Brett Phillips (OF, KC) - Week 21 Waiver Wire Pickups

Brady Grove profiles Kansas City Royals outfielder Brett Phillips as a potential waiver wire pickup or add target for fantasy baseball leagues in Week 21 of the 2019 MLB campaign.

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ANALYSIS: Brett Phillips hasn't put in quality work on offense at the major league level since 2017 when he produced four home runs, five stolen bases, and a .799 OPS for the Milwaukee Brewers. Despite that gap in MLB work, the goofy laughing Phillips is still just 25 years old, and he was a top-100 ranked prospect as recently as 2018, the reasons for which become obvious when you review his minor league track record.

In 333 AB this season for Triple-A Omaha, Phillips has amassed an imposing power/speed line of 39 extra-base hits (eight doubles, 13 triples, and 18 knocks), 22 stolen bases (and only one occasion caught stealing), and a .240/.378/.505 slash. He managed to build a beefy OBP in spite of a so-so batting average and 28.5% strikeout rate by walking at a robust 17.4% clip, and his unique cocktail of speed and power as evidenced by a .264 ISO and speed score of 8.5 have allowed him to make statistical contributions across the board. Brett Phillips now has a wide-open window of opportunity in the basement-dwelling Kansas City Royals outfield now that Billy Hamilton has been demoted, and he is yet another young Royal well worth your attention as the homestretch of the regular season approaches.