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Brian Polking analyzes fantasy baseball waiver wire sleepers at the first base (1B) and third base (3B) positions. These MLB sleeper hitters hitters can have an immediate impact.
There are a lot of newcomers on this week's list of potential pickups at the corner infield spots as several players seeing the first regular playing time of their careers are starting to produce consistent results. Granted, there are always more question marks about an unproven player, but there is also more upside. Perhaps more importantly, these players tend to be available to pick up off waivers later in the season. With that in mind, here is a closer look at this week's top pickups.
Third Base Waiver Wire Pickups
Josh Harrison (2B/3B/OF, PIT)
32% Owned in Yahoo, 12% Owned in Fleaflicker
BALLER MOVE: Add in NL-Only Formats
ANALYSIS: Injuries have given Harrison a chance to get regular playing time, and he has taken advantage of the opportunity. He has been doing a little bit of everything, and for the year, he is currently hitting .304 with 5 home runs and 22 RBIs to go along with 27 runs scored and 5 steals.
Harrison has been particularly dialed in at the plate lately, collecting 14 hits and 3 steals in his last seven games. Thanks to his across-the-board production, Harrison is expected to hold on to a starting spot even after the Pirates are at full strength. He is currently owned in just 29 percent of Yahoo! leagues, and his ability to help out in several offensive categories and play multiple positions could make him a nice pickup, especially in NL-only formats.
Cody Asche (3B, PHI)
3% Owned In Yahoo, 6% Owned in Fleaflicker
BALLER MOVE: Continue Scouting, Add in NL-Only Leagues
ANALYSIS: Asche was just finding his groove at the plate before being sidelined for nearly a month, but there have been no signs of rust since he was reinserted into the Phillies' lineup. Asche has gone 6-for-15 with 3 RBIs in his first four games back, and he had gone 10-for-24 prior to hitting the disabled list. For the year, he is hitting .274 with 4 homers and 21 RBIs in 135 at-bats, and more importantly, his best days appear to be ahead of him.
Asche was a popular breakout candidate in his first full year in the majors, and while a slow start and an injury have curbed expectations, he could still provide some value the rest of the way. Asche is owned in just 2 percent of Yahoo! leagues so you can afford to keep tabs on him for a bit before making a move, but be ready to scoop him up in NL-only leagues if he continues to swing a hot bat.
Kris Bryant (3B, CHC)
7% Owned In Yahoo, 6% Owned In Fleaflicker
BALLER MOVE: Continue Scouting
ANALYSIS: After crushing Double-A pitching for most of the year, Bryant picked up where he left off upon his promotion to Triple-A Iowa last week. He homered in his first game and smacked a pair of homers Sunday.
Team president Theo Epstein recently said that he doesn't expect Bryant to reach the majors this year, but the 22-year-old star prospect could change that in a hurry if he continues to blast home runs. Bryant's ceiling is tremendous, and he should already be owned in any type of keeper league. He is currently owned in 7 percent of Yahoo! leagues, and you may want to stash him sooner rather than later if he keeps raking in Triple-A.
First Base Waiver Wire Pickups
Adam LaRoche (1B, WAS)
62% Owned In Yahoo, 40% Owned in Fleaflicker
BALLER MOVE: Add in All Formats
ANALYSIS: He has been experiencing a bit of a power outage in June, but LaRoche's overall offensive numbers remain more than respectable. He is currently hitting .310 with 9 homers and 39 RBIs to go along with a .919 OPS, and if not for a stint on the DL, his totals would be even higher. When healthy, LaRoche has always been good for around 25 homers so the power should come back around.
In the meantime, he is enjoying his most consistent season at the plate, and he is hitting in the middle of a Washington lineup that will welcome back both Bryce Harper and Ryan Zimmerman in the near future. LaRoche is owned in 63 percent of Yahoo! leagues, but that number is still low enough to take some time to see if he is still available. After all, LaRoche is a top-15 first baseman in any format and a solid source of average, home runs and RBIs.
C.J. Cron (1B, LAA)
15% Owned In Yahoo, 4% Owned In Fleaflicker
BALLER MOVE: Add in Deeper Leagues
ANALYSIS: Cron has gone deep in three consecutive games, and more importantly, he is primed for a full-time role as the Angels DH with the recent release of Raul Ibanez. The former first-round pick is in his first year in the majors, and in 112 at-bats, he has 6 homers and a .536 slugging percentage.
His biggest asset is his power, but with regular at-bats in a lineup that also features the likes of Mike Trout, Albert Pujols and Josh Hamilton, Cron should get plenty of RBI opportunities. He is only owned in 15 percent of Yahoo! leagues, but with Ibanez out of the picture, Cron has enough upside to warrant adding in deeper formats immediately. He could also be worth a flier in standard formats if you are hunting for power numbers.
Steve Pearce (1B/OF, BAL)
10% Owned In Yahoo, 5% Owned In Fleaflicker
BALLER MOVE: Continue Scouting, Add in AL-Only Leagues
ANALYSIS: He broke into the majors back in 2007, but Pearce has never really had a chance to get regular playing time until this season. He has quietly been making the most of the opportunity, and he is currently hitting .336 with 6 homers and 19 RBIs and has already surpassed his career-highs in several offensive categories.
Pearce has been particularly hot at the plate over the past week, collecting 11 hits, 2 homers, 7 RBIs and 6 runs scored in his last six games. He is currently owned in just 9 percent of Yahoo! leagues, and while it is hard to see Pearce suddenly becoming a factor at 31 years old, he is swinging the bat well and is in a decent situation in Baltimore. He is at least worth keeping an eye on.
