Max Muncy (1B/3B/OF, LAD) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues

OWNED IN: 7% of leagues

ANALYSIS: The Dodgers are starting to pick up steam, and most of that momentum has to do with bench bats playing above expectations. Max Muncy is one of those players, and to be honest, has forced himself into a starting job until he stops hitting. Through 37 games he is slashing .235/.347/.500 with seven homers and double-digit runs and RBI. This year has been his best in the majors so far, as with Oakland his average sat right at the Mendoza line. The .235 clip is not great but offers a nice floor for a power bat with flexibility on playing time.

A few reasons why this is perhaps the floor as opposed to the ceiling for Muncy. First, his 2018 BABIP sits at .265, which while not a guarantee to improve, gives owners some confidence that the average will at least stay the same. Second, the FB% is up from 30.2% in 2016 to 44.4% this season. A HR/FB% of 21.9 will not keep up, but the 2016 line was 7.7% so improvement here as well.  The power numbers so far are real, and Muncy looks like an 18+ HR bat.  Finally, Muncy is hitting the ball much harder than 2016. The current 44.4 HARD% is up 15 points from 2016. Overall there are visible improvements, and with a decent lineup context, Muncy should be owned moving forward.