Bradley Zimmer (OF, CLE) - Waiver Wire Pickups

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ANALYSIS: Bradley Zimmer hasn't taken long to adjust to the majors. Zimmer has jacked four homers, stolen three bases, and driven in 14 runs over his first 21 games. Zimmer isn't a power hitter, never hitting more than 15 HR in a minor league season; his 36.4% HR/FB is absolutely unsustainable too. He should keep producing extra-base hits if he keeps up his outstanding 42.5% hard contact rate, however, sustaining his value in points leagues. Zimmer's plate discipline this season mimics his minor league numbers so far. In terms of average and run production, fantasy owners shouldn't expect things to change dramatically. As for the power, we'll see. At 24 years old, we haven't seen the best of what Zimmer has to offer so it's not impossible to think he outperforms his minor league numbers in many respects. One area that could improve the most is speed. Hopefully he gets more steal opportunities in the near future to showcase the 30-steal ability he flashed in the minors.

Zimmer has easily integrated himself into a powerful lineup that has underachieved this season. Cleveland is 24th in runs scored, thanks to disappointing starts by Edwin Encarnacion, Carlos Santana and Jason Kipnis. If even one of these three stars turn things around in a big way in the second half, Zimmer's stock could keep rising as he starts crossing the plate more frequently. His ability to help in several categories makes him mixed-league worthy in all but the shallowest of formats.