David Freese (1B/3B, PIT) - Week 19 Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ Team Leagues

OWNED IN: 3% of leagues

ANALYSIS: At 35 years old, Pittsburgh Pirates corner infielder David Freese is demonstrating that he can be a productive player on your roster. In 211 plate appearances in 2018, he has a .286 batting average to go with eight homers and 36 RBI. He has also frequently been in the middle of the Pirates lineup, putting him the position to enhance his run creation tallies.

It is surprising because he is not hitting the ball that hard (33%) and pounds it on the ground too often (51%), though it is better than he did the last four years. Accordingly, his line drive (21.2%) and fly ball (27.4%) rates have improved from past seasons. To illustrate the production, Freese will carry into this coming week, he has three homers, 11 RBI, and a .306 batting average in the last 14 days.

Freese has the pleasure of playing a series in Colorado; however, it is followed by a series in a less hitter-friendly environment in San Francisco. He is worth a pickup in deeper leagues, particularly as a CI.