Matt Adams (1B, ATL) – Waiver Wire Pickups

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ANALYSIS: Matt Adams has been swinging a very hot bat since he was dealt from the Cardinals to the Braves on May 20^th. Since then, he has hit 12 home runs, driven in 31 runs, and scored 24 runs, all while slugging .654.

There are some concerns in his profile, most notable of which is his 40% groundball rate. Given that, he will need to keep his HR/FB rate at or near its current 23.2% mark to keep hitting with enough power to remain relevant. Given his current hard contact rate of 40.8% and 42.3% pull rate, there are positive indicators that Adams’ power output is legitimate even if he won’t be able to keep his current home run pace.

Playing time is also a consideration for Adams, as when he was acquired by the Braves it was presumed that he would be a stop-gap until Freddie Freeman was able to return from injury. However, Adams’ hot-hitting has forced the Braves’ hand in considering shifting Freddie Freeman to third base. If that occurs, Adams will continue to see at-bats and have the chance to continue his resurgence and could be an asset for the remainder of the season. Even if Freeman does return to play predominantly at first base, Adams is a good short-term option as a corner infielder or slot in as a utility player.