Deep League Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 19: Fantasy Baseball Sleepers

Deep league Waiver Wire Pickups

This week’s edition includes a pair of catchers and outfielders. While none of these players will knock your socks off, each has put together a fairly solid season. Take a look, and maybe you will find something that you need to bolster your lineup.

Russell Martin, PIT / Dioner Navarro, TOR

Both are owned in 22% of Yahoo Leagues

Both of these veteran backstops are more valuable than their paltry Yahoo ownership percentages. Lets take a look at their numbers versus one of the greats at the catching position:

HR / RBI  / AVG

Martin - 5  / 41 / .281

Navarro - 8 / 47 / .273

Y. Molina - 7 / 30 / .287

Rosario - 9 / 38 / .245

To be fair, Molina and Rosario have been on the DL, but the at-bats for the four are somewhat similar. Martin has proven to be invaluable as a leader for Pittsburg, and lately he has been a consistent offensive contributor.

Over the last 10 games, he has totaled 9 RBI while hitting a sizzling .344. He is far better at home and against right-handed pitching, in case you are looking for matchups.

Navarro is a switch hitter with fairly level splits. He has put together four multi-hit games in his last 10, including two three-hit performances. The Jays are feeling good about his production, and he's hitting in the middle of a lineup that can mash.

FYI: Rosario 72% owned in Yahoo Leagues, Molina 68% owned in Yahoo Leagues.

Yangervis Solarte, SD

Owned in 25% of Yahoo Leagues

Coming over in a trade from the Yankees, Solarte had the cavernous Petco Field and a historically bad Padre offense staring him in the face. It all looked like a fantasy disaster waiting to happen. Instead, his pre/post All-Star splits are showing that he could get comfortable in San Diego.

Solarte’s average, OBP and SLG have all improved. His glove provides position flexibility that makes him an ideal bench player. Although he can hit lefties for average, he connects for more home run power against right-handed pitchers.

Recommendation: Solarte seems always to be in the middle of a rally, but you might want to watch a little longer before pulling the trigger on a roster move.

Dustin Ackley, SEA

Owned in 22% of Yahoo Leagues

Ackley really needs to decide if he is legit or not. He has pretty much been a constant tease since he arrived in the big leagues with incredible college credentials. After his typical brutal start to the season, Ackley is starting to make a little noise.

In 16 games since the All-Star break, he has scored 10 runs, knocked in nine and hit nearly .380. Not surprising, he enjoys hitting on the road far more than at Safeco Field, even with the reduced dimensions.

Recommendation: See how he blends into the lineup with recent addition Jackson before making a decision.

Lorenzo Cain, KC

Owned in 16% of Yahoo Leagues

One of the more underrated players of the 2014 season, Cain is kind of a Swiss Army knife in that he can do a little of everything. On his recent tear, Cain’s average has topped the .300 mark, including a handful of multi-hit games.

His wheels are always a factor, and he's  collected15 stolen bases on the season. Because of his ability to hit both right- and left-handed pitching, Cain is getting consistent playing time for the Royals.

Recommendation: A hidden gem whose ownership should be much higher.