Yuli Gurriel (1B, HOU)  - Week 12 Waiver Wire Pickups

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ANALYSIS: Houston Astros first baseman Yuli Gurriel is the safest bet of any free agent pickup this week. He is a sure thing, nearly as guarantee-able as death and taxes. This week, Gurriel is hitting .455 with a home run, five runs, and six RBI.

Gurriel is somewhat safe bet for a .300 AVG and little power. Gurriel’s .302 average is pretty good, but is unlikely to help to increase your team’s batting average. It is unfortunate that he only has a .104 ISO and a .405 SLG. We should be satisfied with a player that hits .300 and only has a 10.7% strikeout rate.

The additional benefit that Gurriel provides is the atmosphere in which he hits. He routinely hits fourth or fifth in a lineup that is capable of scoring many runs on a nightly basis. This week, he has favorable matchups against the Rays and Royals. While, it is not generally smart to have a single-category specialist, Gurriel will not hurt your lineup. He would have opportunities to get RBI and could balance some of the ratios if you have big-power/low-average guys on your roster.