Renato Nunez (1B/3B, BAL) - Week 17 Waiver Wire Pickups

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OWNED IN: 23% of Yahoo! leagues

ANALYSIS: 

Nunez is up to 21 home runs on the season and doesn’t look to be slowing down. Over just his last 15 games, Nunez has 18 hits including five home runs (10 XBH) and 24 R + RBI. The Orioles have actually been decent over the last couple months and Nunez is seeing more opportunities with runners in scoring position. He’s a lot better against lefties, sporting a .360 wOBA and .305 ISO, compared to a .321/.219 vs righties. He’s still in the heart of the order against righties and has 11 of his 21 homers vs them, so it’s not like he all of a sudden can’t hit like some guys.

If you’re looking to avoid strikeouts, Nunez may not be your guy at 25%. It’s still lower than a lot of guys with 21 home runs and he walks a decent amount (7%). The Orioles play in one of the friendliest ballparks in baseball for power and Nunez has held a .380 wOBA at home. The Orioles have some soft match-ups coming up and Nunez is worth an add in both the short and long-term.