RADIO
BALLER MOVE: Add in leagues of 12+ teams
ROSTERED IN: 44% of leagues
ANALYSIS: When we last saw Kike Hernandez (pronounced KEE-KAY), he was mashing lefties for the Dodgers for the last few years. That limited his chances. His career high in at-bats is 414, set in 2019 when the Dodgers had a lot of injuries. This year, Kike has a full-time gig with Boston and already has 311 at-bats already this season. Add that to the ever-coveted multi-position eligibility, and most fantasy owners started taking notice. Is he just a warm body at shallow positions though? Let's see what he actually brings to the table.
Hernandez is a career .240 hitter, so expecting better than the current .244 average doesn't seem likely. His .270 BABIP seems low by league standards, but Kike hits almost half of his balls in the air, including 14.7% of his fly balls that never leave the infield. Thinking the BABIP will normalize closer to .300 also seems unlikely. Eventually, Kike is going to hurt your average. His six homers in 69 July at-bats softens the blow some and he is hitting .275 this month.
We all know the power is legit. Kike hit 11 homers in about the same number of at-bats in 2017. His career high in homers is 21, and everything says that number is within reach. The 19.1 degree launch angle reflects the high amount of fly balls that he hits, but 12.1% of those flies leave the yard. It may not be conducive to a high batting average, but it's working for Kike.
Boston also has Kike leading off in most games now. He has scored 13 runs in 18 July games, so if you're light on runs scored and homers and can afford a little nick to your batting average, Hernandez can help you. Boston's offense is proving to be a potent one, which will also increase his RBI opportunities. He has 14 RBI already in July and drove in 12 runs last month. This number is trending upward as well.
The silver lining for Hernandez and his prospective owners is that six of his 14 homers have come off of right-handed pitching this year. He's not just a lefty killer anymore. If you need a boost in average and runs at shallow middle infield positions, Hernandez is a solid addition to fuel your second half surge.
More Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups
Corbin Carroll: Waiver Wire Pickups - Week 20
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 13% of leagues ANALYSIS: Corbin Carroll was a first-round pick for the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 2019 MLB Draft, a consensus top-50 prospect, and was rostered to the 2022 NL Futures Game team. The D-Backs outfield may be stocked with formidable talent, but Carroll is ambitiously... Read More
JP Sears: Waiver Wire Pickups - Week 20
BALLER MOVE: Add in 15+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 9% of leagues ANALYSIS: 26-year-old Oakland A's starting pitcher JP Sears has been absolute money, essentially from his sophomore season at the Citadel and on. After going in the eleventh round of the 2017 MLB Draft, Sears moved through the minor leagues at a solid pace... Read More
Brian Serven: Waiver Wire Pickups - Week 19
BALLER MOVE: Add in 15+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 0% of leagues ANALYSIS: After going in the fifth round of the 2016 MLB Draft, it took several years of up and down play in the minors for catcher Brian Serven to make his way up to the Colorado Rockies. Now that the 27-year-old former ASU... Read More
Kyle Isbel: Waiver Wire Pickups - Week 19
BALLER MOVE: Add in 15+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 1% of leagues ANALYSIS: 25-year-old Kyle Isbel got a little bit of burn last season with the Kansas City Royals to the tune of solid results, and while things have started a bit slower for the former third-round pick from UNLV in 2022, his power/speed skillset... Read More
Ryan Pepiot: Waiver Wire Pickups - Week 19
BALLER MOVE: Add in 15+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 9% of leagues ANALYSIS: While the Dodgers may not need a ton of help this season, Ryan Pepiot has been a welcome recent addition to the LA rotation. A third-round draft pick in 2019, Pepiot earned his way into the top-100 prospect conversation before the start... Read More
Download Our Free Waiver Wire App
Like what you see? You can download our free fantasy baseball mobile app for iPhone and Android which includes more waiver wire recommendations at every position, 24x7 player news, notifications, injury alerts & daily articles.
Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App
Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy baseball app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, sleepers, prospects & more. All free!
Check out RotoBaller's entire fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups and sleepers list, updated daily!
