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The finish line of the 2018 season is in sight. If you’re still in the hunt, congratulations are in order. Even if you fall short, to have successfully navigated the slings and arrows of five-plus months to get to this point is commendable. Hopefully, this column has and will continue to aid you in your quest for glory, bragging rights, and/or cold, hard cash.
As we have every Sunday thus far, we'll look at the best middle infielders available in at least 50 percent of Yahoo leagues. These are based on standard 5x5 scoring; adjust accordingly for your specific setup.
Let’s get to it. Below are your second base and shortstop waiver wire targets for Week 25.
Editor's Note: Our incredible team of writers received five total writing awards and 13 award nominations by the Fantasy Sports Writers Association, tops in the industry! Congrats to all the award winners and nominees including Best MLB Series, NFL Series, NBA Writer, PGA Writer and Player Notes writer of the year. Be sure to follow their analysis, rankings and advice all year long, and win big with RotoBaller! Read More!
Week 25 Middle Infield (MI) Waiver Wire Targets
Adalberto Mondesi, 2B/SS, Kansas City Royals (41% owned)
Mondesi is among the most popular adds in fantasy baseball over the past few days, and it’s not difficult to understand why. The speedy shortstop swiped his fourth base in five games on Saturday, giving him 24 thefts in just 61 games. He’s also hit eight home runs and pulled his batting average up to .284 on the season. Despite a poor plate approach and significant contact issues, Mondesi has been a legitimate five-category contributor down the stretch.
Amed Rosario, SS, New York Mets (36%)
Rosario hasn’t been quite as dynamic as Mondesi, but he’s turned in an excellent performance in the second half. Since the break, the 22-year-old has hit .275 with six homers, 12 steals, and 65 R+BI in 48 games. The run production has been boosted by Rosario’s installation as the everyday leadoff hitter, coupled with the Mets boasting a top-five offense over the last two months.
Jeff McNeil, 2B/3B, New York Mets (29%)
Part of the credit for that offensive resurgence in Queens must go to McNeil. The 26-year-old entered 2018 as a little-known fringe prospect, but he’s slashed .335/.389/.494 in his first 50 games at the major league level. There isn’t a ton of category juice to be found here (3 HR/4 SB), but McNeil makes a ton of contact – he has almost as many multi-hit games (15) as strikeouts (17). And now that he’s staked a claim on the two-hole in the Mets’ order, right behind Rosario, he should have plenty of opportunities to score runs in the last few weeks of the year.
Adam Frazier, 2B/OF, Pittsburgh Pirates (6%)
After a forgettable first half, Frazier’s post-break surge has flown under the radar in most fantasy formats. The small number of owners who have rostered him over the past two months have enjoyed a .333 average and solid run production, along with what equates to a 20-homer pace over a full season. Like McNeil, he parlays a high contact rate into plenty of hits from a prime spot near the top of the lineup.
Brandon Lowe, 2B/OF, Tampa Bay Rays (5%)
Lowe went deep again on Saturday, bringing his total to five homers in just 101 plate appearances since arriving in the big leagues. Tampa’s recent surge is too little, too late for them to force their way into a stacked American League playoff field, but Lowe is just one of their many intriguing infielders. Never a highly regarded prospect, he’s nonetheless hit at every level and is currently slashing .247/.366/.494.
