Colin Moran (1B, PIT) - Week 3 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12-Team Leagues

ROSTERED IN: 21% of leagues

ANALYSIS:  Coming into 2021, Colin Moran was expected to be on the stronger side of a platoon split with Todd Frazier, but the surprise release of Frazier in the final days of spring training left the full-time role for the taking, and Moran has done nothing to suggest he shouldn't keep all the playing time for himself.  Through 32 at-bats, Moran is slashing .280/.379/.600 with two home runs.  After posting a career-high 9.5 percent walk rate in 2020, he's currently beating that number with a 13.8 percent rate.

There are very few upsides to playing for one of the worst teams in the major leagues, but for Colin Moran, consistently batting in the top part of the order is one of them.  Moran has yet to bat lower than fourth in the lineup this year.  That offers him plenty of opportunities for counting stats, and plenty of opportunities to capitalize on his excellent barrel rate, which sits in the 97th percentile thus far after resting comfortably in the 87th percentile in 2020.

The only weakness in Moran's game so far for 2021 has been his propensity for strikeouts.  His 37.9 percent rate is an awful number, and represents a career-worst rate by far.  Those numbers should settle, but if it costs a few strikeouts to maintain his extra-base production, that's a trade-off worth taking.  Moran is a sneaky power source, with additional value in Points and OBP leagues.