Jace Peterson (1B/2B/3B/OF, MIL) - Week 17 Waiver Wire Pickups

3 years ago by Mike Marteny

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BALLER MOVE: Add in leagues of 12+ teams

ROSTERED IN: 34% of leagues

ANALYSIS: The multi-position eligibility, especially in leagues with shallow benches, is intoxicating isn't it? A look as the surface suggests nothing special about Peterson. The .254 average is, well, average. Four homers and 21 RBI is below average. Peterson has made a career as a journeyman. Milwaukee is his fifth team in eight major league seasons. So why is he so valuable, aside from playing every position but catcher and shortstop? Let's dive in!

We'll start with the average. Peterson is only a .229 career hitter and his .254 average this season would represent a career best. The .307 BABIP is sustainable and his 17.2% walk rate is by far his best in a full season (it was nearly 25% last year, but he had just 45 at bats). The strikeouts are down, and the barrel percentage of 6.5% is almost double his other full seasons in the majors. The 14.4 degree launch angle is also nearly five degrees better than his best full season.

What does all of this mean? It means that Peterson is making more meaningful and better contact than at any other time in his major league career. Peterson played sparingly and hit just .208 in 24 April at-bats. However, he came into a full-time job in mid-June when injuries mounted for the Brewers. Peterson responded with a .283 average in June and three steals. He is hitting .244 with two homers, three steals, eight runs scored, and eight RBI in 13 July games so far.

As long as Peterson keeps getting consistent at-bats – which he will so long as Travis Shaw, Kolten Wong, and Dan Vogelbach remain out – he can be an asset to our fantasy teams. Three of his four homers are to dead center field, suggesting that some of those doubles could clear the wall with a bit of luck. At any rate, Peterson seems a lock to top his career best of seven homers (set in 2016) and should post a career best in batting average. The double-digit steals and position eligibility are just nice bonuses.

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