eighth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park on August 7, 2018 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) /
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The Padres may not be the best overall baseball team but they have a few fantasy baseball assets on the offense worth picking up.

The San Diego Padres made a big move in the offseason when they signed first baseman Eric Hosmer. This looked like the turning point for the franchise as a top name player decided to sign with the team. Unfortunately, that hasn’t been the case. However, the team has some offensive pieces worth picking up in all league formats.

Wil Myers and Hosmer are obviously owned in a majority of leagues so they don’t qualify. This piece will talk about the deep options that could be an off-day fill in or utility play in NL-only leagues. These players will be available in over 70 percent of ESPN leagues and could contribute in multiple offensive stats.

The first player worth picking up is Austin Hedges. Yes, this may be a case of recency bias, but with the catcher position as shallow as it is, fantasy owners can use all the help they can get. Hedges is in the middle of the best offensive season of his career. Over the last 15 days, he is hitting .341 with three home runs, six RBIs and two steals.

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This hot streak may come in an end very quickly but is worth adding as a backup catcher in deep leagues.

The second Padres player worth adding is outfielder Hunter Renfroe. His season-long batting average of .242 may not be impressive but he’s also turned it up in August. Renfroe has a .275 average with five homers, 13 RBIs and a .316 on-base percentage over the last two weeks.

He’s one of the few power hitters in the Padres lineup but is getting consistent playing time. Renfroe’s been able to hit the ball well in Petco Park, known to be a pitcher-friendly park. He’s owned in 17.5 percent of leagues.

If those two players are already owned, the Padres still have some serviceable players. Franmil Reyes has been getting consistent playing time since getting called back up. He can provide some power but may hurt your batting average.

Travis Jankowski is a source for speed. That’s it. He has just two home runs with a .259 batting average. However, he has a .393 average in his last 15 games. As long as he can get on base, Jankowski will be a threat to steal a bag or two per game. Speed is hard to find, especially this late into the season so any extra steals will help.

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The Padres have 21 games left at home but 20 left on the road. Those road games could boost the value of these hitters. While they may not hit many home runs at home, the offense can still hit the ball into the gaps and score some runs. There may be better hitters available but the Padres offense isn’t one to sleep on down the stretch.

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