Tyler Austin (1B, MIN) - Week 23 Waiver Wire Pickups

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ANALYSIS: Tyler Austin was acquired by the Twins from the Yankees to serve as a power bat against left-handed pitchers. While his performance against righties hasn’t been very good, it seems to be enough for the team to give him more regular playing time. Austin’s batting average this season (.236) doesn’t instill confidence and might even cause some trepidation when contemplating acquiring him. However, he has started working to improve the stats in the second half, with seven homers and a .263 average.

Again, Austin is mainly known for his power. He has a 41% hard-hit rate and a .386 ISO in the second half as well. He put his power on display in the last week. Austin hit four homers in the last 23 at-bats; unfortunately, it came with a .217 batting average, which isn’t satisfying in any league. The last two weeks doesn’t look as bad with six runs, two homers, and six RBI with a .268 average. The Twins will spend the week on the road. Austin will have matchups against the Athletics followed by the Mariners. If your roster needs the power and can stomach the mediocre batting average, Austin is a candidate for you.