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5 Deep Hitters to Pick Up (Fantasy Baseball)

5 Deep Hitters to Pick Up (Fantasy Baseball)

Continuing the series of weekly articles, we are taking a quick look at hitters for you to consider adding in deep mixed leagues and AL/NL-only formats. All of these players have less than 10% ownership.

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Hernan Perez (2B/3B/OF – MIL) 6% ownership
The Brewers’ utility player is the poster boy for overreactions in fantasy baseball. After just two weeks the player with an ADP of 231 has fallen to just 6% ownership. The 26-year-old started 2017 sluggishly, but it should not be forgotten that he slashed .272/.302/.428 over 430 plate appearances last year with 13 home runs, 50 runs, 56 RBIs and 34 stolen bases. In an era of declining speed, 34 stolen bases is a significant number. That’s more than renowned speedsters Jose Altuve, Dee Gordon, Travis Jankowski or Jarrod Dyson.

The Brewers’ acquisitions of Travis Shaw and Eric Thames will make playing time harder to secure, but Perez’s versatility has already seen him start in right field, center field, shortstop, and third base.

Before the weekend, the right-hander was hitting .115 on the season. On Saturday he went 3-for-4 with a double, a home run and three RBIs. Regression towards the .271 AVG he has hit over the course of 630 at-bats with the Brewers looks inevitable. And don’t forget the 30 stolen base potential.

Lonnie Chisenhall (OF – CLE) 3% ownership
The Indians are more than just contenders; they are the AL Central favorites. The team is expected to score plenty of runs, especially given the offseason acquisition of Edwin Encarnacion. With the exception of Michael Brantley, the Indians have an offensive void in their outfield. Abraham Almonte is a career .250 hitter. Brandon Guyer usually destroys lefties but is only slugging .167 against them this year. Austin Jackson has not had an OPS above .700 since 2013, which brings us to Lonnie Chisenhall. The former first-rounder will see playing time vs. right-handed pitching in either center field or right field and has started the season on fire. In just three games, the 28-year-old has hit two home runs with seven RBIs and a 1.545 OPS. When the Indians have a good slate against right-handers, or in leagues with daily lineup moves, Chisenhall should be high on your list of under-the-radar pickups.

Taylor Motter (SS – SEA) 1% ownership
The 27-year-old rookie does not appear on the MLB Pipeline list of Seattle’s Top-30 prospects for 2017 but has grasped his opportunity at shortstop for the Mariners with Jean Segura on the DL. Motter is hitting .333 (7-for-21) with six of his seven hits going for extra-bases, including two home runs.

His lack of prospect pedigree and the .188/.290/.300 slash line in 34 games for the Rays last year suggest that his production is a fluke, but the exit velocity data shows that he crushes the ball.

Assuming Jean Segura recovers fully from his hamstring issue, he will return this week and reclaim the shortstop position. Motter will see playing time in both the infield and outfield, and this new found confidence at the plate could see him continue to help both the Mariners and deep-league fantasy owners.

Aaron Hicks (OF – NYY) 2% ownership
The Yankees’ outfielder failed to impress last season after the move from the Twins, but he still has plenty of upside. He possesses an elite defensive arm and can play all three outfield positions. In the limited playing time of the 2017 season, Hicks has halved his swinging strike rate and has walked seven times to just three strikeouts. Hicks got the start in right field on Saturday with Aaron Judge sitting. Judge has four times as many strikeouts to walks (52 to 13) in his Major League career, so despite having the greater power, he could start to lose playing time more frequently. If Hicks can add this more patient approach at the plate to his 20 home run and 20 stolen base potential, he could be a valuable pickup off waivers.

Trey Mancini (1B/DH – BAL) 2% ownership
According to the MLB scouting report, the Orioles’ No. 5 prospect is “an advanced hitter with above-average bat speed, excellent barrel control and a penchant for making hard contact.” Just what the rest of the league needs, another slugger at Camden Yards. The 25-year-old will struggle to secure playing time in the stacked Orioles’ lineup, but he has seen starts in left field, right field, and designated hitter. In just 22 at-bats, the right-hander has hit four home runs with nine RBIs and two walks to six strikeouts. Regular outfielders Seth Smith and Hyun-soo Kim are both better against right-handed pitching, so expect Mancini to feature more regularly when a left-hander is on the mound. Not that he struggles vs. righties. Mancini hit 15 home runs with .785 OPS in the minors against right-handers last season. If he hits, he will play. If he plays, he is likely to hit.


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Gavin Tramps is a correspondent at FantasyPros. To read more from Gavin, check out his archive or find him @_tramps.

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