Jose Pirela (2B/OF, SDP) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues

OWNED IN: 9% Yahoo

ANALYSIS: Entering the season, it's fair to assume that the vast majority of fantasy owners had never heard of Jose Pirela. 27-year-old utilitymen with no MLB track record, no prospect hype, and no guaranteed starting role on a lousy team tend not to inspire much excitement. Pirela's performance, however, has been good enough to put him on the radar. After opening the season with 13 homers in 48 games at Triple-A, the Padres elected to give him a shot. He's rewarded that show of faith with a tidy .292/.353/.498 line, 10 home runs, four stolen bases, and 79 R+RBI in 77 games. Encouragingly, Pirela looks to have made significant strides in terms of plate approach as the season has progressed, cutting his strikeout rate and raising his walk rate in almost equal measure since the All-Star break.

Despite the value he's provided at the plate and his multi-position eligibility, Pirela remains available in over 90 percent of Yahoo leagues at the moment.