RADIO
Yandy Diaz is a fantasy baseball waiver wire pickup for Week 18 of the 2021 MLB season. Consider adding the 1B and 3B if he's free agent in your leagues.
BALLER MOVE: Add in leagues of 12+ teams
ROSTERED IN: 5% of leagues
ANALYSIS: Diaz has been on a tear since the calendar flipped to July, slashing .389/.450/.750 with two doubles, a triple, three home runs, seven RBI, and eight runs scored over 36 at-bats. The 29-year-old infielder was slugging .291 over his first 182 at-bats this year until hitting his first home run on June 6. Since then, he's hit six bombs and is slugging .500 over 102 at-bats. This newfound power stroke is an intriguing development for the disciplined Diaz. The Rays host the division-rival Yankees and Red Sox for three games apiece next week and Diaz has a .806 OPS at home this year (.633 on the road).
He hasn't sacrificed his stellar plate discipline despite the recent home run streak. He's got a 15.6% strikeout rate, 15.6% walk rate, 85.3% Z-Contact, and 66.7% O-Contact Rate. His 17.2% chase rate also ranks in the 97th percentile. The toughest pitcher he'll face next week is Gerrit Cole but he has a career .381/.381/.524 batting line with one home run and four RBI (21 at-bats) against him. He shouldn't have much trouble with Nick Pivetta (4.37 ERA) or Martin Perez (4.16 ERA) either.
Another thing working in Diaz and the Rays favor is the addition of Nelson Cruz, who gives Tampa Bay a legitimate power threat. His presence makes their lineup very dangerous and should help boost the production of everyone hitting around him. Diaz figures to hit somewhere in the middle of the lineup, which should lead to more RBI and run-scoring opportunities. Giddy up.
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