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If you read last week’s corner infield pickups column, you know how incredulous I was that Miguel Sano, Maikel Franco, and Jung Ho Kang were all available in more than 50 percent of Yahoo! leagues. Well, they still are. The first two have held steady, while Kang has experienced a modest bump in ownership rate. Add it to the lengthy list of things I just don’t understand.
At any rate, this week we’re digging a little deeper. With the exception of the first player on this week’s list, everyone we’ll cover today is free in at least 75 percent of Y! leagues. Get it how you live.
Editor’s Note: to read about even more waiver wire options for first base and third base, be sure to check out our famous waiver wire pickups list which is a running list that is updated daily.
Corner Infield Pickups
Chase Headley, 1B/3B, New York Yankees (49 percent owned)
Headley was an out-of-nowhere fantasy monster in 2012, smacking 31 homers and swiping 17 bases to go along with 220 R+RBI and an .875 OPS. That these numbers came while playing half his games in Petco Park made the breakout all the more impressive. He hasn’t come close to those dizzying heights since, but he’s been quite productive lately. Though he’s left the yard just once, Headley has 28 R+RBI and a .362/.416/.493 line in 19 games since the break. That line’s likely the product of some batted ball luck, but at this time of year, there’s nothing wrong with streaming a hot streak.
Nick Castellanos, 3B, Detroit Tigers (23 percent)
Looking at his overall numbers, Castellanos would seem to be having a similarly disappointing campaign as he did in 2014. Early season struggles, however, have given way to what could be a breakout. Castellanos was a well-regarded prospect and is still only 23 years old. FanGraphs’ Dan Farnsworth recently noted improvements in Castellanos’ stride that have allowed him to better drive the ball. The results support this change, as he’s knocked 14 XBH (half of them homers) over the last six weeks. While he strikes out too much to be anything but a liability in batting average, the rapidly aging Tigers might just have an exciting young player.
Ben Paulsen, 1B/OF, Colorado Rockies (9 percent)
Paulsen was old for his level at every stop in the minors, but after some uninspiring years to start his career, he’s acquitting himself fairly well. In his two seasons at Triple-A, Paulsen hit .293 with 38 homers and showed solid plate discipline. Those skills have carried over to his big-league performance, as he’s currently sitting on a .300/.353/.512 line. Sure, most of that damage has been done at Coors, but you can definitely extract some value from platooning him – maybe with another guy on this list.
Jed Lowrie, 3B/SS, Houston Astros (8 percent)
Some kid named Carlos Correa took over at shortstop while Lowrie was out with a torn thumb ligament, but the veteran figures to get the bulk of the playing time at the hot corner going forward. Lowrie was killing it before he went on the shelf, and the long layoff doesn’t appear to have hurt him much, as he’s hit safely in all but one game since his return. Last year wasn’t much to write home about for him, but Lowrie did smack 31 homers across the previous two seasons and owns a respectable .262/.333/.415 career line. The SS eligibility is a big plus.
Jonathan Schoop, 2B/3B, Baltimore Orioles (7 percent)
As a rookie last season, Schoop displayed excellent pop for a middle infielder with 16 homers in 455 at-bats. Unfortunately, he also hit just .209 and struck out nearly 10 times as often as he walked. His plate discipline hasn’t evolved much, but his power continues to impress as he’s hit seven homers in just 34 games on his way to a .299/.336/.551 line.
One might expect some regression in the batting average based on his minor-league track record, but it’s worth noting that the data shows that he’s hitting the ball much harder than last season. Schoop doesn’t actually play third base, since Manny Machado is there, but he’s eligible after logging time there last season. Being able to plug him in at second base is certainly helpful.
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