Kevin Pillar (OF, TOR) - Week 21 Waiver Wire Pickups

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ANALYSIS: Toronto Blue Jays outfield Kevin Pillar returns to the waiver wire after spending some time being shuffled around the lineup. Regular readers will recall that where he slots in the batting order is of fairly significant importance when determining start/sit with Pillar. Whenever Pillar hits in a premium spot, he plummets. Whenever he is buried in the lineup, he shines. Of course, when he shines, the Jays move him up the lineup, and he falls back to earth. Strange relationship, but the numbers don’t lie.

Shuffling between the sixth and ninth spots in the order, Pillar put together a .368/.429/.579 week over 21 plate appearances with a home run. This is a notable improvement over his usual .228/.268/.409 batting fifth. Also, when compared to hitting in the bottom third, Pillar knocks .283/.307/.439. For some reason, he is an entirely different hitter. He is the only guy you will have on your team that you will need to check his hitting spot instead of just if he is in the lineup, but weeks like the last two make the effort worth it.