Fantasy Baseball Waiver Worthy: Could Brad Davis Be A Usable Option?
September 26, 2010 · Eric Stashin · Jump to comments
Article Source: Bleacher Report - New York Yankees
Are you in a two-catcher league, and looking for an under the radar option to potentially carry you over the final week of the season? Surprisingly, there are probably many of you out there, with players like Geovany Soto and Yadier Molina being lost for the year.
We all know that filling out your catcher spots are difficult the deeper your league is, but Brad Davis of the Florida Marlins could be an interesting option to turn to.
First, let’s look at what he has done through Friday:
86 At-Bats
.233 Batting Average (20 Hits)
3 Home Runs
15 RBI
7 Runs
1 Stolen Base
.281 On Base Percentage
.419 Slugging Percentage
.293 Batting Average on Balls in Play
The average jumps out at you but before we get to that, let’s first discuss the power. Let’s be honest, catchers generally don’t hit for the best average, but if they can give you a little boost in power and RBI, owners will happily take it.
He had never had more than 11 HR in a season in the minor leagues, though he did have nine in 247 at-bats at Triple-A prior to his recall (that was in the PCL). At 27 years old, it’s hard to imagine him suddenly discovering himself and generating more power.
Over his minor-league career he had a fly ball rate of 36.0 percent, and was at just 32.1 percent at Triple-A this year. Clearly, his presence in the Pacific Coast League helps to explain his increase in 2010.
In the major leagues he’s posted a 34.4 percent fly ball rate with a 14.3 percent HR/FB rate. Those aren’t unrealistic numbers, so I would say we’ve seen what we are going to get, with maybe a slight regression possible.
Is he going to carry your squad in home runs? Not likely, but he certainly could give you one or two over the final week, especially with four games against the Pirates to finish the year.
Now, the average, which is a big concern. While the BABIP is realistic, he has posted a strikeout rate of 32.6 percent. That’s not even close to his minor-league rate of 21.7 percent (over 1,727 AB). While it’s easy to expect an increase with the jump, this is a bit too large of a jump, especially when he was at 21.7 percent at Triple-A this year.
If he can get that under control, the average will follow suit. Still, like I said earlier, if he can hit .250, he’s going to have value.
Just look at some other catchers averages this year:
- Mike Napoli—.246
- Jorge Posada—.257
- Kurt Suzuki—.247
- Ryan Doumit—.255
- Matt Wieters—.234
In two-catcher formats, they all have value. Plus, for just one week, you never really know. Maybe he catches fire…Maybe you catch lightning in a bottle…
At a shallow position, he’s well worth the risk. If you are desperate for a replacement, roll the dice and hope for the best.
What are your thoughts on Davis? Is he usable down the stretch? Why or why not?
Make sure to check out some of our other recent waiver wire articles:
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