Week 8: MLB Waiver Wire Pickups – Batters

Yadier Molina (St. Louis Cardinals – C) - Believe it or not, but Yadier Molina is one of the NL leaders at the plate. Thanks to a recent quiet surge, Molina, is currently batting .333, which places him in the top 10 among NL batters. Molina’s play in the last two weeks has gotten the attention of his coaches and players alike. Batting coach, Mark McGwire, praised Molina and the way he is playing the game at the moment. “He’s good. And, on top of it, damn, catching and getting beat up by all the one-hop pitches, it’s just amazing what he’s doing, playing day in and day out. It’s pretty awesome” (McGwire). Molina has connected at the plate 15 times on his last 26 appearances to help capitulate him into the top 10.

Like I have stated in previous articles, catchers come at a premium, so ride out the hot bat of Molina. He won’t blow your socks off with outstanding home run power, but he will certainly get on base. Just don’t expect this torrid pace to continue on for weeks; however, Molina does provide a quick plug in for an already struggling position in fantasy baseball. If he has been sitting on your bench, start him and ride this hot streak until he falters.

Molina Stats – .333, 3 HR, 21 RBI, 18 Runs

Seth Smith (Colorado Rockies – OF) - Seth Smith is the type of player that will go on a ridiculous tear, and then fade away into the abyss. Well, Smith doesn’t appear to be veering down into obscurity, but has definitely had one of the hottest bats in the majors recently. The Rockies have been struggling of late, and Smith has been the only bright spot for the ball club. Smith is batting .372 over his last twelve games. Furthermore, he has the the power to send a ball into the bleachers.

If you are going to start him against any type of pitcher, I recommend starting him against known breaking ball pitchers. Smith has crushed the ball on a consistent basis in this respect. The best part is that he is available in an abundance of leagues, if you are looking for a replacement for an injured player Smith should fill that void just fine.

Smith Stats – .306, 5 HR, 22 RBI, 25 Runs, 3 SB

Ryan Ludwick (San Diego Padres – OF) – If you are looking for a power guy on the waiver wire, Ryan Ludwick should be your guy. However, you are getting the best of both worlds with him right now, his batting average is increasing while he is still providing power numbers. Ludwick, currently is in the midst of a .353, four homer romp in his last thirteen games. It was just on May 10th that he was batting .181, but has since brought it up to .230 thanks to his breakout. He still sports some solid numbers considering the long drought he was on.

Through it all, Ludwick, has hit 8 home runs and has 30 RBIs regardless of the cold start. All you can ask from him is to give you solid power numbers, but he is currently performing in all facets of the game. Ludwick should get a long hard look especially from owners that need some power points; however, everyone should find a spot for Ludwick on their roster. His hot streak is going unnoticed as he still available in a number of leagues.

Ludwick Stats – .230, 8 HR, 30 RBI, 20 Runs, 1 SB

Last week waiver wire pickups recap:

Matt Joyce (Tampa Bay Rays – OF) – .377, 8 HR, 27 RBI, 32 Runs, 3 SB – RED HOT

Andres Torres (San Fransisco Giants – OF) – .262, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 12 Runs, 5 SB – AVERAGE

Todd Helton (Colorado Rockies – 1B) – .302, 6 HR, 22 RBI, 18 Runs – COLD

Feel free to contact me with any questions or comments in the contact section

Related posts:

1. Week 7: MLB Waiver Wire Pickups – Batters
2. Week 6: MLB Waiver Wire Pickups – Batters
3. Week 5: MLB Waiver Wire Pickups – Batters
4. MLB Waiver Wire Pickups – Batters
5. Week 3: MLB Waiver Wire Pickups – Batters

Tags: fantasy baseball, free agents, ryan ludwick, seth smith, waiver wire, yadier molina