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The second half of the MLB season has begun. By this point, you should have a pretty solid handle on your roster and its chances for success. Those of you fortunate enough to still be in the hunt should be looking for every little edge. That’s where we come in. RotoBaller’s ongoing waiver wire coverage remains an excellent asset for the discerning and handsome fantasy owner.
These corner infielders are available in the majority of Yahoo leagues and can aid you in your quest for fake baseball immortality.
Editor’s Note: To read about even more waiver wire options for first base and third base, be sure to check out our famous waiver wire pickups list which is a running list that is updated daily.
Corner Infield Pickups
Chris Colabello, Toronto Jays (48 percent owned)
Let’s be honest – Colabello can’t possibly maintain a .421 BABIP. But he’s hitting a ton of line drives, feasting on fastballs, and bats in the best lineup in baseball. The 31-year-old has been extremely productive to this point and, even factoring in the inevitable comedown, offers enough power to be relevant in many formats. He’s an utter travesty in the field, but does carry OF eligibility in addition to 1B.
Joe Mauer, 1B, Minnesota Twins (47 percent )
After struggling through much of the first half, Mauer has shown signs of life lately. He’s slashed .319/.382/.495 over the past month, with four of his six homers on the season coming in that span. Mauer’s age and injury history are a concern, and his lack of power makes him a less than ideal option at first base. However, he’s a .316 career hitter and his batted ball data suggests improvement on his current .271 mark should be expected. If he can continue to pop the occasional homer, Mauer should be an asset in deeper leagues.
Adam LaRoche, 1B, Chicago Sox (43 percent)
Most of the time, you should be wary of putting too much stock into first and second half splits. In the case of LaRoche, however, it seems safe to expect a better performance going forward. For his career, the veteran has posted a .767 OPS before the break and an .860 mark after. So while he, like most of his teammates, has been a disappointment so far, brighter days should lie ahead. If you’re looking for other reasons to hope, his batted ball profile is more or less in line with previous years.
Trevor Plouffe, 3B, Minnesota Twins (29 percent)
Player A: .259/.320/.449, 11 HR, 43 R, 46 RBI
Player B: .269/.329/.438, 12 HR, 36 R, 39 RBI
Player A is Plouffe, of course. Player B? Kyle Seager. Plouffe has turned himself into a solid player over the last couple of seasons. He may not be a terribly exciting fantasy option, but he’s on pace for the best season of his career and costs nothing to add in nearly three-quarters of Y! leagues. Third base has been much deeper this season than in recent years, and Plouffe is one reason why.
Juan Uribe, 3B, Atlanta Braves (4 percent)
A few months ago, it looked like the end might finally be nigh for Uribe, who has been playing baseball for what feels like about half a century at this point. Since being traded to the Braves, however, he’s hitting .290/.351/.478 with seven homers in just 41 games. Judging by his ownership rate, however, nobody has noticed. As any veteran of deep formats knows, sometimes you need to avoid looking a gift horse in the mouth and just take production where you can. It seems inconceivable that Uribe should be on a fantasy roster in 2015, but this is where we are.
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