Orlando Arcia (SS, MIL) - Week 11 Waiver Wire Pickups

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OWNED IN: 7% of Leagues

ANALYSIS: Orlando Arcia entered the 2019 season in post-hype sleeper mode after putting an end to a miserable 2018 campaign. So far this season, he’s rebounded nicely with eight home runs, 28 runs, 27 RBI, and three steals while slashing a respectable .259/.326/.423. Arcia’s numbers may not jump off the page at you, but if we look more closely at what he’s accomplished lately, there’s plenty to admire.

In his last 15 games, Arcia has popped four homers and 13 RBI while batting a crisp .291, good enough for a 144 wRC+. The 24-year-old has cut down on the swings-and-misses in this span resulting in a 15.8% K-rate and a 10.5% BB%, stellar numbers that are sustainable in this neighbourhood. Overall this season, Arcia has lowered his SwStr% over 4% while simultaneously reducing his Chase% over 6.5% from last season. This high-contact approach has helped him boost his average, giving him an excellent chance to match his .277 mark from his breakout 2017 campaign.

Arcia has also set new bests across the board in Hard Hit% (32.9%), Exit Velocity (87.1 MPH), Fly-ball rate (18.0%) and Barrel% (5.8%) perhaps formulating a potential 20 homer season. We’d like to see the right-hander produce more in the stolen base category after averaging over 14 SB per 162 games since he debuted in 2016, but more should come with more appearances on the base paths. 2019 is shaping out as a career year for Arcia who will continue to contribute in all five roto categories as the season wears on.