Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
St. Louis Cardinals 1B Matt Adams is one of the hottest hitters in fantasy baseball that no one is talking about. Adams currently has an insane .542 batting average and would be among the league leaders, but he has only played in eight games this season.
Unfortunately, Adams has missed the last several games with a minor oblique injury and was just placed on the 15-day DL. However, this is the perfect time to grab him off the waiver wire. Most owners are still hesitant about adding the first baseman with his recent injury, but make no mistake, this kid can hit.
He has bashed three doubles, three home runs, and eight RBIs in very limited action. Adams is showing his raw power each time he steps into the batter’s box and has led the Birds’ offense when given the opportunity.
Historically, Adams has hit .300 in all four of his MiLB seasons, so he obviously knows how to hit for average. He has also combined to crush 72 homers in his last three years in the minors. Adams has some serious pop to both sides of the field and his six-foot-three, 260-pound frame has drawn him vast comparisons to Atlanta Braves 1B Freddie Freeman.
Adams was trying to make his way into the starting lineup before his injury. Adams was splitting time at first with Allen Craig and it ended up hurting both of their fantasy numbers. Regardless, Adams is clearly the better all-around hitter, so expect him to win the job at some point when he returns.
Adams wasn’t getting enough at-bats to warrant starting on a consistent basis when he was healthy, but the 24-year-old still deserves a roster spot in 14-man leagues. The minute he gets healthy and cracks the starting lineup, he will become an immediate low-end starter. It would be smarter to stash this slugger on the DL now while he can still be found on the waiver wire.
Adam McGill is the Senior Fantasy Sports Writer at Rant Sports. Follow him on Twitter @adammcgill83, like him on Facebook, or add him to you networks on Google here or here.
