Danny Jansen (C, TOR) - Week 19 Waiver Wire Pickups

Brady Grove profiles Toronto Blue Jays backstop Danny Jansen as a potential waiver wire acquisition of value for fantasy baseball leagues in Week 19 of the 2019 MLB campaign.

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ANALYSIS: Danny Jansen has long been a prized possession within the Toronto Blue Jays farm system, and though he would appear to be disappointing on the surface for 2019 with a .634 OPS in 270 AB, his nine home runs on the year paired with his plate-performance of late should inspire confidence from the ultra-talented Appleton, Wisconsin native moving forward. In 75 AB throughout the month of July, Jansen has hit for a season-high four home runs (nine XBH including four doubles and a triple) with a slash of .240/.296/.480, and has gotten off to an excellent start for August with a home run (and three additional hits) in just nine AB.

With a 20% strikeout rate and measly 3.8% walk rate during this past month, Janen's plate discipline definitely hit the abyss, but it did little to deter him from turning in an impressive offensive performance over the same period. He netted a .240 ISO off of 55.2% hard contact and 13.8% soft contact on batted balls for the month while also hitting for a combined 61% line drives and fly balls. With a 14.2-degree launch angle and such high-quality figures on batted balls, his .255 July BABIP actually seems just a little bit unlucky, and his 414-foot average home run distance registers as prime for doing damage in the power-friendly Rogers Centre. At a position like catcher, high-ceiling talent carries extra appeal, and Danny Jansen is a high-upside member of one of the most exciting, young clubs in the MLB.