Whit Merrifield (2B/OF, KC) – Waiver Wire Pickups

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ANALYSIS: Whit Merrifield remains under-owned and underappreciated despite the distinct possibility that he ends the season as a 15 home run and 30 stolen base contributor.

Merrifield has run wild on the basepaths in July as he has stolen eight bases in the month alone, making him one of the most prolific stolen base options at second base. Given the fact that he consistently leads off for the Royals and that he has a high success rate on stolen base attempts, it is unlikely that he stops running anytime soon.

The rest of Merrifield’s profile is also interesting, as he doesn’t strike out frequently, allowing him to maintain a strong batting average. Additionally, while power isn’t Merrifield’s calling card, he has increased his flyball rate from 29.8% last year to a 42.6% this season and his HR/FB rate has climbed from 2.9% to 7.3%. Both run and RBI production may be limited for Merrifield, as despite batting leadoff he has just a .323 OBP.

The main draw of Merrifield for fantasy owners is his huge stolen base production, and that is enough to make him worth owning for any fantasy team in need of steals, especially considering that he won’t drag fantasy teams down in other categories.