Bradley Zimmer (OF, CLE) - Week 17 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ Team Leagues

ROSTERED IN: 1% of leagues

ANALYSIS: Bradley Zimmer was at one time anywhere from top-75 to top-25 on various prospect rankings. Now he's 28 years old, in the middle of his fifth MLB campaign (all 567 AB with Cleveland), and is attempting to finish the year with a .700+ OPS for the first time. In a make-or-break year for the former first-round draft pick, his recent signs of life are worth putting confidence behind. Being able to sprint 30 feet per second opens plenty of doors, but it's hard to capitalize on top-20 MLB sprinting speed when you can't seem to reach base, and while reaching base is great, it's much harder to contribute to specific statistical categories when you can't swing for extra bases. Fortunately, Zimmer is slowly but surely patching up these issues.

While he recorded two steals and a .359 OBP through June, his power-hitting netted just a .277 slugging percentage; but in 38 July AB, Zimmer has crushed two balls yard, stolen two bags in three tries, and slashed an improved .237/.356/.395. Part of his XBH issue could be the 14.8% drop in fly balls, and his inflated strikeout rate of 34.8% doesn't do anyone any favors; but he has walked at a superb 11.1% clip, and has sustained his .397 BABIP off a 40% hard hit rate, 87.5 MPH average exit velocity, while shooting batted balls for line drives at a career-high 29.2%. It's never a bad idea to keep your eye out for different power/speed guys, even if they are a little more of one than another. With Bradley Zimmer reaching base with consistency and driving batted balls in the right direction, he could be ready to break out and reward those in deeper formats.

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