RADIO
Happy day, RotoBallers! July is upon us! Week 14 features our national day of independence. And with all of the hot dogs, fireworks, and mosquitos that this holiday brings, the most wonderful tradition is still the game of baseball. There’s nothing more #America than cracking open a cold beer on a hot summer day and watching the nation’s pastime.
And with July 4th around the corner, another holiday comes with it. That’s right, it’s Super 2 day!! And with the annual service time mark approaching, we get to dream on some of those budding stars down on the farm. We’ll talk more about some of these youngsters in future weeks, but today you’ll get a little taste with who I think will prove to be the best power hitter currently in the minors. We’re going to look at all manner of prospects as we continue down the dog days of summer, so get ready to make moves.
Happy 4th, Rotoballers! Here are the Week 14 Outfield Waiver Wire Targets. Check out the rest of RotoBaller.com for the content you need to win, and don't forget to follow our team of analysts on Twitter. We have the moves you need to make to get that ring. Happy hunting!
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Week 14 Outfield Waiver Wire Targets
Kike Hernandez (OF/2B/SS/3B, LAD) - 38% owned
I’m cheating a bit on the ownership percentage here, but I can’t help it. Kike absolutely must be owned in all leagues, period, full stop. Forget the fact that he is playable at almost any position, he would be a must add if he was just an outfielder. That he’s still available in 62% of leagues is borderline criminal.
Playing part-time, Kike has mashed his way into a larger role with the Seager-less Dodgers. A .241/.321/.482 line might not look super impressive, but it comes almost a guarantee for positive regression thanks to a .248 BABIP. If that improves just 30 points, still below average, Kike is looking at a line more like .265/.350/.500 with an eye-popping .241 ISO.
Along with teammate Joc Pederson, the Dodgers have life thanks to the energy Kike’s brought to the lineup. Three home runs last week on 27 at-bats shows that the 26-year-old is as hot as ever, and the tools are real enough that this might not be a fluke. Add with confidence.
Eloy Jimenez (OF, CWS) - 14% owned
As I mentioned, we’ll take a look at some youngsters with Super 2. We’ll try to give you the intel you need to stay a step ahead of the competition, with names your competition hasn’t heard of. But I have a feeling that this name is not likely to be a mystery in your league.
Jimenez is a 21-year-old wunderkind who has been making a mockery the minors for weeks now. Since being promoted to Triple-A just nine games ago, Jimenez has smashed two home runs on a .250/.351/.438 line with a 13.5% K rate. The batting average is being depressed by some bad luck amid a .240 BABIP, but he’s squaring up to advanced pitching and looks better than everyone around him.
I can’t in good conscious call the White Sock the best hitter in the minors because Vladimir Guerrero Jr. exists, but he’s closer than you might think. Aside his prodigious power, and make no mistake “prodigious” is not an exaggeration, Jimenez is a capable hitter with good and improving feel at the plate. He’s a slugger who doesn’t sacrifice strikeouts for dingers, but rather a complete hitter who just so happens to possess insane raw strength. Jimenez will more likely be called up in August rather than September, but that doesn’t mean he’s not worth a stash in all leagues. Time is running out.
Randal Grichuk (OF, TOR) - 10% owned
Full disclosure: I’ve never been a fan of Randal Grichuk. In my opinion, he sells out too much of his approach to generate his power. On top of that, I’ve never been into guys who go for broke and walk less than 10% of their plate appearances. A 22 homer season looks nice, like Grichuk had a year ago, but the 5.9% walk rate and 30.1% K rate on a .238/.285/.473 line is just brutal.
All that said, the 26-year-old is having himself a bit of a moment. Over the last two weeks, the former Cardinal has hit four home runs with just seven strike outs over 38 at-bats. It’s tough to tell watching him if he’s been adjusting his approach due to coaching or if he’s just on a hot streak, but it’s a welcome change. It’s also prudent to note that, despite his four seasons of major league experience, Grichuk is just 26. If he indeed is responding to coaching and can make more consistent contact, there’s no reason to think that he can be more than cheap power. Right now, his career average contact percentage is a ghastly 71.5%. However, he is swinging less than he ever has before, leading to a career-low 33.2%. This is marked improvement for known chaser.
Look, Grichuk has one big thing going for him. When he hits the ball, it goes far. He’s hitting more fly balls, which is good. He’s being more selective, which is good. He’s walking a little more, which is good. If he can continue these gains, he’s got 30-plus home run potential. Don’t hold your breath, but at least he’s cheap power with a high ceiling.
Jesse Winker (OF, CIN) - 9% owned
From a questionable hitter with gobs of power to a brilliant hitter who really needs to hit the weight room. Jesse Winker might be one of the best pure hitters in baseball, but his lack of pop limits his upside and value. Still, the 24-year-old is an intensely cerebral player with some of the most amazing hand-eye coordination I’ve ever seen. He also is one of the few hitters in baseball with a higher walk rate, 15%, than K rate, 14.3%. The plate and pitch recognition is almost Votto-like.
Why all the superlatives for a guy hitting .270 with six home runs? Because Winker is such a good hitter that he almost can’t not provide value. If you’re in an OBP league, Winker is an incredibly under-valued asset, with a .385 OBP despite getting a touch unlucky on batted balls. A .400 OBP for the rest of the season is actually reasonable.
As far as the power, it’s not going to improve by leaps and bounds this season. A .126 ISO underlies Winker’s contact-first approach. And his lack of athleticism keeps him from stretching singles into doubles or bringing steals to the table. But despite the lack of pop, Winker hits the ball with decent authority. Just 13.4% of his contact is considered soft. If you can square up and make good contact, good things will happen, and Winker is just as capable as anyone of finding another gear as a power hitter. I own him in a number of leagues, so perhaps I’m biased. But Winker should be owned in any league with 14 teams or deeper, and should at least be on the radar for shallow leagues with OBP as a stat.
Johnny Field (OF, TB) - 0% owned
I still contest that the name “Johnny Field” may be the most baseball name of all time. Like Mike Tyson in boxing, Bronko Nagurski in football, or anyone with a Nordic name in a strongman competition, there are some names that make you wonder if the kid was ever going to do anything but play their game. When I think of Johnny Field, I imagine Robert Redford in the Natural. I still couldn’t pick him out in a lineup, even though I’ve watched him play in person, but it’s what I feel in my heart. Never meet your heroes, kids…
Sorry, I’m a little emotional, as this might be the final time that my surrogate appears on this page. While Tampa continues to give him some run, his last few weeks have been… not good. His at-bats are on the decline, with just six over the last four games, and Field has been unable to produce much of anything.
I still have faith that he’ll turn it around and become a useful fantasy ballplayer. But for now, fly free my boy. Fly free…
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