Every Wednesday, Dapinder joins Pitcher List to outline the best position player buys and sells of the week. He’ll outline the hitters to trust in your lineups and who to shop while their price is high. Make sure to stay ahead of the curve and use the market to your advantage.
BUY
Jake Lamb (3B, Arizona Diamondbacks): During the past offseason, Lamb made adjustments to his swing. The results look to be paying off as Lamb is batting .283 with 14 home runs. He’s owned in only 64% of Yahoo leagues and has arguably been a top ten 3B. Lamb’s hard hit percentage ranks 11th among qualified hitters while improving his BB/K ratio. The big caveat with Lamb is that for whatever reason, he is being platooned. Despite that he has kept pace with sluggers like Kyle Seager (their numbers aren’t all that different). Lastly, Lamb is in the top ten in balls hit over 100 mph in the ideal launch angle (10-30 degrees). This makes it likely he can continue to bat above .270 while pulling the ball half the time and challenge for 30 home runs.
Marcus Semien (SS, Oakland Athletics): Power + Speed has been Semien’s calling thus far in his career. Semien is on pace for a career high in both home runs and stolen bases. He’s due for some better fortune as he has a .253 BABIP.
Shin Soo-Choo (OF, Texas Rangers): Choo is back from injury and has potential to be a top 30 OF from here on out. For one, he’s been a better second half player than first half. He has a career .393 wOBA in the second half whereas he has a .353 wOBA in the first half. Last season he showed he can still hit the ball well with 22 HR and a .276 batting average. He was also in the top 25 in balls hit over 95 MPH in the ideal launch angle (10-30 degrees).
Ryan Zimmerman (1B, Washington Nationals): Health will always be a question mark for Zimmermann. He’s been relatively healthy in 2016. Zimmermann’s .187 ISO is right in line with his career showing that 20 home runs is fairly realistic. With a .253 batting average on balls in play, Zimmermann should have some better luck going forward. He’s among the top forty in hits over 95 MPH and in the ideal launch angle (10-30 degrees). Zimmer is definitely worth a look.
Whit Merrifield (2B/OF, Kansas City Royals): Ride the hot hand! Look his .400 BABIP will regress at some point but until then, pick up Merrifield and let him do some damage. Fun Fact: Merrifield has the same fWAR as Nomar Mazara in 34 fewer games!
Matt Adams (1B, St. Louis Cardinals): Another case of a player being platooned, Adams has been on a tear. He’s hitting .299 with 9 HR. With his big frame, power was always expected with Adams but he never delivered. Adams is hitting the ball all over the diamond and is playing like he should be the everyday Cardinal first basemen.
Brad Miller (2B/SS/OF, Tampa Bay Rays): In deeper leagues, Miller is worth a look. He has 9 HR with 4 SB but a poor .238 average. His batting average on balls in play is below his career average. Miller is hitting the ball harder than ever before (33% hard hit %) and making the most contact since his rookie year. The positional versatility is another reason to give Miller a look.
Didi Gregorius (SS, New York Yankees): Whatever adjustments Didi made when he joined the Yankees, they certainly seem to be working. After hitting .265 with 9 HR last season, Gregorius is batting .282 with 6 HR already. The average isn’t BABIP driven either; it sits at .297. Gregorius cut down on his strikeout rate and is making better contact all around. Gregorius is worth a shot at short.
Leonys Martin (OF, Seattle Mariners): I’m not a big believer in Martin’s power but he will finish in that 12-18 range. He is hitting more flyballs, pulling the ball more, and the strikeouts have increased. These are all signs of a change in approach. Martin will be good for a decent batting average and still has good speed. He makes for an intriguing addition.
SELL
Salvador Perez (C, Kansas City Royals): Salvy Perez has a .356 BABIP, his career average BABIP is .299. Despite him hitting the ball harder, he is striking out more leading to less contact. Perez is also unlikely to keep a .240 ISO considering his career high is .170 back in 2012. Perez will be cooling down soon.