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ANALYSIS: Nori Aoki was perpetually the guy hanging around the top of the waiver wire as a member of the Kansas City Royals in 2014. Occasionally, he would find a home on someone's roster and just as quickly wind up back in the free agent pool. Aoki is a streaky hitter. He started strong last year with a .299 AVG and 14 runs in the month of April. He finished stronger in the month of September, batting .379 with eight extra-base hits and 10 RBI. For the most part, the months between were much less pretty.
After three years of American baseball, Aoki is a consistent .287 career hitter who is a valuable bat in any MLB lineup. Yet, aside from a fairly enticing average and a handful of stolen bases, Aoki doesn't have that wow factor that entices fantasy owners. Aoki has been an above-replacement player since entering the league with an average WAR of 2.5 and he tends to exhibit spurts of real productivity. It's an added boost that he will bat first for the San Francisco Giants in 2015. But the lineup behind him is a deflated version of the World Series winner from last year, meaning he might not reap the benefits of your typical leadoff man.
Don't buy in on Nori too early. Keep an eye on the signs, watch his PR15 (player rating in previous 15 games) and pick him up when you feel that patented streak coming on.
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