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This season there has been an obvious shortage of reliable fantasy baseball shortstops. Most of them are injured or on the verge of losing their job, so more than a couple fantasy owners are currently scouring the waiver wire for a hot bat.
Well, one youngster to take a shot on is Pittsburgh Pirates SS Jordy Mercer.
Mercer has an impressive .292 batting average over his last 19 games. He has also scored eight runs, drawn 10 walks, and hit one home run. Mercer has quietly produced in Pittsburgh and has become a pretty reliable low-end starter in roto-leagues.
Mercer may only have a .274 average on the year, but his .333 On Base Percentage is certainly respectable for a shortstop. He has become a strong hitter at the bottom of the lineup and the Oklahoma State product has proven that he is a difficult out every time he steps into the batter’s box.
Pirates’ manager Clint Hurdle has stated that Mercer will receive the majority of playing time at short for the remainder of the year, as the 26-year-old has completely taken over for a struggling Clint Barmes. Barmes is hitting just .200 this year and the veteran is in the middle of a 4-46 skid. His mid-season collapse has solidified Mercer’s spot in the lineup, which has only made him a more attractive fantasy stopgap to grab off the wavier wire.
Mercer is getting everyday at-bats and is making the most of them. He may not be a long-term solution in mixed leagues, but he is worth adding for the time being.
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.
