Ketel Marte (2B/SS, ARI) - Waiver Wire Pickups Week 14

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues

OWNED IN: 30% of leagues

ANALYSIS: With the big contract this offseason, some Ketel Marte owners were perhaps expecting more than they are getting, as the deal is more tied to the overall package of defense and speed as opposed to just the bat.  The good news for Marte is that playing up the middle makes the batting line easier to swallow with a much lower hurdle to clear for fantasy relevance. This season through 78 games, Marte is slashing .240/.294/.410 with six homers and two steals.   The K rate is down a few points, but the walk rate is down four points as well. If Marte is a .240 shortstop with some power, that should still play in deeper leagues, and at the very least, is perhaps a solid MI start in most leagues.

The good news for Marte owners has been the past 26 games during which he is hitting .292 with five of his homers. Over that period he also has close to doubled his total runs scored and has chipped in four triples. Is it surprising that when Paul Goldschmidt got hot, the rest of the team improved as well?  In any case, the past month has added to the promise this season for Marte and should make him startable moving forward, at least until he cools off.  At the very least the start to the season seems to be the exception as opposed to the norm.