Ben Zobrist (2B/OF, CHC) - Waiver Wire Pickups

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OWNED IN: 38% of leagues

ANALYSIS: At 37 years young, Ben Zobrist is one of the oldest position players with an every day role in the MLB. The reliable second baseman has been doing his thing for a very long time now, first making his MLB debut with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays way back in 2006. These days, he hits lead off for the potent Chicago Cubs lineup, who rank fifth in the MLB in runs scored, third in weighted Runs Created Plus, and third in weighted On Base Average.

Zobrist is slashing .294/.381/.444 on the season, chipping in four home runs, 21 RBI's, 27 runs scored, and 14 XBH's.  He also sports an elite 11.9% strikeout rate and 12.5% walk rate - both rates that would be a career high.  Though his .150 ISO is pretty terrible, and his advanced hitting metrics (Barrels/PA, Hard Hit %, and Average Exit Velocity) all rank worse than 117th among qualified hitters, there is something to be said about a productive lead off hitter on a great offense.  It should be noted that Zobrist has been heating up as of late - he is slashing .360/.414/.600 over his last seven games.

Taking a flier on Zobrist isn't really taking much of a flier at all, as he has been both consistent and reliable throughout his entire career.  In fact, he's averaged a remarkable 147 games played per season since his first full year in the MLB.  With Zobrist, you know what you're going to be getting.  He will give you boosts in the AVG, OBP, and runs scored categories, so go pick the up the wiley ol' veteran if you're in need.