Jesse Winker (OF, CIN) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues

OWNED IN: 9% of leagues

ANALYSIS: Cincinnati Reds outfielder Jesse Winker might be one of the best pure hitters in baseball, but his lack of pop limits his upside and value. Still, the 24-year-old is an intensely cerebral player with some of the most amazing hand-eye coordination I’ve ever seen. He also is one of the few hitters in baseball with a higher walk rate, 15%, than K rate, 14.3%. The plate and pitch recognition is almost Votto-like.

Why all the superlatives for a guy hitting .270 with six home runs? If you are in an OBP league, Winker is an incredibly under-valued asset, with a .385 OBP despite getting a touch unlucky on batted balls. A .400 OBP for the rest of the season is actually reasonable. As far as the power, it is likely that there will not be an improvement by leaps and bounds this season. A .126 ISO underlies Winker’s contact-first approach. Also, his lack of athleticism keeps him from stretching singles into doubles or bringing steals to the table.

However, despite the lack of pop, Winker hits the ball with decent authority. Just 13.4% of his contact is considered soft. If you can square up and make good contact, good things will happen, and Winker is just as capable as anyone of finding another gear as a power hitter. Winker should be owned in any league with 14 teams or deeper, and should at least be on the radar for shallow leagues with OBP as a stat.