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Daulton Varsho is a fantasy baseball waiver wire pickup for Week 19 of the 2021 MLB season. Consider adding the C/OF if he's free agent in your leagues.
BALLER MOVE: Add in leagues of 10+ teams
ROSTERED IN: 42% of leagues
ANALYSIS: Varsho's roster shares have exploded over the last few weeks and for good reason. He was a non-factor over his first 34 games played this season, slashing a measly .138/.250/.175 with five RBI, one stolen base, eight runs scored, and a 24:12 K/BB ratio (92 plate appearances). But he's been on fire over the last 11 games, rocking a .364/.475/.879 batting line to go along with five home runs, 11 RBI, two stolen bases, 11 runs, and a 6:7 K/BB ratio over 40 plate appearances. The recent bump in at-bats and production have led to the increase in his roster shares even though he still has a subpar .204/.318/.381 batting line on the season (113 at-bats).
His expected stats show that he hasn't been as bad as his actual numbers with a .229 xBA, .330 xwOBA, and .407 xSLG. He's also sporting a hard-hit rate of 43.4% with an 8.4% barrel rate and 14.4% walk rate. Starting catcher Carson Kelly (wrist) hit the inured list back on June 20 with a wrist fracture, which opened the door for Varsho to see more playing time behind the plate. But he's started nearly an equal number of games in the outfield, mainly in center field, due to his speed and athleticism.
The D-backs host the Giants for a four-game set before finishing off the week in San Diego. Varsho has a .729 OPS at home and will be facing five right-handed pitchers next week. He's got a .764 OPS against right-handed starters and a .843 OPS vs. left-handed to boot. Anthony DeSclafani, Johnny Cueto, Chris Paddack, and even Yu Darvish have looked shaky lately so Varsho will have a shot to do some damage. This pick isn't so much about the favorable matchups as it is riding the hot hand. The 25-year-old's combination of power and sprint speed (91st percentile) make him a unicorn at the catcher position.
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