Melky Cabrera (OF, CHW) - Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in All Leagues

OWNED IN: 43% of Yahoo Leagues

ANALYSIS: Melky Cabrera has been an underrated fantasy asset for a couple of years now. He continually hits for average; he's gone over .270 each of the last six seasons and over .300 in three of them (he was four points shy last year). He's also produced at least 70 RuBIns the last three seasons. This season figures to be no exception. After a sluggish April, Cabrera knocked in 26 RBI in May alone. His pull rate jumped nearly 20 points from one month to the next, up to 51.4% in May. His hard contact rate also spiked to 36.7%, up from 23.8% in April. He's held down the second or third spot in the lineup all season long, so he'll keep scoring runs at high rate too. Cabrera currently owns a low .263 BABIP, so the average is only going to improve in the coming months.

It's hard to fathom why a known commodity such as Cabrera is available in more than half of all Yahoo leagues. He isn't the most exciting player, nor will he win you any individual category, but he is a steady third outfielder that you can set and forget. Take a look at him in all formats, especially those that utilize four or five OF spots where he could be invaluable, if he's available.