Jose Iglesias (SS, CIN) - Week 6 Waiver Wire Pickups

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ANALYSIS: Jose Iglesias started the 2019 season on a minor-league contract with the Cincinnati Reds looking at manning the backup middle infield slots alongside Derek Dietrich. Now, with Scooter Gennett transferring to the 60-day IL and the Reds frequently experimenting with the lineup, he has already taken 91 AB across 29 games. He has gotten off to a highly encouraging start as well, producing a .308/.351/.429 slash with a stolen base and two surprising home runs. Iglesias has always been known for his defensive expertise at shortstop, and already has plenty of highlight-reel worthy plays to his credit as a Red. His best seasons in the MLB, such as his second-place finish in the AL ROY race and his 2015 All-Star selection, were characterized by a high BA, low power, and moderate speed potential.

Last season, Iglesias stole a career-high 15 bases, and has displayed a gradually improving power-game in 2019 while maintaining his excellent batting average. He has plenty of speed to support his annually-high BABIP, and this season he has been producing a career-high (though still modest) .121 ISO and 28.9% hard contact rate. "Candelita" has been hitting for better power over the last couple seasons as well, producing hard contact rates of 28.4% and 26.9% in 2017 and 2018 with consecutive career-high ISO of .114 and .120. While he is by no means a Herculean-hitter, if he can continue to explore his range while hitting for a high BA and stealing bases, he can juice the opportunity in the Reds infield to the fullest extent in conjunction with his defensive wizardry.