RADIO
Kyle Bishop suggests five middle infield targets for week 4, second basemen (2B) and shortstops (SS), for fantasy baseball owners to consider adding to their rosters in 2018.
Whether you’re looking for an injury replacement or just trying to shake things up after a slow start, RotoBaller has you covered on the top waiver wire targets.
Every Monday until the end of the season, we'll look at the best middle infielders available in at least 50 percent of Yahoo leagues. These are based on standard 5x5 scoring; adjust accordingly for your specific setup.
Let’s get to it.
Week 4 Middle Infield (MI) Waiver Wire Targets
Addison Russell, SS, Chicago Cubs (49 percent owned)
A quick look at Russell’s surface stats doesn’t reveal much to be excited about. The Cubs’ shortstop is hitting .219 with zero home runs and just two RBI through 19 games. Take a moment to check under the hood, however, and there are encouraging signs. Russell has always known how to take a walk, but he’s running a 12.5 BB% that’s four full ticks above his career rate. More importantly, he’s cut way down on the whiffs, with just 10 punchouts in 74 plate appearances. The 24-year-old isn’t chasing pitches out of the zone nearly as often as in years past, and he’s making more contact when he does elect to swing.
Marcus Semien, SS, Oakland Athletics (42 percent)
Much as the preferred modus operandi is to keep repeat appearances in this space to a minimum, it’s tough not to include Semien again after a nice little run in the back half of the week. The veteran has recorded multilple hits in three of his last four games, with a home run, two stolen bases, and seven runs scored during that span. Hitting first or second in the Oakland lineup has worked out nicely as Semien is currently in the top 10 in the league in runs. He managed 10 HR and 12 SB in just 86 games last year, so we know the potential is there for more counting stats than we’ve seen from him so far this season.
Orlando Arcia, SS, Milwaukee Brewers (38 percent)
After a slow start, Arcia appears to be coming on of late. He’s collected multiple hits in three of his last five games, and both of his home runs this season have come in his last seven. An ankle injury kept him out of action this weekend, but he’s expected to be back in the lineup on Tuesday. The 23-year-old managed 15 HR and 14 SB in his first full MLB season last year, along with a solid .277 batting average.
Eduardo Escobar, 2B/3B/SS, Minnesota Twins (18 percent)
Escobar has played in just 13 games thus far in 2018, but that’s mostly because of the high volume of postponed games on the Twins’ schedule due to inclement weather. He’s the primary shortstop for Minnesota while Jorge Polanco serves out his PED suspension, and is worth rostering while that remains the case. Escobar went deep on Sunday and is now hitting .275/.316/.510 with two homers, a stolen base, and 15 R+RBI in his 13 contests.
Joey Wendle, 2B, Tampa Bay Rays (1 percent)
It’s obvious from his ownership rate that fantasy owners really haven’t taken notice of Wendle, but his performance to this point probably ought to have earned a bit more attention. The soon-to-be 28-year-old has been one of the few bright spots of a lackluster Rays lineup. A two-hit effort on Sunday bumped his season line to .304/.385/.482 with a home run, a stolen base, and 16 R+RBI in 19 games. Wendle recorded multiple seasons with double-digit HR and SB in the minors and is worth grabbing in deep or AL-only formats.
